Can Budget E-Bikes Really Be Good? | EMBN Show 247

[@embn]

What do you class as a budget EMTB? Let us know your thoughts down below! 👇

[@zj4041]

I'd love to hear what you have to say about frey am1000 and freys line up

[@paulmillan7030]

I think budget is the lower end of the full spectrum aside from exotic. My own bike falls into this at sub £5000 for a full sus full fat E.

[@brian7813]

3200 pounds/5000 dollars

[@leeteemtb9587]

Hard tail all the way for me, less moving parts to go wrong and more of an all rounder

[@arnauddechamps855]

that bike is 700$ FOB out of the factory

[@ericwhittle-l8k]

I bought the Stilus All Mountain back in Feb 2024 and to date covered nearly 500 miles on it and I love it. I live in Dover Kent and cannot get out of the place without going up a hill. Longest trip so far 30 miles and back home with 50% battery used... its amazing for sure..

[@rusty2222]

I loved my V1 Stilus. You couldn't wheelie or manual it as the chain stay was two miles long & you learnt very quickly to keep your feet level in corners but that thing rocked. All you needed to do was upgrade the tires & fork and that thing could mix it with anything three times the price.

[@JCozzyphotos]

I have a custom made emtb on an unlocked bafang m500 . I run fox factory, renthal and love my custom made bike. As an electronics engineer I have reduced my battery weight by 1.4kg and increased capacity from 380watts to a whopping 840watts by changing cells to lithium phosphate. These Panasonic cells are not yet publicly available and cost me $1000 Australian. I am excited my 95nm ebike can do 175km on a charge.

[@Mac-nq9lj]

I love to see videos on budget mountain bikes. There seems to be no reviews around Motobecane e-bikes. Would love to see some reviews around there selection.

[@brian7813]

Great to see more conversations about "entry level emtbs". The Decathlon you mention, as well as other major brands (such as Giant and their Stance E+) should equally share the spotlight- as they could get even more riders into the sport.

[@rumbleman65]

I got the stance E and sure ive spent like 2k on upgrades so its more a 5.5k bike but as standard it’s actually really good defo more bike that 90% of people would need as standard and as i did can upgrade if you want

[@jasonridyardhome]

I would have gone for the stylus but there were none in stock earlier in the year. Went for the Voodoo Zobop-E instead. Im loving it. With discounts it cost me under £2700. Ive done 1000 miles already and it has been superb

[@owenjohn1192]

Same here, just put some Magura MT5 brakes on it .I also paid £2700 with AA discount's

[@jasonridyardhome]

@@owenjohn1192 how much were the brakes Owen? And we’re they easy to fit? Looking to change mine, now I’m getting more confident and trying more challenging terrain

[@owenjohn1192]

@@jasonridyardhome £270 but I had to source the parts from a few places. I went for the Magura ebike specific rotors which cost a little bit more than the HC storm one's. As for fitting it was fairly easy. If you connect the Magura hose to the old hose and pull it through the frame you should be ok.

[@murat2209]

great reviews, guys. I am about to buy a decathlons Embt and I like the brown/gold/yellow one in this review... However I heard there is a problem with the location of the rear brakes on the decathlon, because the brake sits directly under the frame. so it is almost impossible to replace the break pad, is this the case???

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

We need some Ollie, Bren, Blake, and the EMBN crew to do a proper climbing challenge... Maybe, sending it back to the slab..... or something similar. Not so much a game of BIKE but actual rider vs climb on almost impossible climbs to finish. See who does the best, their techniques, power modes, etc.. I've noticed that comes into play a lot on the power stage at the EWS-E.. Not everyone tackles the climbs the same way..

[@embn]

Hey Jake! Thanks for the suggestion! That would make a really cool and interesting video! 👍

[@SonnyDarvish]

I am a roadie actually, but love my Van Rysel CF bike! While other brands hike the prices, Decathlon is being fair and not cut throat even when demand is high. I'd consider their top of the range EMTB!

[@johnchristopher5075]

To answer Steve questions (kind of) and I’m talking from experience, my first e-MTB was the entry level, mid drive hardtail (a Giant Fathom E+3 29er) which I brought for £1800 in 2019. Then last year I brought a used Trek Rail 5 Custom which came with uprated rims, hubs and front and rear suspension and drivetrain for £3500. That’s the price of a brand new top of the range full suss from Decathlon with essentially the same component spec. So the question for me is why would you buy a 2nd hand full suss EMTB when you can buy brand new for the same bike for the same money?

[@patrickrgrier3195]

Full Suspension version thanks

[@danielcedolin2034]

My stylus v1 now has a 64 deg head angle so super stable on the downs. Reverse angle spacer and now mullet. No issues with the low bottom bracket either.

[@Sir-Kay]

Now, could you please post the exact link to the reverse angle spacers or share with us the exact spec to look for when shopping for one because that bike's steep head angle is what's holding me back from buying it.

[@jamesredar818]

Where I live e-bikes are banned on most of the trails because bikers complain about them. But for me it has brought me back into biking as I have had both my knees replaced and live with cardiomyopathy heart disease and getting cardio exercise has been painful. I currently only have a Orbea hardtail but am saving up for a full suspension and I really appreciate you guys showcasing some of the more affordable options.

[@Lee-ic2yn]

Screw em, as long as it's not a dirt bike style one with a throttle just ride em man, what are they going to do? Call the police? 😂

[@renegade-master29]

I'm glad you put in a mention to decathlon I've one of their Riverside 540e's with a few extra upgrades it's an excellent ebike for my riding style and needs, can't fault decathlon 👌

[@pawelodz8050]

Decathlon full suspension ebike is made by the same manufacturer from Czech Republic as Halfords full suspension e-bike were made - example my Voodoo Zobop E 2018 model year. Amazing quality and price.

[@leeaston7983]

This is incorrect, the frames are made by lombardo in Italy

[@pawelodz8050]

@@leeaston7983 ??

[@leeaston7983]

@@pawelodz8050 the stilus bikes aren't made in Czech Republic

[@jerryofthebikes]

'nah, nice, there are rubbish' xD 15:00

[@erikmalmberg7319]

What about scott aspect eride 940

[@eddymcloughlin6651]

Just bought one!

[@fayney62]

I'm looking for a second-hand full-suspension E-bike, what should I be looking at in terms of make and price 🤔

[@islandaerial3414]

All frames are pretty much the same. Forks, shocks, brakes etc can all be upgraded. DUs (motors) are your most important consideration. Good luck trying to decipher a good choice as far as that goes. Something still under warranty? Check Pinkbike for a pricing guide 😉

[@mahennaiker5072]

Thoughts on the ibis oso?

[@owenjohn1192]

The Decathlon is a nice looking bike, but try and get one no stock available!. Had to get a Voodoo zobop E (all I could afford)

[@danjackson79]

Great video! But what happened to Steve. Just a short appearence this week on the show?

[@Indictedheart]

If i had $3500 i'd upgrade wheel set, & new rear suspension, plus rebuild front entry level yari to lyrik rc2.1 setup.

[@keptinjack]

That Cannondale isn't a looker though

[@timfish4175]

Is there room for the dropper post to actually fully drop on that decathlon bike? Looks like it would only drop an inch or so.

[@ivarmud]

And what about the Radon Render 8.0 for €4.300,--

[@GrandpaOnATunedScooter]

After 350 miles my top of the hardtail range Rockrider has gone through a back wheel and the motor casing which is plastic has broken loose. My experience with the mechanic was not positive. It didn't get totally fixed and the guy insisted I'd done the damage. I complained and I await the response when it goes in for the third time next week. Pity, it has £300 of upgrades on it. I'd say ALWAYS big brands. I was shocked at the quality of the crank arms. My friends just fell off.

[@ragoonsgg589]

can you put the names of the bikes in text in the video? i had to second guess how to spell some of these names of the bikes or scrub through till I see the name of the bike on the actual bike.

[@UnimpressedAussie]

I'd spent 2700 pounds and get an 80km old merida e160 700. ;)

[@darrenjones3681]

3k is still a lot for a new rider how about a proper low budget starter emtb review please?

[@glynparry5796]

DON'T BUY A GHOST. My nephew bought one and the upper chain stay snapped just out of warranty and they can't supply even at cost a replacement part so he now has a bike he can't use.

[@samcuddy2996]

Hardtail for less maintenance…

[@embn]

That's a good point! Fewer bearings and suspension to have problems with! 👍

[@samcuddy2996]

@@embn full disclosure I do have an orbea rise 😂 so I’m literally just playing devils advocate lol

[@jasonkroll9532]

The "highbkes"..if they lowered their top tubes ...would they still call them highbkes ?

[@gibbykirwan7788]

im sorry, did you say entry level at 7K?????

[@stuartdeacon961]

£3,500 for a new Stylus or £3,500 for a used Levo (for example)? Ok, there may not be the warranty with used but could still be getting more for your money. Just my opinion 👍

[@joebot2127]

Ohhh. Finally they mention Ghost.... but only because it's a lightweight ebike... smh

[@NickW90]

Why do mountain bike people always say “rear shock”. There is no front shock, no rear fork. It’s fork and shock 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@angellnathan]

Hard tails are still the way ahead for heavier riders.

[@ProvenceDays]

I'm looking into Ebikes at the moment and as a 'heavier' rider why would a hard tail be better than full sus for me?

[@angellnathan]

@@ProvenceDays well it depends how heavy you are. Anything above 21st you are going to struggle to find a rear suspension that won't just bottom out all the time. I'm not up to speed on coil shock so you might be able to go bigger with a custom coil.

[@ProvenceDays]

@@angellnathan Thanks - it looks like a lot of salad in my future and working out on my conventional hard tail!

[@angellnathan]

@@ProvenceDays I hear you mate!!

[@claremontinteriorsmw]

Decathlon good value That top end bike is always out of stock The other two suprising to se some of those in stock People not spending ??

[@simonm1447]

Does Decathlon also offer some service after purchase? I don't plan to buy a EMTB yet, but especially with brand mid drives you need a dealer offering some service in the case of a repair since Bosch don't send any replacement motors to private people, in fact Bosch only sends a new motor to a dealer if the old one has arrived at them. Bafang etc is simpler to handle at home since their components are usually offered to consumers too, and they don't have a restrictive battery dongle policy

[@emtbtrailrider539]

that Cannondale hardtail looks horrible

[@acelectricalsecurity]

£3.5k budget bike 🤣🤣

[@pedalpelle]

Why have you started with that annoying music/sound under product presentation? STOP 😅

[@motoresruedas7357]

Decathlon it's a copy of trek powerfly 7

[@leebridgwater]

full sus on a ebike all the way,

[@embn]

100%!

[@onlyonecannoli3952]

C'mon now! You call having a Suntour XCM coil fork a mid-range offering? Some big box store bikes come with this fork. One must be out of his/her fuh*ing mind to pay $3000-4000 for a bike with such low-level components. Don't get me wrong, the fork (though heavy as $h!t) does do a decent job for what it is. But the damn thing is worth about $100.

[@simonm1447]

I got a XCR 32 air for 120 € not long ago, in my opinion at least the coil spring XCR (which is also OK) should be the minimum on a real XC bike which isn't a commuter bike with a MTB frame.

[@tomquimby8669]

Nope not watching this