I'm interested in one of these new mid-power lightweight e-mtbs, and the Pivot Shuttle SL and Trek Fuel EXe are at the top of my list. I haven't ridden either one, so I've been doing a comparison based on specs. For reference, my current trail bike is a Pivot Trail 429.
Travel - the Pivot has 132mm travel vs. the Trek's 140mm. This is only 8mm difference, but for the type of riding I'd do on this bike I think 140-150mm is the sweet spot. My trail bike is 120mm and I definitely want more travel on an ebike. So the Trek has the advantage here.
Power and battery capacity - The Pivot has the advantage here. It has 60nm torque vs. the Trek's 50nm, and it has a 430 Wh battery vs. the Trek's 360 Wh.
Removable battery - The Trek's battery is easily removable, and the Pivot's battery is not meant to be removed. I like the option to remove the battery. I might want to remove it for a lift-assisted bike park day, and there could be certain epic rides where might want to have a spare battery.
Motor sound - The ride reports on the Trek is that the TQ motor is nearly silent. I've heard the Fazua motors are also very quiet, but I don't know how they compare.
Geometry - Geometries are very similar, and I think either one would be fine for me. The Pivot's chainstays are a little shorter, which I prefer, but it has a very long reach. My medium Trail 429 has a 460mm reach, which is already a bit stretched out for me (I put a shorter stem on it). The Shuttle SL has an even longer 469mm reach, which might be a little too long, but I don't think I want to go down to a size small. The Trek has a reach of 455mm, which I think will fit me better.
Display and controls - I give the edge to the Trek. The top tube display gives more info, and the controller design looks like it would be easier to use.
Looks - Both are stealthy and don't look like e-bikes. This is especially true of the Pivot, which really looks just like a Trail 429 or Switchblade until you look really closely. I like both the yellow and the blue colors on the Trek, and I think the Pivot colors are both pretty ugly.
Value - The Trek looks like a better value, but there aren't identical builds to compare. Looking at the Trek 9.8 XT and the Pivot Pro X01, the Pivot costs $800 more. It comes with Fox Factory suspension and Fox Transfer dropper vs. the Trek's Rockshox Select+ suspension and Bontrager dropper, so I like the Pivot's suspension and dropper spec better. But the Trek comes with carbon rims and carbon cranks. I have the similar Pro X01 build on my Trail 429, and I have 12-speed XT on my hardtail. Both work great, and each has its pros and cons. I prefer the features and ergonomics of the Shimano shifter and the better gear steps on the cassette, and the Shimano seems to shift slightly better under load. But the X01 stuff works really great too. They are both spec'd with XT brakes, which is great. (My Trail 429 came with SRAM G2 brakes, and I prefer Shimano brakes.)
Superboost - The Pivot uses Superboost 157 rear hub spacing. This was a bit of turn-off when I bought my Trail 429 since I already had some nice carbon Boost 148 wheels, but now I have an alloy and a carbon set of wheels for the Pivot, so it's not as big a deal anymore.
I think it will come down to which one I can get the best deal on, and maybe availability. I'm a NICA coach, and Trek gives a NICA discount on e-bikes for Level 3 coaches. They only list the Rail and e-Caliber, but hopefully the discount applies to the new Fuel EXe as well.
Any other opinions on these? Have any of you ridden them?
Travel - the Pivot has 132mm travel vs. the Trek's 140mm. This is only 8mm difference, but for the type of riding I'd do on this bike I think 140-150mm is the sweet spot. My trail bike is 120mm and I definitely want more travel on an ebike. So the Trek has the advantage here.
Power and battery capacity - The Pivot has the advantage here. It has 60nm torque vs. the Trek's 50nm, and it has a 430 Wh battery vs. the Trek's 360 Wh.
Removable battery - The Trek's battery is easily removable, and the Pivot's battery is not meant to be removed. I like the option to remove the battery. I might want to remove it for a lift-assisted bike park day, and there could be certain epic rides where might want to have a spare battery.
Motor sound - The ride reports on the Trek is that the TQ motor is nearly silent. I've heard the Fazua motors are also very quiet, but I don't know how they compare.
Geometry - Geometries are very similar, and I think either one would be fine for me. The Pivot's chainstays are a little shorter, which I prefer, but it has a very long reach. My medium Trail 429 has a 460mm reach, which is already a bit stretched out for me (I put a shorter stem on it). The Shuttle SL has an even longer 469mm reach, which might be a little too long, but I don't think I want to go down to a size small. The Trek has a reach of 455mm, which I think will fit me better.
Display and controls - I give the edge to the Trek. The top tube display gives more info, and the controller design looks like it would be easier to use.
Looks - Both are stealthy and don't look like e-bikes. This is especially true of the Pivot, which really looks just like a Trail 429 or Switchblade until you look really closely. I like both the yellow and the blue colors on the Trek, and I think the Pivot colors are both pretty ugly.
Value - The Trek looks like a better value, but there aren't identical builds to compare. Looking at the Trek 9.8 XT and the Pivot Pro X01, the Pivot costs $800 more. It comes with Fox Factory suspension and Fox Transfer dropper vs. the Trek's Rockshox Select+ suspension and Bontrager dropper, so I like the Pivot's suspension and dropper spec better. But the Trek comes with carbon rims and carbon cranks. I have the similar Pro X01 build on my Trail 429, and I have 12-speed XT on my hardtail. Both work great, and each has its pros and cons. I prefer the features and ergonomics of the Shimano shifter and the better gear steps on the cassette, and the Shimano seems to shift slightly better under load. But the X01 stuff works really great too. They are both spec'd with XT brakes, which is great. (My Trail 429 came with SRAM G2 brakes, and I prefer Shimano brakes.)
Superboost - The Pivot uses Superboost 157 rear hub spacing. This was a bit of turn-off when I bought my Trail 429 since I already had some nice carbon Boost 148 wheels, but now I have an alloy and a carbon set of wheels for the Pivot, so it's not as big a deal anymore.
I think it will come down to which one I can get the best deal on, and maybe availability. I'm a NICA coach, and Trek gives a NICA discount on e-bikes for Level 3 coaches. They only list the Rail and e-Caliber, but hopefully the discount applies to the new Fuel EXe as well.
Any other opinions on these? Have any of you ridden them?
