NoPhart

As those in the electric bike section know, I started riding an E-MTB to get back into bicycling after a long inactive period and a couple back to back surgeries. Now that I’ve been riding for about 6 months: gaining strength, endurance, and riding abilities; I feel I’ve somewhat out grown my current E-MTB’s off-road abilities on the trails and find myself looking for a full suspension bike with a slacker head tube angle. In that regard, I’m wondering if I should move away from the E-DARKSIDE completely or upgrade my E-MTB?

The two bikes currently at the top of my list are the Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon and the Haibike Sduro AllMtn Plus (Yamaha Mid-Drive Electric Assist). Ironically both bikes have about the same retail price and both bikes will support 27.5+ or 29.

Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon

Haibike Sduro AllMtn Plus

I want my next ride to be Boost 148-12/110-15, have ability for 27.5+/29. I’d also like to keep the weight of the MTB to under 28lbs. and E-MTB under 48lbs. I’m 6’2” 230lbs. with a 34” pant inseam and long upper body. Most XL bikes fit me best because I can handle their reach just fine, plus I prefer short stem lengths. My current KHS E-MTB has a 71*HT angle that is becoming too steep for the kind of riding I am graduating to (already went over the bars once on Rattle Snake at Crystal Cove State Park in CA), so looking for a 67-68* HT angle in my next ride. Intermediate component levels will work fine for me. Oh yeah, I’m 56 years old and my speed racer days are long behind me.

One more thing, for those of you who haven’t ridden an E-MTB you really should try one before writing them off completely. I can go either way at this point (I think), but the fun factor really goes up when the climbs aren’t as difficult. By the same token, I’m sure a MTB that is 20-25lbs. lighter than what I’m riding now will feel awesome to throw around and jump. At my age and the high to me price point of both these bikes; I want this purchase to last many years.

Posting this in the MTB and E-MTB sections to see what everyone’s thoughts are. Please feel free to recommend other bikes of similar style both electric and non-electric assist.

Thanks for your thoughts!

NoPhart

180 views and not a single comment? Hummm...

Well I pulled the trigger on a Santa Cruz Hightower 29 S today and will be exiting the E-DARKSIDE. Hope I'm up to it.

This...



...is going to look good on top of this.



Can't wait for my first ride!

Kindaslow

Congrats and Enjoy!

osco53

180 views and no comments,,,wow yeah bummer...
The E-bike thing may be why,, They are not and never will be allowed on my trails as they are specific, 'No Motorized Vehicles'.
The lack of comments may be because of the fear they will make It onto our trails one day and allow riders who are not In shape, and have not paid their dues to desecrate sacred ground LoL

I'm 57 and a half, Mountain biking got me In great shape,, I like to run down 30 and 40 somethings when I can, for fun, doesn't happen often
I learned to like to suffer,, love the buzz, the head rush, passing out, puking on the bike and all that.
I'm glad your back with us, You've bled with worse, now come bleed with me.



Ok Ok I will stop, I had to, couldn't help it, It's all good..

The Scott Spark you see is my passion, It's a 27.5,, I had a 29er but I was not strong enough for the bigger heavier less stiff by design hoops, It desperately needed better wheels.
I am 5'11 32" Inseam the 27.5 fit me better and IMO a 29er would fit you better,,,
you said a 34" Inseam..

Think of wheel size as a single 'Fit' Factor first and second choose the wheel size for your riding style and trails.
Above all else get fitted to the bike correctly,,this you should already know. It's just as Important to us Mtb'ers
as to the roadies....
Tight technical switchbacks and punchy straight up climbs,, 27.5 turns on a dime and accelerates like a rocket..
Big speed, roll over anything non stop and smoother,,, Newer 29er geo bikes will turn on a quarter and are unstoppable.
Go tubeless and ride your tail off ~~~~~~

~~~~ the dime, quarter thing,, you catch that,, Tight turns on a modern 29er are getting so close to 650B territory it comes down to you....

As for the Plus thing,,, rode one,, then another, I just don't need the extra weight way out there far from the axle...
I don't have traction Issues with my 2.35 wide tires that are near 700 grams. Dropping the weight of my tires by loosing the tubes was Nirvana,, So I see no need for 900-1100 gram tires. That's actually worse than putting tubes back in,, no thank you.
They will get better I hope....

NoPhart

Thanks Kindaslow. Don't know if I will be able to hold this beast back, but I should have a great time trying.

Yeah I really thought there'd be a lot of views expressed about eMTB's vs. MTB's, but nothing... And maybe some alternative MTB's to consider.

My goal from the start was to get back in shape while having fun. The worst thing about riding the eMTB was that no one else I ride with has one. If my whole group was riding them, then I can see how they'd be a complete new kind of blast on trail rides; faster and further rides that's for sure, but when the juice dies they pedal like $%#&!.

I'm new to MTB'g, but rode pre BMX before there was such a thing. Then motorcycle trail riding, TT, Scrambles and Motocross. After that, back to bicycles with road and a cross bikes giving it up in the early 90's. After 20+ years out of the saddle, it feels real good to be back on one.

From what I've read the new 29er geometry like the Hightower is: slightly lower, longer, slacker, shorter CS and Boosted at both ends to stiffen the hoops up to roll well for us 6'+ riders. My thought is to ride it stock and continue to build my skill set and endurance. I'll be happy if I can just get up the hills without my group having to wait on me to start with. No problem going down hill, but the new ride with quality full suspension, dropper seatpost and hydraulic brakes will make those decents a pleasure.

After some miles I can invest in a pair of carbon hoops and put some trekking tires on the stock ones for local bike trail and beach rides. Nothing I've ridden so far justifies plus tires, be they 27.5+ or 29+, but that could change some day. I would like to try them out.

Exiting the "darkside" can be enlightenning in a good or bad way in the beginning. Not too worried though. My group is my age or older, except when someones 20 or 30 something children join in...

Nice three claw devil rash you got there! Much worse than my little rattlesnake bite I got a while back (partly because of that 71* HT angle on the eMTB that I will be happy to get rid of off-road). Can't wait to hit that trail again with this over shocked trail/AM and teach that rattlesnake a knobby lesson.

But the real reason I decided on the Santa Cruz Hightower 29 C AM S-build is the color!

DMC707

long time Santa Cruz rider here --- looks like you got a great ride

Regarding the e-bike? -- I want one -- I'm a Clydesdale weight flat lander -- one of these would help me enjoy some of the Colorado countryside a bit more for rides other than ski lift runs

NoPhart

One of my group rides a SC Bullet from years ago and really flys down hill on it. I had him ride the SC Hightower at my LBS because it was a size medium and didn't fit me at all. I thought he was going to join me in my purchase for a minute there.

I haven't given up completely on the eMTB's. It will take an AM 29er with similar geometry to the Hightower AND a "stated" 100 mile range (that will probably give me about 50 miles) to get me interested once again.

NoPhart

Happened to be posting up in the E-bike section and ended up revisiting some of my old posts. This one caught my eye and I thought some might enjoy hearing where my bike adventure has lead me over the past couple years. After selling my eMTB hardtail rehab bike, I enjoyed the Hightower for about 9 months of downhill bliss and up hill pain (lol). It wasn't the bike, but the rider not getting any younger. Built a Soma B-Side eMTB with a 750W/48V Bafang mid-drive, Sturmey-Archer 3spd cassette rear hub and slapped on a Gates Carbon Belt for whisper quiet operation. The 21Ah battery gave me a reliable 50-60 mile range of normal semi-heavy use and over 100 miles if I toned it down and pedaled a lot. What a wonderful build this turned out to be. The build was almost as much fun as the ride, so I built an Electra Alloy Cruiser 29+ with the same motor inside the frame triangle using a Sturmey-Archer 5spd IGH and had a blast with that doing trips to the beach and all around by simply swapping the battery between the two eBikes to save the cost of a second battery. I eventually sold the Hightower, surprisingly for what I paid for it at my LBS's 30 year Anniversary sale and eventually returned the Electra Alloy Cruiser back to stock and sold it too. The Soma B-Side got redone with more of a street flavor with WTB Byway tubeless tires and the Exotic Carbon fork that was on the cruiser. I changed the gearing to 50T/24T to get more speed out of the 3spd IGH for the street and bike trails. It now cruises at 20-21mph at a comfortable cadence and can be ridden at 23mph spinning quickly. I'm now considering upping the front belt-ring to 55T for a little more top end to keep the roadies happy with a fast free tow (lol).

To replace the Hightower I picked up a 2013 Niner Jet 9 that more than meets my aging off-road trail needs and is a surprisingly enjoyable urban assault bike too. Recently I equipped it with a MY1018 setup similar to the LIFT-MTB kits overseas. I'm using the Sturmey-Archer 5spd laced up to Velocity Dually 29er rims and run Specialized Compound Control 2.2 tires that come in at 2.4 on these rims. The ride with the SID RTC3 100mm up front and RP3 80mm rear is like a Cadillac with the large balloon-y tires, yet it still handles like the XC bike it is designed to be. Haven't even attached a battery to it yet. I've just been riding it as a pedal bike so far and loving it. Here it is.



This will be my new off-road trail and urban assault rig going forward and the reconfigured Soma B-Side is my road and bike trail ride. Someone told me when I started this adventure that you can稚 have just one bike. I tried to prove them wrong, but in the end those are the truest words spoken in bike riding I致e ever heard.

Cheers!

PS: I'm still waiting for the pre-made eMTB manufacturers to make something that catches my interest and budget; the Shimano STEPS E8000 system with Di2 shifting does look interesting...