My new frame and parts finally turned up and all put together, well worth the 5 month wait:

nomiss7:

My new frame and parts finally turned up and all put together, well worth the 5 month wait:

 

Being able to run lower pressures with tubeless seems odd to me.  For autocrossing cars we would specifically put tubes in to allow lower pressures to be run (12-15 psi).  Meant that when we leaned on the sidewall under hard cornering and briefly de-beaded the tyre it wouldn't immediately go flat (or slowly due to dirt stuck in the bead).

So it appears to be somehow, completely opposite.  And yet you frequently see people burping their tubeless tyres on hard cornering.

I'm definitely running lower pressures than we used to in the 90's.  Down from the rock hard high 40's we all used to run to the current mid to high 20's.  For my weight and tyre combo 23/25 are the recommended pressures and after a solid 2 years of thrashing them, never had any grip issues.  So, yep, definitely many variables and preferences.  None of which are "wrong", just different for different people and use cases.  :-)

geoffwnz:

 

Being able to run lower pressures with tubeless seems odd to me.  For autocrossing cars we would specifically put tubes in to allow lower pressures to be run (12-15 psi). 

 

Pinch flats are probably non existent in any kind of motorsport. MotoX and car tyres in general are so much more robust than pushbikes. The example I guess is to run a tubed push bike tyre at 20psi down a rocky trail and see what happens. Riders did and maybe still do avoid pinch flats but obviously with no tube it's no longer an issue. 

I'd say probably 50% of my flats would have been pinch flats rather than something actually piercing the tyre and causing the puncture that way. 

I went tubeless (an ebike) because it was "better" but because I don't use my bike all that often they would go flat, lose the bead around the tyre and be very hard to pump back up.  Went back to tubes and added the slime which I have used before and save me from the only puncture I've had.  

mudguard:

 

geoffwnz:

 

Being able to run lower pressures with tubeless seems odd to me.  For autocrossing cars we would specifically put tubes in to allow lower pressures to be run (12-15 psi). 

 

 

Pinch flats are probably non existent in any kind of motorsport. MotoX and car tyres in general are so much more robust than pushbikes. The example I guess is to run a tubed push bike tyre at 20psi down a rocky trail and see what happens. Riders did and maybe still do avoid pinch flats but obviously with no tube it's no longer an issue. 

 

I'd say probably 50% of my flats would have been pinch flats rather than something actually piercing the tyre and causing the puncture that way. 

 

That makes sense.  The motorsport tubes is to deal with de-beading under corner load.  Still won't deal with a screw in the tyre (my last motorsport puncture at a gravel hillclimb).

I like my rims to stay off the rocks, so I might run just a little bit more than 20 psi.  ;-)

rp1790:

 

I went tubeless (an ebike) because it was "better" but because I don't use my bike all that often they would go flat, lose the bead around the tyre and be very hard to pump back up.  Went back to tubes and added the slime which I have used before and save me from the only puncture I've had.  

 

I also use Double Down casings (which are thick, heavy and tough - designed for DH racing) and I am yet to really experience any issues. 
I weigh 95kgs and my Enduro rig is about as heavy as a motorbike, so I run 32 PSI in the rear and 30 in the front. 
Sticky, soft rubber helps to alleviate the issues you'd normally get from the higher pressures and compliance isn't an issue as I have 170mm of travel at each end anyway. 

Handsomedan:

 

I also use Double Down casings (which are thick, heavy and tough - designed for DH racing) and I am yet to really experience any issues. 
I weigh 95kgs and my Enduro rig is about as heavy as a motorbike, so I run 32 PSI in the rear and 30 in the front. 
Sticky, soft rubber helps to alleviate the issues you'd normally get from the higher pressures and compliance isn't an issue as I have 170mm of travel at each end anyway. 

 

As I said it's not life changing. But it's useful. Rotating weight is a nice bonus and dropping pressure and casing toughness is useful too. I put in about 60ml of sealant, so that's lighter than tubes. 

I guess another way to look at it is you might go from DD to EXO+ and 5 psi less. Maybe more grip, no flats, and a more supple tyre.

I have Maxxis DH tyres on a wheelset I use if I'm not going to pedal and they feel like run flats. Everything else I think I'm on an EXO+ equivalent (using Michelin and Specialized at the mo). 

DH/DD/EXO+ then EXO is the hierarchy for Maxxis I think. 

Again, it's messy, annoying to setup, more work to maintain, but for me it's useful. I'll have to look up and see what the wheelset on my main bike weighs, but anything to improve rotating weight, you will feel in the legs. 

My wheels are 4430g ridden  (29er, 30mm internal, 2.6/2.4 wide, 220/200mm rotor, 12 speed cassette and sealant).

Originally it was 5369g. I need to find a 29er tube weight! Actually the wheels originally came with tubes so will have been close to 6kg. 

mudguard:

 

 

 

DH/DD/EXO+ then EXO is the hierarchy for Maxxis I think. 

 

 

 

I think that roughly equates to (very generalised) usage, too: DH/Enduro/Trail/XC

nomiss7:

 

My new frame and parts finally turned up and all put together, well worth the 5 month wait:

 

 

 

 

Man that looks like a weapon.

Apart from riding to church, what is a bike like this best suited / used for?

elpenguino:

 

nomiss7:

 

My new frame and parts finally turned up and all put together, well worth the 5 month wait:

 

 

 

 

 

Man that looks like a weapon.

 

Apart from riding to church, what is a bike like this best suited / used for?

 

It's pretty aero with those wheels on, so probably best suited to a fast flat or rolling road race. Change out to some shallower wheels and most hills shouldn't be an issue either.

Also very good for riding to Sumner beach for a coffee 😁

Took one of these out for a test ride the other day: 

It's a 2023 model (new old stock for 2024) Merida eOne-Sixty 700. 
It's pretty well-specced and compared to an equivalent Giant, Specialized, Trek or similar, it's incredible value (now down from $10k+ to $6.6k)

I've never ridden an eBike before and it left a massive grin on my face! 
I'm potentially in the market in a couple of weeks (finances dependent) and this is top of my list after some extensive research. 

The Shimano rep had just been in before I test rode the bike and had derestricted the motor to allow for a max speed of 45km/h (normally tops out at 32km/h). On the flat, I easily achieved that (still putting in a fair bit of effort, but I wouldn't have gotten over 20km/h without the motor). 

To say I am 100% sold on this thing would be an understatement. 
Surprisingly, the geo and size of the bike is quite different in person to what it appears in pictures. It's longer, lower and slacker in person. It's way bigger, too. I expected to be cramped on a medium, at 5'10" based on the pics. It was a perfect fit. 

This also has some really nifty little features, too - it comes with pre-wired lights (assumedly for commuting to and from trails, as this is a serious off-road machine) and a small multitool stashed under the saddle in a built-in snap-shut case. 

It's running Bomber Z1 forks at 160mm and a Fox DPX rear shock giving 150mm rear travel. 
It has DD tacky compound tyres from Maxxis and XT/SLX componentry throughout.  
This one is running the new Shimano EP6 motor, too, which offers all the benefits of the EP801, with a slight weight penalty of 300g (it's an Enduro eBike - who is counting grams?). Last year's model ran the older EP8 motor, which wasn't as tunable. 

I really hope the bonus comes through in three week's time...

Yea haha. Once you ride one, you'll wonder why you didn't buy one sooner. You can see why EMTB's are outselling regular MTB's all over the world 

JPNZ:

 

Yea haha. Once you ride one, you'll wonder why you didn't buy one sooner.

 

An issue is you can't fly with them. Maybe not an issue for everyone, but I live in Auckland, but ride in Nelson and Queenstown several times a year. 

JPNZ:

 

You can see why EMTB's are outselling regular MTB's all over the world 

 

I would say this because it's attracting a demographic that can afford them. IE with minimal stereotyping, an e-bike (mountain bike) allows someone who previously was not able to participate to get out on trails. Now whether this is a good or a bad thing is still a furious debate. 

You're average 16 year old isn't buying these.

I still think there are some things to keep an eye out. Drivetrain spec no longer matters, an e-bike will wear through high end stuff like no one's business. Manufacturers are aware of this and slowly changing, but you simply don't need the same range or light weight. 

Motors and batteries. These are the bulk of the cost, and bike companies being bike companies, there is no guarantee of replacement if something goes wrong in 3-4 years. Then you're left with a very heavy push bike.