Liv0life

I have recently realised that my bike may be too big for me, being 5'4 and having a Large Merida BIG.TRAIL 200. I'm considering changing the wheels (or at least the back wheel) to 27.5" to make the bike lighter and more nimble. What do I need to find the best wheel for me? I'm thinking I'd like a 2.5" tyre for more grip on-road and off-road (as I'd like to take this across the city too).

Is it worth changing the tyres while I save up for another bike? Thanks all!

DMC707 

No. Sell that bike as is and replace it with a small. Your dealer should be ashamed of themselves for selling you a size large at 5’4”

That same exact bike but in the right frame size for you would feel worlds better

The tires on the bike are already 2.4 inch with Changing to 2.5 would not be life-changing. However if you were riding off-road conversion to tubeless does have benefits but would need tubeless compatible tires

But it’s a moot point since the bike is two sizes too large for you

Darth Lefty 

No. If your bike is two or three sizes wrong, you have to fix that first.

Liv0life

Thanks everyone. I rode again yesterday and I realised that it is way too big. My seat post was too low before so I didn't know how big it was for me until I put the seat post in the right position. I've got to get a new bike!

Tubeless sounds good. I would like to get a more nimble bike so it's not so hard to climb hills with. Or at least an ebike, since I take this bike around town as well and I want to get around faster.

veganbikes

The frame sounds like the wrong size but not sure why a different tire size is a "downgrade" that doesn't make sense. 650B or 29" are both fine sizes and some people like one or the other but neither are really better or worse.

If you are riding mostly in the city a mountain bike is the wrong way to go. Get a hybrid and ditch the suspension but find a shop that will allow you to test ride bikes and make sure you are test riding your bikes and if they don't skip them and move on.

If you are looking for an e-bike look for something with Bosch, Brose, Shimano or similar high quality mid-drive with good support behind it. Realize you are probably going to be spending 3k and up for something decent that is going to last if you are going to be riding it regularly.

Liv0life

Thanks. I'd like enough power to haul a trailer and myself up a hill. I am hesitant to go with pre-installed motors because of this. Could it be cheaper to do it yourself?

2old

There's nothing wrong with an OEM system, but you can DIY too (read some of the posts in the ebike forum), save money, have the satisfaction of building your own system and have a leg up on diagnosing problems should they arise (the only one I've had in the last seven years was with an OEM mid-drive which was used sparingly).

DMC707 

I just got an E bike myself and have browsed the E forums here And there is a lot of conversations in there about do it yourself projects and tinkering. Personally I just got an off the shelf specialized levo. I have spoken about it here in the mountain bike area, Because at its heart, the bike is a Stumpjumper, but mostly I just talk about the modifications I’ve done to personalize it for my needs and all of these mods are things I would have to do to any bicycle, motor or not but like yourself I have looked at the prospect of putting an aftermarket rear axle on it that can pull a trailer.

veganbikes

Bosch makes the Cargo Line motors designed for hauling kids and cargo and are found on some excellent cargo bikes. They have 85nm of torque and are really easy up hills and with cargo. Your kit motors only seem bigger because a lot of them list their maximum power not their nominal power like all the major players. Without their max power their are puny motors generally or their are still problematic in various ways.

You might save a small bit of money at the time of purchase but that is where it ends you usually put more in the back end. You will also void the warranty on your frame amongst other potential issues but they can sometimes be OK but for cargo and stuff I would rather have a dedicated system with good support. Without good support you are on your own and that can be really tough. Some people are good mechanically and that is fine but if not you may not want to deal with it. We did kit bikes for a few years and just didn't have good reliability long term and customers weren't as happy and we weren't happy and it wasn't low quality stuff or lack of knowledge it was just not the jam for us. There is also plenty of anecdotal evidence as well that people have kits that work just fine.

2old

There's nothing wrong with OEM systems if you find one that suits you, but there's a lot of BS about DIY (sometimes spread by disingenuous individuals who own or are employed by bike shops - I think). I have a Bafang mid drive which will blow the doors off any OEM system and has been used off road for seven years with no maintenance and no repairs. On the other hand, my Haibike, which is used sparingly, needed to have an expensive switch replaced (which entailed dropping the motor).

veganbikes

There is also equally plenty of B.S. and just plain extra anecdotal evidence of the D.I.Y. folks sometimes also spread by disingenuous individuals.

Working at a shop doesn't mean that you are just pushing stuff for no reason. We did the D.I.Y. stuff for a while and some people had good luck but a lot of our customers had issues. Yeah you can do one or the other and have an issue with one or the other but I know that a company like Bosch I can get support for it quite easily and would have a tougher time with a D.I.Y. project getting a warranty. Yes I can get parts for Bafang but harder to get them under warranty.

What switch was replaced and was it done under warranty?

I do have doubts on that no maintenance thing.

2old

The switch was the on/off on my Haibike (it also had all the functions including PAS incorporated). The nearest Haibike dealer according to their site was in Iceland since they had left the US (AFAICT) at the time. Fortunately, my local Yamaha dealer had a similar unit. I used the Bafang DIY conversion for almost seven years in pretty severe off road conditions, then my son wanted it, and he rides it almost daily. It has never needed maintenance nor ever failed. It's easy to call me a liar online, something I doubt you'd do to my face.

veganbikes

I will admit whatever company is doing the Raleigh Haibike stuff is pretty bad at customer service but that was kind of unique because they got rid of a lot of warranty support folks as they transitioned and either moved them around or got rid of them entirely and it eventually turned into just one or two people and I don't know it was a main job for them. That is why I wouldn't recommend stuff from them. Their old currie tech stuff was crap and their usage of Brose left would have been fine if they had allowed the mechanics to design the motor area so there was room for the cables instead of crushing them up again the motor in a tiny space.

I would question the no maintenance thing to your face (though not in an aggressive way I don't want to sound aggressive here), I am not trying to call you a liar though I don't want to use harsher language but to not maintain a bike for 7 years and it still be fine just doesn't seem feasible for anyone in the real world. I mean maybe on a single speed cruiser with really high quality sealed bearings and a belt drive with the best quality coaster brake or drum brake or something, maybe wouldn't change.

I do remember on those mid-drive units from Bafang we would tighten them with some frequency as they could work loose and cause havoc in some bikes. Yes we did use thread locking compounds and that helps but we had a few that could work themselves loose under proper torque with thread locking compounds and a mechanic who knew his stuff.

2old

Since you're trying to obfuscate my statement, the bike has been maintained even to the point of lubricating the chain almost every ride. However, the motor needs neither maintenance nor repair and still works perfectly. Seems like you're perfect for the ignore function.

veganbikes

You stated you had never maintained it so hence why I questioned it. Probably most motors don't need much though bearings are still bearings. But really it is what is around them that the motor can cause issue with. Though I have seen some motors that need some love and plenty of folks who get used to things and they aren't an issue. Not saying that is your case but it happens.

Ignore, don't ignore, whatever, you do you. I have never felt the need to use that function but have fun with it I guess.