Recommend me an E MTB!

I second Steve's advice. I'm currently debating getting my first ebike (although I did borrow one for a few days) and I've joined emtbforums which has been a good source of info and advice.

Just to add my 2 cents. Unless you are looking for a cheap eMTB, I personally wouldn't go for a hardtail one. Because of the extra weight of the bike, you really feel it when you go over rough ground. Vitus have some sub £3000 full frame eMTBs (if you can still find one for sale) which are worth a look. The advantage is they have bafang motors which can be a lot easier to get spares for (at sensible prices). Replacement batteries being one of the biggest expenses.

PMark said:

Just to add my 2 cents. Unless you are looking for a cheap eMTB, I personally wouldn't go for a hardtail one. Because of the extra weight of the bike, you really feel it when you go over rough ground. Vitus have some sub £3000 full frame eMTBs (if you can still find one for sale) which are worth a look. The advantage is they have bafang motors which can be a lot easier to get spares for (at sensible prices). Replacement batteries being one of the biggest expenses.

I agree 100%. The emtb forum has many members that start off buying an "e" hardtail, either because an HT is what they have always ridden or because they are cheaper than an FS. Almost to a man they later get rid of the HT and buy an FS. "Why did nobody tell me?" is a common cry.

Note: I also echo the caution expressed earlier about CRC/Wiggle. Yes, the prices are good for the Vitus and it is a very well specified bike for the money. But their holding company is in financial difficulty and even if your order is accepted and your money is taken, the bike might not arrive. Halfords are reported to have said that they will provide the warranty and servicing if required (you must check that!!!)

Overall, expect to pay at least £1300-£1700 more for your emtb than you would a similar spec mtb.

Here is a link to an absolute bargain:

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/bikes/electric-bikes/merida-eone-sixty-8000-electric-bike-2023-purple__373862?chosenAttribute=O924

and if you don't like the colour, this one is even better!

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/bikes/electric-bikes/merida-eone-sixty-9000-electric-bike-2023-red__373861?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=N925

I know where you are coming from, I'll deal with that later.

A bargain is a bargain and either of those two bikes are exactly that. When I bought my Merida eOne-Sixty 9000 the list price was £7400 and you can get one now for £4999. My experience with the bike has been almost faultless (a minor issue with a cable going through the headset). The bike has top of the range kit, carbon frame and so forth.

Your point about Shimano motors. I have had a Shimano motor on two emtbs. The first was the e8000 and I had that for 2.5 years and did over 3000 miles. The motor was faultless. The motor delivered its power and torque in a very natural way that I have not found in other motors. Other motors always felt like I was on an electric bike, having to concentrate on which mode I was in in addition to which gear I was in. The Focus Jam2 with the e8000 motor felt like me on a really good day and I could concentrate on just enjoying the ride, changing gear as normal. The EP8 motor on the Merida had replaced the e8000 and was a more powerful motor, lighter and smaller too. It too had that signature Shimano delivery. If you are new to emtbs I can recommend a Shimano motor for its natural feel. I have had the EP8 on the Merida for over two years now and I've had over 2600 trouble-free miles.

The downside of the Shimano motor is that they are not designed to be repaired although some people on the emtb forum have done so. The problem is not mainly with obtaining the gears and seals it is with the internal circuit board that is not available and can fail the day after you split open and service your motor. It is for this reason that the motor repair companies either exclude circuit board failures or even refuse to service a Shimano motor. Despite my 100% excellent experience with Shimano, I would prefer for my next bike not to have one. I would be voting with my wallet against Shimano's no-repair policy. If my motor failed next week, nicely outside the 2-year warranty, I would buy another Shimano motor because that would be the cheapest and fastest way to get my bike back on the road again.

Which motor would I buy if given a choice? Well, I am buying a bike not a motor and that is important not to forget, so I have to be happy with the bike first!!!
But if I like two bikes equally and one has a Shimano motor and one has a Bosch, I might buy the Bosch. Why do I say "might". I have not ridden the latest Bosch, but the ones I have ridden feel artificial to me compared to the pure feel of the Shimano and that is hard to give up. But the Bosch motor is said to has more torque at lower cadences and consequently is a better climber. If I'm going to fail on a steep climb, it always seems to be that last steep bit just before the end. The Shimano runs out of push, but the Bosch just manages to keep going long enough to get you over the top. That may be enough for me to overcome my love of the Shimano without a backward glance. In addition, the Bosch motors are serviceable and repairable, with a choice of service centres. That can be a big thing when you are outside the warranty period.

Riders appear to be voting against Shimano without ever having owned or even ridden a bike with one. So why are Shimano motors on so many bikes? The answer may be that Shimano are prepared to offer smaller minimum order quantities to bike manufacturers. That can be a powerful inducement. The bike designer may also prefer the feel delivered by the Shimano motor.

One (almost) final point. Comments in the media appear to be biassed against Shimano, yet there appears to be a lack of a similar sized push against Brose motors. Brose are supplied by Specialized. The customer service provided by Specialized appears to be a very easy tolerance towards warranty claims. They provide a fast response and with lots of smiles. I have seen many cheerful reports from owners of Speccy Levos being on their 3rd or even fourth motor! And that is in two years!! Things got so bad that Speccy had to extend their warranty for motors to 4 years for specific production years. Imagine riding out on your third motor in 12 months, wondering if it will fail when you are 20 miles from home on a wet moorland! Not for me thanks!

The thing with electric motors and batteries on mountain bikes is that riders forget that water and electricity do not mix! They cheerfully ride along streams, through deep puddles, jet wash their muddy bikes and then wonder why they have electrical problems.

An emtb is not a delicate flower that requires a sunny desert to ride in and to be dry brushed with unicorn hair, they can take some serious water abuse; just don't extract the urine!