I am currently searching for my next bike. I have a 5 year old Giant Fathom that I had gotten really comfortable on. I plan to keep it.
I live in San Diego and am within a mile of some fun trails fairly hilly.
I was originally planning on:
– Norco Fluid FS A1
– Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Comp Alloy
But have recently fell into the eMTB trap (I have a cheapy Ride1UP that I use to tool around)
That brought me to:
– Canyon Spectral ON: CF 7
– Specialized Turbo Levo
– Amflow PL Carbon (Real Budget stretch)
I view the eMTB as an opportunity to get to the trail head easier. And maybe take my kid via a kids ride shotgun seat. But am worried about the weight.
If anybody has been stuck in the same trap. I am all ears.
by Tahoetacoma
18 Comments
Get the ebike and don’t look back, tons of new avinox powered ebikes just dropped including some alloy options from propain
That said any full power specialized or bosch bike would serve you well, I would pass on the canyon
My LBS is now a die hard specialized fan, he just bought a few turbo Levo 4s for his rental fleet. In his opinion they have the best motors. I can’t give my opinion because I don’t ride e-bikes.
I spent forever looking at bikes and had to actually go out and test ride a few before I found what I wanted. Went with an SL ebike with the TQ motor. Feels like the best of both worlds, super quiet, not too heavy, still get a workout on the climbs.
How long will you use an ebike motor? Would you ever upgrade motors? When you sell the buyer is taking this into account ( presumably ). Can a motor last 5years? Because personally I haven’t bought a new bike since 2021 ( Salsa Timberjack 29 ). My 2 cents is buy the acoustic bike. Fitness is better than laps
I’d get the Levo.
Have you checked out Aventon’s Current? Also seems to be a good deal, mostly because of the great dealer support but is also really price competitive.
Where you ride and what kind of terrain is everything with choices. However, having owned a lot of bikes since ‘88, I can tell you I’ll always rather have more bike than not enough..
Try emtb forum. Seems more relevant.
Engine comes first. So having said that, Carbon Amflow PL > Alloy Specialized Levo > Spectral ON CF 7. You may have a hard time finding an Amflow PL since it’s a first-gen model, and the 2nd gen is expected to launch in about a month at an even lower price point. The Levo Turbo is great with 4th generation refinements, but only has 1 sensor per revolution vs 48 sensors in the Amflow. The Spectral:ON uses a Shimano motor — decent enough (I have one on my Orbea Rise), but it’s starting to feel a bit outdated compared to what’s on the current eBike market.
IMHO the only emtb’s id be considering right now are the new Amflow’s.
The norco is the nicest bike there. Best parts for the price
Amflow seems really awesome but hard to get
At least you don’t have facial paralysis. I’m going through some weird shit right now.
Beh tra le eBike che hai messo direi sicuramente amflow e’ appena uscita la nuova con motore avinox 2 e un prezzo di partenza molto basso!! E tutte in carbonio
Just got the Stumpjumper comp alloy. It’s a fantastic bike, but I was able to get it for 2800 before tax
Norco fluid is the pretty obvious choice here
Why not the Levo R? I demo’d it recently and prefer it to the Levo.
Amflow. Hands down the best if you are getting an e bike
I very briefly considered an e-bike for rides to the trailhead in the desert heat, but found that just riding there on my non e-bike became easy after a few rides. I don’t know how far you have to go or what kind of climbs you’re looking at to get there, but you may be able to acquire the fitness to get there and ride without much trouble.