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- Nov 12, 2015
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- 1,195
So, our Scott rep dropped an e-Spark 710 off for a few of us to try. I like cool stuff, I like bikes, this thing is pretty cool and is sort of a bike... this should be fun!
The Ride- The e-Spark is a Shimano Steps powered, 27.5+ wheeled, 130/120mm travel ebike. Shimano XT level components make it go and stop, Fox suspension (and dropper post) makes it bounce up and down. https://www.scott-sports.com/global/en/product/scott-e-spark-710-bike
One of my coworkers and I went out for a rip last night after work to give it a shake-down to see just what it could and couldn't do. The 'problem' was, one eBike and two riders of different sizes... how are we going to do this? The solution was let's go ride with one of us climbing a technical trail on our 'regular' bike while the other person took the e-Spark for a rip across an XC ski trail to a machine built climb then back down-> across the XC trail and up the climb the other rider was on. Then descend together on the 'technical trail' to see what a 50ish pound bike could do on eastcoast singletrack. At the bottom we would pass off the ebike and let the other rider get his personal bike. Basically, from playing around in the parking lot of the shop we knew there was a zero percent chance of the conventional bike hanging with the ebike on climbs, so 'riding together' just would not be an option. After our little test, we were 100% right. It would take a WC XC rider to even come close to hanging on on any climb with a conventional bicycle. No mortal human of similar bike handling skill would stand a chance of keeping up. None.
What can it do? Absolutely fly uphill. I knew it would be fast on the 'flow' climb, but I thought it would be a bit of a pig on tight singletrack... it isn't. What I thought would be it's Achilles heal was actually it's single biggest strength- technical climbing, where having the 'reserve power' to get a few hard pedal strokes in to explode up and over an obstacle, while gassed from climbing- well, this just makes that irrelevant. First, you aren't gassed from climbing. Second, there is no 'climbing' on this thing. There is 'uphill riding', but no 'climbing'. Also 'explode up and over' comes via Shimano electric power. "Skill" is a lot easier to apply when you aren't hypoxic. I was climbing at 15 to 18 mph on the machine built trail and 10 to 15 on the tech climb... I average around 3 mph on these on my bike. So, it's somewhere between 4 to 6 times faster uphill, for me.
It goes downhill pretty darn fine also. My coworker has very similar 'skill' but the 'techy singletrack trail' is not a trail he likes to ride down, the corners are pretty janky, lots of loose gravel ball bearings mid turn. The trail is also littered with basketball sized rocks that are half buried and not gonna move if hit. It's a trail that I enjoy, he doesn't. Precision and a light touch are what get's you down this trail fast. When we are both on our own bikes I can drop him pretty much at will on this trail (there are other places he drops me, this trail just plays to my strength). On our descent with him on the e-Spark he was all over my back tire, I could NOT drop him. When we switched bikes I did not feel faster on the downhill, I felt a bit slower honestly, but not by much at all. The difference is he pedaled out of every corner, my 'game plan' on this trail is get through the corners quick, stay on line by hopping over the rocks in my line and build speed by pumping the backside of the rocks on my way by. Not really what a 50 lbs ebike does well.
What can't it do? It's not nimble and it flies like a penguin. I've never ridden moto, so I am not use to a bike with this kind of inertia. I have plenty of experience with DH bikes, but they don't feel like this. The Scott carries it's mass extremely low and centered on the bottom bracket and downtube... that should be good? Not in this case, not for me. For me, once in the air it went exactly where it was pointed before lift-off, there was no line manipulation in the air. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
The Scott suspension kinematics work great, for a bike with 120mm of travel, it felt deeper, It makes this bike extremely capable as a 'trail bike', good suspension and plus tires really makes for a capable ride. What it isn't is 'rewarding'. It made everything really, really EASY. A 'successful' climb for me involves making it to the top... yeah, I don't climb well. The thing is, when I do feel 'on', it feels great. Making a crux mid-climb or making a climb faster really, for me, is the most rewarding part of mountain biking. If you asked me what I like best, I'd say "descending"... but secretly, feeling like I 'got better' on a climb makes me feel the best about myself after a ride. It's what stays with me and makes me want to ride again tomorrow. This bike kind of took that away from me. Carving uphill berms at 17 mph is amazingly cool, sure, but that's not 'me', it's the motor. Another funny thing about the BOOST is- it doesn't work very well at low cadence hard pedaling. It works best when you spin a high cadence with very little effort. Adding 'human power' slows the bike down. It works best by riding it like a stationary bike at the gym, make the pedals go around and keep a quick tempo, don't try to pedal particularly hard (and don't let the cute girl catch you checking her out... even though that's the real reason you are on the stationary recumbent in the first place... 'cause this sure isn't exercise). If you let the cadence drop you loose the assist, pedaling harder doesn't add anything.
What would I want it for? This bike would be amazing for exploring new areas where I want to see everything but am not sure about which directions things ride best in. It just doesn't matter if you are going up a down or down an up (as long as the trails are not directional). You could get multiple days worth of riding into a single day. No climb would be boring (or intimidating).
What is this thing? Seriously, what the heck is it? It's fun. It's fast as hell. It is NOT a bicycle. It isn't. No one would ride this thing without the battery. Anyone who says they would is lying. Sure the pedals need to turn for the motor to work, but it encourages not pedaling hard and it's a freakin' motor. The pedals are the throttle, they aren't locomotion. It won't help get you fit, any more than having a workout routine that consists entirely of: 'don't sit on the couch eating ring dings' will get you fit. It's a nice start to getting active outdoors... but it is way more Segway than running shoe. I think a lot of these puppies are going to be purchased with great intentions- "I'm going to really do it this time, I'm going to ride this every weekend and really get in shape. You'll see!" The same way gym memberships works... except if you go to the gym, you get results. This is an electric rollercoaster. It's thrilling for a bit, but it's doing all of the hard work. Once the 'thrill' wears off, it's a slow electric motorcycle with pedals for a throttle. Would I want one? Yup, if money was absolutely not a consideration and I could have anything I desire, sure. Absolutely, yes. I think I'd find ways to use one. Would I own one instead of my bicycle? No way. My bike makes me feel weak and inept, not good enough, not worthy. Except every once in a while, when the stars align and I ate a healthy breakfast, I do something 'good' and my bike confirms I'm not all bad. That feels really good.
Should they 'Share the Trails'? I honestly do not know. They are very, very different from conventional bicycles. The speed uphill combined with the electric motor hum seems like a recipe for 'user conflict' to me. On my bike I can see and hear anything coming down toward me as I climb. On this I was going uphill as fast as I descend, so my focus was narrowed and my hearing was impaired a bit. I think there are ways to 'work around' this, but it would take a fair amount of work. New trail designs with longer sight lines, more directional trails, etc. Who should be responsible for all of this work? The same folks doing the trailwork now? That seems unfair. There is also a reason all of the parts on an eBike are 'eBike rated'- the tires, the wheels, chain, brakes, fork... there is a lot more force going through those parts. Does that automatically mean more trail damage? Nope. But it sure isn't going to have less impact. Will eBikers step-up and do their share of the hard work? Here in the USofA we are about to find out, I suppose.
The Ride- The e-Spark is a Shimano Steps powered, 27.5+ wheeled, 130/120mm travel ebike. Shimano XT level components make it go and stop, Fox suspension (and dropper post) makes it bounce up and down. https://www.scott-sports.com/global/en/product/scott-e-spark-710-bike
One of my coworkers and I went out for a rip last night after work to give it a shake-down to see just what it could and couldn't do. The 'problem' was, one eBike and two riders of different sizes... how are we going to do this? The solution was let's go ride with one of us climbing a technical trail on our 'regular' bike while the other person took the e-Spark for a rip across an XC ski trail to a machine built climb then back down-> across the XC trail and up the climb the other rider was on. Then descend together on the 'technical trail' to see what a 50ish pound bike could do on eastcoast singletrack. At the bottom we would pass off the ebike and let the other rider get his personal bike. Basically, from playing around in the parking lot of the shop we knew there was a zero percent chance of the conventional bike hanging with the ebike on climbs, so 'riding together' just would not be an option. After our little test, we were 100% right. It would take a WC XC rider to even come close to hanging on on any climb with a conventional bicycle. No mortal human of similar bike handling skill would stand a chance of keeping up. None.
What can it do? Absolutely fly uphill. I knew it would be fast on the 'flow' climb, but I thought it would be a bit of a pig on tight singletrack... it isn't. What I thought would be it's Achilles heal was actually it's single biggest strength- technical climbing, where having the 'reserve power' to get a few hard pedal strokes in to explode up and over an obstacle, while gassed from climbing- well, this just makes that irrelevant. First, you aren't gassed from climbing. Second, there is no 'climbing' on this thing. There is 'uphill riding', but no 'climbing'. Also 'explode up and over' comes via Shimano electric power. "Skill" is a lot easier to apply when you aren't hypoxic. I was climbing at 15 to 18 mph on the machine built trail and 10 to 15 on the tech climb... I average around 3 mph on these on my bike. So, it's somewhere between 4 to 6 times faster uphill, for me.
It goes downhill pretty darn fine also. My coworker has very similar 'skill' but the 'techy singletrack trail' is not a trail he likes to ride down, the corners are pretty janky, lots of loose gravel ball bearings mid turn. The trail is also littered with basketball sized rocks that are half buried and not gonna move if hit. It's a trail that I enjoy, he doesn't. Precision and a light touch are what get's you down this trail fast. When we are both on our own bikes I can drop him pretty much at will on this trail (there are other places he drops me, this trail just plays to my strength). On our descent with him on the e-Spark he was all over my back tire, I could NOT drop him. When we switched bikes I did not feel faster on the downhill, I felt a bit slower honestly, but not by much at all. The difference is he pedaled out of every corner, my 'game plan' on this trail is get through the corners quick, stay on line by hopping over the rocks in my line and build speed by pumping the backside of the rocks on my way by. Not really what a 50 lbs ebike does well.
What can't it do? It's not nimble and it flies like a penguin. I've never ridden moto, so I am not use to a bike with this kind of inertia. I have plenty of experience with DH bikes, but they don't feel like this. The Scott carries it's mass extremely low and centered on the bottom bracket and downtube... that should be good? Not in this case, not for me. For me, once in the air it went exactly where it was pointed before lift-off, there was no line manipulation in the air. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
The Scott suspension kinematics work great, for a bike with 120mm of travel, it felt deeper, It makes this bike extremely capable as a 'trail bike', good suspension and plus tires really makes for a capable ride. What it isn't is 'rewarding'. It made everything really, really EASY. A 'successful' climb for me involves making it to the top... yeah, I don't climb well. The thing is, when I do feel 'on', it feels great. Making a crux mid-climb or making a climb faster really, for me, is the most rewarding part of mountain biking. If you asked me what I like best, I'd say "descending"... but secretly, feeling like I 'got better' on a climb makes me feel the best about myself after a ride. It's what stays with me and makes me want to ride again tomorrow. This bike kind of took that away from me. Carving uphill berms at 17 mph is amazingly cool, sure, but that's not 'me', it's the motor. Another funny thing about the BOOST is- it doesn't work very well at low cadence hard pedaling. It works best when you spin a high cadence with very little effort. Adding 'human power' slows the bike down. It works best by riding it like a stationary bike at the gym, make the pedals go around and keep a quick tempo, don't try to pedal particularly hard (and don't let the cute girl catch you checking her out... even though that's the real reason you are on the stationary recumbent in the first place... 'cause this sure isn't exercise). If you let the cadence drop you loose the assist, pedaling harder doesn't add anything.
What would I want it for? This bike would be amazing for exploring new areas where I want to see everything but am not sure about which directions things ride best in. It just doesn't matter if you are going up a down or down an up (as long as the trails are not directional). You could get multiple days worth of riding into a single day. No climb would be boring (or intimidating).
What is this thing? Seriously, what the heck is it? It's fun. It's fast as hell. It is NOT a bicycle. It isn't. No one would ride this thing without the battery. Anyone who says they would is lying. Sure the pedals need to turn for the motor to work, but it encourages not pedaling hard and it's a freakin' motor. The pedals are the throttle, they aren't locomotion. It won't help get you fit, any more than having a workout routine that consists entirely of: 'don't sit on the couch eating ring dings' will get you fit. It's a nice start to getting active outdoors... but it is way more Segway than running shoe. I think a lot of these puppies are going to be purchased with great intentions- "I'm going to really do it this time, I'm going to ride this every weekend and really get in shape. You'll see!" The same way gym memberships works... except if you go to the gym, you get results. This is an electric rollercoaster. It's thrilling for a bit, but it's doing all of the hard work. Once the 'thrill' wears off, it's a slow electric motorcycle with pedals for a throttle. Would I want one? Yup, if money was absolutely not a consideration and I could have anything I desire, sure. Absolutely, yes. I think I'd find ways to use one. Would I own one instead of my bicycle? No way. My bike makes me feel weak and inept, not good enough, not worthy. Except every once in a while, when the stars align and I ate a healthy breakfast, I do something 'good' and my bike confirms I'm not all bad. That feels really good.
Should they 'Share the Trails'? I honestly do not know. They are very, very different from conventional bicycles. The speed uphill combined with the electric motor hum seems like a recipe for 'user conflict' to me. On my bike I can see and hear anything coming down toward me as I climb. On this I was going uphill as fast as I descend, so my focus was narrowed and my hearing was impaired a bit. I think there are ways to 'work around' this, but it would take a fair amount of work. New trail designs with longer sight lines, more directional trails, etc. Who should be responsible for all of this work? The same folks doing the trailwork now? That seems unfair. There is also a reason all of the parts on an eBike are 'eBike rated'- the tires, the wheels, chain, brakes, fork... there is a lot more force going through those parts. Does that automatically mean more trail damage? Nope. But it sure isn't going to have less impact. Will eBikers step-up and do their share of the hard work? Here in the USofA we are about to find out, I suppose.
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