I bought one of these exactly a year ago when they first became available and with the good weather we've been having I went out today for a spin.
Now I'm old enough to have bought a decent MTB back in the 80's when the so called MTB craze first took off, I've still got my old rigid framed Specialized Stumpjumper that cost a few quid back in the day, Specialized still make the Stumpjumper and obviously it's changed beyond recognition compared to my old one but interestingly it's price today is similar to this bike. This Haibike is the first bike I've bought since then and I'm struck by the quality of it, yes it's not cheap but you can feel the quality when you ride it from the precise gears to the hydraulic disc brakes and the suspension but it's also the frame which is so well made that I see it as a work of art in metal
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The mudguards I fitted are excellent and work really well, I got fed up with being splattered to the point where there was thick mud building up on the saddle and your back looks like you had a nasty accident
I can't understand why MTB bikes are bought and sold without mudguards in this country. It's great coming back from a ride now where the bike's miles cleaner and you can just hang your top back on its peg, you'd never ride a trail bike devoid of mudguards...it must be a So Cal MTB cool thing
The Yamaha drive unit is incredible and having two chainrings is useful as you can climb some seriously steep climbs where the limiting factor is the tyre grip!
Some pictures from today's ride around Eggesford Forest in Devon which was the Forestry Commission's first plantation back in 1919
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There's a nice track down to the river Taw where if you sit quietly long enough you are sometimes rewarded by the sight of a Kingfisher flying along, wait a while longer and you might even see it return
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From the river there's a nice track and a short uphill climb to a Norman Motte and Bailey, quite rightly you aren't allowed to cycle on any of this as it's a monument.
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I'm very pleased with mine and enjoy riding it a lot especially as it opens up lots of routes like Bridleways and access land with the Forestry Commision as well as restricted byways. it's impressive how much ground you can cover especially considering it's only 250W. The 25KPH(15.5MPH) restriction isn't really an issue because, downhill you can easily exceed it, uphill you keep an eye on the power meter and you will find a sweet spot with the gearing and can normally go uphill at anywhere between 12-14MPH, we're talking a smooth track here not a rock infested climb. Now that might not sound a lot but believe me if you've ever been sat on a bicycle doing that UPHILL it's a very strange feeling the only way to describe it is it make you feel almost superhuman. If there's any issue with the restriction then it's on the flat where you hit 16mph and you feel the power go off and all of a sudden the bike feels heavier, it's not much of an issue off tarmac but from what I hear it's the reason why some cycle commuters are either giving up on electric bikes or fitting speed dongles.
One downside is that these things are still relatively new so unless you know someone else with one you are in effect in a club of one! Fortunately someone I know has just bought one the same so I hope to get out to Somerset soon and ride the lost lanes on the Quantock Hills
In summary does a modern eMTB represent a viable alternative to trail Riding, for me... definitely not, what it is though is yet another way to enjoy mile upon mile of our great countryside on two wheels
Cheers John