Electric Bike Thread

[XXX-er]

Im not big on a lot of santa cruz' paint jobs but that bullit color is good. It really stands out in pictures in the forest

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Lavender is the new Turquoise, I seen the bike shop bro brought it out and unless i really hate it riding around the block cha-ching !

[skinipenem]

I figure the full power emtbs are always going to be plow bikes so 63⁰-64⁰ha is good and 75⁰-76⁰ SA is fine. Its tge 78⁰ seat angles i dont like for emtbs. Theyre only good for winching my steam powered enduro bike up a hill or time trial position on the pavement. The mullet will give the plow bike a little agility side to side and quicker in the steep dh corners. If youre super tall/loooong legged 29 is fine

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I'm agree with your assessment on head tube angles. I don't really understand seat tube angles though my brain says less steep is better when pedal assisted.

Banana seats would be the best.

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[toast2266]

The steeper and techier it gets the lower the seat goes because the steepest trails your standing. Steep seat angle isnt needed and sucks if youre hammering through chunder on the flats. Watch Chris Akrigg, he's not sitting

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I lower my seat a bit and it helps, but I still wish my SA was steeper. I have the saddle jammed forward on the rails and I'm still way up on the nose trying to keep the front wheel on the ground. I end up dragging rear brake on climbs to help keep the motor from looping me out.

And what chris akrigg does isn't really relevant to my riding. On mopeds or analog bikes. Dude is on a different level.

Apparently specialized agrees with me; the new levo SA is a couple degrees steeper than mine.

[grinch]

Just try it. I was with you on that until a trials moto friend gave me the Akrigg analogy. It works. Go to some of the steepest sections that test your limit. Slam the seat, stand but keep your COG super low. Elbows super bent with chin low and butt super low and back over the rear wheel. On the steepest sections any seat pressure no matter how high/low the seat it will want to wheelie out. This is the only way im getting some sections im now doing.
As for slacker seat angle , 75 isnt that slack, you can be more active on the bike when pedaling and move the bike around side to side picking lines. 78⁰ sa just jacks you over the front of the bars and makes you unstable compared to 75. I get that 78 is efficient for climbing on an enduro bike when youre just trying to turn over cranks at a slow speed climbing. On the emtb , unlike an enduro bike you still have flow on the ups and the motor gives you the ability to play more on the ups taking fun little wall rides and quick luttle highlines. Lines that you dont think to take when youre just struggling to turn the cranks over on your enduro bike. Im faster and taking better lines with the emtb so i want to be active. Put the seat down a couple inches on a 78⁰ bike and youre now at 80⁰. Take into account 75/76 isnt that slack, its just not the current 78/78.5⁰ we're seeing on bikes and i think thats just carry over from enduro bikes. I havent heard that much so im saying atm its mostly my viewpoint but i stand by it. Im interested to see if we'll see it adapted to emtb's to some degree. Im guessing thatll take a couple of years to step off the unneeded crazy steep SA's on emtb's marketing

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[toast2266]

That might work for a short burst up a steep techy section. But when I've got an hour of 20% grade that's moderately techy the whole way up, I'm not gonna squat over my dropped saddle the whole time. I want a steep seat tube angle.

[grinch]

If its not as steep the seat doesnt need to be slammed and i sit . When its steep, but not short burst super steep, climbing and im sitting but i still have the seat down a couple inches and working lines carrying speed with the added power. Im not in winch mode and prefer not to be jacked over the front. Thats why i have an emtb. Screw the winch climbing im actively riding my bike looking for fun lines carrying the momentum rhe motor gives. The motor assist dulls any advantage a super steep seat angle gives so id just dispence with it in favor of actual fun bike riding. Part of the point of an emtb in my view

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[Quadzilla]

The color is tits! She likes it too.

Will have to get her on one to size it.

Thx again for all the input guys. Keep it coming. I'll add and thoughts soon... next couple meetings. Yay for a 'not' day off.



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If the Bullit is too big, and she likes Santa Cruz, might be a good idea to look at the 2022 Heckler MX. It has a Mullet(but only in M) but it might be smaller than the Bullit M as well as a full 27.5/27.5 in Sm. It has a HA of 64, 720 battery and suspension upgrades too. Advertised weight is wayless than a Bullit. My wife seems like similar size to yours, her Orbea is a M/S and she wouldn't want any bigger and this bike may be on the smaller end of others in a M. Just a thought.......

[altasnob]

USDA Forest Service Issues Guidance to Manage Future E-Bike Use on National Forests and Grasslands

https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/release...al-forests-and

[grinch]

Its like dominoes

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[jm2e]

Such great info thx!

I don't think I mentioned, but should have, that she wants to be able to use the ebike to ride dh equivalent/ bike park trails without a shuttle.

Unfortunately, the Bullitt does not come in a size small.

I can't find geo specs for Orbea or Luna bikes other then in millimeters. Doubtful either have slack enough head tube angles or appropriate offset.

No way she'll ride a full 29er; maybe a mullet.





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Mrs jm2e (5’ 2”) has a small Levo that we swapped 27.5” wheels on to. Loves it. 170mm Fox 36 with Push ACS3 coil. All she does is DH/Enduro.
Might have gone with a Kenevo, but they hadn’t come out with the new geo yet when we bought these and the Levo geo rides great.
Go to the Specialized Demo Center in Boulder. They’ll have full size run of each bike and let you take it to legit trails to try. Worth the cost of a vacay to confirm a many thousands of dollars purchase.
FWIW, I’m no Special Ed Fanboi, but their motor is hands down the best feeling and quietest one I’ve ever seen.


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[skinipenem]

If the Bullit is too big, and she likes Santa Cruz, might be a good idea to look at the 2022 Heckler MX. It has a Mullet(but only in M) but it might be smaller than the Bullit M as well as a full 27.5/27.5 in Sm. It has a HA of 64, 720 battery and suspension upgrades too. Advertised weight is wayless than a Bullit. My wife seems like similar size to yours, her Orbea is a M/S and she wouldn't want any bigger and this bike may be on the smaller end of others in a M. Just a thought.......

Excellent idea tyx!

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[skinipenem]

Mrs jm2e (5’ 2”) has a small Levo that we swapped 27.5” wheels on to. Loves it. 170mm Fox 36 with Push ACS3 coil. All she does is DH/Enduro.
Might have gone with a Kenevo, but they hadn’t come out with the new geo yet when we bought these and the Levo geo rides great.
Go to the Specialized Demo Center in Boulder. They’ll have full size run of each bike and let you take it to legit trails to try. Worth the cost of a vacay to confirm a many thousands of dollars purchase.
FWIW, I’m no Special Ed Fanboi, but their motor is hands down the best feeling and quietest one I’ve ever seen.


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Nice thx Jim!

How does the bike handle xc single track? If she has ridden any at all that is

Schlepping the kids to Boulder probably not happening but I think/hope we might be able to figure out it from afar.

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[jm2e]

It’s a Stumpjumper. So if she fits a SJ, it’ll fit. Same thing with Kenevo/Enduro.
My wife’s on the low end for the small bike, so in theory would fit yours great.
XC single track is just different on an Ebike. Not necessarily because of the weight. More because you stay in the saddle more, and you spin through stuff (coasting/ratcheting is counterproductive). 160mm crank arms are helpful because pedal strike is a reality and long lever arms are pointless when there’s a motor helping. You can get them cheap from Praxis for all major motor brands.
XC is waaay more fun on the Ebike. Flow for days!


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[skinipenem]

It’s a Stumpjumper. So if she fits a SJ, it’ll fit. Same thing with Kenevo/Enduro.
My wife’s on the low end for the small bike, so in theory would fit yours great.
XC single track is just different on an Ebike. Not necessarily because of the weight. More because you stay in the saddle more, and you spin through stuff (coasting/ratcheting is counterproductive). 160mm crank arms are helpful because pedal strike is a reality and long lever arms are pointless when there’s a motor helping. You can get them cheap from Praxis for all major motor brands.
XC is waaay more fun on the Ebike. Flow for days!


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Awesome!

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[harveymushman]

USDA Forest Service Issues Guidance to Manage Future E-Bike Use on National Forests and Grasslands

https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/release...al-forests-and

From the press release: "The Forest Service currently allows e-bikes on all Forest Service roads that are already open to motorized vehicles, as well on 60,000 miles of motorized trails, which represent 38% of all trails the agency manages."

They are saying 38% of all USFS trails are motorized. This seems off, I've never seen a USFS map with motorized trail mileage even coming close to 40% of non-motorized trail mileage. Plenty of FS districts have very few to no motorized trails. I'm calling bullshit but I don't have the time or ability to do anything about it other than contribute to the blue ribbon coalition.

This plan allows each district to choose where to allow e-bikes on the trails. Sadly this leaves it up to the Royalty of each FS district to dictate whatever that person feels like. Or that seems to me how it went down with the last nation wide Motorized Routes Planning Process.

I'll just have to hope for the best.

[jm2e]

Pretty exciting to see things moving forward.
My experience hasn’t changed. 99.9% of the time an Ebike goes by unnoticed because they look, sound, and perform just like an analog bike. I’ll see rangers at parking lots and while heading up access roads and never anything more than a friendly smile.
0.1% of the time someone will say something. It’s always another cyclist because hikers, runners, equestrians, motos don’t give a fuck. Other cyclists remain the biggest threat, but mostly in congested areas that already have conflict.
Big exception to the above is online forums. There’s a huge conflict in the forums. Very bitter. Very hostile. Lots of doomsday prediction. Lots of hate. Shockingly high rate of physical threats. Keyboard rangers don’t get out on the trails much though.


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[grinch]

Guaranteed you just triggered someone

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[XXX-er]

The builder the club VP and some of the cool kids are E-bikers, so we have social license up here and its never busy sometimes at say 2pm on a tuesday I am the only rider out on the bluff system

[harveymushman]

Nobody cares you ride an e-bike back in my hometown, it's bliss.

Where I currently live is patrolled by the FS and they are giving tickets. Hard to advocate locally for trails and be a rule breaker so I'm still on the acoustic mtnbike here at home.

Nobody cares you ride an e-bike. Sticker printing time.

[skinipenem]

Delete

[jm2e]

Nobody cares you ride an e-bike back in my hometown, it's bliss.

Where I currently live is patrolled by the FS and they are giving tickets. Hard to advocate locally for trails and be a rule breaker so I'm still on the acoustic mtnbike here at home.

Nobody cares you ride an e-bike. Sticker printing time.

One great think about an Ebike is, it’s easier to access, build, and maintain bandit trails. I rarely ride “in-bounds” anymore. Headed out to finish a trail wife and I have been working on all winter. Sawzall, loppers, rake on the pack.


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[alias_rice]

I officially joined the moped club this afternoon. I only had time for a quick 7 mile loop, but I think I’m gonna love this thing.

[XXX-er]

Dude its pedal assist not moped, the mopeds are probably illegal on your trails, curious to find out if your lose weight riding that thing ?

The trails in my area all go up, the thing about smack talking the E-bike is that IME at some point you will either have to age/ injury out and give up mtn biking

or eat your words

unless you ride in the land of unicorns where the trails go down forever

[bonewrenched]

This is a moped:

And it's a ton of fun.

[alias_rice]

Dude its pedal assist not moped, the mopeds are probably illegal on your trails, curious to find out if your lose weight riding that thing ?

The trails in my area all go up, the thing about smack talking the E-bike is that IME at some point you will either have to age/ injury out and give up mtn biking

or eat your words

unless you ride in the land of unicorns where the trails go down forever

Yeah, the moped comment was a joke. No offense intended.

I did a little longer ride today (15 miles and 2500’). Mostly I kept it at 30-50% assist but the last 800’ I went full boost. I ended up with just over 60% left in the battery. I have to admit that I’ve made a lot of fun of ebikes in the past few years, but I fucking love this thing. If I want to get a nice workout I can run it with low assist, but if I want to just get to the fun stuff I can crank it up and haul ass up. I’m guessing I’ll end up riding twice as often with this as I’ve been doing recently.

I’ll still keep my regular bike, but I’ll probably only ride it where the ebike isn’t allowed.