mecheng89 Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 Ah, the good old e-bike debate. I have nothing constructive to add. I know 2 people who have recently bought road e-bikes and are pleased with their purchases. I am not very happy that they decided to go that route. Then again, I often favour indoor rides over windy outdoor rides, so what do I know. I think it's going to take a complete mindset change from the public before they are really accepted, but right now they are outcasts, black sheep if you will. OP, I hope you find joy in your purchase, once you've made a decision!
ChrisF Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 Ah, the good old e-bike debate. I have nothing constructive to add. I know 2 people who have recently bought road e-bikes and are pleased with their purchases. I am not very happy that they decided to go that route. Then again, I often favour indoor rides over windy outdoor rides, so what do I know. I think it's going to take a complete mindset change from the public before they are really accepted, but right now they are outcasts, black sheep if you will. OP, I hope you find joy in your purchase, once you've made a decision! The tide is turning .... YES, I have friends tell me to my face that an ebike is "cheating" .... I invited them for a ride on the ebike ..... their reactions are simply priceless As for the number of ebikes out on the road and out on the trails .... Few weeks back I noted almost 10 ebikes at Bloemendal .....- first one was in the car park. Teenager in full Moto-X kit, on an ebike .... He was bunny hoping it on the road while his parents were getting themselves ready for the ride.- few more on the trail.- back at BioSport a few ladies started their rides on ebikes.- Another gent on an ebike shortly after ...- then while having my coffee a guy pulls in the twin of my Trance .... even parked it next to mine- leaving Bloemendal a gent on normal DS bike and a lady on an ebike entered from Ntida side.- and most of the cycling coaches now also use ebikes ... And when you speak to the bike shops we are now selling as many ebikes as normal bikes ..... truth or salestalk ? Either way, we are seeing a LOT more ebikes out there ....
Spafsack Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 Hi guys, shot for the replies, not sure why those cyclelab links dont work, but here are the range, i will give Giant durbanville a call for sure, in no hurry but i want to get best bang for buck. https://www.liv-cycling.com/za/bikes/electric-bikes/electric-mountain-bikes
aquaratza Posted October 2, 2020 Author Posted October 2, 2020 I still dont get itIt's called trolling
ChrisF Posted October 2, 2020 Posted October 2, 2020 It's called trolling possibly .... but at least he is not "nasty", which is often seen in trolling posts .... being an eternal optimist I would like to think he really "wants to understand" ..... Possible reasons for an ebike : - health preventing you from doing a "real workout" on a normal bike, and the ebike provides an alternative. It even provides a fair bit of exercise. - the "ski-lift" for countries without actual ski lifts. Some enjoy the thrill of the single track, and want a "ski-lift". Not a case of right or wrong, just a personal choice for some - the modern Moto-X for some .... - I would LOVE it if my wife would get an ebike and join me on rides, no way she is going to do it on a normal bike ..... and I know two couples where the hubby needs an ebike to keep up with the wife .... - buying an ebike to ride with friends, heck, why not ? Just a tad binary to say goodbey to friends just because they cant keep up on a normal bike .... And there is a fast growing group of people with BOTH a standard MTB bike and an ebike .... heck, we know MANY on the Hub for many different bikes, and the appropriate for the ride is used for the group you ride with on the day. Getting an ebike just opens a new world of options .... Percyzn and Vaalhaai 2
Andreas_187 Posted October 2, 2020 Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) A person doesn't need to have a reason or an excuse to buy an e-bike just as someone doesn't need to explain or justify why they paid R200k for a S-Works.It is also not any easier, just faster. I had a 9.7kg Giant Anthem that I used to ride up and down the mountain, you think a 24kg e-bike in eco mode is any easier or quicker up hill? I have to say though, the e-Mtb is a ton of fun and it just means I can go up and down The Glen 4/5/6 times in a quick lunch break.There are also ridiculously steep banks that you can put it in Boost mode and power up which you could never do on a regular MTB Edited October 2, 2020 by Andreas_187 ChrisF and Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 2
Johan Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 Go get your eBike. You will never regret it.I used to be MTB rider, but 10 years ago the big C caught up with me and kept me from enjoying any physical sport.Today I am clean again but turned 60 and much weaker than 10 years ago. Now I had two options: Get a eBike and start enjoying MTB again, or listen to a lot of people who do not approve of eBikes and lead a negative life. The choice was easy.I bought my e Bike because I want to ride it. Not to impress anybody or to belittle anybody. Just for myself. Simple. FIFO. Werner1977, Rob22, Vaalhaai and 2 others 4 1
ChrisF Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 both links show a 404-error on my side ... Do yourself a favour and phone Julien ( 076 941 2331 ) at Giant Durbanville for some good info, and ask him what he can get from the suppliers ... still the odd 2019 model in the warehouse, at some very good prices. As for 27,5 vs 29 ..... these bikes comes with larger tires, ie 27,5x2,6 on my Giant Trance. This is very similar to a standard sized tire on a 29'' ..... EMBN has had a number of episodes on this. My previous two bikes were both 29'', and I dont feel I miss out on anything with the larger 27,5 tires on the Trance. Spafsak I spoke to a lady at Bloemendal, with a Giant Liv ebike. She recons the Liv series came with larger batteries, apparently 800W.h. PS - a google search has NOT confirmed this ... but I have seen how often the stuff on our showroom floors do NOT match the official data sheets .... Well worth investigating this ... if true, an 800W.h battery will REALLY help with a longer range and open up so many more options for you to ride together.
Spafsack Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 Hi Chris, shot for the info. There are not many, well nothing, e bikes second hand tickling my fancy, and they are not small frames either. The other issue is hard ass or soft tail, dual. Maybe with an e bike dual is not really needed - i have no idea. Maybe 27+ wheels will soften the blow...? My wife has the silverback stratos dual, so not sure if going e bike route hard tail is the answer, dual is going to cost a crap load, but having her ride with me, probably faster than me on my normal bike would be cool. Going to do allot more research before i pull the trigger.
Spafsack Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 Are there any people, wives, who have gone the e bike route and bought Giant liv's, What did you come from before, how you finding it?
aquaratza Posted October 5, 2020 Author Posted October 5, 2020 I must say it is very liberating to choose how hard you want to work. You don't ever have to "save yourself", say if you're riding one day with a fast group of friends and the next day with a different group. You can work as hard as you want on the first day and not worry about being incapacitated the next day haha. I met up with friends yesterday at Contermanskloof. I ran turbo there from my home, switched to 10% assistance mode at Conties and then when I was done rode turbo back home. It was so cool. I used 5% (38Wh) of my bike's battery at Conties and 45% (338Wh) there and back hahahahaha I run eco around friends with normal bikes and by "eco" I mean +/-10% assistance. Mike Mac, Spafsack and Percyzn 3
ChrisF Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 I must say it is very liberating to choose how hard you want to work. You don't ever have to "save yourself", say if you're riding one day with a fast group of friends and the next day with a different group. You can work as hard as you want on the first day and not worry about being incapacitated the next day haha. I met up with friends yesterday at Contermanskloof. I ran turbo there from my home, switched to 10% assistance mode at Conties and then when I was done rode turbo back home. It was so cool. I used 5% (38Wh) of my bike's battery at Conties and 45% (338Wh) there and back hahahahaha I run eco around friends with normal bikes and by "eco" I mean +/-10% assistance. SO true. On Sunday I got a late start ... decided to go tar from Oakglen past the Durbanville race course, past Meerendal, then into Conties and up to the mast. Up to the race course I was idling along in Eco .... picked up speed on the downhill next to the race course, and just kept the peddles turning .... long section way above the assist level. Then along the climb past Meerendal I pushing myself hard, still in Eco. Just one of those magic days, perfect weather and the legs working nicely ... By the time I got to the mast I had not even used 20% of the battery, and have been into Zone 5 a couple of times. And KNOWING that you have the assist to get you back if you run out of steam, you can actually push even harder .... And knowing I have the benefit of the assist I could pull over on the corridors to let others pass me from the front. Just so much easier to get going again on the ebike.
mecheng89 Posted October 5, 2020 Posted October 5, 2020 Watched a GCN video yesterday of Hank riding with his father, father on some obscure city e-bike and the son on his fancy road bike. Seems like the ideal way to reconnect with people of lower fitness. ChrisF, Frosty, Riaan H and 1 other 4
DJuice Posted October 17, 2020 Posted October 17, 2020 Why is the options in the mtb e-bike cat for 120mm limited?Would be great option to replace my wifes Liv Lust with Cube Stereo 120 Hybrid.
ChrisF Posted October 19, 2020 Posted October 19, 2020 Aquaratza here is a different experiment for you to play with .... How little can you use the motor during a ride ? This afternoon on my commute I switched to zero assist on the level sections ... takes a few seconds longer to get to speed, but other than that it feels the same. Uphill you feel it .... there are two short sharp hills along my afternoon commute, here I use eco mode. For the whole commute I used the assist about 500m. My travel time was hardly 1 minute longer. Pleasantly surprised.
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