Mountain Biking

Associate
Joined
16 Apr 2012
Posts
444
Looking at getting an ebike and I've been holding out for the price to come down on the Boardman HYB 8.9, which was around £1800/£1900 around new year. In the meantime I have come across the Rockrider E-ST520 at Decathlon.

Which out of the two are better or able to recommend an alternative, I do have an 8 year old Boardman cyclecross which will probably trade in.

TIA
 
Associate
Joined
16 Apr 2012
Posts
444
Isn't the HYB a Hybrid bike vs the Rockrider which is a Hardtail mountain bike.

What kind of riding do you want to do as they're very different bikes.
Riding would be canal trails and parts of transpennine trail. I think the other decathlon bike I was looking at the riverside 520 but not sure in regards to the rear hub motor.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
18,163
Location
Hampshire
First new MTB since 2017, big upgrade from my Scott Scale 735 to this.

Scott Spark RC Team, getting out to ride it tonight in the disgusting weather!
74CTV0z.jpeg
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,373
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Riding would be canal trails and parts of transpennine trail. I think the other decathlon bike I was looking at the riverside 520 but not sure in regards to the rear hub motor.

I'd probably be tempted by the suspension option in that case. The Hybrid would likely be fine, but the suspension and bigger tyres would just give a little more comfort/grip in muddy conditions.
 
Associate
Joined
11 Mar 2010
Posts
456
Location
Cardiff
After years of being an ebike naysayer, I finally crumbled.
Thing that did it for me was losing the bike fitness through the winter then having to grind it back out again.

Ended up going for an Orbea Rise M10. Got it from Surge Bikes in Basingstoke.

Awesome bit of kit and my Garmin still seems to think I'm getting a decent workout.
B03-C0-DB8-F0-CA-4-CB0-97-E4-7-CC7-B04-C8-AA6.jpg
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
18,163
Location
Hampshire
First new MTB since 2017, big upgrade from my Scott Scale 735 to this.

Scott Spark RC Team, getting out to ride it tonight in the disgusting weather!
74CTV0z.jpeg
Went out on it tonight, huge upgrade, could barely see as the sun went down and it was quite foggy but absolutely flying on the descents, just rolled over everything and riding away from my mate who usually leaves me for dead when I was on my old 27.5 scott scale.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
18,163
Location
Hampshire
Anyone got any idiots guides for setting up the sag etc that they can recommend, fair few out there.

Changed it all to tubeless now, and swapped my old XT cranks on to it as they're 170mm compared to 175mm until I figure out which cranks to replace them with. Contemplating upgrading to XTR whilst I'm at it.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Jan 2022
Posts
3,609
Location
Over There
Anyone got any idiots guides for setting up the sag etc that they can recommend, fair few out there.

Changed it all to tubeless now, and swapped my old XT cranks on to it as they're 170mm compared to 175mm until I figure out which cranks to replace them with. Contemplating upgrading to XTR whilst I'm at it.

I've nearly always done mine by trial and error, with the last bike being set up for me by informing them of my weight.

Depending on your leg length, it is worth checking out crank lengths before buying, as there is a lot of chatter about shorter or long to suit ride size.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2010
Posts
2,339
Location
The North
After some opinions - I have both a Stumpjumper Evo and a Nukeproof Scout frame and I plan to use the bike as a bit of a fitness/xc/light trail bike to compliment my Turbo Levo and road bike when I just want to go on a chilled ride but off road. Which one would you use? I'm aware the stumpy will obviously be less efficient, but thinking the extra comfort will make up for all that in my mind (and I've tried to sell the frame before with no luck, so feels bad just having it handing in the garage)

Components wise they're both 275 frames and I'll be getting some xc/trail tyres to replace the mega sticky magic mary super gravity tyres currently on the wheelset so the difference truly is just the frame.
 
Last edited:
Caporegime
Joined
22 Nov 2005
Posts
45,280
it is worth checking out crank lengths before buying, as there is a lot of chatter about shorter or long to suit ride size.
seems to be a trend coming from EMTB, a lot of them come with 165mm cranks and it seems popular to go all the way down to 155mm right now.
but on an emtb you don't need to worry about leverage and worry more about peddle strikes, since the motors absorbing them
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
24 Jan 2022
Posts
3,609
Location
Over There
seems to be a trend coming from EMTB, a lot of them come with 165mm cranks and it seems popular to go all the way down to 155mm right now.
but on an emtb you don't need to worry about leverage and worry more about peddle strikes, since the motors absorbing them

I caught the video's a while ago on GMBN Tech and Berm Peak on non EMTB's (never knew it came from there)

I'd be interested in trying it tbh.

 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Nov 2005
Posts
45,280
video seems kinda meh, hes moaning his hips move more with longer cranks but hes seats not at the correct height.

what a terrible comparison.

personally I don't see what difference 5 or 10mm is making its barely anything, when people were talking about short cranks on an emtb forum I was curious about it.
then realised my bike has 165mm cranks which are considered "short" anyway

anything 165mm or under is set by the manufacturer on Bosch powered Ebikes has the EMTB mode for short cranks enabled by default.


people going down to 155 seem kinda insane imo.. its like a fad people seem to be blindly following, as as your video says it's probably just about costs.

most bikes come with terrible cranks as it is, well maybe not most, but a lot come with e thirteen trash cranks.

fortunately my bike came with non branded Sram cranks





lol.... Ethirteen cranks with the rep for falling off
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
9 Apr 2007
Posts
13,571
Shorter cranks for me are so much better. I don't get knee pain now with 165mm Vs my old 175mm.
I'm tempted to try 155.

They're on emtbs because your cadence naturally increases with shorter cranks and i hear that's beneficial on emtbs.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Dec 2004
Posts
3,233
Location
the south
Yeah, main reason for me to drop to 155mm was to reduce pedal strikes. Emtb's tend to have lower BB height, 165mm are okay, 155 are better, anything over 165 on an etmb, and you're likely smashing your pedals on everything unless you have great technique (which I don't ;) ), like the guys on the Rocky Mountains are finding out.

I did notice a big difference at the start switching from 165's to 155's with increased cadence, lower leverage and a shift in stand over position but after a few rides it all feels normal again.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
18,163
Location
Hampshire
So ordered myself some new xtr cranks and power meter, and for the life of me I can't get the 8mm hex bolt to bite on to the thread on either the normal crank or the power one. Anyone got the newer m9100 that can offer any tips?

Got this on eventually with a lot and lot of persuasion.... Never known something need so much force for something that should be straight forward slot and tighten. Nice to have the shorter cranks.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
11 Mar 2010
Posts
456
Location
Cardiff
Installed a set of 155mm cranks on the Rise this afternoon. The bike came with 175mm as stock, felt a bit of knee pain last few weeks which may be due to the crank length. See how I get on with the shorter cranks.

What are you all doing with regards to chain lubrication in the wet?
During the summer I run Muc Off Dry lube with no complaints, but the wet lube just makes such a mess.
I've been reading about chain waxing, not sure it would hold up to the constant rain in South Wales though.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Jan 2022
Posts
3,609
Location
Over There
The more I think about it and having some bikes over the years that were perfect, perfect, but slight hip pain, or never having that sweet spot when peddling, I'm now thinking that instead of constantly changing seat height, tilt etc, that a change to different length cranks could have been the answer.

I had this on my Specialized FSR, but not on my Specialized Pitch, as well as my Trek 8500, with the much cheaper Pitch being a much better ride than the FSR, but only in respect of when riding and not in the bikes ability.

Currently on my Trek Slash the crank length works fine.

For the sake of not much money, this imo could mean that bike I almost loved, could be the one I wouldn't sell.

@nick-fury

I've been quite happy with Muc off wet and dry and clean my chain every few rides.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom