So, I finally bit the bullet and bought an e-bike. The Trek Slash+ is a pedal-assist bike, so I won't be whooshing past other cyclists looking like the Wicked Witch of the West. Just the same, I've found it's a surprisingly effective boost to performance.
I own mostly Trek bikes, and I already own two analog Slash bikes (8 and 9), so in term of comparison, I'm able to isolate the difference the motor makes as opposed to dealing with a different bike make and geometry. I also have a standard route through Bert Flinn park in Coquitlam that I ride when I'm going for exercise, so again, easy to tell how much difference the motor makes.
Trek fiddled with the frame sizes a bit when they came out with the Slash+. The L (which is what I have) is a little smaller than the L in a Slash but larger than the M/L. Honestly the only difference I could feel was that the bike felt slightly taller than my 9. It's about 10 lbs heavier, but riding without assist on the flats or slight inclines, I didn't really notice anything. I'm sure I would have on some of the trails if I'd left the boost off, but I'm not a masochist.
The bike rode very much like my regular Slash 9. No surprises, really. It might be a little more stable because of the extra weight, but that's just an impression. I did have a little trouble on tight turns because pedal input would produce more acceleration than I'm used to, so I dabbed a few times. But that's something I'd get used to in a ride or two.
The bike has three levels of boost, selectable from the panel on the top tube. I kept it on level 1 except for one short stretch where I tried out level 3. My quick impression is that you'll rarely if ever need to take it out of 1. I finished my standard course in 1 hr 36 m instead of my usual 1 hr 55 min or so, and I was less tired than usual. So the motor absolutely makes a difference, even with the added weight. And I used 20% in that 1.5 hrs, so I think the battery will probably outlast me on any given day.
Having said that, the whole point of my standard course is to get exercise. I've ridden it so many times that it's become routine, so it's not about conquering the challenge, it's about getting the heart rate up. So I doubt I'll use the Slash+ regularly for this purpose. No, this bike is for venues where you need to pedal up to ride down, like Seymour, Burke Mtn, or Cumberland. In situations like that, you don't want to be using up all your energy grinding up the fire road to get to the trail head. In fact, I'm supposed to be going to the Island in September, and I'll be visiting Cumberland, so this bike will definitely be coming with me.
No one likes getting older, and no one likes finding their stamina slowly evaporating. But I think the Slash+ will extend my years on a bike, and that's a good thing. No regrets.
