Two points I actually find my eBike even better of the downhills it is more solid and planted 2nd point ref getting better I have found I have become a better rider as I am not so gassed after +500m of climbing I still have legs left and have been able to concentrate on better technique It truly has been a game changer
Yes, great points! Emtb is more stable on descents and front doesn’t wash out. And it’s much safer and easier to descend well when one is not exhausted at the top of every climb!
Yep, I have two e-bikes. One full power downhill bike for the big long stuff. One mid power for the moderate and trail stuff. At 70 years old, and a long time mountain biker, my life has changed. Be leave me, pushing 175 BPM (yes I can do it) is a major strain at my age. Also, on a traditional bike (I have many), climbing at 12,000 ft. elevation in the rocky mountains is sooooooo slow! Now I ride like I used to. Fast, continuous, and almost no breaks. I am still getting a good work out. My heart rate on most rides averages about 130, with peaks at 150-160 bpm. Fun factor is so maximum! No way I have ever had so much fun or have gone so far. After over 40 years of riding, my down hilling has improved! Amazing! If you have not tried a good, new e-bike, you are missing life that can be improved (no matter how old you are). Go out for a long hard ride multiple times, and you will find that the sport is so much more! Francis is right. The e-bike access issue is just like it was back in the 1990's for traditional mountain biking. Fortunately, we were not legislated out in the 1990's (we almost lost all bicycle access) and mountain biking is mainstay now (except in wilderness, which we rode back then before hikers legislated us out in 1987). Now comes the access issue for the 21st century mountain bike, that has assist.
Yes! Incredible comment and share. The possibilities these emtbs enable are beneficial across many age groups and life situations. What's really cool is the fittest, best descending, most experienced mountain bikers are not trying the emtb and are able to maximize their time and experience. These folks are setting examples for many mountain bikers to not hate on emtbs or pigeonhole the users as noobs or weaklings.
Climbing to 12,000 ft In Colorado you must ride Monarch Crest trail, it’s a gasser on a regular MTB but at 57 it’s nice to be able to get Rainbow trail at the end and ride it as I’ve never had enough left in the legs for it! Yea I wanna be riding at 75 too, great job!
Loved the comments on having thick skin and approaching the interactions with positivity. Jefferson County, CO allows class 1 on all trails that an analog MTB can go. Douglas County, CO is starting to change as well. The WETA group on the western slope has done a full embrace of class 1 and has some very challenging (even on an emtb) trails that go to the middle of nowhere and back. My partner became ill with a neurological condition 11 years ago and couldn't walk without trekking poles. She gradually got better, but is still only about 60% of where she was. She can get on a mountain bike on easy trails and do maybe 5 miles. She used to be faster than me at the downhill. With an emtb, she can now ride what she used to be able to ride. It's been amazing for our lives.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best overview of ebike differences vs analog. 2.5yrs on my full fat Turbo Levo and I can whole heartedly agree with all 5 points. Full body workout is real - more riding plus heavier handling really do work the whole body. I’ve been cleaning my chain every 100miles, replacing chains at around 1300miles and with almost 6000miles my chainrings/cassette are still in great shape. Keep producing great ebike videos 👍
His points are right on…just got my Levo SL 3 months ago. I ride in Santa Cruz at Wilder Ranch and I go harder and longer with the ebike. I’m a better rider now…my riding buddies are still in denial about e-bikes…they are soooooo missing out! It’s lonely at the top😊
Lonely at the top. :) Love it! Yes, so many e-haters and holdouts hardly ride. They just relive their glory days from decades ago and ride fire roads for exercise. These emtb really enable quality mountain biking day in and day out. It is hard to change old habits and preconceptions though. But usually, they will trust a buddy who tries and adds emtb to the stable.
My reason for holding out on emtb has been the motor and battery changing and each bike manufacturer's take on what the emtb rider wants. . Now, SRAM is unveiling a emtb system with auto shift. Definitely, watching your videos is helping me to transition to emtb.
That's a valid reason for sure. I believe we're in Chapter 3 of a 10-chapter novel. So there will be significant invention and evolution coming our way. The quest for the ideal emtb will never be done though, just like the iPhone or the mountain bike. So at some point, when the opportunity is best, it's good to jump in and get all that extra riding in! Emtbs are good for 2-4 years IMHO for the enthusiast. So it's good to resell them to newcomers and jump to the newer platforms after a few years.
Just an opinion piece but I am so stoked that it resonates with a lot of experienced folks. My hope is it will help the prospects and all other riders to understand the category better.
FYI the southeast US is very open to e-bikes, bike parks are springing up everywhere down there and it’s taken off. Rode Colorado this summer and there are a few epic rides that are e-bike friendly ie. Monarch Crest trail but mostly no e-bikes which is a bummer cuz there are so many great trails but everyone there believes it will open up in the next few years. Just got the Canyon Torque ON mullet and I love it, will be traveling down south this winter hopefully get a lot of rides in! FYI most bike parks are ok with e-bikes.
Great vid, lots of points I leaned the hard way lol sharing this with my group for our "analog holdouts" We have been talking about Bend, and our guess is once those "lycra lad XC dentists" start getting older ebikes will be allowed.
I have an eMTB and I do hike quite a bit. The problem for hikers that share the same park as MTBers, e or analog, is a lot of times the MTBers don't stay on their designated trails, but ride their bikes on the trails designated as hikers-only.
Last month, I was really disappointed when I found the entire Mid-Peninsula trail system in the SF Bay Area was signed with no e-bikes allowed. Bummer! Never have run into any no e-bike signage in the East Bay parks.
Midpen... We locals worked for 2 years on that as they did extensive studies and surveys to consider legalizing emtbs. At the vote, it turns out some board members were NEVER going to pass it. We had hope but the outcome is no surprise. For the past 30 years, Midpen has done nothing but restrict mtb access even for demand for it has really grown in the area. I believe they have some of the most onerous laws and fines against mountain bike IN THE WORLD.
Yes, sadly the people who make the rules there don't know, or more likely can't be bothered, to differentiate between Class 1 (pedal assist) bikes and all the other 'electric bikes' out there, so they'd rather simply ban everything with a motor (even if you switch it off!) than try and police it...
Wow, lots of good points, Francis. I must admit I was a hater for many years but when my LBS put Levo Carbons on sale for a ridiculously low price I couldn’t resist. Your video made me realize that now *I* will be subject to snide comments 😆. I ride moto as well so I’m really looking forward to riding the new bike when it arrives next week. See you in Santa Cruz!
@@jltrack the big deal now i the base Carbon Levo for $6000 is on sale at many local Bay Area bike shops for $3500. And they give the buyer an extra 700wh battery for free!!
I used to be the only one riding ebike at my local trails, some of my friends that usually teasing me riding a ebike one day they ask a favor to ride my ebike, the rest is history LOL! Lot of them riding ebike now and some still at the fence believe me one day its all ebike lol
Perhaps the easiest way to be and advocate for ebikes is to let others try your emtb and let them really understand it. Folks in our group have loaned emtbs to forest managers and they've quickly opened access to these bikes.
Surrons certainly ARE a problem today but E-bikes are going to become huge problems as battery technology improves. Higher power density batteries are coming and with them comes the probability of much more powerful motors.
@@andrewkhody. I hope those of you promoting emtbs are right about riders showing constraint and following the rules. I have serious doubts. In Moab 18 months ago I saw at least a dozen emtbs on trails not open to them. My local area is Bend and I see lots of illegal riding going on here as well. In a better world riders would self police and guide fellow riders. Take care. 😊
Excellent video. All good points. Question: What is that bike maintenance rack you're using at the 4:54 mark? Looks like exactly what I need. I've acquired 3 Ebikes in the last two years, the latest being a Specialized Turbo Levo, and they are in constant need of maintenance. Thanks
Follow your channel and generally like you perspectives. That said, I take issue with your position on trail access. A motor is a motor. Allow motors and folks are going to game the system with bigger motors. I also ride/race off-road motorcycles and can tell you that they don’t belong on hiking/biking trails. I don’t think an 80nm bike belongs on such trails either. Figure a way to prevent people from abusing the system and I’d happily change my opinion. Take care, 😊
Three major trail systems have now legalized e-bikes in the sf Bay Area for years. The result… nothing. No feared conflicts or damage. Just more people getting out healthy and utilizing the massive land resource. All the major mtb companies are never going to produce an emtb over 500 watts
I love my e-mtb. Scott Patron myself. Use it as an overall all-round bike to commute, trails, all day riding and more. Have not regret it since. And yes, it is still a workout unless you use the boost mode. Usually I ride on eco above the limit. Damn good workout for your cardio and your legs. Pushing 24kg forward without assistance is the best workout you can have.
I don't agree with some of this. 20 lbs in the grand scheme of things is nothing. Most people are fat as hell, and the bikes are made to support that. 20 lbs of weight on me is like the average person in America.
There is a big difference between 20 lbs of body weight vs. bike weight or cargo weight. On the body, you body frame adjusts to it and the muscles support it (unless of course one is obese). On the bike it is just dead weight. That's why I'm using the dumbbell example. Literally, strap 20 lbs of weight on to your frame and you'll see it's significant factor. It's not the end of the world and one adjusts to it... But it surely cannot be ignored eithr.
@@EMTBReview That all literally doesn't matter since your argument was how much the 20 lb weight is going to affect bike components wearing out faster. it doesn't matter if the 20 lbs is on the bike or your fat ass. The suspension is going to feel the 20 lbs regardless.
@@BLR1GBattlemaster I understand your point and it's the added power that wears out chains and cassettes quicker , I just had to replace both on my Specialized
Two points I actually find my eBike even better of the downhills it is more solid and planted 2nd point ref getting better I have found I have become a better rider as I am not so gassed after +500m of climbing I still have legs left and have been able to concentrate on better technique It truly has been a game changer
Yes, great points! Emtb is more stable on descents and front doesn’t wash out.
And it’s much safer and easier to descend well when one is not exhausted at the top of every climb!
Yep, I have two e-bikes. One full power downhill bike for the big long stuff. One mid power for the moderate and trail stuff. At 70 years old, and a long time mountain biker, my life has changed. Be leave me, pushing 175 BPM (yes I can do it) is a major strain at my age. Also, on a traditional bike (I have many), climbing at 12,000 ft. elevation in the rocky mountains is sooooooo slow! Now I ride like I used to. Fast, continuous, and almost no breaks. I am still getting a good work out. My heart rate on most rides averages about 130, with peaks at 150-160 bpm.
Fun factor is so maximum! No way I have ever had so much fun or have gone so far. After over 40 years of riding, my down hilling has improved! Amazing!
If you have not tried a good, new e-bike, you are missing life that can be improved (no matter how old you are). Go out for a long hard ride multiple times, and you will find that the sport is so much more!
Francis is right. The e-bike access issue is just like it was back in the 1990's for traditional mountain biking. Fortunately, we were not legislated out in the 1990's (we almost lost all bicycle access) and mountain biking is mainstay now (except in wilderness, which we rode back then before hikers legislated us out in 1987). Now comes the access issue for the 21st century mountain bike, that has assist.
Yes! Incredible comment and share.
The possibilities these emtbs enable are beneficial across many age groups and life situations. What's really cool is the fittest, best descending, most experienced mountain bikers are not trying the emtb and are able to maximize their time and experience. These folks are setting examples for many mountain bikers to not hate on emtbs or pigeonhole the users as noobs or weaklings.
Climbing to 12,000 ft In Colorado you must ride Monarch Crest trail, it’s a gasser on a regular MTB but at 57 it’s nice to be able to get Rainbow trail at the end and ride it as I’ve never had enough left in the legs for it! Yea I wanna be riding at 75 too, great job!
I always talk to everyone first too , way to go Francis !
Yeah, positivity hit rate goes up dramatically if one says hi first :)
Although my son wishes I would be quiet sometimes Lol
Loved the comments on having thick skin and approaching the interactions with positivity. Jefferson County, CO allows class 1 on all trails that an analog MTB can go. Douglas County, CO is starting to change as well. The WETA group on the western slope has done a full embrace of class 1 and has some very challenging (even on an emtb) trails that go to the middle of nowhere and back.
My partner became ill with a neurological condition 11 years ago and couldn't walk without trekking poles. She gradually got better, but is still only about 60% of where she was. She can get on a mountain bike on easy trails and do maybe 5 miles. She used to be faster than me at the downhill. With an emtb, she can now ride what she used to be able to ride. It's been amazing for our lives.
No doubt so much riding and living is made possible by e-bikes.
The trail access battle will be fought and won one region at a time unfortunately
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best overview of ebike differences vs analog. 2.5yrs on my full fat Turbo Levo and I can whole heartedly agree with all 5 points. Full body workout is real - more riding plus heavier handling really do work the whole body. I’ve been cleaning my chain every 100miles, replacing chains at around 1300miles and with almost 6000miles my chainrings/cassette are still in great shape. Keep producing great ebike videos 👍
His points are right on…just got my Levo SL 3 months ago. I ride in Santa Cruz at Wilder Ranch and I go harder and longer with the ebike. I’m a better rider now…my riding buddies are still in denial about e-bikes…they are soooooo missing out! It’s lonely at the top😊
Lonely at the top. :) Love it!
Yes, so many e-haters and holdouts hardly ride. They just relive their glory days from decades ago and ride fire roads for exercise.
These emtb really enable quality mountain biking day in and day out. It is hard to change old habits and preconceptions though. But usually, they will trust a buddy who tries and adds emtb to the stable.
My reason for holding out on emtb has been the motor and battery changing and each bike manufacturer's take on what the emtb rider wants. . Now, SRAM is unveiling a emtb system with auto shift. Definitely, watching your videos is helping me to transition to emtb.
Excited for you to finally own one and have more fun riding while improving riding skills!
That's a valid reason for sure. I believe we're in Chapter 3 of a 10-chapter novel. So there will be significant invention and evolution coming our way. The quest for the ideal emtb will never be done though, just like the iPhone or the mountain bike. So at some point, when the opportunity is best, it's good to jump in and get all that extra riding in!
Emtbs are good for 2-4 years IMHO for the enthusiast. So it's good to resell them to newcomers and jump to the newer platforms after a few years.
@@EMTBCruz yeah, more fun, more riding, more experiences.
Shimano has auto shift.
Accurate and informative. Great vid!
Just an opinion piece but I am so stoked that it resonates with a lot of experienced folks. My hope is it will help the prospects and all other riders to understand the category better.
spoken like a ambassador of the sport..
I'm the ambasador of my garage. :)
FYI the southeast US is very open to e-bikes, bike parks are springing up everywhere down there and it’s taken off. Rode Colorado this summer and there are a few epic rides that are e-bike friendly ie. Monarch Crest trail but mostly no e-bikes which is a bummer cuz there are so many great trails but everyone there believes it will open up in the next few years. Just got the Canyon Torque ON mullet and I love it, will be traveling down south this winter hopefully get a lot of rides in! FYI most bike parks are ok with e-bikes.
Great vid, lots of points I leaned the hard way lol sharing this with my group for our "analog holdouts" We have been talking about Bend, and our guess is once those "lycra lad XC dentists" start getting older ebikes will be allowed.
Great video :) :) :)
Thanks for the visit
I have an eMTB and I do hike quite a bit. The problem for hikers that share the same park as MTBers, e or analog, is a lot of times the MTBers don't stay on their designated trails, but ride their bikes on the trails designated as hikers-only.
Last month, I was really disappointed when I found the entire Mid-Peninsula trail system in the SF Bay Area was signed with no e-bikes allowed. Bummer! Never have run into any no e-bike signage in the East Bay parks.
Yes the current administration is closing trails to ebikes in our area too that used to be open to all...Sad
Midpen... We locals worked for 2 years on that as they did extensive studies and surveys to consider legalizing emtbs. At the vote, it turns out some board members were NEVER going to pass it.
We had hope but the outcome is no surprise. For the past 30 years, Midpen has done nothing but restrict mtb access even for demand for it has really grown in the area. I believe they have some of the most onerous laws and fines against mountain bike IN THE WORLD.
Yes, sadly the people who make the rules there don't know, or more likely can't be bothered, to differentiate between Class 1 (pedal assist) bikes and all the other 'electric bikes' out there, so they'd rather simply ban everything with a motor (even if you switch it off!) than try and police it...
What is the best way to clean and lube a chain ?
Just went through a set of brake pads on my SL EMB in three rides.
Wow, lots of good points, Francis. I must admit I was a hater for many years but when my LBS put Levo Carbons on sale for a ridiculously low price I couldn’t resist. Your video made me realize that now *I* will be subject to snide comments 😆. I ride moto as well so I’m really looking forward to riding the new bike when it arrives next week. See you in Santa Cruz!
What did you pay for your carbon Levo Alex?
Yeah buddy!!! True statement... 80+% of my emtb buddies used to be ebike haters. It's not easy to accept new or different groups or concepts.
@@jltrack the big deal now i the base Carbon Levo for $6000 is on sale at many local Bay Area bike shops for $3500. And they give the buyer an extra 700wh battery for free!!
Just bought my wife one at SVCS. Just picked up the extra 700wh new battery this week. Now I have an extra one for my Kenevo😊
I used to be the only one riding ebike at my local trails, some of my friends that usually teasing me riding a ebike one day they ask a favor to ride my ebike, the rest is history LOL! Lot of them riding ebike now and some still at the fence believe me one day its all ebike lol
Perhaps the easiest way to be and advocate for ebikes is to let others try your emtb and let them really understand it. Folks in our group have loaned emtbs to forest managers and they've quickly opened access to these bikes.
Surrons are the real issue, not the e-bikes.
Truth right there. Class 1 emtb riders need to call out Surron and e-moto riders on bike trails.
Surrons certainly ARE a problem today but E-bikes are going to become huge problems as battery technology improves. Higher power density batteries are coming and with them comes the probability of much more powerful motors.
@@toddpillow3074 having a better battery. Technology is fantastic and it won’t change the fact that the bike is class one.
@@andrewkhody. I hope those of you promoting emtbs are right about riders showing constraint and following the rules. I have serious doubts. In Moab 18 months ago I saw at least a dozen emtbs on trails not open to them. My local area is Bend and I see lots of illegal riding going on here as well. In a better world riders would self police and guide fellow riders. Take care. 😊
Issue is having ebikes that can throttle and cause major trail damage. You cannot throttle class 1 emtb. @@toddpillow3074
Good point on the part(s) that are non-repairable (motor n battery), costly for sure. Please add the links for legal trails for e-bikes. TY
All the bike trails here in Santa Clara County Parks are now legal parks.sccgov.org/home
Also East Bay parks are all now legal too www.ebparks.org/
Excellent video. All good points. Question: What is that bike maintenance rack you're using at the 4:54 mark? Looks like exactly what I need. I've acquired 3 Ebikes in the last two years, the latest being a Specialized Turbo Levo, and they are in constant need of maintenance. Thanks
That bike stand is featured here th-cam.com/video/_CXvHdKnNV0/w-d-xo.html. There's a 10% coupon code too in that video
Never mind. I found your video on the Enduro Engineering MTB Stand. Great product.
Thinking of getting an e-bike myself. I live in the east Bay Area. Ano sa tingin mo. Will they go as low as 3k someday? Salamat
Follow your channel and generally like you perspectives. That said, I take issue with your position on trail access. A motor is a motor. Allow motors and folks are going to game the system with bigger motors. I also ride/race off-road motorcycles and can tell you that they don’t belong on hiking/biking trails. I don’t think an 80nm bike belongs on such trails either. Figure a way to prevent people from abusing the system and I’d happily change my opinion. Take care, 😊
Three major trail systems have now legalized e-bikes in the sf Bay Area for years. The result… nothing. No feared conflicts or damage. Just more people getting out healthy and utilizing the massive land resource.
All the major mtb companies are never going to produce an emtb over 500 watts
I love my e-mtb. Scott Patron myself. Use it as an overall all-round bike to commute, trails, all day riding and more. Have not regret it since. And yes, it is still a workout unless you use the boost mode. Usually I ride on eco above the limit. Damn good workout for your cardio and your legs. Pushing 24kg forward without assistance is the best workout you can have.
Yup. The emtb adds so much to the mtb experience and lifestyle IMHO.
I'm a cheater and I'm Damn good at it:)
Cheating life my good man!
Dang you got me sold. Surron it is.
Super 73 for you. :)
@@EMTBReview You right that is a class 2 ebike. Only bad thing is that it is 20" wheels
I don't agree with some of this. 20 lbs in the grand scheme of things is nothing. Most people are fat as hell, and the bikes are made to support that. 20 lbs of weight on me is like the average person in America.
There is a big difference between 20 lbs of body weight vs. bike weight or cargo weight. On the body, you body frame adjusts to it and the muscles support it (unless of course one is obese).
On the bike it is just dead weight. That's why I'm using the dumbbell example. Literally, strap 20 lbs of weight on to your frame and you'll see it's significant factor.
It's not the end of the world and one adjusts to it... But it surely cannot be ignored eithr.
@@EMTBReview That all literally doesn't matter since your argument was how much the 20 lb weight is going to affect bike components wearing out faster. it doesn't matter if the 20 lbs is on the bike or your fat ass. The suspension is going to feel the 20 lbs regardless.
@@BLR1GBattlemaster I understand your point and it's the added power that wears out chains and cassettes quicker , I just had to replace both on my Specialized