Hello guys,
Long intro
My background is mostly some mild road biking, so I am new to MTB parts, especially suspension. I'm defiantly not a competitive rider, don't care about being the fastest, catching air or doing tricks, I just like to ride with friends, get some exercise and have some fun.
Our last ride was 40km with +/- 1,5km of elevation, mostly in woods, some single tracks and a few steep climbs/descents on different terrain (dirt, gravel, but big rock and root gardens as well).
Why Ebike?
I'm just not fit enough to climb a hill with a bike and enjoy it. Thanks the motor I'm now doing trails that I would not have attempted before. I enjoy building things myself, so when I found a good deal on a gently/slightly used 2016 Lapierre Froggy 26 (specs) I bought it and added the motor/battery myself.
It is a heavy bike, strong frame with long suspension travel (triple forks) and big brakes, so it is quite suited to turn into an ebike. It is stable, confortable and gives me a lot of confidence. It's downsides (heavy, hard to pedal uphill) are countered with the motor. Because of the slack geometry and triple fork it is hard to take a U-turn though when I miss the GPS instructions, but that hasn't been too much of an issue.
Situation now
For commuting to work I would like to build a speed pedelec ebike with a specific ebike frame (Qulbix for example). I would like to use a donor bike for the other parts (suspension (front, rear), wheels, brakes, handle bars, ..). The parts from my Lapierre would fit perfectly, but I like the bike so I am looking for another deal on a suitable donor bike (right size wheels, rear suspension, big brakes, triple fork). So far no luck, but I did run into a good deal on a nice bike. Unfortunately it does not have the right size rear suspension, so that leaves me a few options.
- Keep on looking. This may take a while or be more expensive.
- Buy that bike for the parts that I can use, and buy a suitable rear suspension separately. Easy, but extra cost.
- Buy that bike for the parts that I can use, and buy a suitable rear suspension separately. Switch the forks with my Lapierre as they seem lighter/better. Extra cost and work.
- Mount my motor from the Lapierre to the other bike and use that one as eMTB. Use the parts of the Lapierre for the commuter build. More work.
Actual questions (finally!)
See specificatons below
- In general: Which would you consider to be the better bike?
- For my riding: Which would you consider to be the better suited bike?
- Can the Transition frame still keep up the more recent Lapierre (geometry, ..)?
2016 Lapierre Froggy 26
www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk
- Rockshox domain dual crown 180mm
- Formula T1S 203mm brakes
- Sram X7 10-Speed
- Alex - Formula wheels
2011 Transition Blindside (parts are more recent and in good condition!)
- RockShox Boxxer World Cup (air)
- Hope V2 Floating brakes and steel lines (200 or 203mm)
- Sram X0 9-speed
- 26" Easton Havoc wheels
Thank you so much for your advice/suggestions/opinions.
Long intro
My background is mostly some mild road biking, so I am new to MTB parts, especially suspension. I'm defiantly not a competitive rider, don't care about being the fastest, catching air or doing tricks, I just like to ride with friends, get some exercise and have some fun.
Our last ride was 40km with +/- 1,5km of elevation, mostly in woods, some single tracks and a few steep climbs/descents on different terrain (dirt, gravel, but big rock and root gardens as well).
Why Ebike?
I'm just not fit enough to climb a hill with a bike and enjoy it. Thanks the motor I'm now doing trails that I would not have attempted before. I enjoy building things myself, so when I found a good deal on a gently/slightly used 2016 Lapierre Froggy 26 (specs) I bought it and added the motor/battery myself.
It is a heavy bike, strong frame with long suspension travel (triple forks) and big brakes, so it is quite suited to turn into an ebike. It is stable, confortable and gives me a lot of confidence. It's downsides (heavy, hard to pedal uphill) are countered with the motor. Because of the slack geometry and triple fork it is hard to take a U-turn though when I miss the GPS instructions, but that hasn't been too much of an issue.
Situation now
For commuting to work I would like to build a speed pedelec ebike with a specific ebike frame (Qulbix for example). I would like to use a donor bike for the other parts (suspension (front, rear), wheels, brakes, handle bars, ..). The parts from my Lapierre would fit perfectly, but I like the bike so I am looking for another deal on a suitable donor bike (right size wheels, rear suspension, big brakes, triple fork). So far no luck, but I did run into a good deal on a nice bike. Unfortunately it does not have the right size rear suspension, so that leaves me a few options.
- Keep on looking. This may take a while or be more expensive.
- Buy that bike for the parts that I can use, and buy a suitable rear suspension separately. Easy, but extra cost.
- Buy that bike for the parts that I can use, and buy a suitable rear suspension separately. Switch the forks with my Lapierre as they seem lighter/better. Extra cost and work.
- Mount my motor from the Lapierre to the other bike and use that one as eMTB. Use the parts of the Lapierre for the commuter build. More work.
Actual questions (finally!)
See specificatons below
- In general: Which would you consider to be the better bike?
- For my riding: Which would you consider to be the better suited bike?
- Can the Transition frame still keep up the more recent Lapierre (geometry, ..)?
2016 Lapierre Froggy 26
Bikes | Lapierre UK
From electric to mountain and road, our selection of bikes has something for everyone. View the range here - free delivery & 0% finance.
- Formula T1S 203mm brakes
- Sram X7 10-Speed
- Alex - Formula wheels
2011 Transition Blindside (parts are more recent and in good condition!)
- RockShox Boxxer World Cup (air)
- Hope V2 Floating brakes and steel lines (200 or 203mm)
- Sram X0 9-speed
- 26" Easton Havoc wheels
Thank you so much for your advice/suggestions/opinions.
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