E-Bike Advice

[Danie1234]

Hi Guys 

Hope you are good , im looking for some advice on an E-Bike ?

Currently i own a Scott Spark 950 ( 2022 ) which i love ,  im a typical weekend warrior and I try to train 3 times a week and just enjoy a ride over weekends with some friend just to stay fit and to loose some weight , the problem is some of my friends are really good riders that’s training for the epic so i cannot keep up with them thats why im looking at the ebike option.

Im looking at buying a full suspension E-Bike , the store offered me the following deal - R50 000 for my bike on a trade in

then i would pay the following :

Spark Strike 940  - R87 000

spark Strike 930 - R97 000

spark Strike 920 - R101 000

they will also upgrade to Sram GX eagle axs rear derailleur and shifter at no extra cost

is there any better options for less money and is the upgrade worth it ? How long will the battery last me ?

i do not know the E-Bikes thats why im

up for suggestions or advice ?

 

[ChrisF]

Danie where are you falling behind ?

 

1. Hills ... here the ebike HELPS.

2. Top speed on long sections .... ask the dealer if your assist level will be limited to 25 (European spev) or 32km/h (American spec).  Strong riders will drop you on long sections if you are limited to 25km/h.

 

 

Battery range is a very open ended question .... hills, wind, and speed all reduce your range.  I have done 72km on a 500Wh battery on a good day, I have used that same battery to cover 30km into a gailforce wind .... this is with bust knees, so probably a worst case.

 

 

My rule of thumb when planning a ride or event.... 10km for each 100W.h.  I consistantly get 12 to 15km/100Wh over 8 000km on two ebikes.  But those strong head winds do throw a spanner in the works.

 

 

Worth checking the battery capacities of each bike .... 625W.h is common, though some may have a 750W.h, possibly even a 900W.h.

 

 

Knowing your local Scott dealer certainly helps.

[babse]

Yo Danie, without being funny but don't you have other mates that maybe aren't training for Epic that you could roll with and still enjoy pedal bike life!? 

Or are you completely sold on the idea of going E? 

Furthermore i unfortunately cannot advise on the options provided. #NonEbikeOwner

 

All the best! 

[OVERDRIVE]

1 hour ago, babse said:

Yo Danie, without being funny but don't you have other mates that maybe aren't training for Epic that you could roll with and still enjoy pedal bike life!? 

Or are you completely sold on the idea of going E? 

Furthermore i unfortunately cannot advise on the options provided. #NonEbikeOwner

 

All the best! 

Love this response. 

[Harryn]

It would really be a pity to trade in your Scott spark, so maybe get new friends till after the Epic. Or just let your existing ones just wait for you. Swapping your ordinary bike for E is a radical choice.

That said, i had a similar problem; I started riding with my brother and his friends on their ebikes, and they were always waiting for me. Trying to stay with a full Ebike on the climbs is a fool’s journey, no matter how unfit the rider.

so to cure that issue I got a  Levo SL, which has a much smaller motor, and is much lighter and more nimble than a big bastard Ebike. It rides  like an ordinary trail bike - like a stumpjumper, and I love it. It would be good for you as its  made for the “fitter” rider wanting just a bit of assistance.  The Only issue is the battery is also much smaller, so I got the range extender to cure range anxiety.

But, i never sold any of my ordinary bikes, and I still ride analogue  with my non Ebike friends, both road and MTB. They are all better and faster than me, and I don't care if they have to wait for me, and being the good mates that they are, neither do they. So I would never have bought the Ebike on their account. And I would not wanna convert to E full time.

Though, I confess, when i am feeling lazy or need a recovery ride, the Levo sl is now my go to for solo MTB rides.the Ebike makes you lazy as hell, but its amazing fun.
 

its an expensive way to make the transition, but it leaves your options open.

[NotSoBigBen]

1 hour ago, Harryn said:

It would really be a pity to trade in your Scott spark, so maybe get new friends till after the Epic. Or just let your existing ones just wait for you. Swapping your ordinary bike for E is a radical choice.

That said, i had a similar problem; I started riding with my brother and his friends on their ebikes, and they were always waiting for me. Trying to stay with a full Ebike on the climbs is a fool’s journey, no matter how unfit the rider.

so to cure that issue I got a  Levo SL, which has a much smaller motor, and is much lighter and more nimble than a big bastard Ebike. It rides  like an ordinary trail bike - like a stumpjumper, and I love it. It would be good for you as its  made for the “fitter” rider wanting just a bit of assistance.  The Only issue is the battery is also much smaller, so I got the range extender to cure range anxiety.

But, i never sold any of my ordinary bikes, and I still ride analogue  with my non Ebike friends, both road and MTB. They are all better and faster than me, and I don't care if they have to wait for me, and being the good mates that they are, neither do they. So I would never have bought the Ebike on their account. And I would not wanna convert to E full time.

Though, I confess, when i am feeling lazy or need a recovery ride, the Levo sl is now my go to for solo MTB rides.the Ebike makes you lazy as hell, but its amazing fun.
 

its an expensive way to make the transition, but it leaves your options open.

#IAmDisappoint

[LazyTrailRider]

1 hour ago, Harryn said:

It would really be a pity to trade in your Scott spark, so maybe get new friends till after the Epic. Or just let your existing ones just wait for you. Swapping your ordinary bike for E is a radical choice.

That said, i had a similar problem; I started riding with my brother and his friends on their ebikes, and they were always waiting for me. Trying to stay with a full Ebike on the climbs is a fool’s journey, no matter how unfit the rider.

so to cure that issue I got a  Levo SL, which has a much smaller motor, and is much lighter and more nimble than a big bastard Ebike. It rides  like an ordinary trail bike - like a stumpjumper, and I love it. It would be good for you as its  made for the “fitter” rider wanting just a bit of assistance.  The Only issue is the battery is also much smaller, so I got the range extender to cure range anxiety.

But, i never sold any of my ordinary bikes, and I still ride analogue  with my non Ebike friends, both road and MTB. They are all better and faster than me, and I don't care if they have to wait for me, and being the good mates that they are, neither do they. So I would never have bought the Ebike on their account. And I would not wanna convert to E full time.

Though, I confess, when i am feeling lazy or need a recovery ride, the Levo sl is now my go to for solo MTB rides.the Ebike makes you lazy as hell, but its amazing fun.
 

its an expensive way to make the transition, but it leaves your options open.

Pretty close to exactly my story also.

I love my SL, but I don't want it as my only bike. Danie, don't rush into this without very carefully considering your long-term options...

[Harryn]

1 hour ago, NotSoBigBen said:

#IAmDisappoint

Damn. I should have shut my big mouth 🙃

[Pieterlab1]

Friends who don't wait for slower friends, are not friends...

[Kom]

3 hours ago, Harryn said:

so to cure that issue I got a  Levo SL, which has a much smaller motor, and is much lighter and more nimble than a big bastard Ebike. It rides  like an ordinary trail bike - like a stumpjumper, and I love it. It would be good for you as its  made for the “fitter” rider wanting just a bit of assistance.  The Only issue is the battery is also much smaller, so I got the range extender to cure range anxiety.

You really need to be fit to get the most of the Levo SL - but agree that its way better to have the nimbleness at 16kgs vs. >23kgs on full blown e-bikes.

14 hours ago, ChrisF said:

1. Hills ... here the ebike HELPS.

2. Top speed on long sections .... ask the dealer if your assist level will be limited to 25 (European spev) or 32km/h (American spec).  Strong riders will drop you on long sections if you are limited to 25km/h.

This is the most useful question/s to be asking yourself before getting an e-bike - i would also ask how technical you are, you could easily be dropped on the downhills at Tokai or Jonkers if you end up buying a 23kg beast thats hard to turn.

FWIW - i would (and actually have) not ever choose an ebike based off of frame manufacturer - the make of the motor/battery/software is way more important, then components, then frame. 

The bosch components in the Scott Spark Strike's you been quoted are probably among the best you can buy.

[DuncanDoughnuts]

15 hours ago, Danie1234 said:

Hi Guys 

Hope you are good , im looking for some advice on an E-Bike ?

Currently i own a Scott Spark 950 ( 2022 ) which i love ,  im a typical weekend warrior and I try to train 3 times a week and just enjoy a ride over weekends with some friend just to stay fit and to loose some weight , the problem is some of my friends are really good riders that’s training for the epic so i cannot keep up with them thats why im looking at the ebike option.

Im looking at buying a full suspension E-Bike , the store offered me the following deal - R50 000 for my bike on a trade in

then i would pay the following :

Spark Strike 940  - R87 000

spark Strike 930 - R97 000

spark Strike 920 - R101 000

they will also upgrade to Sram GX eagle axs rear derailleur and shifter at no extra cost

is there any better options for less money and is the upgrade worth it ? How long will the battery last me ?

i do not know the E-Bikes thats why im

up for suggestions or advice ?

 

Second attempt at this.

Don't let the haters on this site of which there are many put you off , most of them have never even ridden a ebike for an extended period of time. 

Ok.. my opinion here.

1.Dont get rid of your normal bike. You will still want to ride it, I dont think a Ebike should be your only bike (I still ride both.... cause I love riding, regardless of the bike, but I do have more fun on my ebike)

2. You will not keep up with your epic mates on flats or slight inclines and even open fast downhills. My power output jumps from about 220 to 410 when I reach the cut off (the bike is heavy, the motor has drag and my sticky DH tires don't help either) You will catch them on the climbs again though. 

3.Range: this will depend on your weight, the bike settings, the terrain. I can get about 70km if I use a low setting and keep smooth to 25km when I don't have much time but want to ride all the best bits in tokai in one session (donkey, all snakes, DH line run and switchbacks) 

4. I think the biggest fear to getting a ebike is what are my friend going to say, once you get to the "I dont give a sh*t" part of your life you will really enjoy the benifits and the fun. People love telling people what they allowed to ride, especially on this site.

5.Look at getting a Mid powered Ebike (Levo SL, or Orea Rise) lower weight, better handling, better peddling past cut off and so much fun. You might find that it gives you just that little extra power to keep up with your Epic friends. and a full fat might be overkill if you just want it of that. I suggest try and demo one somewhere. 

4.Second hand ? there are many great deals on the hub. 

5.Enjoy your riding ... this is why I started Mountainbiking back in 1993 in the mountains of heanersburg. It was fun. And if not getting that fun factor anymore with a normal bike, try a ebike...if the fun comes back then its a no-brainer - I ride because I enjoy it and for myself. not for the opinions of people on this site. 

6.My Ebike riding group consists of 8 riders, 2 of them training for their 4th epic. we all still manage to ride together, some days the epic guys are on the analogs, some days not... we still all have fun. 

 

[LazyTrailRider]

A direct real-world comparison on the same route could maybe be useful here.

Both the rides below are in Tokai: Fairy Garden, Main Drag, climb up around Snakes, Boulders up, then down Mamba and the rest of Snakes, back to Vasbyt and down with the main singletrack.

Normal bike is a Stumpy Evo, EB is a Levo SL.

The biggest difference is the relative effort, but as you can see the HR and speed aren't worlds apart...

 

PS: I don't have power data for this EB ride, it was before I had a Garmin capable of getting power/cadence/battery input, but subsequent rides show an average 170w on these kinds of rides (which are definitely not very hard, just punchy for some sections).

[DuncanDoughnuts]

11 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

A direct real-world comparison on the same route could maybe be useful here.

Both the rides below are in Tokai: Fairy Garden, Main Drag, climb up around Snakes, Boulders up, then down Mamba and the rest of Snakes, back to Vasbyt and down with the main singletrack.

Normal bike is a Stumpy Evo, EB is a Levo SL.

The biggest difference is the relative effort, but as you can see the HR and speed aren't worlds apart...

 

PS: I don't have power data for this EB ride, it was before I had a Garmin capable of getting power/cadence/battery input, but subsequent rides show an average 170w on these kinds of rides (which are definitely not very hard, just punchy for some sections).

Interesting to see you ave heart rate is lower but your max is higher ... I have the same trend on my rides vs analog

[LazyTrailRider]

2 minutes ago, DuncanDoughnuts said:

Interesting to see you ave heart rate is lower but your max is higher ... I have the same trend on my rides vs analog

Yes, quite interesting. I suspect it may have something to do with flicking into turbo on a short climb (although I seldom do this), getting carried away with feeling like Superman, and then smashing it with 100% effort! 

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Kom said:

FWIW - i would (and actually have) not ever choose an ebike based off of frame manufacturer - the make of the motor/battery/software is way more important, then components, then frame. 

The bosch components in the Scott Spark Strike's you been quoted are probably among the best you can buy.

 

I actually type a paragraph about the Darrvin full suspension ebike .... with its Bafang motor it has a tried and tested set of components, and no worries about back up.

 

At R76k it is thee cheapest ebike on our shores.

 

 

 

As an extra, he can then keep his analogue Scott.

[DuncanDoughnuts]

I believe Willie Englebrecht is bringing in bikes with Bafang motors... seems the be very well priced for a carbon frame and a bafang. Not the prettiest of bikes, but good value.