Escapee.. Posted July 12, 2018 Posted July 12, 2018 Morning Ladies / Gents I need some guidance from your wisdom vault. I want to get into mountain biking as I have become extremely unfit and really need to do some sort of exercise. I come from a Motox background and have some knee issues etc from back then. I stay very close to Meerendal and obviously the trails around it. So, I have looked at a Levo or a Kenevo ( but no stock of 2019s ) but it seems there is a bit of a stigma behind the whole E-Bike thing.Anyways, I am looking for a trail bike and something that can go downhill without to much of a problem. I have also looked at a Merida one-sixty 800. I am 31 Years of age and weigh around 75kg's. Frame would be a medium. The reason I ask is obviously an E-bike is double the price and come with a certain stigma attached it seems from browsing the forums. I dont want to race, I want to get out and have some fun while improving my fitness. Should I stick to a regular pedal bike or would the pedal assist be the way to go to get into the hobby?I have asked myself this same question now for over a month and just cant pull the trigger so hoping some valid input would help me decide. Thanks so much! Whatever you end up choosing Please just think of the children!
rorydewet Posted July 12, 2018 Posted July 12, 2018 Ah I never knew! So are the segments KOMS and whatnot only filled with ebike users? The fun part is not logging a ride, but comparing past and present against friends and against yourself no clue i ride an ebike my garmin foreunner logs it, garmin connect sends it to Stravai go into Strava change it to ebike rides and e bike bikes and thats iti do that purely to not piss people off if they look at my times etci dont want people to think im not on an ebikeI use Strava as a filing system and backup systemdont worry about segments or koms to be honesti ride for myself and with family purely for the enjoyment of riding
Me rida my bicycle Posted July 12, 2018 Posted July 12, 2018 For the fun and if you can afford it I think ebike will be great fun. For normal bikes I would go for a Scott Spark or RC it's just a great do it all bike.
Reme Le Hane Posted July 14, 2018 Posted July 14, 2018 Ebike or normal bike, you will ride, you get fitter, if you want to ride the bike you riding will not change that, and Ebike won't make you go ride more than you would on a normal bike. I'm 32 and last year I got a hard tail, cost saving and affordability, yesterday 11 months and 3 days later I walked out with my Scott Spark 930 which is now on special, from 54 to 38. Some weeks I have time for 3 or 4 rides, others I only manage to get 1, your life will have a far greater impact on your ridding frequency than the ease of the ride. Friend of mine also got the same bike yesterday, he is probably close on 40 by now, has not done a lick of exercise since high school, he saw a nutritionist as whatever in his life motivated him to get fit, and then he set himself a goal, albeit a crazy one, he wants to do the iron man, so he got a coach, joined a gym, bought running shoes and he picked his Spark 930 yesterday with me too, obviously he cannot take an ebike to iron man, but it was never a consideration with him, he spent 2 months visit bike shops and testing and demoing bikes, all while ridding an old 2009 giant hard tail, also known as a plank. At his current fitness and capabilities he is less than half as fast as I am, his old bike probably had something to do with that, but he has lost like 12kg in 3 or 4 months and gets fitter with every ride. At the end of the day, **** what every single one of us and every other person on the trail says, buy what you like, the bike that suits you best is the one that will motivate your riding, your enjoyment, comfort, etc. If you pass me on an ebike I won't think any less of you, as I don't know why you have one, we don't knows strangers on the trails and I know a guy around our age also on an ebike, and owing to a childhood illness he has minimal muscle definition in his legs and literally does not have the ability to even climb a hill at a 2% gradient, without an ebike he would not be able to ride anything other than a trainer. Scott Scale 960 (2017) MTB Vids: ltstyt.be/@remelehane
CAAD4 Posted July 14, 2018 Posted July 14, 2018 Just a thought - If you are willing to drop R80-90k on an e-bike, why not buy two R35-40k normal bikes for you and the GF? Then you can start cycling together, get fit together, you have a nice riding partner and you will get "permission" to go cycling a lot easier because she will probably come along most of the time. For R35-40k you can get very nice normal bikes.No no WTH. this is an opportunity for him to escape, get some fresh air, clear his head, make new friends and get fit. His girlfriend at home will appreciate that any way. Comic Sans...
PhilipV Posted July 15, 2018 Posted July 15, 2018 Ride what you want. You will get fitter faster on the normal bike. After about 6weeks of riding Your limits won't be your fitness anymore, but rather how much time you have to ride. Then you're energy expenditure will typically be the same on a normal as on a ebike of you are riding alone. If you are riding with someone on a normal bike, you'll hardly raise a sweat on the ebikes. If the ebike is your gateway drug, then so be it. Of fitness is your main motivational driving force, get a normal bike. You will eventually get fit on the ebike, but not as fast, and not as fit and not as strong. If you are not riding for the thrill of shredding trails, then an ebike is lekker. No matter what the ebike guys say, a lekker pedal bike will always be more fun going down than a similar spec ebike. The lighter weight means you can gooi the bike around more. On the ebike you'll probably get double the amount of runs in, so it is a case of quantity over quality. But fun will be had regardless of what bike you ride. I can't imagine having an ebike as my primary bike, but as my third bike (trailbike 1 and hardtail 2,) why the hell not?But I've been mtbs riding for 18 years, my motivation is totally different to yours, hence why I don't mind (and actually get a masochistic kick out of) riding my trailbike up the hill 2 or 3 times. Because I love riding my bike, I like pain and I like having a weapon on the way down.
Grease_Monkey Posted July 15, 2018 Posted July 15, 2018 For normal bikes I would go for a Scott Spark or RC it's just a great do it all bike.A Spark RC is about the furthest possible thing from a do it all bike, it's an out and out race bike. OP, I have spent quite a bit of time on an e-bike. Quite simply they are moerse fun. But I have to agree with PhillipV - it would not be my choice if it was my only bike. The big advantage I see with them is that they make going up fun, and you get lots of runs in with alot less effort. Downside is that going down is not as fun as on a normal bike, maintenance costs are high, you have limited ride time per battery charge, you can't take part in events, and riding with non e-bike riders is not fun - you will drop even the fittest of the fit without too much effort. As for fitness, you can get very fit on an e-bike, but you can also fool yourself into thinking you are pushing yourself when you are not. I have found that on my normal bike there are some hills I have to push at 100% to get to the top, and on an e-bike I get to the top of those same hills with minimal effort - sure you can push hard, but on a normal bike you don't have the choice - you are forced to push that hard. You will get fitter, faster, and stronger on a normal bike over a shorter period of time. At the end of the day you shouldn't give a crap about what others will think of you if you buy an e-bike. Evaluate what your goals are, where you will ride, and who you will ride with, then make a decision from there. You will not go wrong either way.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 15, 2018 Posted July 15, 2018 For the fun and if you can afford it I think ebike will be great fun. For normal bikes I would go for a Scott Spark or RC it's just a great do it all bike.Er, no.
Myprod Posted September 7, 2018 Author Posted September 7, 2018 Im BACK! Been away for the last month. Right, after giving it MUCH thought. I think Pedal Power it is. I was going to wait for the 2019 Levos and see what they came out with but still no news and I am getting impatient. So, I have looked at these... Entry Level to get cracking and starting to learn all over again.https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/scott/products/scott-genius-750-2018 Same Bike, better Spechttps://bike-addict.co.za/products/scott-genius-930-2018 Merida https://bike-addict.co.za/products/merida-one-sixty-800-2018 Gianthttps://www.giant-bicycles.com/za/trance-2-ge I tried to get some info on the Hyrak and Slakline from Pyga but info seems scarce. Out of all of those, I like the Scott But I enjoy the nice long travel of the Merida. Im just concerned if I have to cycle on the road to get to where I want to go I'm going to suffer! Any other suggestions, once again, thanks for the input. I genuinely do appreciate it.
V18 Posted September 7, 2018 Posted September 7, 2018 All those,bar the first one, are great. In this budget class I'd actually hang around for the new trance 29er... Or even check with dirt merchants phia what they have available right now. Some absolutely sick bikes going on sale now that side. A bunch of my friends just all went the transition route. I'm so jelly right now. Or cut to the chase and just buy a banshee prime.
Myprod Posted September 7, 2018 Author Posted September 7, 2018 I am not sure I enjoy the 29er. I am enjoying the thought of the 27.5's. I might go to Giant Durbanville tomorrow and have a look. They said they have a Reign there that would be a good buy but I think ill struggle to take that up a hill!
V18 Posted September 7, 2018 Posted September 7, 2018 Nonsense. Surprised I haven't thought of that bike by now. One of the most underrated bikes of the last few years. Sure you won't finish piket boberg challenge in a record time but you'll be doing all the obstacles trails and lekker enduro by the end of the day. Buy a bike that is more capable than you are. That way n+1 will hold off just a little longer.
ChrisF Posted September 8, 2018 Posted September 8, 2018 Few random thoughts ... Tire size - my commuter is a Merida with 27,5, and my trail bike is a 29er .... on trails there are benefits to the larger tire. When I bought my new trail bike I only considered 29'' bikes, due to my personal experience with both tire sizes, while alternating between the two sizes on a daily basis. Bike Addict has some nice specials going. With any luck you can still get a Scott Spark 940 2018 from them for R37k. But they only had S and M left last week .... M takes you to about 1,75m ... Geko Cycles also has one medium in stock ... but they scavanged the dropped post for another customer .... for that price they must replace it .... The dual lockout system of the Scott is simply FANTASTIC !!! Whatever you buy, ENJOY it ! PS - the Scott Spark 940 gives you a FULL SPEC bike, with an aluminium frame. It is a significant extra if you want the same spec level in a carbon frame .... as a 50 year old weekend rider I certainly could not justify that extra expense ....
ChrisF Posted September 8, 2018 Posted September 8, 2018 Something else to consider - gearing It would appear most high end bikes comes as 1x setups, ie a single gear in front, and 11 or 12 gears at the back. Starting out (overweight, very unfit, and bust knees) I had to go for a 28 tooth in the front ... to be able to climb the very steep hills. After some rehabiltation, and slowly getting some form, my knees gradually improved. On the Scott I opted for a 30 tooth in front, and manage the hills okay. If I get some magic potion and get a pair of 30 year old knees I could easily change the front ring for a 32. So it really is not a life sentence in terms of gearing when you buy these bikes. Actually very easy to adapt the front ring as per your fitness levels, and style of riding. Thus, getting that Giant up the mountain wont be any issue .... with the correct gearing. the same goes for whichever brand or colour scheme does it for you. Thought that dual lockout of the Scott is WELL worth checking out !!
porqui Posted September 8, 2018 Posted September 8, 2018 TRANCE 2 GETRANCE 2 GE TRANCE 2 GE TRANCE 2 GE !!!!
porqui Posted September 8, 2018 Posted September 8, 2018 Damn that felt good !! Should I say it again?
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