First ebike and ehhhhh

PB Forum :: eMTB
First ebike and ehhhhh
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flag haji1974
Posted: Dec 28, 2021 at 18:23 Quote
After almost a year waiting my first ebike came in. Marin alpine trail e2.
Rode it yesterday and it was cool but I think I prefer my “analog” bike- a tallboy.
Climbing was way easier and faster which was good because my favorite local singletrack descents are accessed via a 1300’ fore road climb. Descending it just felt kinda like a bulldozer. Not bad but a bit sluggish. Part of that might be the coil and increased travel but I think it was the weight. I didn’t expect a 50lb ebike to pop like a 30lb trail bike.
I’m going to give it a couple months and see if I get more into it, with this market I could always sell it and get an “enduro” bike.
flag GrantMcJ
O+
Posted: Dec 29, 2021 at 17:49 Quote
I have the same bike. You'll get more used to it. It's not going to react the same as the Tallboy, just keep that in mind. Once you learn how it rides and get comfortable, it's hard to go back. But if you don't like it, it'll be easy to resell because you can't find them anywhere.
flag haji1974
Posted: Dec 29, 2021 at 21:04 Quote
Yeah it’s a lot different than a trail bike. Maybe halfway to a motorcycle but I’ve never ridden one. There’s more of a learning curve than I expected.
I rode the e2 on a chunky trail and it definitely makes climbing easy. I was barely sweating on a 2000’ climb. The suspension is pretty good at soaking up bumps.
One thing I will definitely change is the dropper it works like crap and it’s way too short.
flag GrantMcJ
O+
Posted: Dec 29, 2021 at 21:30 Quote
I changed out the dropper lever on mine out of personal preference but never had any issue with the post itself. I do know that it can be a little finicky if the seatpost clamp is too tight. I'm 6'2 on a large, and would prefer to have a 200mm dropper but the 150mm performs just fine.
flag haji1974
Posted: Dec 31, 2021 at 10:00 Quote
Maybe it’s just the dropper I got.
The lever is ok but the post is sticky and doesn’t seem to be as adjustable as other ones I’ve used.

I rode the bike again yesterday and it’s definitely fun to cruise uphill and it descends well. I like the suspension it definitely soaks up hits.
Its cool how it zips uphill but I miss the exercise more than I thought I would.
Also you can’t throw it around like a regular bike- at least I can’t. Probably sell it in a couple months and get the analog version.
flag bocomtb
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 3, 2022 at 12:31 Quote
Why aren't you trying to climb faster?
flag haji1974
Posted: Jan 4, 2022 at 15:29 Quote
I am - 4300’ yesterday until the battery ran down and it’s cool.
I just miss the exercise. It’s too easy which sounds weird but I like suffering.
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Jan 5, 2022 at 6:57 Quote
haji1974 wrote:
I am - 4300’ yesterday until the battery ran down and it’s cool.
I just miss the exercise. It’s too easy which sounds weird but I like suffering.

Rode my wife's e-bike two days ago - what a blast, but I can kind of see what you're saying about the climbs.

I tried just some climbing without the motor - NEXT LEVEL workout. Give it a shot maybe.
flag bocomtb
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 5, 2022 at 9:07 Quote
eBikes are awesome for repeated laps and taking the edge off big climbs. But OP, sounds like you don't want that edge taken off.

If I were you then I'd be unloading that eBike ASAP. You've made it clear that aerobic exercise is a very important aspect of your rides and you now own a tool that removes that aspect. There's too many good bikes and not enough hours in the day to justify owning something that you don't really like.

You can try shutting the motor off like BenLow2019 suggested. It's worth a shot though for as a cardio workout but it will feel sluggish, perhaps aggravatingly so, when compared with something like your Tallboy.
flag haji1974
Posted: Jan 5, 2022 at 15:26 Quote
Yeah it’s a good bike nothing wrong with it. It was sort of an impulsive purchase as I really wanted a new trail bike but nothing was available at the time I thought why not try an ebike…..
Just feels more like a electric motorcycle than a mountain bike to me. I like the exercise and the feel of the tallboy better. It’s a fun ride for sure but I just prefer pedaling a lighter bike. You can definitely get more descents done faster but the range isn’t unlimited.
I think I’ll probably sell it and get an enduro bike like an analog alpine trail, commencal meta, sentinel etc. if anything is available.
flag borlowski90
FL
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 at 14:59 Quote
What size is your Alpine E2?
flag haji1974
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 at 15:46 Quote
Large
I’m 6-1 with long arms
flag borlowski90
FL
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 at 15:48 Quote
Ah, if it was medium I'd probably offer to trade + cash my Enduro!
flag haji1974
Posted: Jan 17, 2022 at 20:07 Quote
Rode the Marin e2 on the trails I know best and I could definitely feel the difference on descents. It kicks ass on downhills compared to the tallboy. You have more traction and it sticks to the ground instead of skittering around on bumps.
I still miss the exercise a bit but you can just go faster and cover more ground.
flag jbrown-15
Posted: Jan 17, 2022 at 21:18 Quote
haji1974 wrote:
I am - 4300’ yesterday until the battery ran down and it’s cool.
I just miss the exercise. It’s too easy which sounds weird but I like suffering.

Well luckily for you, your Marin E2 uses the EP8 which has two user profiles. So if you want to suffer just create a setting in one of your profiles with your eco setting as low as possible. Then go climb 4300’ feet with a 55lb eBike with almost no assistance…..lol

You’ll be right back there enjoying the suffering.
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