For upto £4k which ebike for red trails and maybe one day black?

Carlbiker

Pedelecer
Aug 22, 2020
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I've posted the odd question but now I've 24hrs to make a decision due to availability and my options are:

https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m163b0s983p39421/Electric_Bikes/Mens_Full_Suspension_Electric_Mountain_Bike/SPECIALIZED_Turbo_Levo_2021 - 4k




I know there are more factors to mountain biking than asking what is the best bike, all I can say is I'm 6ft, 85kg, loving going on trails and the odd bit in the park areas and keen to make the right choice. I have the Wild on loan right now and I do like it, the Cube look to have the best specs, I don't know if I should be looking at enduro 160 cube or the 140 or what the other two bikes are classed as.

Its a lot of money and its not easy to decide with having very little experience in this field, hoping someone can point me in the right direction

Cheers
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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all 3 bikes are high maintenance and high depreciation but my favorite is the Cube 160.
High tech, high spec, reasonably priced. What's not to like?
 
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MontyPAS

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 16, 2020
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All £4200..... don't think I could drop that sort of money on a e-bicycle without testing first.
Looking at specs on a webpage is one thing, riding and finding suitability is another????

As Woosh said above, all are high maintenance, have you the skills to keep it on the trails without £££'s being handed to the bike emporium regularly?

None of us are perfect in our decision making. I have chucked unthinkable amounts of £££'s on numerous motorcycles after reading rave reviews, only to find, I cannot ride the bike for more than 30 mins due to its riding position.
Should have had a longer test ride. You "pays your money and takes your choice";););)
 
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egroover

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 12, 2016
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The cube 140 for me, but I'm tall and I prefer the 29" wheels, nice review below

 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,406
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
the Cube 160 weighs 23kgs, the Cube 140 24.75kgs - 8% more.
For bikes in this price range, it's worth £500 alone.
 

Carlbiker

Pedelecer
Aug 22, 2020
78
5
Can someone put me out of my misery?


Or


Be nice to understand 140 vs 160 and 27.5 vs 29....the Orbea has 160 and 29 inch, Cube is 160 and 27.5 inch.

In answer to can I justify owning this bike....only time will tell but I've certainly got the bug I can say at least.
 

Wicky

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Feb 12, 2014
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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one bike has a 140mm fork and the other is 160mm id go with the 160 if doing black trails
 

Carlbiker

Pedelecer
Aug 22, 2020
78
5
Just to add more confusion here are the in depth 2020 reviews side by side, the 140 is way better than the 160 according to this https://i.gyazo.com/1800326fddd3873833ac662620e67dde.png

If this years are both improved, maybe it still remains the case the 140 is simply the more balance bike??

 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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the 140 does have a better fork and it is cheaper but both could do a black trail as my bike is 150mm fox air shock.

with any fs bike you pay more the bigger the travel you get but then dont get the best fork.

you can pay near 2k for a dh fork there not cheap!

also the 160 has sram axs seat post and rear mech can you afford to crash a bike with a £1000 rear mech ?
 
Last edited:

Carlbiker

Pedelecer
Aug 22, 2020
78
5
the 140 does have a better fork and it is cheaper but both could do a black trail as my bike is 150mm fox air shock.

with any fs bike you pay more the bigger the travel you get but then dont get the best fork.

you can pay near 2k for a dh fork there not cheap!

also the 160 has sram axs seat post and rear mech can you afford to crash a bike with a £1000 rear mech ?
Not really no! Also my skill level has to factor so which bike would I gain the most control over?

The price of both the bikes are £3700 in the end, I just need to decide which to get :).

Are the reviews accurate you think for the 2020 and do they carry into the 2021 editions? If so then I should be going for the 140 right? Interestingly they were reviewed at 8k for the 160 and 5k for the 140 so now the 2021 models are the same price it raises an eyebrow and I'm not sure if its a good eyebrow or a bad one......quite odd in ways

Conclusions from the reviews of the 2020 are:


Conclusion
Instead of being an eMTB for racers on demanding enduro tracks, the CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC is more suitable for riders who like taking in the scenery. The bike is well-specced but the undefined performance of its suspension won’t convince aggressive riders.

Conclusion of the CUBE Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC
Besides offering excellent value for money, the CUBE Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC gets you a thoughtfully specced bike with trail-oriented componentry, a cleverly designed frame and balanced geometry. Few bikes on test are as easy to manoeuvre on the trail while offering such versatility. Only for adrenaline junkies with a need for maximum speed, the CUBE isn’t the ideal option. A well-rounded package delivering excellent performance for as little as € 5,000, the Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC is the deserved winner of our coveted Best Buy.

So hard to decide this with having so little experience but im sure whatever the bike I'll love it, theres a 14 day return if something dramatic was wrong but Im sure id be happy with any of these....just a case of getting the more suitable one for myself
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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i doubt you will notice any difference travel wise but if you get the 140 then you cant fit a 160 rear shock to that frame.

fox forks costs more than rockshox ones and sram is more expensive than Shimano esp cassettes wear wise same with the chains.

i have a sram gx 12spd eagle rear mech and a xx1 top end one the only difference is the waight and the price.

gx £85
xx1 £250
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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the forks and rear sus needs to be serviced for the best performance and is expensive if you cant do it at about 130 quid each per year.

tho if you do it yourself it is just seals and replace the oil so about 30 quid.
38339
 
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Carlbiker

Pedelecer
Aug 22, 2020
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the forks and rear sus needs to be serviced for the best performance and is expensive if you cant do it at about 130 quid each per year.

tho if you do it yourself it is just seals and replace the oil so about 30 quid.
View attachment 38339
Cheers appreciate the time to post that :).

ive decided to go for the Orbea Wild, just not sure whether to pay 3.7k for the 500kw or 4k for the 625kw.....the bike is 160 with 29 wheels but better geometry and cheaper to run( I think )
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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Wow so 125 hrs is hardly anything!! This standard for all shocks? I need to do a course maybe
you can just not bother but it really depends how you ride the bike and in what conditions and is the same for all air shocks plenty of vids on you tube how to do it.

i keep my bike as clean as possible and service the shocks 1 time per year just to have a look really and check the seals are ok re lube and back together.


and for the extra 300 quid id get the bigger battery and more range
 
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egroover

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Aug 12, 2016
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Cheers appreciate the time to post that :).

ive decided to go for the Orbea Wild, just not sure whether to pay 3.7k for the 500kw or 4k for the 625kw.....the bike is 160 with 29 wheels but better geometry and cheaper to run( I think )
That extra £300 is halfway to a spare powertube 500 battery, will keep the bike lighter and you'll have mega all day range with the spare ready in the car boot for mid day swap out
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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That extra £300 is halfway to a spare powertube 500 battery, will keep the bike lighter and you'll have mega all day range with the spare ready in the car boot for mid day swap out
38349

the 625 is longer than the 400 so not sure you can use a smaller one in the frame of that bike.