E-bike talk: not tech rumor derailment

9/22/2026 6:46pm
mboughton1 wrote:
Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I...

Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I can think of a lot i'd like to do to my bike with that money before thinking about buying an extra battery

 

I would if I could but I cant so probably wont but maybe one day....or an extender

thresh
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9/22/2026 7:10pm
mboughton1 wrote:
Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I...

Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I can think of a lot i'd like to do to my bike with that money before thinking about buying an extra battery

 

Most of my riding buddies have a spare or two. For the bikes that don't allow an easy change they have an extender.

Myself, I have two batteries for my Levo Gen 3.  It did come "free" as a promo though.

These days with newer, faster charging bikes, I'm not sure if I'll need a spare one.  Having a battery backup system in a car that will allow to re-charge the bike during snack times and lunches might be the way to go. I was using one on the trips hooked to a solar panel to replenish.

Robstyle
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9/23/2026 1:00am

I've had spare batteries for all my ebikes. Most hot swapping used to be quick, now it's a bit of a faff I cbf. I'd only buy a second for a huge backcountry mission rather than hot lappin all day. 

Eoin
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9/23/2026 1:42am

I've always bought a second battery, but either later on wating for deals or negotiating the new bike with the second battery discounted/free.

Last year I got my 600Wh bosch for around €600, but had to look around and get it shipped for a small bike shop internationaly to save around €150. I feel like €1 per Wh is a reasonable cost to expect knowing that publicly referenced pricing is one tenth of that for the cells (100$ per 1000Wh).

Just bought a 250Wh extender for €400, discounted from 500+, I think bosch should make more of an effort on those, they are pricing them like a rare luxury item, whereas they would probably shift way more at a reasonable price.

When I change my car, I'll go for one that can run the 12a charger from the car battery (Most Kia EVs can do this), at that point I'll be happy to ride a 900Wh+ non-removable battery

AndehM
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9/23/2026 6:55am
mboughton1 wrote:
Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I...

Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I can think of a lot i'd like to do to my bike with that money before thinking about buying an extra battery

 

A buddy had a spare Brose battery when he owned a Levo.  I borrowed it once for a ride in Santa Cruz, did 2/3 of both batteries and tapped out after that because I was so fatigued overall that I was worried I was going to crash on something minor.  IIRC I did like 9,700' which is less than you'd do in a bike park, but you also don't have to spin the cranks to work the chairlift either.

1
9/23/2026 7:19am Edited Date/Time 9/23/2026 7:22am
mboughton1 wrote:
Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I...

Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I can think of a lot i'd like to do to my bike with that money before thinking about buying an extra battery

 

I'm getting roughly 2.5 hours or ride time out of my 800w Avinox. Outside of life allowing me more time, I think I have maybe another 45min of Gu energy left. 67% of that time is zone 3 and 25% zone 4 so it's not a tame ride. 

All that meaning, I need about another 200w of battery and hopefully that capacity can be added prior to new battery tech. Bc rarely do trails I ride loop back to my car to hot swap. 

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sspomer
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9/25/2026 9:35am

Canyon with Avinox at Whistler 

IMG 4822.jpeg?VersionId=YIJ0e5A4CRDIMG 4821
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Carraig042
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9/25/2026 10:02am

The Rumored Strive Avinox?

Etney
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9/25/2026 4:19pm
Carraig042 wrote:

The Rumored Strive Avinox?

It has already been on full display at sea otter europe as of a few days ago so, not much of a rumor any more


IMG 0031

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ShapeThings
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9/25/2026 11:44pm
sspomer wrote:
Canyon with Avinox at Whistler 

Canyon with Avinox at Whistler 

IMG 4822.jpeg?VersionId=YIJ0e5A4CRDIMG 4821

700Wh battery helps it. Curious about what the weight will be. 

Availability and geo revealed anywhere? 

10/4/2026 5:00am
mboughton1 wrote:
Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I...

Show of hands... how many people are actually buying extra batteries so they can hot swap on big rides? a Bosch 600Wh is like $1,000+. I can think of a lot i'd like to do to my bike with that money before thinking about buying an extra battery

 

$1,000 to double my ride time? Do you have Ultimate/Factory level suspension? After I’ve spent my money there I really can’t imagine putting money into another area of the bike. (good tires too obv)

As someone who still rides analog bike a fair bit, my philosophy with the e-bike is put your cheapest components on it, because you’ll still be smiling regardless. Some reviewers have even extended this to suspension, saying that cheap suspension is fine on heavy bikes. Idk if I quite buy that argument yet.

1 day ago

They weight will mask some vibrations you'd otherwise notice with the wrong (too stiff) damper tune or you can compensate with spring/tokens. But you need enough compression damping in the fork of an ebike because of more weight being over the front. 

JVP
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1 day ago
tabletop84 wrote:
They weight will mask some vibrations you'd otherwise notice with the wrong (too stiff) damper tune or you can compensate with spring/tokens. But you need enough...

They weight will mask some vibrations you'd otherwise notice with the wrong (too stiff) damper tune or you can compensate with spring/tokens. But you need enough compression damping in the fork of an ebike because of more weight being over the front. 

Bad dampers are still bad on an ebike. I didn't get on with the Grip 1 on my Bullit, swapped it to the MRP damper and now happy. I'm 200lbs and like more low speed compression damping than some, but nothing outside the bell curve. The Grip 1 damper felt harsh when it had my preferred level of support, and I had trouble finding the right rebound setting.

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Grumbly
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1 day ago
tabletop84 wrote:
They weight will mask some vibrations you'd otherwise notice with the wrong (too stiff) damper tune or you can compensate with spring/tokens. But you need enough...

They weight will mask some vibrations you'd otherwise notice with the wrong (too stiff) damper tune or you can compensate with spring/tokens. But you need enough compression damping in the fork of an ebike because of more weight being over the front. 

JVP wrote:
Bad dampers are still bad on an ebike. I didn't get on with the Grip 1 on my Bullit, swapped it to the MRP damper and...

Bad dampers are still bad on an ebike. I didn't get on with the Grip 1 on my Bullit, swapped it to the MRP damper and now happy. I'm 200lbs and like more low speed compression damping than some, but nothing outside the bell curve. The Grip 1 damper felt harsh when it had my preferred level of support, and I had trouble finding the right rebound setting.

For. Real. The Vala rides like garbage with the base RockShox fork and shock. Even with rebound wide open it rode way overdamped. It bumbled down the trail fine but had zero passion. Kinda like my marriage. 

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grimlandm
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2 hours ago

This has been my experience with Vala/Bullit. I demoed a Vala w a rhythm 38 from Fantatik in Bellingham and rode Repeater laps until I couldn't. Never got along with the bike, left feeling very meh about ebike descending characteristics. Fast forward to impulsively buying a Bullit on sale, and I've really appreciated the independent compression and rebound dampening adjustments of the X2.  I'm not sure how much of that increased confidence should be attributed to the Bullit vs Vala chassis, however. 

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JVP
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2 hours ago
grimlandm wrote:
This has been my experience with Vala/Bullit. I demoed a Vala w a rhythm 38 from Fantatik in Bellingham and rode Repeater laps until I couldn't...

This has been my experience with Vala/Bullit. I demoed a Vala w a rhythm 38 from Fantatik in Bellingham and rode Repeater laps until I couldn't. Never got along with the bike, left feeling very meh about ebike descending characteristics. Fast forward to impulsively buying a Bullit on sale, and I've really appreciated the independent compression and rebound dampening adjustments of the X2.  I'm not sure how much of that increased confidence should be attributed to the Bullit vs Vala chassis, however. 

I suspect it not Bullit vs Vala but that Santa Cruz specs cheap suspension until you get to eye-wateringly expensive builds. I knew this going in, but still. Bullit was the only 170-ish bike I could get my hands on last year with my desired geo and Bosch gen 5. It's not like the Bullit 90 is cheap. Transition and other brands do a much better job of speccing good suspension on the mid-tier builds. Too bad so many brands herd together with a jump from a 480 reach L to a 510 XL. 

Bullit with the non-adjustable Fox Float X performance performs predictably (with fork upgraded), but is uninspiring. It's fine on low-speed tech, rails corners nicely for a 170 bike, but not great on mid+ speed chunk. It's also a shock with a low air volume for the design. Shock is also starting to feel gassy after only 500 miles, which is no surprise. 

I sprung for a Vorsprung Telum instead of just popping a Vivid on there. It should unlock the frame's potential and be nicely durable. Stoked to see how that goes... in spring once I'm recovered from surgery. 

2

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