Overall as far as ride quality, I can say that it has increased my riding fun by at least 50%. Maybe more. Some people say that E-MTBs can make your regular trails seem boring. I haven’t found that to be true. Ripping up climbs adds a whole new dimension to a ride. And the sheer speed has already made me a better rider. I will admit that a trail like Vulture’s Knob is now a lot more fun going in the opposite direction from normal. Technical climbs that are just a big pain in the ass on an analogue bike are now a cool, doable, repeatable challenge. And my heart isn’t ready to explode out of my chest at the top. Never thought I’d say it, but East Rim Phase II CCW is now my preferred direction.
Pedal strikes have been an occasional annoyance. I’m kinda used to the low bottom bracket of my Santa Cruz Hightower, so I know that “thunk” feeling. But I’ve been reading a lot about shorter crank lengths, so I bought some 160mm to swap out the 165mm stock cranks. I’m also going to increase the front suspension from 150mm to 160mm, which the bike is designed for. (I found out that the 150 to 160 on a Fox 36 is fairly common and relatively cheap.) Further tuning of the suspension will eliminate my worries, and of course improve ride quality.
Yeah, but what happens if you get out there and run out of battery? I spent the first week range finding. The range seems to be somewhere between 40-50 miles depending on amount of climbing and the ride mode. I did nearly two full laps of Mohican on a single charge. I’ve found that the lowest setting, ECO mode, is plenty for most all the trail riding I’ve done. Every once in awhile I’ll bump it up to TRAIL and rarely up to BOOST. The bike came with the largest battery available on an E-MTB: 900 wh. My concern isn’t really battery range, but battery life: how long will it last and will Canyon make after-market batteries available for purchase? So far, their response is “not yet.” But I’ll be first in line to buy the smaller, but still compatible 720wh battery which will give me the option of switching batteries and allow for shorter, but lighter and more nimble rides.
Some Randoms:
I might never Zwift again. My rides now give me whatever level of workout I want, and I’ll be able to moderate my sweat level during the colder rides. Nothing good about a cold, sweaty ride. And my friends never gave me kudos for Zwift rides! I also feel like Zwifting through the winter contributed to some of my early spring burnout this year.
I’ve had to be careful about uploading Strava rides because I’ve earned some analogue trophies. I’ve set the viewing to “Followers only” and that keeps me off the analogue segment records.
There’s an odd feeling of fatigue after long distance rides. You don’t put out a long distance effort, but your mind tricks you into thinking you ought to be more tired. And I’m ok with no longer pushing my body to extremes and calling it fun.
e-Isolation: I’ve already felt it. People don’t want to hear about how much fun I’m having. I did a climb in the Cuyahoga Valley the other day that I had never cleaned. Even though I was out of breath and my heart rate was skyrocketing, it felt awesome. But it wasn’t a time to share my exhilaration with my buddies. My climb was aided. In their view, I’m sure, I was cheating. In my view, it was a fucking blast!
There is that analogue yearning. But the ebike is a temptation that’s hard to resist, and I’m going to have to mix in some analogue rides. Its like that old saying: it never gets easier; you just go faster. Well, it gets easier and I’m going faster. But now I’m not chasing that ever elusive level of hyperfitness that culture and marketing demands of us, and that probably isn’t very healthy in the long term – at least for me.
Last but not least, Karen and I did a ride – she was on the Canyon – and she was faster than me for a change. I think I found a new riding buddy!
P.S. I think I just coined a term: aBikes. Analogue bikes. Versus eBikes.
Travels with Pops 