This channel is for people who have fun on bicycles. On KevCentral you will find bicycle reviews ranging from Walmart / Big Box Bikes to more expensive bicycles purchased at a local bike shop. Along with bike reviews there are how-to and tutorial videos, discussions on MTB trails and mountain bikes, bicycle commuting, and even a few generators and in the future - an RV. Anything that keeps us in the ride, independent, and happy!
What you'll find here: Mountain bikes for beginners and experienced riders Cruiser bikes for fun Commuter bikes for cycling to work or running errands Vintage bikes for those that like a bicycle history Bicycle maintenance and repair Generator reviews and maintenance Healthy living - Proper hydration and water filtering Lots of fun and interaction
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You might enjoy paved trails. I don't know if your park there has them. But my city is blessed with some decent bike path trails in the woods. I find it so much more enjoyable.
I think 25 pounds is pushing it. A high quality e-mountain bike is maybe 12-16 pounds heavier. A good quality e-bike from a bike shop from a reputable dealer costing 6 grand should include a name brand high quality battery that will not die in 2 years, unless you are riding it literally every day, which would be 730 charge cycles. Still, your point is well taken. A lot of these ebikes have non serviceable batteries. Or they are serviceable and cost 1/2 as much as a new bike from the same manufacturer. It is unbelievably wasteful.
10:15 I'm the one who gave you all the grief about the added weight being far less than the difference a man and a woman. But this was something entirely different related to "e-rated gear" I totally agree with you that a heavier bike handles a lot differently than a lighter bike with the same rider. Especially with cheap e-mountain bikes that have so much weight in the back wheel.
It's a stealthy mod. If you're afraid of being judged, simply don't tell anyone. It will never cross their mind to check, because they don't expect to see one. And you can ride with a little extra comfort. If you sometimes do longer rides on that same MTB, and not just a 10 minute challenge trail and then sit down for 3 hours of beer, it'll help you not feel so sore.
I am looking at a 2006 f800 with the HeadShok lefty DLR. Any one with experience, is maintenance an issue? I have a ‘96 f600 with a HeadShok dd50. I have taken care of it, and have needed only 1 repair trip since then. I love it.
I love my ebikes but also love my regular xc bike. Ebikes have allowed me ride more often and still get a workout. I’m sore right now from riding. If a battery is taken care of it should last longer than 2 or 3 years. My e-mtb is heavy to move around and load into a vehicle.
Well Kev, you've made some good points, but just as you're channel drew my attention back about 2019 with the idea that you didn't have to spend a fortune on a "bike shop" brand ie Trek, Specialized, etc to get a decent mountain bike. You also don't need to spend a fortune on a decent e- mountain bike. Now that being said, being 66 years old I don't take my bikes flying through the air off two foot drops or jumps, but I ride them on plenty of trails similar to the one in your video lots of roots and chunky spots. I start with a decent hard tail donor bike like the Schwinn Axum. I usually upgrade the fork to a Suntour or Rockshox air fork, add hydraulic brakes and either a Bafàng BBSO2B (cadence sensor) or a TongSheng TSDZ2 (Torque sensor) mid drive kit and a downtube mounted battery and Viola an e-mountain bike for about $1200-1500. I have put hundreds of trail miles on both without issues. So don't necessarily count cost as a negative!
I just made my hardtail simpler by replacing my suspension fork with a carbon ridged fork that i got off alliexpress . I also got some lighter 2.1 maxxis aspen tires for the same price for 2 . I went fron 33 pounds to 27 pounds and enjoying the lighter and more nimble and easier pedaling bike . On many trails you dont really need suspension as we see with gravel as they mostly use ridged forks . So my thought having a bike sonewhere in the middle between gravel and moutain bike
@@KevCentral Okay but 'doesn't work like that' is kinda extreme and a little condescending. The situation you created is already pretty forced. Like if you only ride one day out of a month, of course you're going to be thinking about preparing for that day and charging included. And if you do just suddenly, spur-of-the-moment decide you absolutely need to get out on your bike in the middle of the month with no planning or prep, you're not gonna let a dead battery stop you. Like I said, my heavy Axum pedals just fine even on steep hills and that's 42 front and 42 rear.
Hey Kev! I'm happy that you made me realize that I am now an E-MTB jerk now😂 I climb stuff that is crazy steep. Just sucks that once you touch an E-MTB all the regular bikes feel slow as balls.
Excellent video! I see the speed issues on rail trails and city paths. People just don’t realize how fast they are going since they aren’t having to work that hard. The weight issue is another big problem. Harder to load/unload if you are having to haul it to where you want to ride.
I'm 53 and in southeast TN. I need all the exercise I cam get on my SS or other bikes but if I was elderly or had a neuromuscular disease, it's good to know the ebike is an option.
I have a eZip electric bike it's over 20 years old I can't think of another mass produced brand of electric bike it still works perfectly I just wanted lithium battery and disc brakes. is the only reason I bought a new bike
Oh kev making excuses for Badley manufactured products. There's 100 year old electric motors all around the world that run perfectly fine blenders cake mixers industrial dough mixers
Hey Kev, all good points I was a champion dirt bike racer in my younger years, and find that riding my Giant Trance more like a dirt motorcycle has really helped with my PRs. E Bikes are much faster uphill AND downhill It's all in knowing how to handle the bike to compensate for the weight. There is no substitute for quality. My bike now is 2 years old and has 3K single track miles on it with zero problems. Of course I'm harder on chains (500 miles) and cassettes (1K miles). BTW, I'm 76 years old.
ive still never purchased or even rode an eBike, but prices have been falling and im getting curious. my main issue is can i replace the battery after it goes bad or will the bike just become more waste at the dump.
Shame if people take this as an authoritive set of rules. I am in my late 60's now and have had an ebike for about 6 years. Pretty much got to the stage where I was not enjoying riding as by the time I got to the top for a run I really was not able to enjoy the ride and rarely went up for a second attempt. With the ebike I have been able to enjoy 30 mile rides with over 1000 yards climbing. Now my hips are shot, until a double replacement I could not ride an analogue bike at all, but can still get out on the EMTB. More complex? Yes, but really what isn't more complex these days? As far as screen go, I have used a Garmin or my cellphone to track rides for 20 years and yes I have damaged one, but have yet to have damaged one on my ebike. Then again, I have never rode with a switch unit/display out on the handlebar and always have one like the Shimano tucked in beside the stem or Bosch with it on top of the stem. Batteries? When I get home, I plug in and charge to 65-75% then top up the night before a ride. Both my Scott (2020) and my Avanti (2022) have batteries in 100% condition as of my last check. As far as taking a toll on mental or physical fitness, that depends on the person. If you blast around everywhere in EMTB or Turbo modes it will certainly not help your fitness, but it would probably help the mental side from the fun factor - or scare the daylights out of you 🤣 The thing I have noticed with many who have gone to ebikes is that they tend to either go back to analogue fairly quickly or they stay with the ebike and go riding a lot more frequently. Speed? On several trails I was faster on my Singlespeed back in 2016/19 than I am on my ebike. My AVERAGE speed on one particular trail was over 20mph with max speed close to 34mph. I can't do that on an ebike, or even come close. Yes on DH runs I have been over 40mph, but those kind of trails are very rare these days. The thing about speed on a MTB of any kind is very much like driving a car on the road - Ride to the conditions. Last week on a favorite trail where I am normally around 15mph I was riding at around 10 as there were a lot of people entering and leaving the trail constantly. Whether on analogue or ebike - Be courteous to others. Weight? Yes they are heavy, but when I started riding 30 years ago I had DH bikes that were as heavy or even heavier than my EMTB. For those concerned about weight, try something like a Levo SL or the equivalent which are really not too much more heavier than an analogue. The trade-off is smaller batteries and less power. Cost!! That is the biggie. My Scott was $14K but I picked it up on special at around $11K. My Avanti was around $8K I think. The thing is, the equivalent non ebikes are really not that much cheaper. By the time you factor in the cost of a motor, battery and controller there is not a lot of difference. Kind of like building a bike from parts as compared to buying the same bike fully built. A few years back I wanted a particular bike but there were none available worldwide. I managed to find a frame only and by the time I purchased all the parts it was significantly more expensive. Would not do it again, but in that case I really wanted that bike. I did however thoroughly enjoy your video and will recommend it to people thinking of ebikes so they get balanced opinions.
You make me glad to have gone DIY:) Except under extremme abuse the BBS02 & BBSHD are ultra reliable. I have a charger that can be set to stop charging at 80%, 90% or 100%. I rarely charge to 100%, & only to balnce the battery cells & just before a ride. There are also chargers that you can set to charge any amount and at varrying speeds (slow charging is best for longevity). With the advent of wide ratio cassettes & varied size chain rings you can create any gear ratio you like (even for riding without power). You can get excercise with cadence sensing by just lowering the assist level or raising the gear. I'm older & can only ride an analog bike, for short distances, because I ride e-bikes. Before e-bikes I couldn't ride an analog bike more than around my block but can ride a few miles (without power). I do ride faster on e-bikes than I would otherwise but not faster than I used to in my youth. The only negative I can see with e-bikes over analog bikes is weight, & you only notice that if you have to lift the bike or pedal uphill without power. The DIY also allows for a backpack battery for trail riding (so the bike handles more naturally). I have a small 3lbs battery that's good for 20-25 miles (if you're putting work in). My batteries are not proprietary so I mix and match among 3 different bikes & can be easily replaced. 2 of my batteries are 7 years old & only 1 shows serious signs of degredation.
Exactly. The company built bikes do look nicer with the built in batteries and the nicer neater harness setups but how much will those parts cost if you can get them? I'm looking into building/converting my Fat bike and while none of it is exactly inexpensive all the actual bike parts minus the frame are off the shelf and the motor/ battery are pretty generic as well.
@@Wile-E-Coyote_Super_Genius 100%! I just built up a Mongoose Dolomite ALX with a BBSHD & battery fot under $2k. You can't get any where near as good at an LBS in the same price range. (That didn't include a suspension fork but did include changing all the "touch points" and upgraded drivetrain. I will install hydraulic brakes, with electric cut off, for $100 at some point.)
I just installed the bafang bbs02 mid drive kit on my schwinn boundary, and it's amazing. I'm sure I need to upgrade the fork (I'm open to suggestions). I've gone over 50 miles in the past 2 weeks. For perspective I'm mostly riding forest service and logging roads.
Finally someone speaking the truth about e-bikes from experience. I just can’t imagine how it can help with exercise as much as the regular bikes. E-bikes are promoting bad health. And can’t say enough about dangers posed for school kids speeding and getting into accidents with these things 😢😢
I personally think it depends. I have a heart condition. Im 5’6 120lbs and I have been a truck driver for 6 years. The ebike helps me get out and ride. On a regular bike, I have had the issue where I feel great and ride for 12 miles and then out of nowhere my heart (premature ventricular contractions) starts killing me and I have a hard time making it back home. The ebike allows me to get back home safely and at least I got to ride the 12 miles. Without the ebike I wont ride at all anymore, at least not more than a few blocks away from home. So are you saying its better I dont ride at all? I get the guys that are getting throttle only ebikes or full pedal assist settings and barely putting in even cadence to keep their cardio up But that is not the case for everyone. I dont have a throttle, its pedal assist only and I try to go as far as I can without it. Its case by case and for me I am so thankful I can ride a bike for longer distances again
I commute with a pedal assist eBike (not mountain biking) & I get about half the workout. Still if people are pedal assist eMTBing they are getting SOME exercise which is better than someone doing nothing.
Sorry buddy, but, you don't know what you're talking about. With different levels of assist, your work out is exactly as hard and exhausting as you want it to be.
Ebikes have got me back bike into riding. My fitness has improved a lot just because it gets me out the door. I still sweat and my heart’s pounding, but it allows me to get up big hills I would normally have to walk and would take me forever. They are fun too! I’m currently in the process of building a non electric bike for when I want to just ride around the neighborhood.
@@SofiaisSunshine I can see how it works in your situation and similar to yours. However, for those who are healthy and trying to get into better shape or lose weight, it is not the same.
It's interesting to notice the differences between this model and the current M2 ridge the newer shifter is made by Advent I really enjoy the fact that the bike has a cassette and a free hub naturally I'm going to change those pedals I had thought about getting the vibe first then getting a ridge in the spring I decided to get the ridge first and I'm not sure if I really need a vibe I'll just send my KHS to the shop in mid-october I still get several comments about the bike every week it's a welcome addition to my fleet
Also do you really think anybody is going to want your old eBike in a couple of years?? Are they going to want to chance buying used? So resale value? Extremely low!
I'm in my early 40's and I never anticipated having an eMTB, let alone two! Never was against them, but I feared getting one would lead to never riding my regular MTB again. I vowed to not get one until I was older and needed it. That day came much sooner thanks to the after effects of a little virus that took the world by storm in late 2019. I managed to evade covid until fall 2022, but then I got it and had the privelege of having fatigue and heart arrythmia as after-effects. I bought a Specialized Levo just under 2 years ago when they went on sale for 30% off and with 0% financing for 3 years, I couldn't stop myself. I was able to ride different models at a Specialized demo event back to back with my own mountain bike. That sealed it with all the available incentives. It was still very expensive, yes, but I paid less for my Levo than what I paid for my carbon Specialized Stumpjumper a year prior dufing allbthe bike shortages. Late 2022 was the beginning of bikepocalypse when manufacturers started dumping inventory. First ride out, I crashed trying to do a fairly simple maneuver. It was the weight! I got stopped on a rock ledge because the bike took more effort to steer and I got off my intended line. Once it started falling, 55 lbs of ebike just toppled me over backwards. I was able to push the bike away so it didn't squash ne, but I landed square on my back on a rock. Thank God for my Camelback cushioning the impact! Funny enough after I got up and dusted myself off, I walked up the ledge I fsiled to ride up and saw a sign for "EMS Access Point." At least I would have been in a good spot had things gone sideways... Aside from the weight getting away from you during a crash, it'll wear you out on tight, technical, or twisty trails. It might save your legs a bit, but your upper body is working overtime. It's more of a full-body workout. I have since purchased an eMTB hardtail that I use more for on-road riding (it's a class 3/28mph bike). I do take it on some mostly green trails and doing that today hit something that pitched me forward off the seat and almost lost it. Didn't help that I am nursing a sprained ankle back to health and nearly unwound all my recent healing when all that weight came over on that leg. I would not recommend an eMTB to a newer rider, especially not a full power one that weighs 50-60 lbs. Maybe one of the lighter ones with half power would be ok and there are times I wish I had gone with the Levo SL gor the lower weight. My reasoning for not was it would be too close to my lightweight analog bike and my experience riding motorcycles really pushed me to getting the full-power model. I think it's the bigger weight delta between my analog full suspension and my eMTB that keeps me excited about riding the analog bike. Nothing rides like a light trail bike and my Stumpjumper comes in right around 29 lbs ready to ride with spare tube, CO2, and a multitool on board. I have found that after I have been riding the Levo, I ride fast on the Stumpy because it is so easy to throw around in the corners and tight trails. The trick to not losing fitness is to keep riding both types of bikes. That said, I do tend to lean on the eMTB more during the summer months. I find that my lingering arrythmia comes out when I am pushing myself in the heat. Keeping my heart rate down just a bit helps a lot with that.
I'll also add regarding maintenance that my Levo has seen more wear and tear on the rear suspension. I've not yet even birned through a rear tire and my shock needed to be rebuilt. It was more convenient to buy a whole new shock and toss on there, but then the fresh shock revealed some worn pivot bearings. Those are cheap ($9 each for the really good Enduro Max bearings) and I have bearing presses and pullers, so it's a DIY affair.
My main buddy rider spent 14,000$ on his S-works ebike. Talk about cost. Also he has already used the warranty a lot. Specialized has been good to him with replacement parts!
I'm 62 and I've been Mountain biking for about 12 or so years. I turned to MTB'ing as a form of exercise because I was running out of energy while riding my moto trail bike, which I've been riding motorcycles since I was a kid. Anyway, I just bought my first E-Bike. It is more of a Greenway bike than a Mountain bike. I expect it's batteries to be good for at least 4 years with proper care. That's about how long an electric golf cart batteries are good for so I assume the bikes batts will be at least as good. With a little resourcefulness, I think the batteries can be replaced a little more economically than you might think.
strange that so many people are saying you'll get fat. ive been riding for 3 weeks on an ebike and i have lost 10lbs already. the speed is fun and it makes exercising fun!
