E-Bike of the Year 2021 | Part 2: Direct-sales E-Bikes | Mountain Bike Rider

[@jasonwtheriault23]

Use dielectric grease in the connector. This will help water from shorting out your connections. I use this trick sub-sea on ROVs.

[@giotto4321]

Must admit I'm not a major MTB-er (although I'm awaiting imminent delivery of my first e-MTB) and watched this more out of curiosity than anything else. But the level of detailed analysis of the bikes, their relative performance and the articulate way in which the presenters gave us their informed opinions really impressed me, so thanks for the upload.

[@putk1]

Have to say that this is the most professionally made test.

[@sionjones1675]

really enjoyed both this and the shop-bought brands test. I've been coming across so many hype-fuelled MTB "reviews" it's just so refreshing to see good honest, solid reviews. Great work. Thank you.

[@abelramos8652]

Such a honest review (and technical detailed) wish you guys could try all ebikes on the market! Keep this way, we are tired of “is so nimble” “huge range” “it rips” reviews

[@MBRmagazine]

Cheers!

[@RobRidesEMTB]

Great vid, love hearing the chat.... Agree totally around the Bosch control and Kiox screen - once they've refined this then it will possibly be, dare I say it, class leading? Good to see the E8000 still holding its own in the test :-)

[@peterdevenny7367]

Hi Rob, there is a notch to attach a lanyard , on the bottom , have a closer look, cheers Peter

[@peterdevenny7367]

Love your channel by the way. Keep upmyhe excellent vids

[@SDmountainbiker]

Amazing how a coil shock can transcend ride quality. Have a 2nd Gen YT Decoy Elite and recently switched to a Push Elevensix. Really like how planted it feels and swallows up bumps.

[@joecullymtb2883]

The propain ekano would have been a good contender. Brilliant value for money and the customisation options make it stand out from the crowd!

[@mtbmike9866]

On the Decoy, I had 3 occasions where it would not turn on in the first month of ownership due to water getting in there. I put dielectric grease in between the connections and the issue never came back after 14 months of ownership.

[@tofudofu2695]

this issue is not only isolated with YT... its with almost all e bikes!

[@spookmore]

In pure bike club the decoy come up a few times with problems via water. I have a cube had no problems not saying it's a bad bike I do feel if your paying the price of a car I want no problems with water damage to electrics

[@Jtgreen5623]

Just got my YT Decoy Core 3 over Christmas. It’s the 2024 model, I got to say what an awesome bike.

[@JP-bv8su]

Top video and review. So good to see independence prevailing in these reviews and not just talking / looking at bikes supplied by sponsors. Well done MBR!!!

[@sionjones1675]

Isn't it wonderful? KZbin seems chock-full of people getting overly excited about every damn thing they review, and the videos just serve to hype things rather than give an honest opinion. This video is exactly what I was looking for, massive thumbs up to the crew.

[@theantler3625]

Worth noting the pricing for the other EU brands besides Canyon isn't including any import duties, customs fees etc. A Decoy Shred actually costs £5922.

[@andrewengland8021]

Yeah I thought this was the case, thanks for confirming 👍

[@Pienimusta]

New Canyon colours look good.

[@altaiir4]

Shades of blue looks really cool!

[@mr.socksmtb1465]

The Shred has gone far beyond my expectations. Coming up on 500 miles since I took delivery in December ⚡🤙🏼🚲💨

[@YTIndustriesTV]

So stoked. Thanks guys!🤘

[@MBRmagazine]

Was a total blast to ride from start to finish!

[@nektariostzaferas166]

So rigged

[@MBRmagazine]

And the basis of your comment?

[@rhysvincent2358]

Had my Decoy Shred for a couple of months and can confirm it absolutely RIPS. No complaints, even on the older E8000 motor. And I'm a usual complainer. Serious weapon.

[@edgarm2036]

@@MBRmagazine P-series must be a trump supporter, so expect no basis out if his comment lol

[@joshross93]

Much like canyon, I also over deliver on the length. I promise the ladies 2" and deliver them a solid 2.1"

[@NevadaSmith2]

I had a Levo, then a Canyon briefly (returned to due unfixable battery rattle -plus wanted larger battery), tried the YT Decoy Shred, and settled on a Norco Sight VLT C1 29 (which I got brand new and at a killer price in Nov 2020). I absolutely love the Sight and have had zero issues with it.

[@goingbonzo5923]

I bought a specialized turbo levo sl expert. I have been researching ebikes for a couple months and have not been able to find one until today. I think it was an impulse/want thing. The selection was KONA, SANTA CRUZ OR STUMPY. They had it in XL and made me a sweet deal! Cant wait to ride it!! I'm not bragging just super stoked!!!!

[@jeffriley2502]

Excellent information. I have the Decoy Elite and just love it. No regrets. You are correct on the battery as I have 2 and use them often. I also agree on the getting water is something to be aware of. If I wash the bike, I remove battery and turn bike in all directions to remove any trapped water. No issues since I learned the how to mitigate.

[@dadblogger]

Great info. Thanks for pulling this all together in one video

[@uwe_bike]

Would really like to see an overall winner! Well, for me its my Decoy, of course 😜

[@SP-ss4uo]

I hope you have a part 3 with boutique brands like the Rocky Mountain. Great in depth reviews on the bikes

[@HeathenRides]

I liked the battery solution on the tazer and that it's cheap and light carbon,,,i have a LEVO fsr but always want new bike,. and it's good to have an extra bike because I broken both the motor and the battery,,so even it's a 2019mod it has 2020 motor and battery... The battery for the tazer is so much cheaper than all other ebike batteries i Guess that's one of the reasons it's a cheaper bike also what was said about the suspension on it, that's how it is on the Turbo levo to so I'm already used to that feeling you just need to have the fork sligthly stiffer I use it with one click compression instead of open most of the time

[@thecremeegg]

Just ordered my Spectral, can't wait!

[@gazbaileyrn]

Number one criteria, you can buy the bike online !!!!! Good luck with that.

[@m.muzinski7842]

Great video! a lot of careful details! and it seems that Duck may be even a runner for best EMTB of all (direct or shop).

[@diegoestabridis2478]

Lighning fast shipping. Excellent product very pleased

[@jakob7346]

Great test, would have liked to see you guys testing the propain ekano as well

[@dustyboyer5623]

The 2 of you were full of knowledge and a pleasure to watch your video. Hope to see more in the future.

[@rudi3437]

Polygon Bromo very good

[@anthonyvillarreal3888]

I have the Kiox display on my Orbea. It has a 3mm Allen cap screw on the bottom to secure it to the mount....

[@murchman0]

Would love to have review with riders that are tall and or short, light weight, and heavy weight on the correct sizes for them. For example, a bike with a slack seat tube does not feel as good for a tall rider as a bike with a steep seat tube as the slacker the angle the further back over the rear wheel a taller rider will be.

[@XSAoRAD]

This 100%, were not all 5'9" 160lbs. As a heavy & tall rider, seems the commencal would be best suited for me in this test.

[@michaelw6193]

Absolutely Love the handlebar on the Canyon bike....my favorite.. looks like a stealth bomber shark

[@andrewvickers5565]

Another well informed and impartial video, more of the same for ebikes please!!!

[@TheNationalTrails]

Always a pleasure! Nice job YT!

[@tomascronqvist1450]

Excellent test and review! Focusing on feel and riding quality said it all! Keep up with this way of testing. Thanks a lot!

[@nunyobizkneez]

Awesome work! Thank you for sharing! Wish Norco was in the mix as well. Overall though, appreciate the opinions on all the bikes!

[@duglevonrupertson437]

So stoked with this review, only thing now is for the decoy to arrive with me

[@jackwalton4330]

Why don’t they include propain

[@theonlyhowsie4281]

Loving the YT! Still ripping my original Decoy Pro!

[@kanga-blue]

Great review the only omission is some comparative comments on these bikes versus the shop bikes in part 1! This makes it incomplete. There doesn't seem to be much price difference once you have paid landing costs inc duty and tax! So who would win out of the Trek Rail 9 vs The YT Decoy? The YT would need a Bosch motor to beat it or?

[@matthewgabb5360]

I agree about the Bosch Kiox display - lost mine while loading bike back into the car . Now my bike doesn’t work and I need to dig deep to buy another ! It comes out so easily - stupid design . Great content thanks for the reviews .

[@johnkorrison4812]

There is the option to screw it on, I have done this and no issues 😊

[@joebot2127]

I really wish the YT came with a bosch motor. I get a real emotional response with it.

[@burtpanzer]

While enjoying British forests, it's good to find a bat-tree, but steer clear of the mila-tree.

[@n8thjd]

Great video! When you have time please compare the High-end Direct sales E-bikes since they have better shocks, Forks and components. I wonder if the results would be the same.

[@genjishiotsu9532]

I like it

[@EMTBPodcast]

Excellent group test. Really interesting to hear you managed to run an E8000 for a year without any issues. Hope the EP8 is equally reliable

[@hubmotormadeintaiwan188]

This video is very useful for selection.

[@MikeLegris]

Nice video, you forgot Propain though. And the Canyon Torque On will be a big contender next time!

[@leobrt9528]

True! The canyon torque on is a big value bike

[@MikeLegris]

@@leobrt9528 I would have bought it if it was released 6 months earlier

[@leobrt9528]

@@MikeLegris Because now what would you buy?

[@MikeLegris]

@@leobrt9528 i bought a Kenevo Comp 6 months ago. But if the Torque was available that time, i probably would have got it

[@ravi911uk]

Yeah, thx. I’ll stick to major brands from my LBS where I know I’ll get the problem sorted quickly, if there is one. It’s all very well buying direct but sending the bike back or doing it yourself is not acceptable at these prices..

[@MBRmagazine]

Which is why part 1 only covers shop bought brands.

[@jeffp5418]

Too bad you guys didn't get a chance to try the Commencal Meta Power Trail version, I've heard the slightly different geo is a real ripper.

[@craigmorton4265]

Propain Ekano would have been nice to see more info and be tested here too.

[@lefreakify]

Nice review, but I find it a bit odd that the bike with a very small battery and an older drivetrain can pull this one. But as a YT owner I guess it rides nicely. But I have mixed feelings.

[@saskwotch19764]

Would be awesome if YT made a Sur Ron competitor; no pedals, twist grip throttle, full length Mx seat but same dimensions as this 🤤

[@FlIckme23]

Decisions. Yt decoy shred or canyon spectral

[@Jcscoob]

“This one time” 🎺

[@msawyer110]

Rocking a 21 Turbo Levo Comp and love it!

[@KRLE2582]

im riding a turbo levo comp 2020 Very satisfied with it! .))

[@richardseller3733]

Great review guys, refreshing to see all the bikes get called out for their issues. Usually they gush about the bikes so manufacturers keep sending them. Btw any chance you did a review on the Leatt jacket you're birth wearing?

[@MBRmagazine]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Think there’s a test of the Leatt jacket on our website MBR.co.uk 👍

[@davidavison5533]

Part of your recommendation for the Decoy was its price allowing you to buy a 2nd battery for under £6k. The Shred is £5922 as the price you gave doesn't include taxes etc. Nearly £6k for a small battery and old motor. I agree its a very good bike but it's dated and the EP8 is much better. I don't see how you can't see that. The battery is a YT battery also so you can't take it to the Alps and hire a battery like you could with a Shimano or Bosch battery.

[@MBRmagazine]

Unfortunately the test was done pre-Christmas and pre-Brexit. Prices have subsequently gone up across the board, but this is also true of most EU-based direct-sales brands. Canyon has also increased prices, for example.

[@peterdevenny7367]

Hi guys, regarding the Kiox display, there is a notch where you can attach a lanyard to the display, if you look carefully. Problem solved. Cheers Peter

[@MrCottoro]

Great bike for the proce

[@danieljames4584]

Yeah good video, would have liked to get the Whyte e160 RS V1 in there as a comparison, as a few of these are not in every country, no biggie though, i think at least 625w is getting to the bottom end of battery size at the moment

[@MBRmagazine]

Thanks! The Whyte is covered in part one of the video 👍

[@nigellawrance2130]

Nice video, three of my choices in the top three, cant be bad, just need to decide on which one.

[@kaywoodparsons1874]

Make your own, cheaper

[@dunksalot]

Excellent line-up of eMTBs but you should have considered the Watt Wagons Hydra and Luna X1 Enduro. Maybe they are not well enough known yet or use the Bafang? Good episode!

[@johnyates6753]

Great info thanks. Out of interest what size are height are you? Love the YT but the reach on the large is super small at 450mm??

[@BD-js5vr]

When will YT presents the new decoy? I am curious and my CC is ready

[@mvclegg]

What do you think of the Biktrix Monte Capro Ultra? What do you think about the Bafang system?

[@robmalan7137]

Thanks for the reviews, very informative! Which is the overall winner between the rail and the yt?

[@nobody617]

Id be far ahead with my ultra motor :)

[@crudolol]

sad that after all tests are done, non of the bikes are available anymore

[@Chazillor]

The cables in the headset look cool on the vitus, but its a ballache waiting to happen. My 2020 E-Escarpe had one of those dog shit plastic acros headsets and I had to change it after 2 months.

[@megane230f1]

my focus jam 2 had acros head set, took it out and replaced it with a hope headset, probably the best thing i did

[@craponlycomesoutadogsarse1731]

Good video

[@thewarr10r1]

Great vid guys... Really informative 👍🏻👍🏻

[@BwvertriebDe]

Hey there, very interesting test review.

[@Darco712]

indeed very good material and info. a question for u guys: is the range of the shimano e8000 any good? compared to a bosch, i wanna get an ebike and have to choose between a commencal meta power sx, yt decoy and focus jam, i would hesitate choosing either the meta or the decoy for the looks and performance, the only thing i am afraid is the range i can get out of them , they have 500 and 540 batteries, while the jam has the gen4 bosch and 625 battery. cheers

[@MBRmagazine]

In our experience, the third party batteries combined with a Shimano motor always give a better range than Shimano's own batteries. So a non-Shimano 600Wh battery will usually give more range than a Shimano unit with very similar capacity. Bosch's batteries also seems to give much more range between comparable weight e-bikes on similar tyres. Bottom line, if range is the main priority, we wouldn't choose a Shimano motor paired with a Shimano battery.

[@Butleybadboy]

Haha kenevo blasts these 🤣

[@leobrt9528]

😂😂😂 Despite it costs 8000€

[@mohsinsheikh8076]

Nice video and it's a nice bike too but since it is a paddle assist but due to my health I would like add throttle in my cube bike, please advise in detail on how to go about it ?

[@leeteemtb9587]

Thank you guys, been waiting ages for this

[@rogerserafin]

Awesome reviews ! Thanks

[@AliB-cf3bq]

Great video thanks guys! Just wondering how does the winner here the yt decoy compare to the Trek 9? Which of those two would you go for??

[@Alertrn]

Any thoughts about the Canyon for a tall person. I am 6'6" 225 lbs-was going to order an xl then take it to a local shop to have it fitted. Will this work? Thanks

[@MBRmagazine]

The short rear end on the Canyon at your height might feel a little unbalanced. Maybe look at one of the bikes with a longer back end and a good size range. The YT Decoy 29 definitely worth a look.

[@sussexperformance185]

Would you say the newer core with the ep8 is as good as this bike

[@gingerb36]

Great review, cheers guys

[@brianbathgate4944]

How did that compare to the Whyte? I’m struggling to decide on my next bike :)

[@induction7895]

32:10 Talking of inherent obsolescence, Bosch CX 4.

[@ThePeteGray]

Would you guys still consider the Shred to be the best (after another year it still has the E8000 motor......)?

[@leecharlesworth7975]

Great video guys

[@chandrachurniyogi8394]

I'm from Kolkata, India & I'm looking to buy 30 units of the finest most rugged & durable E-MTB with full front & rear working suspension!!! please advise!!! what do you think of the Haibike XDURO Enduring 10.0 E-MTB???

[@snigs5T5]

Hey MBR! How about some feedback on the climbing performance? Especially the YT BotY! THX!!!

[@klaushoff461]

I miss the mondrakers in the test 🤔it's the ligthest bike using full Bosch g4 system and a real battery 😏

[@alvarofaura7389]

This is direct-sales bike test only

[@davidcart28]

And chance you could test the canyon torque on and put this in comparison

[@thim8009]

Price aside, how does the yt stack up against the gen 3 levo? Mainly geo and rideability?

[@chrisjones6699]

I’m only 1:30 in and you’ve said they’re all roughly £5.5k. I don’t get this? Where’s the £3.6k to £4.6k bikes? Surely they are going to be a more popular choice for the average person? It’s hard enough to find reviews for the “cheaper” ebikes as it is.

[@paw101]

Shop bought vs direct sales winner?

[@MrDaymien1]

Totally what a battle ! , My money's on the Decoy elite or pro race over the Bullit followed by the Rail.

[@simonmiller981]

YT Decoy Shred or Trek Rail 9 which would you choose?

[@darthkek1953]

I have a question, site or reader, should I get the Decathalon Stilus v1 (£2700, 75nm, 500mAh) or save up for the v2 (£3500, 85nm, 625mAh, better shocks) ??????

[@akabukiman]

You basically cannot have a replacement battery from YT. They were never on stock really. Like with the 700WH battery that never appeared. That's basically what hold me back from buying one. They're gonna switch to an EP8 with standard battery in 2021 for the 2022 model I think.

[@mtbmike9866]

In the US, replacement batteries have been in stock for at least 8-10 months. The 700 is taking forever to release and perhaps the reason the Ep8 decoy is delayed

[@akabukiman]

@@mtbmike9866 Right you are, my friend. Thought about it 10 months ago and the battery situation has been a show stopper to me.

[@kanhu5698]

This e bikr isn't available in Amazon . 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@alext4124]

With the Sommet being such a big bike, do you think your opinion would improve had you been able to test a Medium? My son rides a Medium analog bike and just bought a Sommet VRX analog in Small and he loves it.

[@a.d.s.2800]

How tall is your son? I wasn’t sure between a small and a medium on the vitus

[@sergeikulichkov7748]

What do you think regarding Decoy 29 comparing to Spectral and Render?

[@robertotrimarchi7363]

Hi. nice tests. But: why are there not Giants for these tests? e.g. Reign or so...

[@MBRmagazine]

At the time we couldn't get hold of any Giant e-bikes