Amflow eMtb - Anyone got one?
Discussion
Im currently on the hunt for an eMtb (n+1 !) and since starting my search, my YouTube etc have all been flooded with the Amflow PR and PX reviews.
I must admit, it looks to be a great bit of kit to me, and dare I say it good value compared to equivalent from other brands such as Santa Cruz (also being considered). I currently own a Hightower so would like to buy something a bit more different than a similar E-Santa Cruz.
Anyone here own one, had a go on one and happy to share any thoughts? My local bike shop has a couple in stock so going to have a look at sizing etc tomorrow.
I must admit, it looks to be a great bit of kit to me, and dare I say it good value compared to equivalent from other brands such as Santa Cruz (also being considered). I currently own a Hightower so would like to buy something a bit more different than a similar E-Santa Cruz.
Anyone here own one, had a go on one and happy to share any thoughts? My local bike shop has a couple in stock so going to have a look at sizing etc tomorrow.
No, but I'm on the cusp of ordering a PR Carbon Pro. I've consumed a whole load of reviews and other eMTB content and the Amflow PR is basically cleaning up the bottom half of the market, punching way beyond its price point. For me the extra bits you get with the Pro are worth it, but even the base model is a beast.
I think delivery would realistically be September and that's annoying, but otherwise it's hard to see a downside! Haven't had a go on one, but the motor output is wild. 150 Nm is more than a lot of motorbikes and even some little cars. I know it's not quite as simple as that, but even so it's still nuts.
I think delivery would realistically be September and that's annoying, but otherwise it's hard to see a downside! Haven't had a go on one, but the motor output is wild. 150 Nm is more than a lot of motorbikes and even some little cars. I know it's not quite as simple as that, but even so it's still nuts.
^ Agreed, still expensive but almost looks good VFM!
David87 said:
No, but I'm on the cusp of ordering a PR Carbon Pro. I've consumed a whole load of reviews and other eMTB content and the Amflow PR is basically cleaning up the bottom half of the market, punching way beyond its price point. For me the extra bits you get with the Pro are worth it, but even the base model is a beast.
I think delivery would realistically be September and that's annoying, but otherwise it's hard to see a downside! Haven't had a go on one, but the motor output is wild. 150 Nm is more than a lot of motorbikes and even some little cars. I know it's not quite as simple as that, but even so it's still nuts.
Yeah, I went in yesterday and came away very impressed. I'm between the PR Pro and the PX Non-Pro.. Its very similar size to my hightower so would be a Large for me. Got a week to think about it until my C2W window opens.I think delivery would realistically be September and that's annoying, but otherwise it's hard to see a downside! Haven't had a go on one, but the motor output is wild. 150 Nm is more than a lot of motorbikes and even some little cars. I know it's not quite as simple as that, but even so it's still nuts.
nordboy said:
That Amflow PR looks like it's a hell of a lot of bike for the money (I think that's the £3999 model?)
If i was chopping in my Haibike, that's what I'd be buying, regardless of how it rode
Regardless of how it rode? Really?If i was chopping in my Haibike, that's what I'd be buying, regardless of how it rode
That statement shows up everything that is wrong about the direction of EBike development. You’ll not find many people in the Cycle industry that thinks it’s a great direction. I’ve had discussions with shops about the wear rates on transmission now. One shop told me about a customer going through a cassette every other month.
The fundamentals of any MTB whether it has a motor or not is frame geometry, fit, handling, quality of suspension, quality of wheels, brakes, gears, tyres and then finishing kit. The quality of the motor power delivery would fit in the middle of that lot. The power of the motor is irrelevant unless your a fat slob who wants to smash up climbs at 15mph. But that’s not MTB heaven is it?
HenryV1415 said:
nordboy said:
That Amflow PR looks like it's a hell of a lot of bike for the money (I think that's the £3999 model?)
If i was chopping in my Haibike, that's what I'd be buying, regardless of how it rode
Regardless of how it rode? Really?If i was chopping in my Haibike, that's what I'd be buying, regardless of how it rode
That statement shows up everything that is wrong about the direction of EBike development. You ll not find many people in the Cycle industry that thinks it s a great direction. I ve had discussions with shops about the wear rates on transmission now. One shop told me about a customer going through a cassette every other month.
The fundamentals of any MTB whether it has a motor or not is frame geometry, fit, handling, quality of suspension, quality of wheels, brakes, gears, tyres and then finishing kit. The quality of the motor power delivery would fit in the middle of that lot. The power of the motor is irrelevant unless your a fat slob who wants to smash up climbs at 15mph. But that s not MTB heaven is it?
te compared to what's available these days. Still totally outperforms me.It's maybe a type of riding that doesn't compute with you, but imo that's some of the problem, and has been for a while with pure MTB 'snobs' who look down on those of us who just need to get out, enjoy their rides, do some exercise. Not needing to 'smash' the downhills, and jumps. Who gives a s
t if customers are going through a cassette every other month, keeps the LBS in business? And they sure need it at the moment.Having people dictate what you should be riding and spending is far more of a negative direction of MTB's if you ask me. Just my opinion of course, and we all know what they say about opinions....
I was pondering with a mate about the price of other manufacturers ebikes now Amflow have released that £4k model - days later (with a discount voucher) you could get a base spec Santa Cruz Vala for a few quid over £4k (I've demoed the carbon Vala and it was a superb bike - absolutely awesome). I think there are wider pros to the Amflow though like removable battery - a big plus if you're away for a weekend and can easily remove the battery to charge in a hotel room etc.
I suspect I'll be in the market later this year and I'll need a good look at the Amflow but in terms of local bike shop support for potential battery/motor problems, a Santa Cruz would be a better option for me if they were the same price.
I suspect I'll be in the market later this year and I'll need a good look at the Amflow but in terms of local bike shop support for potential battery/motor problems, a Santa Cruz would be a better option for me if they were the same price.
The 4k PR is not released anywhere in the UK until July, so pre-orders only everywhere at the moment. I've had a go on the PL, and its scary fast in boost mode, not sure how long the battery will last like that though. As a caveat to this, I do work in a shop that sells them, and they are selling quickly, but i'm not really a mountain biker,
Meridianmet said:
and its scary fast in boost mode
I demoed the Vala at Golfie which on a normal bike is a good 40 minute drag to the top probably. On the Vala it was half that in whatever the normal mode was (think I had two more modes to go to get more power) and felt like it took barely any energy - how much faster do you need to go up hills and what effect is that going to have on the trails we ride?I was all set to order the £4K Amflow but was put off a bit by my LBS who mentioned that they can be a nightmare with anything warranty related.
They’re an Amflow dealer so it doesn’t do them any favours in advising against one.
In the end I went for a Trek Rail with the Bosch Gen5 motor.
Mines had the software update so will now offer 100Nm but I’ve not set it up yet. I honestly can’t see why you’d need more than the 85Nm it cuff belt offers, never mind the 150Nm the Amflow offers.
They’re an Amflow dealer so it doesn’t do them any favours in advising against one.
In the end I went for a Trek Rail with the Bosch Gen5 motor.
Mines had the software update so will now offer 100Nm but I’ve not set it up yet. I honestly can’t see why you’d need more than the 85Nm it cuff belt offers, never mind the 150Nm the Amflow offers.
I've got a PL which I've had for just under a year.
I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
random_username said:
I've got a PL which I've had for just under a year.
I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
That’s great information, thanks for your input!I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
I may be missing something, but surely buying one of these is pointless as most UK trails and parks only allow 250w bikes to be used?
(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
Edited by Mont Blanc on Wednesday 29th April 21:20
Mont Blanc said:
I may be missing something, but surely buying one of these is pointless as most UK trails and parks only allow 250w bikes to be used?
(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
As far as I am aware, the 250W thing is continuous power, rather than peak power, for which there is no limit. The bigger hindrance when riding is the 15mph limit - the more powerful the bike, the quicker you hit the limit and the harder it feels (think of a Nissan Micra having a 60mph hard cut speed limiter vs. a Tesla)(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
Edited by Mont Blanc on Wednesday 29th April 21:20
s2000db said:
random_username said:
I've got a PL which I've had for just under a year.
I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
That s great information, thanks for your input!I really rate it - I ride with people who have a mix of Bosch / Yamaha / Shimano powered ebikes, and the drive system is next-gen compared, not just in terms of outright power but in how the power is delivered and the level of control and customisation you have over it, along with the intuitiveness of the controls/screen etc. I think it rides really well too, it hides it's weight when you are moving decently, suspension is plush and it's nice to ride.
If anything, it's *too* powerful - especially out of the box it feels way over assisted, but you can customise the modes to reduce the assist and turn the max power out in each mode to tone it down a bit. I can't think of any time where I have needed full power/boost mode as it's total overkill - it will lift the front wheel and spit you off the back on a hill unless you have nearly all of your weight over the front. With the UK 15MPH limit it's also pretty useless as you hit the limit *very* quickly.
It's not perfect though - the onboard GPS is next to useless (tracks are way off) as is things like the elevation. If you use the higher power modes it will chew through battery, but if you keep it in the sensible modes it's pretty good - last weekends ride was ~30 miles with ~1000M of climbing in the Chilterns, ridden mainly in "auto" mode which I have the power limited to 85Nm max and still a reasonable amount of leg power required. Average moving speed was 13.6mph and I finished with just over 40% battery left. My buddy on a Yamaha powered bike with a slightly smaller battery (720Wh vs 800Wh) was down into the 20s (but he's a bit bigger than me). Chains etc become consumables due to the power levels - I've retrofitted SRAM AXS with the cable to run it from the main battery - even though the motor reduces power when shifting I still snapped a chain at the weekend.
I've not had any warranty issues - I spoke to one dealer before I bought who said they seem to be pretty trouble free, certainly better than some of the other brands. Amflow support are pretty active on the eMTB forums as well. I've dropped the motor and everything seems well engineered and thought out in terms of battery connections, mounting plates etc
For £3999 I can really see them shaking the market up - it's pretty much the same RRP as the cheapest Trek Powerfly FS, which has a much more dated Bosch system, Alu frame, worse components etc and is probably a fair bit heavier.
justin220 said:
Agreed, thanks for posting. I am waiting on my C2W portal to open but pretty sure I'll be ordering. A few biking mates are worrying me with the 'warranty issues' so swithering whether to just stick to a more mainstream brand
If you have concerns, I'd find a local shop that's in your C2W scheme and order via them - at leas you have someone to talk to. Maybe have a chat to them beforehand as well. From what I can tell with ebikes, nearly all of them have their issues - Shimano, Fazua, Bosch etc have well known motor issues, and nearly all of them require you (or the shop) to send the motor back if it breaks. Some will do an immediate swap out (I think Shimano and Specialized are pretty good for this), others you have to wait.If you have a look at the emtb forums, there have been very few (if any) people saying they've broken something in the motor. One or two with things like the handlebar shifters, or they have dunked it and it's stopped working, but I cannot recall any major motor issues, and they would have started to surface by now - normally with any issues people immediately post on a forum and start ranting.
https://www.emtbforums.com/forums/amflow.135/
https://www.emtbforums.com/forums/avinox.136/
random_username said:
Mont Blanc said:
I may be missing something, but surely buying one of these is pointless as most UK trails and parks only allow 250w bikes to be used?
(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
As far as I am aware, the 250W thing is continuous power, rather than peak power, for which there is no limit. The bigger hindrance when riding is the 15mph limit - the more powerful the bike, the quicker you hit the limit and the harder it feels (think of a Nissan Micra having a 60mph hard cut speed limiter vs. a Tesla)(Obviously goes without saying it can't be used on any roads either if derestricted)
Edited to add: I'm asking as I understand that if you buy one in the UK they come locked to 250w, and therefore why are these bikes so popular over other 250w bikes, especially given the price of them?
Edited by Mont Blanc on Wednesday 29th April 21:20
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