TheX Posted June 9 Author Share Posted June 9 3 hours ago, TAF said: I rode Monarch Crest last summer with Jimmy from Flat Rock. He rides an e-bike, so I borrowed a Pivot Les from Absolute Bikes - not realizing it was generations ahead of Jimmy’s bike. I freaken shot up all the climbs in the lowest power mode - zero effort required. Finished the ride (35 miles) with 4/5 bars remaining, and still felt cheated - I hadn’t even broken a sweat. So not for me just yet! I would love to not be 65 with the medical history I have. I fought this for some time, but I want to be back on my favorite trails. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 8 hours ago, TAF said: I rode Monarch Crest last summer with Jimmy from Flat Rock. He rides an e-bike, so I borrowed a Pivot Les from Absolute Bikes - not realizing it was generations ahead of Jimmy’s bike. I freaken shot up all the climbs in the lowest power mode - zero effort required. Finished the ride (35 miles) with 4/5 bars remaining, and still felt cheated - I hadn’t even broken a sweat. So not for me just yet! The Pivot Les doesn't appear to be electric. Maybe it was a Pivot Shuttle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 (edited) double post Edited June 10 by Ridenfool Duplicated post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 16 hours ago, TheX said: I would love to not be 65 with the medical history I have. I fought this for some time, but I want to be back on my favorite trails. Better on the trails than on the couch. And Ridenfool, I suspect you are right - I think it was the Shuttle. Light and powerful - I didn’t dare ask the price tag! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 1 hour ago, TAF said: I didn’t dare ask the price tag! Haha, that was a shocker for me. There are 5 build levels of the Heckler SL, I bought the cheapest. It was still $7.9K out the door. I wouldn't have bought it if I couldn't pay cash (CC paid off immediately). I don't see how people are buying these new hyper-expensive bikes. $4K was the most I had ever spent on a bicycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 9 hours ago, TheX said: It was still $7.9K out the door. Damn - what sort of uphill mileage are you getting out of that? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circuitbreaker Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 I had ridden the original Turbo Levo, and when we recently rented some ebikes in Bentonville, i was surprised with how much power they provide. It felt like you're not really pedaling with power as much as just controlling the speed with your cadence. It feels like a different sport really. I much prefer acoustic bikes for riding single track. Where ebikes seem to shine are for places where you have to run laps like Coler and Kanuga, where the uphill isn't interesting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 (edited) I see folks writing about what it felt like to ride a borrowed or rented e-mtb from a shop, and this often leads me to suspect they were likely riding the bike with the default power setup for each of the modes. You can set the modes to provide exactly what you prefer. On the Levo you can have three customized setups for how and when the assist is applied. These can be based on where it is ridden, or a variety of personal preferences. For instance, you could set the Eco level on a Levo to offer only enough assist to more or less offset the weight of the motor and battery, and this "ride" could feel very acoustic. An e-mtb can have an acoustic flavor of ride when you want it, just set it up that way. Then, by pressing a button, have options for other custom assist levels when/if desired. For me it has become a matter of "Choice is always better than no choice," as I can dial in the ride I want for any given situation. There's so many ways to fine-tune how it delivers power, conserves battery, etc. that it can offer different rides to select from for any occasion, or as the trail changes. Some of the later models have Bluetooth integration between the motor and the gears. You can set your preferred cadence in the app. The bike shifts gears to maintain that cadence. The motor can spin the drive-line independent of the cranks, so it shifts without you pedaling. Manual shifting is available too, and no matter which is used every shift is always a perfect shift as it can work around any torque you are adding. As for me, I'm not getting any younger, and have never used the word "enjoyed" to describe any ascent I've ridden over the decades (though techy stuff can be fun). I have always, and still do immensely enjoy descending. The purpose of my bike since I was a boy has always been to "take me to the next downhill section" because that is the part I like the best. I've tweaked the Levo settings so I have a mode that will actually make me sweat if I want to. Then, I can also switch modes so as to rarely exceed a very happy heart rate that doesn't spend much time pushing the envelope. Like most other disruptive technologies that we humans are faced with, these will become the dominant bike-form as the price of batteries and improvement of motors bring the price down with economies of scale. This moment in time is similar to when the flip-phone was faced with the smart phone introduction, or chemical film cameras once digital photography was widely available. E-bikes are on a transitional S-curve tracking the "smart bike" moment for bicycles. The good thing is, the longer anyone waits to be assimilated, the better the value will become as more features are added and cost reductions bring the difference between acoustic and electric closer together. Edited June 12 by Ridenfool 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 13 hours ago, Ridenfool said: I see folks writing about what it felt like to ride a borrowed or rented e-mtb from a shop, and this often leads me to suspect they were likely riding the bike with the default power setup for each of the modes. You can set the modes to provide exactly what you prefer. On the Levo you can have three customized setups for how and when the assist is applied. These can be based on where it is ridden, or a variety of personal preferences. For instance, you could set the Eco level on a Levo to offer only enough assist to more or less offset the weight of the motor and battery, and this "ride" could feel very acoustic. An e-mtb can have an acoustic flavor of ride when you want it, just set it up that way. Then, by pressing a button, have options for other custom assist levels when/if desired. For me it has become a matter of "Choice is always better than no choice," as I can dial in the ride I want for any given situation. There's so many ways to fine-tune how it delivers power, conserves battery, etc. that it can offer different rides to select from for any occasion, or as the trail changes. Some of the later models have Bluetooth integration between the motor and the gears. You can set your preferred cadence in the app. The bike shifts gears to maintain that cadence. The motor can spin the drive-line independent of the cranks, so it shifts without you pedaling. Manual shifting is available too, and no matter which is used every shift is always a perfect shift as it can work around any torque you are adding. As for me, I'm not getting any younger, and have never used the word "enjoyed" to describe any ascent I've ridden over the decades (though techy stuff can be fun). I have always, and still do so immensely enjoy descending. The purpose of my bike since I was a boy has always been to "take me to the next downhill section" because that is the part I like the best. I've tweaked the Levo settings so I have a mode that will actually make me sweat if I want to. Then, I can also switch modes so as to rarely exceed a very happy heart rate that doesn't spend much time pushing the envelope. Like most other disruptive technologies that we humans are faced with, these will become the dominant bike-form as the price of batteries and improvement of motors bring the price down with economies of scale. This moment in time is similar to when the flip-phone was faced with the smart phone introduction, or chemical film cameras once digital photography was widely available. E-bikes are on a transitional S-curve tracking the "smart bike" moment for bicycles. The good thing is, the longer anyone waits to be assimilated, the better the value will become as more features are added and cost reductions bring the difference between acoustic and electric closer together. Fantastic reply, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 18 hours ago, circuitbreaker said: I had ridden the original Turbo Levo, and when we recently rented some ebikes in Bentonville, i was surprised with how much power they provide. It felt like you're not really pedaling with power as much as just controlling the speed with your cadence. It feels like a different sport really. I much prefer acoustic bikes for riding single track. Where ebikes seem to shine are for places where you have to run laps like Coler and Kanuga, where the uphill isn't interesting. ^^^This was my experience too, almost word for word. 15 hours ago, Ridenfool said: I Like most other disruptive technologies that we humans are faced with, these will become the dominant bike-form as the price of batteries and improvement of motors bring the price down with economies of scale. I came here to say that I sure hope this isn't the case. But once I thought about it further I may be forced to agree with you. "My" generation of cyclists seem to be the largest demographic over the years. We began riding in the early 90's and have continued to move thru the age groups demonstrating that we have a larger population than any other I've noticed over the years. Thus, I suspect that once my group fully ages-up these will be quite ubiquitous. Likewise, I seem to see some of the younger dudes riding them for the exhilaration of it. Double thus, there may be less 'back fill' for riders of the acoustic bikes. I love my pedal bikes and will continue to ride them until I can't. Sign me up as a massive 'late adopter'. Later, CJB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 I love the term *acoustic*. I've been playing guitar for 59 years, started on my 6th birthday. I am a classical/acoustic player 95% of the time. If I didn't have physical limitations, we wouldn't be having this discussion. It was so nice to hit some of those spots last weekend. We don't know what other people are going through. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 15 hours ago, TheX said: We don't know what other people are going through. As for me, my dance card is booked solid starting next month, as I will be having some sweet upgrades installed to replace both knees by the end of the year. 😳 So, I've got that going for me. The purchase of an e-mtb has been world-changing in that I'm riding much, much more than I was able to before. Hopefully, I'll be back on the trails again by Spring of next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockshins Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 56 minutes ago, Ridenfool said: having some sweet upgrades installed to replace both knees by the end of the year. Good luck with that! Helped my father in law recover from a total knee replacement. He had a great outcome by working really hard in PT. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 6 hours ago, Ridenfool said: As for me, my dance card is booked solid starting next month, as I will be having some sweet upgrades installed to replace both knees by the end of the year. 😳 So, I've got that going for me. The purchase of an e-mtb has been world-changing in that I'm riding much, much more than I was able to before. Hopefully, I'll be back on the trails again by Spring of next year. That's great news. I've actually changed my mind about one-wheel riders also. I have never had an on-trail issue with them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 5 hours ago, rockshins said: Good luck with that! Helped my father in law recover from a total knee replacement. He had a great outcome by working really hard in PT. When I did my PT after the crash Patty (the PT lady) said I was in her top 1% of people that actually complied with what she was asking for. PT made all the difference in the world. I have some limited range of motion but nearly no pain anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 16 minutes ago, TheX said: When I did my PT after the crash Patty (the PT lady) said I was in her top 1% of people that actually complied with what she was asking for. PT made all the difference in the world. I have some limited range of motion but nearly no pain anymore. It is always good to hear that sort of thing from the doc. Both of my knees were injured riding dirt bikes, and then surgically reconstructed. These were each busted and fixed about ten years apart, but the injuries were nearly identical. So, I'm going into this as a veteran to knee surgery. Both of them still have screws in the Tibia Plateau, and very little Meniscus remains in either knee. Similar to your experience, in both cases the surgeons were quite outspoken about how impressed they were with the speed of each recovery. I fully expect the upcoming recoveries to go quicker than with the previous surgeries as the knee will be weight-bearing immediately. Reading reviews on knee replacement in mtb forums had a repeating theme of, "I wish I hadn't waited so long" and this played a huge part in committing to the shiny new parts purchases now that I'm caught up on trail building for a while. No pain any more is equally motivating for me. The e-mtb will play a key role in each recovery. 🚴♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 When you're in recovery and want to do some easy rides hit me up. I'm in Pflugerville but don't mind traveling to the trails. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 17 Author Share Posted June 17 I moved my SRAM AXS GX over to the new bike. Once I found AXS I was sold. Put my favorite 740mm carbon bars on. *Probably* going to move my XT brakes over also. I'm not a SRAM brake fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted June 20 Share Posted June 20 On 6/6/2024 at 8:43 PM, TAF said: A bold statement. Where I am in Colorado, the singletrack is usually one bike wide. To have an ebike rider fly up behind and ask you to move over is pretty fucking annoying. Sorry to hear someone is having more fun than you, mister grumpy-pants. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 20 Author Share Posted June 20 Haha, that made my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 On 6/20/2024 at 11:44 AM, mack_turtle said: Sorry to hear someone is having more fun than you, mister grumpy-pants. Made even more annoying since e-bikes are banned on these trails! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 23 Author Share Posted June 23 Class 1 e-bikes should be allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 I agree - I think the wheels of government turn slowly, but hopefully that will happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 I get that there are always people that will abuse the rules. I think legally any bans will get challenged as they impede on the ability of *less able* people to share the trails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted June 30 Author Share Posted June 30 I swapped the 165mm crank arms for a pair of 155's. Pedal strikes are gone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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