Hello MTB community!
Recently a good friend has expressed interest in riding, but after chemo he is physically weak. He can walk up stairs etc, but any major climbing on a bike probably off the table for him. We discussed an e-bike and he seemed pretty in to it. He is also looking to build his cardio back so I figured this would be a good workout. He used to ride a lot 20 years ago, but doesn’t know much about the e-bikes of today. Does anyone have any recommendations for him?
I was thinking the specialized turbo Levo or something similar, but is anyone familiar with any deals or anything higher value? Maybe I am biased because I ride a stumpjumper and that seems like the e-bike version of that bike. Please let me know what you think so we can get my friend back in the saddle!
He is interested in basic fire road to start. Mostly Sandy southwest type trails. And progressing to blue flow trails. He wants something capable enough to take off road. I don’t expect him to be doing major drops, but he does want a proper mtb.
Budget is 4000-5500. Lower is probably better. But may be willing to go up a tad for the right bike
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/turbo-levo-alloy/p/216805?color=349647-216805
by Prudent_Breath7708
6 Comments
You can not beat the price on the new Trek Marlin+. You don’t need a full suspension unless you plan on taking on gnarly trail right off the start….just food for thought
I have a perm disability and got an ebike also to get bike into riding after recovering from being hospitalized.
I first got the cheapest brand name ebike I could find: Giant Stance E1 i think it was. Was like $4500 and the Shimano XT drive and brakes. The bike was full motor/battery sized, not the lite embtn version.
The Giant worked to help get me out and riding with friends. But as I got back into shape and more comfortable, I immediately found the bike was too much for me. I rarely used the battery past 50%, and never used full power. It became overkill. It was also heavy and rode like a dirtbike (weighed like 57 lbs).
A year later, i sold it and got a Carbon Trek Fuel Ex-E. I f*cking love it. It is a lite emtb (i think it is actually the lightest). I can go no motor and get a good workout or use full power and take a break when needed without it being overpowered. It is power enough for me. The best part is, it is only 40ish pounds and I feels like a non emtb.
My situation is not near as bad as your friends. Im only a diabetic, and a lot of diabetics do fine without ebikes. But man it is helpful when Im having bad days and need a boost to keep up with friends. I could have went straight to the lite version emtb, but your friend may want a full power one. I will say the Giant was solid, no motor issues after two years, and very affordable. My trek was a huge upgrade so it is not far to compare.
i recommend the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay. Great bike, fantastic torque. the A30 here (https://bikes.com/products/instinct-pp-a30-22-23) is steeply discounted and comes in under the 4000 budget.
Alot more maintenance is needed with these bikes so find a shop with good support first. Thats the biggest thing
1. Turbo Levo (the most popular, great integration of tech and geometry). Make sure you have good lbs support as the previous models had a lot of motor issues
2. A Bosch (trek, some canyon, cannondale) or Yamaha (Giant, Yamaha) motor bike are usually considered the most reliable motor
3. A lot of people are weary of Shimano motors online but they are a big player and some people like them.
Good deals for dtc are canyon (enduro bike strive:on Bosch motor) or yt decoy ($3500. Shimano motor). Just make sure u have support nearby. Can check out Jensen online as well (cannondale Moterra with a Bosch motor was $4k)
I mean, if your friend is willing to spend that amount of money, a specialized turbo levo alloy is awesome. Got one myself and a friend of mine got the stumpjumper. Basically the same bike only difference is carbon Vs alloy, some minor differences between components and of course, the e
I have a Trek Rail. Bought it for 30% off and love the bike, but my only regret is the battery size. Wish it could go further.
The Bosch motor is well known for being one of the most reliable motors out there, is easy to maintain and cheaper to fix.
Your friend must just be aware that e-bikes can be very heavy and if he’s struggling with health, it’s difficult to move around the house and get onto a bike rack.