IMO, cost of ebike will come down eventually, much like full suspension bikes, carbon bikes, the 29er movement, and the 27.5/650+ movement. They key is when things become a dime a dozen?

A legit carbon frame from Walmart can be had now at a price that no one can think of back in the 90s or 2000s. With electronics, things get outdated so quickly that what is 15k now will like be available for a fraction of that in less than a decade. But of course as with most trends, by then something else will likely popped up and replace ebike fever.

The question then becomes how the wash down technology will get integrated into something else, and become something more practical? ie. mullet evolved from the 29, 27.5, 650+ evolution ten years ago. I am suspecting it will be an adoptive motor that can easily allow the user to swing analog and assisted easily.

 

IMO, cost of ebike will come down eventually, much like full suspension bikes, carbon bikes, the 29er movement, and the 27.5/650+ movement. They key is when things become a dime a dozen?

A legit carbon frame from Walmart can be had now at a price that no one can think of back in the 90s or 2000s. With electronics, things get outdated so quickly that what is 15k now will like be available for a fraction of that in less than a decade. But of course as with most trends, by then something else will likely popped up and replace ebike fever.

The question then becomes how the wash down technology will get integrated into something else, and become something more practical? ie. mullet evolved from the 29, 27.5, 650+ evolution ten years ago. I am suspecting it will be an adoptive motor that can easily allow the user to swing analog and assisted easily.

Carbon dual suspension rigs have only been getting more expensive the last 5-7 years or so.

 

Cost SURE as heck hasn't come down in the past 3 years! wrong trend!

 

They've only come up as demand has skyrocketed.

A Specialized Carbon Enduro can be had for $4700. A Specialized carbon Kenevo SL comp with similar components (but with the little motor and battery) is $9000.

 

Well, the glaring item on that list is one bike that's thousands more than the rest and is still a 4 bar design. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. When you compare the Enduro with the Kenevo SL, should the battery, motor and background costs like R&D, etc. cost us $4,300? I certainly won't be paying that anytime soon. It won't be long before more brands catch up and release very similar bikes to the Levo SL like the Rise and many customers will go that way. I'm sure YT and Canyon are close to releasing something. A Jeffsy SL would be great.

 

Jeffsy SL... now you're talking my language.

The crazy thing is Orbea was the only one who executed on the idea of putting a restrictor plate on a Shimano EP8 motor so it could get away with a smaller battery and a sub-40 lb. bike. I bet many are gonna follow suit.

One thing I don't like about the Kenevo SL is the motor is so loud and klunky compared to the Levo motor. It would be key if they had a similar ride quality. That and the extender batteries are so tiny!

 

Great video @Francis Cebedo. Thank you. Unfortunately right now it's not what you want to buy but what are you willing to accept...especially looking at core sizes. We have two friends on the Trek Rail 5, I will say they do run a bit short. I see no Fazua drivetrain made the cut. Why?

 

I made another video where I loudly stated that: "The best emtb right now is the one in your garage." It is a very true statement because whatever it is, it will increase your riding, your fun and it will help you understand what you want on your next bike. And..... it doesn't really depreciate in value over a couple years.

 

I would be hardpressed between the Kenevo SL and Bullit, but with price it would be the SC for me.

 

My sentiments exactly. The Kenevo SL is just not a good value. Revolutionary bike but that price...

 

So, all of you bitchin about the cost are just getting older and not enjoying the ebike fun. Oh well, watcha gonna do? I’m certainly not crying about it.

 

Yes, I have a group of riders now (8 folks) who would not otherwise be mountain biking. They now ride 3x a week and their bike is worth about what they paid for it more than a year ago. The accessories though.... money pit.

 

^name checks out

13k for a bike is just plain ol retarded

 

100% You can get a KTM 500 EXC and ride from Alaska to Baja Mexico on a top of the line dual sport that's $11,799. That's a bike that'll do over 100 MPH and also has top of the line parts, Brembo brakes, top end suspension, CNC parts all over, etc. Puts the whole "ebikes are overpriced" thing into perspective.

KTM 500 EXC-F 2022

www.ktm.com

 

It's been an interesting year for e-mtbs as demand and acceptance continue to rise. Almost all manufacturers now are offering an ebike and new releases seem to garner as much or even more attention than traditional mountain bikes. User sentiment and trail access are evolving as well as more riders make plans for buying an e-mtb or at least approve of their use even if it's not what they choose to ride.

But the picture is not so rosy when it comes to price and availability of these e-mtbs. In a year of supply chain issues, e-mtbs seem to be a focal point of the problem as demand seems to far outweigh available supply. Backorders and waiting lists are common as these top bikes are simply not on showroom floors. The used market is just as impacted even used bikes demand premium prices, sometimes more than their original purchase price.

In no particular order, here are our Top 10 recommendations:
Orbea Rise $7000- $11000
Specialized Gen3 Levo $11000- $15000
Canyon Spectral:On - $6300 - $9000
Trek Rail - $5600 - $13000
Santa Cruz Bullit - $8500 - $13,300
YT Decoy - $6000- $8000
Commencal Meta $5600-$8200
Norco Range VLT - $6700- $10300
Yeti 160e - $10,100 - $12700
Specialized Kenevo SL - 9000-$15000

Available bikes through our partners:
Shop Ebikes at Competitive Cyclist: - eBikes | Competitive Cyclist
Yeti 160e - Yeti Cycles 160 E C1 SLX e-Bike | Competitive Cyclist
Santa Cruz Bullit - Santa Cruz Bicycles Bullit MX CC R E-Mountain Bike 2022
Santa Cruz Heckler - Santa Cruz Bicycles Heckler CC X01 Reserve Complete e-Mountain Bike 2021
Orbea Rise - Orbea Rise M-Team 20MPH E-Bike 2021 | Jenson USA
Aventon Aventure for $2000 - Aventure Ebike
Aventon Pace 350 $1300 - Pace 350 Step-through ebike

E-mtbs are in the very early stages of evolution IMHO. I think they're in Chapter 3 of 10 Chapter saga. So there will be a lot more change and evolution coming.

Mountain bikes are very mature now on the other hand and there is not much revolutionary things that can dramatically improve performance. So they will have a higher chance of getting cheaper and getting commoditized.

The best e-mtbs will remain very expensive for the next few years IMHO.

Great e-review, especially the “bullet” points at the end. Love the e-ride currently, coming from dedicated regular riding +20 years, but not stoked on the range on them. So battery increase/modulation would be the top of the list. Being over 200lbs on 50lb Trek Rail w/625w battery, 2-2.25hrs of riding is usually my max until battery roasted even in “ECO” at least half the ride and “Tour” (trail lite) the other half at most. Fine for afterwork weekday rides, but comes up short for bigger backcountry rides for me. Norco Range w/900w battery for longer rides and option to go lighter and smaller for shorter rides looks like the ticket. Love how the Rail rides and likely a bit better with new 750w battery and Flow app software. Only going to get better from here of course, but more $$$ of course. +$10k a bit crazy for a bike in my opinion. Got 20’ Rail 9.7 for <$5k on close out and upgraded as parts (wheels, drivetrain) failed

 

cially the “bullet” points at the end. Love the e-ride currently, coming from dedicated regular riding +20 years, but not stoked on the range on them. So battery increase/modulation would be the top of the list. Being over 200lbs on 50lb Trek Rail w/625w battery, 2-2.25hrs of riding is usually my max until battery roasted even in “ECO” at least half the ride and “Tour” (trail lite) the other half at most. Fine for afterwork weekday rides, but comes up short for bigger backcountry rides for me. Norco Range w/900w battery for longer rides and option to go lighter and smaller for shorter rides looks like the ticket. Love how the Rail rides and likely a bit better with new 750w battery and Flow app software. Only going to get better from here of course, but more $$$ of course. +$10k a bit crazy for a bike in my opinion. Got 20’ Rail 9.7 for <$5k on close out and upgraded as parts (wheels, drivetrain) failed

Thank you for the share on your experience. That's the key. So many, many use cases and folks are finding how (or if) the emtb fits their lives. My hats off to those who take the time to understand how it fits ones life (or others) before making up one's mind on the issue and hardening the position.

 

It's like electric cars in the early 2010's ... 100 mile range was the norm, with 125 miles a big deal.
Remember there were and are energy tax credits to offset the cost of electric cars.
Now, 200 mile range is whimpy, 300 mile range is entry, with many approaching 400 mile range.
That's game changer for autos.

These prices will keep me outta the ebike game, and limited range.
Looking to +5 years for range and costs to become more aligned.
And holy crap, weight, weight, that needs to be addressed.

 

These prices will keep me outta the ebike game, and limited range.
Looking to +5 years for range and costs to become more aligned.
And holy crap, weight, weight, that needs to be addressed.

This is where everyones priorities are different.

I have yet to run out of range with my C-Dale Habit Neo, I do not go out for 40+ mile rides.
Prices? EMTB's are not out of line with other bikes. You can just as easily spend five figures on an analog bike
Weight? There are some very good sub 40lb options from Orbea and Trek as an example. Honestly, I don't notice the weight of my Cannondale other than it being more connected to the ground. I rode my wife's E-Caliber and while it is 10lb lighter than mine, I thought I owuld like it more, I actually prefer my heavier C-Dale.

 

Francis: Do you know if the EP8 and EP*-RS "rattle" has been resolved with a fix from Shimano or a design revision? I've read about it as a deal breaker from many people on them.

 

I've heard from a couple sources that the rattle will be gone in future versions of the motor.