eBike Touring On A Budget | Riding The Velotric Summit Hardtail

Owen Coutts aka Owen The Bike Nerd has been working in the bike industry for a while now and recently joined our sister channel as a presenter on GMBN Tech. But he's never been on an off-road adventure on an e-bike! Steve Jones takes him to the rolling hills in Wales to show him how capable an entry-level EMTB hardtail can be!
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[@embn]

How was your first e-bike ride?

[@Specialized_Chicano]

I Absolutely loved ny first ride, except the part where I went OTB. Another great video on EMBN. Owen brings so much to the table with his knowledge and expertise on bikes, happy to see him with Jonesy, and not just in/at tech. 🤙🏼

[@SimonBauer7]

my first ebike ride was with my grandmas bike, not an emtb so just fireroads, my first emtb ride was 4 or so years ago, with my own emtb, a haibike.

[@siimot]

I borrowed my dad's for a few weeks and liked it so much ended up buying my own to commute to work :)

[@OwenBikeNerd]

@@Specialized_Chicano Thank you - hopefully more to come - cheers Owen

[@davidwhitworth4577]

It's about time we get to see a budget emtb, hope to see more of them being featured in the future

[@neilelliston]

Set your own speed limit. Soooo what did u set it to after the camera panned away from 15mph? 😂😂

[@markhay1664]

Thanks for reviewing an E-Bike right up my street. I love exploring rather than dropping in jumping and crazy stuff 👍

[@michaelbeuoy4293]

My first e-bike ride was a Giant Stance E after seeing the bike on the channel, I'd been watching the channel for a while, and the Stance was finally the bike that I choose. I truly enjoy the bike and I'm enjoying it more with each ride!

[@siriosstar4789]

my first e bike ride was eight years ago at the age of 70 .it was a conway MTB with the original bosch motor . not much power but compared to a regular bike it was amazing . been hooked ever since

[@plokmko0]

44 low gear and chunky tires and I'm in !!! Got a super nice for my hardtail with 29 x 2.4s from SJ on the show ... ☺

[@rogereheadbyrne4790]

Excellent hub driven ebike to start your first experience on moderate terrain! And at under £1500 in the UK it's a steal!👍 Also if the chain snaps you can still pedal home👏🤪

[@TheAegisClaw]

You can get a Decathlon with a Brose mid drive for £100 less. That would be a miles better choice.

[@IHatePikeys]

@@TheAegisClawwhy don’t you explain how its “better”. this is more powerful than the same price decathlon bike…Mid drive wears drivetrains to death quicker. Rear hub allows for the throttle and broken drive train…break the BB, chain, cranks or whatever you’re fine. 1K of mod parts (shocks off ebay, better brakes, carbon rims) and this bike is unbeatable in its price…SORRY

[@ianharding3044]

Great vid guys. Nice to see some budget options. Really good all rounder 👍

[@InfiniteMishaps]

Love that you are bringing in affordable bikes as well

[@ChristianPareATLAS]

Great video. Nice to see Owen outside 😊

[@OwenBikeNerd]

Thank you - and yes nice to get outside - especially in Wales and with the Legend that is Jonesy! Cheers Owen

[@julianyalland2048]

​@OwenBikeNerd where in Wales were you riding ?

[@decreasingmass4577]

nice to see some hard tail loving.. nice one Jonesy

[@ryanrodriguez1234]

No way you guys did a video on this! Glad to see you all reviewing bikes for regular folks! Can’t wait to see more of this!

[@0321ReconMan]

This bike is sick I bought one a few months ago. Upgraded the shit out of it and now it can do anything. Sure it’s not a mid drive but way faster hits 31 easy. With upgraded shocks I send it on jumps all the time, the frame is solid

[@manfredstrappen7491]

When I made my first e-bike buy, I started out looking for more of a commuter (I don’t commute!) then that morphed to comfort/hybrid and then I ended up with full sus eMTB. My logic being that the eMTB could do all of the other things. It didn’t hurt that it came with Deore XTR brakes/drivetrain and Bosch CX for $500 more than the hardtail with lower trim components. I ride it almost always on forest roads and single track. Good choice.

[@markyboyclark]

I love taking bikes that aren't meant for fully offroad, offroad! It's fun! As long as the brakes work 😅

[@OwenBikeNerd]

I can confirm these brakes work really well!

[@stuka78]

I’d rather go with a decathlon mid-drive entry model, with Yamaha motor

[@Nomads_Rowing]

Steve, that was a bit harsh! While you’ve been away “working” in Italy, Owen has been doing an excellent job of looking after the shop and keeping Martin reigned in, and you reward him with a hard tail hub drive!! Maybe you need to up his next outing adventure 😎 Ps: who is really going to knock back the speed limit? 😆

[@bigmark3449]

Great bike, so where to buy in UK as it seems to be an American website?

[@jeanmarc_in_Hudson]

Oookay, hardtail, hub drive, heavy, 8 speed cassette… Fire road and commuter e-bike. Nice pricing!

[@SimonBauer7]

yeah the big issue is the hub drive, and 8 speed.

[@SimonBauer7]

honestly this is quite a decent bike, the only things that are a bit eh is the hub drive an the 8 speed. 8:31 especially here these things show, with a mid drive and more range in terms of gearing that climb would be easy.

[@chloeellis4117]

Do they sell these in the uk ...

[@TheRickyevans]

Wales looks like a big day out

[@embn]

Fantastic riding everywhere you look!

[@FIGHTTHECABLE]

Where to buy? Cause the website only ships in US and surroundings (CONUS)

[@IsaacHaupt]

I like that you showed a budget e-mtb, and thought maybe this would be a good introduction for my friends. You mention Class 1, 2, and 3 but you don't expand on what those mean in this video (not a big deal) but when I went to the site it really bothered me that it does not say what class the bike is, nor did it specify how to configure it. I feel it is very important especially for those new to e-mtb to understand the differences in the classes and to understand that Class 1 is really the only class that is allowed on most trails. IMO if it has a throttle it is not a bicycle, it is a motorbike.

[@ZaxDrumsandGolf]

Would like to see you all try out an Fischer EMTB. They are available in the UK and rest of Europe also they compete in the same price range?

[@iansingleton]

Hi guys, great film. Very interesting, I've started watching the channel to get savvy with Ebikes cos I'm thinking of buying one. I ride road, gravel and MTB, I've always said my next MTB will be an Ebike. Question! Because the Velotric has the three different top end speed settings for the country that you might be riding in does it mean it needs to be registered with DVLA and insured here in the UK? If you mentioned it in the film my apologies, I must've missed it. Thanks 👍

[@zilinaslovakdrone3738]

I think for the same price a mid drive cruissis ebike is better value for money.

[@paulhusky580bts]

you tested my first Ebike steve and Chris smith used Haibike sduro hardsevern 1.0 with Ghost & Kevin cheap ebike

[@Zwiesel66]

7:50 I would like to know which mode you used on that technical climb. It looked like the motor didn't have a lot of torque. btw, even though it's not my type of bike, I appreciate that you take a look at lower priced ebikes too. 👍

[@sd5458]

I don't know, Aventon's Ramblas gives this thing a good run for its money.

[@MrMartinSchou]

14:14 - Is a two year warranty not the minimum in the UK anymore? It was 2 years minimum in the EU in 2020 - did the UK already lower that minimum to 1?

[@Aethid]

Yep, 1 year in the UK now.

[@julianyalland2048]

Where too in Wales was the too ? Cheers

[@divedaz]

Black Mountains.

[@casshern2155]

Is this a good road bike?

[@JamieDodgerBOOM]

any uk delaters?

[@embn]

Not yet but watch this space and check out their website for where they're expanding to!

[@paulenglish4137]

can i buy this now in uk

[@tonym6633]

You know you should have went full 750 wattage and 28mph on that bad boy.

[@kzendra]

Steve on a hardtail? 😲

[@Chi007Cken]

Just curious,it there some sort of trail police that will fine you for maxing the speed limit?

[@neilelliston]

Yes. Ebike gets arrested for 16mph. Gravel bike 26mph is OK tho 😂

[@siriosstar4789]

@chi007 believe it or not , the trails on Mt Tam in marin county California (near San Francisco) had forest service cops with radar guns handing out tickets to speeders . the trails there are very very full with hikers on the weekends and there were a lot of crashes . most of the MTB crowd has since gone to other more remote regions

[@Chi007Cken]

@@neilelliston but you can peddle more than that though

[@casshern2155]

How was your experience on the road with this bike?

[@protarget1]

If you can change the power, or increase the mph cut off point on an E-Bike, by any means, then it's Illegal to ride in the UK.

[@IHatePikeys]

hmm…lite bike carbon wheels, better fork..possible Zee derailleur and cassette…xt rotors and pads…thrudbuster seatpost…800 more and its a hooligan mtb for town and trail

[@MrFlapstick]

Hoo yeah! Every bike should have set your own speed! Not this 25kph nanny state shite

[@greggoldman893]

I like your subject matter, but boy can you Brits prattle on! 😂

[@OwenBikeNerd]

Why thank you! Cheers Owen

[@embn]

We love a good prattle!

[@vashon100]

Hardtail? Been there done that in late 90's, never again. Full sus.

[@autotwilo]

really makes it seem like the bike is illegal in UK and EU without a moped license if it's that easily modified

[@Fernweh1965]

Mudguards, not 'fenders'

[@embn]

Both are true :)

[@jherr856]

I ve ride an orbea rise, but have an hub drive entry level e mtb for commuting and to be honest it s quite enough for anything but trail riding. I know some friends and see a lot of people riding e enduros and stuff like that, just for commuting or going on fireroads and certainly you don need fox 38s for that matter. I think an entry level modell will suit a lot of people even if they think they need something more beefy

[@andyarchitect]

The biggest factor in choosing a budget emtb is making sure you will have support for the electronics. Bike shops often have to turn away budget bikes with electronic issues as the mechanics dont have the software or training to diagnose non-mainstream motor systems, or the suppliers to get replacement parts. Its a shame that the people who buy these very budget bikes often really can't afford for them to be unreliable or to replace them when it turns into a heavy regular bike. Try and get a good deal in a sale on a mid drive bike with a big brand motor manufacturer like Bosch, Brose / Specalized, Yamaha / Giant, or Shimano. There should be less chance of something going wrong, but if it does you shouldn't have much trouble finding shops that can repair it.

[@douglaskaye1395]

15mph what a friggn joke European laws are laughable. Hub drive motors are why it so cheap. With current pricing on used full suspension ebike I’d keep shopping.

[@PeterSchaller]

The "heart and soul of mtb tech" and a relevant presenter in the bike world, who has not ridden an ebike until mid 2024.. Yeah right.. Totally believable.. Another 16-min advert for people who have no idea about cycling.. Are you not a dedicated channel for mtb-emtb fans? What's this nonesense?

[@TheAegisClaw]

Decathlon Rockrider E-ST 500 for £1399 with a Brose motor. Miles better choice than this. Also, the Velotric has a 750 watt (nominal , 1300w peak!) motor is completely illegal in the UK, which is the only way a hub motor works at all on steep off-road hills. This is just an ad for chinese junk ebikes. Expected better from EMBN.

[@sijmes]

Worst advice I've ever seen on here..... there are Bosch builds available close to this price, begin there.