LONGTERM RIDES

The latest on our team bikes – where we’ve ridden, what we’ve changed and what we’re looking forward to with lockdown now easing

The e-bike’s been a lockdown lifesaver for JCW

For the past few months, I’ve been alternating between riding my trusty Orange Clockwork 100 hardtail, to keep my fitness up, try to tire my kids out (emphasis on the word ‘try’) and avoid the temptation to tackle anything too gnarly under lockdown, and the Merida, to cover more ground on my own and make the world feel a little less closed-in. This has really put the pros and cons of each of them into perspective.

The eOne-Sixty feels like a lot of bike in comparison to the hardtail, but as soon as it’s pointed downhill the plush, well-balanced suspension and stabilising effect of the extra weight mean it eats up everything in its path. Climbs are a breeze as long as they aren’t too technical or steep (more on that below), and Boost mode really gets you flying along flatter sections of lumpy forest track. I’ve been impressed by the Shimano SLX four-pot brakes too, which bring this beast to a halt quick-sharp. It’s brilliant for my solo rides, with the only trouble coming when there are obstacles to negotiate. I can chuck my hardtail over a fallen tree without a second thought, but on the e-bike it’s back-breaking work, and I’ve found myself taking progressively longer detours to avoid trails that are prone to storm damage.

What seems like eons ago, in the hazy period BC (before coronavirus),

I fitted a wider bar. It’s had exactly the effect I’d hoped for, making the eOne-Sixty feel a little bigger and adding some extra steering leverage. I’ve also now removed all the spacers from under the stem, to lower the bar height. The Merida’s tall front end (my XL has a 665mm stack height, compared to 647mm on the equivalent Specialized Turbo Levo) puts you in a commanding position on the descents but makes it harder to weight the front wheel on climbs, and I’d been struggling to make it up steeper, rougher pitches without starting to loop out or being knocked off-line. Ditching the spacers has helped, along with sliding the saddle forward a couple of centimetres.

I’ve also removed the multi-tool hidden under the saddle, because it didn’t include a chain tool and was getting rusty from all the rear-wheel spray (the mudguard ziptied to the seatstay bridge isn’t very effective), and fitted one of Syncros’s latest integrated cage/tool/pump set-ups instead. Once an XD driver arrives for the Fulcrum rear wheel, I’ll be fitting SRAM’s new GX Eagle transmission to test how it stands up to e-bike use. www.merida-bikes.com