Stealthy looking eMTB

PB Forum :: eMTB
Stealthy looking eMTB
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flag roskobosko
Posted: Aug 9, 2021 at 10:40 Quote
Wondering if there are any stealthy e-MTBs out there. I'm pushing 70 still enjoying my SC Tallboy but the trails are steep and the OC park rangers are pretty strict about no e-bikes. A 1,600 ft climb pretty well maxes me out, I need a little more gas in the tank left for descent.

Anything besides a Levo SL to consider (other than a time machine)? I would also like to keep the weight down if possible.

Thanks
flag A06
O+
Posted: Aug 9, 2021 at 12:30 Quote
Trek E-Caliber might be the ticket for you. Its an XC bike if that matters to you but why I think it would be well suited to what you are looking for is that the batter and motor are removable.

I mean if one were so inclined I could see removing the motor/battery and staching in a pack till you are clear of the trail head where Ranger Rick is hanging out and installing (tooless) a bit further up the trail where you need it.

I have been riding exclusively at Skyline in Corona, Waterworks and Snow Summit, where are you running into park rangers in OC?
flag roskobosko
Posted: Aug 9, 2021 at 14:31 Quote
A06 wrote:
Trek E-Caliber might be the ticket for you. Its an XC bike if that matters to you but why I think it would be well suited to what you are looking for is that the batter and motor are removable.

I mean if one were so inclined I could see removing the motor/battery and staching in a pack till you are clear of the trail head where Ranger Rick is hanging out and installing (tooless) a bit further up the trail where you need it.

I have been riding exclusively at Skyline in Corona, Waterworks and Snow Summit, where are you running into park rangers in OC?

Thanks for the suggestion, I see a fair amount of Rangers in the Aliso & Wood Canyon Preserve, wood canyon, west ridge, Mathis Canyon, Top of the World trails leading to Meadows, etc.
flag roskobosko
Posted: Aug 10, 2021 at 13:31 Quote
Never mind, I decided to go all out on a new e-bike - SC Heckler on the way, yahoo.
flag A06
O+
Posted: Aug 10, 2021 at 14:36 Quote
LOL very nice and dont worry there are PLENTY of areas to ride eMTB relatively close to you. THE SC Heckler is a very nice bike congrats!
flag 60ndown
Posted: Aug 12, 2021 at 11:04 Quote
people over 60 should be allowed to ride e bikes anywhere, *and I bet in a few short years that will become the standard. its the kids (under 60) doing fast laps and sending it that gives us older more responsible folk a bad rep.......
flag tantor
Posted: Aug 13, 2021 at 9:10 Quote
Orbea Rise is pretty subtle.

Congrats on the new bike.
flag A06
O+
Posted: Aug 13, 2021 at 10:52 Quote
60ndown wrote:
people over 60 should be allowed to ride e bikes anywhere, *and I bet in a few short years that will become the standard. its the kids (under 60) doing fast laps and sending it that gives us older more responsible folk a bad rep.......

Agree so long as they are also not allowed to drive cars anywhere. That would free up so much more time for the over 60 crowd to yell at kids to get off of their lawns. Its a win win for everybody.
flag 60ndown
Posted: Aug 14, 2021 at 17:52 Quote
A06 wrote:
60ndown wrote:
people over 60 should be allowed to ride e bikes anywhere, *and I bet in a few short years that will become the standard. its the kids (under 60) doing fast laps and sending it that gives us older more responsible folk a bad rep.......

Agree so long as they are also not allowed to drive cars anywhere. That would free up so much more time for the over 60 crowd to yell at kids to get off of their lawns. Its a win win for everybody.

Beer
flag nmilot92
Posted: Aug 17, 2021 at 21:40 Quote
Orbea wild fs m10
flag roskobosko
Posted: Aug 25, 2021 at 16:42 Quote
I've been riding a lot on the new Heckler, absolutely love it, but I ride so hard I'm actually more tired than with the Tallboy! Full body workout sessoning tough terrain and I stay in the perfect aerobic zone, it's been fantastic.
flag holytrails
Posted: Aug 27, 2021 at 2:31 Quote
Sucks when the outlaw ebikes!!! They're still bikes not MX full throttle rigs. I don't get it. However, I think some rangers may know what are ebikes and not so it may/may not be worth the risk of getting caught. Personal choice of course.

That said, the Spec SL (something model) looks more like a regular bike as the battery and motor are smaller.Its designed to feel more like a regular bike supposedly. Why anyone would want an ebike to "feel" more like a regular bike I don't know. But it also has less range and costs more (Pay more=get less, I don't get it but oh well). You already mentioned that bike. My bad.
flag mark-p
Posted: Aug 30, 2021 at 6:50 Quote
I recently hired a Specialized Levo SL so that I could still do some decent trails whilst recovering from a broken rib. Now as has been stated previously it is more expensive than a full eMTB and certainly if I was spending my money on a new one it could be difficult to justify when compared to even a standard Levo.

However based on my experience over two full days of hire I understood where this was aimed at. There is a significant amount of power available to help on the big hills, even in the lowest setting. If you are struggling to pedal up then even though it only has half the power of a regular eMTB it gets the job done. On a flat trail it will pretty much pedal as a regular bike, just one that is on the heavier side.

I used one of the hire bikes at Coed y Brenin and we spent the first day going round the MBR a couple of times then bits and pieces of the shorter trails. I had started using is very conservatively but by the afternoon is was clear there was plenty of power in the battery.

The second day we did the Beast. My son then took it round them MBR flat out as well and even after teenage exuberance, there was still 25% of charge left. Based on this experience there is a good match on battery capacity and power to easily get a good day of riding in.

My thoughts are that there will be further developments in the lighter eMTB area as the bikes are easier to handle. It does not feel like a bulldozer going down and you still have quite a bit of normal bike feel.

Whether they currently represent value for money is another matter. It all depends what you are looking for.
flag REZEN
O+
Posted: Aug 30, 2021 at 15:33 Quote
I agree with the above post. The levo SL is very understated, and still enough power for most, yet light enough to be quite flickable, it's not far off from most DH bikes.

This is the point for my buddy that bought one, as we never do more than 15 miles. Yet everytime he still has enough juice, and he has more energy than I for the DH section now, and more time should he want a second run after work, whereas I rarely get a second run from those 1hr climbs.
flag TimMog
Posted: Sep 18, 2021 at 2:34 Quote
Stealthy you say?

https://inews.co.uk/news/combat-e-bikes-special-forces-bicycles-enemy-jeep-polaris-dsei-london-1203268
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