I am having the same debate myself....

Further complicating my decision is the pending release of the Transition relay this Spring. Depending on the availability of the two bikes, you might have a 3rd option by the time you buy.

I think from a suspension standpoint I'd prefer to be "over-biked" on an E-bike. I really like the feature of a removable battery, which should allow access to USFS trails. (ride up fireroad/trail that allows cars/OHV, and down bike-only trails)

 

Since I am not a big fan of Trek MTBs, I'd lean towards the Pivot. For all the climbing I do, the DW Link will probably be a better choice and I suspect it will be a stiffer frame and rear triangle juncture too (which I much prefer) but I'll wait till I read some more extensive reviews.

The $800 price difference doesn't matter much to me since I always go for the bike that feels better and rides better. The suspension difference is interesting and they may feel very different out on the trail, and that may be the deciding factor for many. If the Pivot is way too firm feeling, that may even push me towards the Trek, but that remains to be seen. Both are very interesting bikes and I could go with either, at this point. I'm really looking forward to some of the more detailed reviews. For now, the Levo SL is my secondary bike so I do not ride it all or most the time. The next one will also be a secondary bike (for now) so it has to be significantly better riding that my Levo SL.

 

I forgot to mention the Levo SL as well.....isn't that due for an update any day now?

 

-I'm not sure of the TREK's release date but I know the Pivot will not be on showroom floors until the 1st of September. That means the only people with any experience riding one are the journalists.

 

I have heard this many times and that it was delayed to September. I heard that it would be more like the SJ EVO. That would be interesting too. It will likely be in that 150ish mm range so the most plush, I suspect.

 

I'm definitely going to compare these 2. Not sure when demo bikes will be out there. I am planning to wait until Sea Otter in April, so hopefully, these are out and about by then. Deinitely following for ride reports though! Someone will find them before I do.

 

Have you considered the Orbea Rise?

 

I've considered it, and I'm sure it's a nice riding bike, but I'm more interested in the lighter and smaller TQ or Fazua motors instead of a de-tuned EP8.

 

You'll get no facts in this as the Pivot does not exist yet and the EXe is barely available (though one has been seen on the trails near Madison, WI - though that is close to Trek's headquarters).

I would ask your timeline for a purchase and if you have looked into the Orbea RiSE? The RiSE (I have a H15) is good though I will concede that the EP8 rattle is a little annoying.

My gut feel is that EXe will feel more like a normal bike and the RiSE closer to full fat (but can easily be turned to be more "normal"). The Shuttle SL and the new Transition are probably somewhere in-between.

 

I recently visited a Trek owned shop during a road trip in Idaho and asked if they did service on the electric motors. They said yes and I asked them if all Trek owned shops did the same. They said yes. This would be a good advantage to the Trek as most LBS are limited in their knowledge of the ebike motors. I would check into this.

 

Exactly why I went with Trek. Trek says bring it to the shop for any motor or battery problem. Pivot said any motor or battery problem contact Fazua.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Three really good options coming out. I think the Transition Relay (?) has the 60nm Fazua motor. I love how small those are and dead silent.
Treks 50nm TQ motor also gets really high marks from reviewers.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Doesn't look like the TQ-HPR50 motor is exclusive to Trek. Not from what I've seen anyway.

That motor is intriguing. Looking forward to seeing it on other bikes in the future.

 

There has been a lot of bugs to be worked out with the Trek so far. More info for you guys. There’s a few out on my local trails in SoCal and more info on Facebook from owners.

Fuel EXe - Trek Fuel EXe Megathread!

nope she’s pedalling at a normal speed on mid mode and she’s fit i.e. runs 60km a week and used to do lots of CrossFit . Has also represented her alma mater in a marathon . The sound actually isn’t there when she’s pedalling slowly and it’s only when she’s pedalling at a normal to high cadence...

www.emtbforums.com

 

If I get the Trek, I'd probably go with the 9.8 XT build. It's interesting that the yellow color costs $500 more than the other colors. I do like the yellow a lot, but I also like the blue so I don't think I'd pay the extra for the yellow color. I would have expected the metallic blue to actually be a more expensive paint compared to a satin yellow.

It's also interesting that on the 9.8 XT the Mulsanne Blue is one of the cheaper colors, but on the 9.7 it is one of the more expensive colors. On the 9.9, both the yellow and blue are the same price. It's confusing.

 

I'm also looking at these two and then wonder if the full-power Specialized Levo is a better choice.

 

That you have to decide for yourself. I do not need the full power (I owned one for two years) and I can't stand how heavy/clumsy they are, so I'd only get a light one around 40 lbs and a lighter motor/batt. I do not ride the e-MTB as a primary bike though. It is my recovery type of bike or long-fun-ride bike and I want the handling to be somewhat close to my regular bike.

 

Of all the full-powered ones, the Pivot Shuttle was the most nimble and best pedaling. It was also the lightest. I could not live with the others but several have changed in the past 2-3 years. One other thing- if the motor or battery ever dies, can you pedal out several miles and a thousand ft of climbing? With the Levo SL, I can.

 

I totally agree with Flyer. Full fats have their place. I currently own a Trek Rail and it's pretty nimble for a 50lbs bike, but when it comes to trail riding and flickability, the lightweight bikes are tough to beat. I had a Levo SL (sold to a roadie friend) and I still have access to it from time to time. I rode it the other day and was amazed how much more lively the bike is in the twisty stuff. I'm supposed to be getting one of the new Pivot SL's as soon as they are available. On paper at least, it's the perfect bike for me. More trail oriented, at or slightly under 40lbs and 60nm is more than enough power for me. I rarely, if ever, turbo out my Rail.

SM

 

I currently ride a Giant Trance with 80nM torque that I rarely go above assist 3 out of 5 on. I've been considering one of these lighter bikes and finally got a chance to try both the Trek Fuel exe and the Pivot Shuttle SL a couple weeks ago. Both rides were taken in the neighborhoods around the bike shops where I could get the feel of the motor assist on some long hills.

I found the Fuel felt comfortable and fun to ride on all assist levels, even turned off wasn't bad. I didn't feel like I NEEDED more power to get up the hills and it felt much more nimble than my Trance which is around 14 pounds heavier. The noise level was imperceptible to me.

Even though the Shuttle has a slightly more powerful motor on paper when I rode that I felt like it didn't quite have enough oomph for me, and I found myself more consistently putting it in assist 3 and wishing it had more. Even using the turbo mode felt like I wanted more and I found myself hitting it again to keep it going after the 15 seconds was up. The toggle control felt clumsy to me as well. The noise level of the motor wasn't bad but I could hear it. The really distracting sound to me came from the hub when coasting which was more high pitched than the typical hub noises from every other bike I've ridden.

So, for me I've ruled out the Pivot, and also the Turbo Levo SL I tried a year ago that felt too weak. The Trek has impressed me enough that I'm still strongly considering it and plan to give it another look when I get a chance.

 

I currently ride a Giant Trance with 80nM torque that I rarely go above assist 3 out of 5 on. I've been considering one of these lighter bikes and finally got a chance to try both the Trek Fuel exe and the Pivot Shuttle SL a couple weeks ago. Both rides were taken in the neighborhoods around the bike shops where I could get the feel of the motor assist on some long hills.

I found the Fuel felt comfortable and fun to ride on all assist levels, even turned off wasn't bad. I didn't feel like I NEEDED more power to get up the hills and it felt much more nimble than my Trance which is around 14 pounds heavier. The noise level was imperceptible to me.

Even though the Shuttle has a slightly more powerful motor on paper when I rode that I felt like it didn't quite have enough oomph for me, and I found myself more consistently putting it in assist 3 and wishing it had more. Even using the turbo mode felt like I wanted more and I found myself hitting it again to keep it going after the 15 seconds was up. The toggle control felt clumsy to me as well. The noise level of the motor wasn't bad but I could hear it. The really distracting sound to me came from the hub when coasting which was more high pitched than the typical hub noises from every other bike I've ridden.

So, for me I've ruled out the Pivot, and also the Turbo Levo SL I tried a year ago that felt too weak. The Trek has impressed me enough that I'm still strongly considering it and plan to give it another look when I get a chance.

Thanks for the comparison. Good info. I wonder why the Pivot felt down on power despite the (claimed?) higher torque spec?

 

Wind, River, and Storm!

 

I don't get a 132mm travel e-bike unless you are someone that is missing a leg or something and just wants to ride lighter trails but will never be able to really pedal easy trails.

I know some people shred big terrain on a small bike, but that's not the right tool for big terrain.

For an average to above average MTBer, the point of these mid power e-bikes is to have a super shreddy big bike for serious chunk but feel like you are riding a XC race bike when climbing back up.

 

I pedal all over Colorado on a 135mm for a decade (that was considered long for a29er when I bought it). Nothing wrong with 132 if the suspension is designed right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

My regular trail bike is a Pivot Trail 429. I like it a lot, and the Shuttle SL looks very appealing to me. However, I ended up getting the Fuel EXe. I think the design of the control and display is better, and the motor is quieter. The Pivot has a bit more power and bigger battery, but the Trek has plenty of assist for me and the overall range is pretty similar between the two. I also felt that I wanted at least 140mm travel, although there isn't that much difference between 132mm and 140mm. The medium Trek also fits me perfectly, where the Pivot's reach is a little too long.

The Trek also looks like a better deal for the price. The 9.8XT has a full XT drivetrain and brakes (no substituting an SLX cassette and chain like a lot of brands do), plus it comes with carbon rims and carbon cranks, for $8700. It looks like the Pivot Ride build is now $9K, and that is all SLX except for an XT derailleur, and it has alloy bars, rims, and cranks. I was also able to get a 25% discount on the Trek as a NICA Level 3 coach, so that made it an easy choice for me.

 

That choice makes sense, and is the way I'd be leaning as well, if I were in the market for this genre of eBike. Have you posted your ride impressions somewhere? Love to hear what you think.

 

Warranty issues and problems with the bike/manufacture and how we have to handle them is a big deal to me. Also how the manufacture handles customers and or bike shop issues or problems?
How easy and cost of replacement or upgrade parts?
My local Trek shop is run by aholes and idiots!

 

The other big thing is build standards and quality control. My Trek had a few manufacturing problems some Trek HQ fixed.
My 2021/2 PIVOT Trail 429 seems to be much better in all areas, not a single dislike or failure. So far the Pivot seems to be in a different and higher quality tier than most as far as standards Pivot holds.

 

Suspension wise my Trek 140mm of rear travel was harsher and I did not like the ride feel.
My 120mm rear travel Pivot feels far better in every way, and somehow feels like there is more than the 140 Trek.

 

To be fair the Trek was a DPS shock and my Pivot Trail 429 enduro has a FOX Float X. So how much of the superior performance and feel is the shock and or frame quality, suspension design, geo, etc I am not 100% sure.

 

Now Scott has got into the light e-bike game with a 35 lb e-bike. That is 2 lbs more than my Ripmo!!