Anyone had a good run on Haibike Sduro Trekking 1.0 or 3.0

I've just about worn out my regular hybrid as it's getting to the point where the chain will start to skip and that's when I usually end up in a heap on the floor.

I've been looking at electric bikes for months and I drew up lists and comparisons, and pros and cons. I've decided I would like a mid motor unit as they could offer the most bike like feeling and I wouldn't have to mess with what look like delicate little connectors for the in-wheel motors.

In the past I've gone from choppers to bmx and then race bikes. I had a custom road touring cycle (never rode it again after I ended up in hospital) and then moved to mtbs, starting with a no-suspension at all one and a few hardtail mtbs, and then onto hybrids, with and without front suspension. Currently I've got a pair of worn out Pinnacle Lithium's from Evans, and a broken higher geared Carrera hybrid, and my Tern D8 folding cycle.

I have no desire for a full suspension bike as it's mostly just commuting. I did consider the Tern electric bikes but they seem to start at £3400 and the rather nice Tern GSD R14 Performance CX is a mere £8200

I'm finding it harder to ride home as it's mostly uphill (lungs are shot and my knees have off days). I think I cycle maybe 6 miles each way, at an average of maybe 12mph going but only 7 coming home (I was passed by a jogger last week), so 15.5mph would be an improvement in both directions. The other week it was a bit windy and cold so I found myself on the lowest of the three chain rings on the big hill, rather than pushing on the slushy footpath. However, I don't want to stop cycling completely as it's the only exercise I get.

I keep coming back to Haibike SDURO Trekking 1.0 2020 for £1800, and the Haibike Sduro Trekking 3.0 2020 at £2349, as both of these are available in my size, at the moment. These are both fully equipped with mudguards, pannier rack and lights.

For the extra £550 it seems I'd get an extra 2 lower gear ratios with the Deore M6000 10 speed drivetrain. Both bikes come with the Bosch Intuvia display. The cheaper one uses the Bosch Active Plus 250W, 50 Nm motor, whilst the dearer one has Bosch Performance Line 250W 65 Nm motor. The big hill behind my house feels quite steep so the extra lower gears and extra torque could be handy.

Has anyone got anything to say about either of these two?

Has the cheaper one got the same drivetrain as the dearer one ? If so then I'd guess using the gears properly you'd be unlikely to notice much difference between the motor powers, just one may propel you up said hill slightly quicker but not necessarily easier.

Cabby said:

Has the cheaper one got the same drivetrain as the dearer one ? If so then I'd guess using the gears properly you'd be unlikely to notice much difference between the motor powers, just one may propel you up said hill slightly quicker but not necessarily easier.

Click to expand...

Cheaper one is an 8 speed Shimano Acera M360 with a rear sprocket SunRace CSM55 11 - 34 teeth, and a Haibike Components Aluminum 38 teeth front chain ring.

The dearer one has a 10 speed Shimano Deore M6000 shifter and mech (I can't spell derailleur) with a Shimano rear sprocket HG50 11 - 42 teeth, and a Steel 38 teeth chain ring.

I used to know how to calculate gear ratios with tyre sizes..

I'm probably the last person to give advice about buying lecky bikes on price as I spent 2 grand on one more than I wanted or needed to.

Cabby said:

I'm probably the last person to give advice about buying lecky bikes on price as I spent 2 grand on one more than I wanted or needed to.

Click to expand...

I've always bought my normal bikes at £500 or so. Pushing it to £600 on occasion so I was looking at £1000 as expensive, but they look a little cheap component wise. My bikes have always had a very hard life so no real point in buying too cheap, but not worth spending a fortune either ordinarily. I was building my list and getting dearer and dearer as I browsed and was trying to rationalise a electric Tern folding bike at £3600. This morning I was looking at a nice functional road bias hybrid for £3100, but I keep coming back to the same Haibikes.

I did buy a B7 tern folding bike but exchanged it very quickly for the D8 which has a slightly wider gear range for better climbing and a little faster downhill, so that's influencing me towards the dearer of the two.

I think I pedal at about 60 rpm, maybe a little less, but on the 28" wheels, 38x11 would be 17.55mph, whilst the 38x42 would be 4.58mph (on the dearer bike).

The cheaper bike has the same top ratio, but it's 1st gear is 38x34, which would be 5.7mph, at 60 rpm. This suggests I'd notice the difference coming back up that hill.

Funny how the dearer bike has the lowest ratio and also the higher torque assistance.

My wife has the Sduro Trekking 4.0 with the Yamaha motor and 29" wheels , whereas I have and Sduro Hard 4.0 (same motor and battery but a MTB with the 27.5" wheels)

The trekking cost a couple of hundred more and has lower spec front suspension and components but as a mainly road based bike it is definitely quicker and more comfortable.

Using the lowest eco mode my bike has at least 110 miles range, the wife uses standard or high boost all of the time and has about 48 miles range and flies up hills in top gear.

with my mtb on the road even with the lowest boost the smaller front chainwheel is to be honest totally superfluous

Oops just realised mine is a Sduro Hard 7.0

I have an SDuro HardSeven (27.5") 5.0 which I have had for around 6 months. Can't recall what gearing it's running but the website should be able to tell you for comparison, or I can check if you need. To be honest, the small chainring on the Sduro does it all for me. In low gears and with the assist on Std or High it will climb up ridiculously steep offroad trails. On the road the cutoff means that the smaller gears on the 10 speed cassette rarely get a look-in unless I'm on a bit of a downhill, in which case max pedalling results in 30-35mph. Point is, they geared the SDuro MTB right so I would assume they did a similar decent job on gearing the Trekking. I would not fixate on the front chainring with regards to your buying decision. If a single front ring can cope with extreme climbs and 30mph road conditions I am sure you won't have any issues within the narrower envelope that is road riding & commuting. You can always experiment with gearing sizes anyway, and I think you'd find on the larger chainring you'll just be running into that pesky 15.5mph limit all the time anyhow. Gearing isn't quite so critical on an ebike anyway given that your commute is only 6 miles and you can feel free to use however much assist you like.

I notice that the ones you're looking at are the battery mounted on frame models. The newer ones (Trekking 4 Uni is one such example) are the same price as the 3.0 you quote and have the Yamaha in-tube battery. I don't hear of many issues with the Yamaha motors on the Haibike groups I am in, only ever seems to be the Bosch but they are both very decent motors with plenty of go. The in-tube batteries are fiddlier to remove though if you tend to remove battery at your workplace and recharge. Given I can do 30-40 miles on max assist if I wanted, I think with your commute you could just charge every 2 or 3 days with battery still in/on the bike.

Thanks for the insights Neil W and fs996.

I like the look of the in frame batteries, but it would be living outside so I'd be looking at taking the battery off for security and charging. It would be outside under my shelter with a fairly big U,lock and ground anchor and I've never had anyone mess with my bikes, touch wood, but I think that it would be less appealing to steal with no battery?

Where I was looking didn't have the trekking 4.0 in my size anyway... that said, there are other places to look and not having space for a bottle may become an issue at a later date.. damn it,. more indecision..

If the bike's going to be stood outside in the weather with battery removed, which I agree makes it less desirable to the lowlife, then the in-tube setup is better because there are no contacts exposed and facing upwards. It's all shrouded inside the frame. The fiddly bit is that you have to remove the plastic cover, which is a bit of a knack until you get used to it, and if the weather is inclement that means getting your hands dirty as all the muck usually gets thrown up onto that battery cover slung under the frame. It's not a deal-breaker, just making you aware.

On the battery-in-tube models they use what's called the Modular Rail System where Haibike try to sell you vastly overpriced accessories. However with a few T-nuts and M5 bolts it's easy to customise. I have a regular bottle mounted on my downtube now and I also have a hardshell case there too with a few tools inside. Total cost about £15.

Btw I converted mine to tubeless, which was initially a bit of a faff but has absolutely paid off with zero punctures interrupting my rides in around 800 miles so far.

Lastly, frame sizes for Haibike are on the large side. Don't be surprised if you try them and end up taking a frame a size down from your usual.

NeverRodeBefore said:

Thanks for the insights Neil W and fs996.

I like the look of the in frame batteries, but it would be living outside so I'd be looking at taking the battery off for security and charging. It would be outside under my shelter with a fairly big U,lock and ground anchor and I've never had anyone mess with my bikes, touch wood, but I think that it would be less appealing to steal with no battery?

Where I was looking didn't have the trekking 4.0 in my size anyway... that said, there are other places to look and not having space for a bottle may become an issue at a later date.. damn it,. more indecision..

Click to expand...

With Haibike at the moment it is a case of what you can actually get hold of as stocks are low and some dealers are saying they will not get anymore bikes until late summer, on my bike I have a bottle holder on the bars wth no issues

Neil W said:

With Haibike at the moment it is a case of what you can actually get hold of as stocks are low and some dealers are saying they will not get anymore bikes until late summer

Click to expand...

True. I was aiming for a HardNine (29") version or even a Full Seven, but our Cycle to Work scheme company had the SDuro 5.0 and a Trekking in, in my frame size, and that was it.

I just bought my wife a Raleigh Motus Tour e-bike. I have to confess to being a bit of a bike brand snob but on close inspection the Raleigh is really nicely made and well specced. For your commute the range isn’t an issue, and my wife’s bike has the hub gear; it’s only 7 speed but for he it’s enough as she won’t be doing over 15.5mph! And we don’t live in Switzerland so when she meets a hill the battery gets a bit of stick and that’s what it’s for after all.

I bought a Cannonade Tesoro Trekking e-bike last August, cost £3k but 24 months 0% helped soften that blow.I guess most of the "trekking" style bikes are similar, however the Bosch motor is brilliant, 29" wheels really roll over pockmarked roads and 10 speed rear cassette means you always have that extra gear when (if) you need it. Range is approx 50 miles leaving assistance on level 2 (never felt the need for greater help) and it rolls along happily, 20mph easily achieved and flat out I've seen 36mph! I would think for your needs any reasonable Trekking bike would be grand, good luck with whatever you can find, trying to buy one seems an uphill struggle at the moment! CheersJohn B4

fs996 said:

If the bike's going to be stood outside in the weather with battery removed, which I agree makes it less desirable to the lowlife, then the in-tube setup is better because there are no contacts exposed and facing upwards. It's all shrouded inside the frame. The fiddly bit is that you have to remove the plastic cover, which is a bit of a knack until you get used to it, and if the weather is inclement that means getting your hands dirty as all the muck usually gets thrown up onto that battery cover slung under the frame. It's not a deal-breaker, just making you aware.

On the battery-in-tube models they use what's called the Modular Rail System where Haibike try to sell you vastly overpriced accessories. However with a few T-nuts and M5 bolts it's easy to customise. I have a regular bottle mounted on my downtube now and I also have a hardshell case there too with a few tools inside. Total cost about £15.

Btw I converted mine to tubeless, which was initially a bit of a faff but has absolutely paid off with zero punctures interrupting my rides in around 800 miles so far.

Lastly, frame sizes for Haibike are on the large side. Don't be surprised if you try them and end up taking a frame a size down from your usual.

Click to expand...

More valid insights...

I had a look online and Bosch do a rubber plug which will cover the pins when they are exposed, so for a few quid I'd be happy with a couple of those. I think the battery on the frame is probably easier to remove on a very regular basis (even though I do like the sleeker lines of the in frame battery bikes)

I've been using a trunkbag for many years now on my rear rack (which is 'fused' to the frame) and that's on it's way out too (zips barely work) so I fancy some waterproof panniers as the trekkings have fitted racks.

I've read others saying they needed to change sizes downwards and quite honestly that is an issue. I don't fancy doing a return post because it's mail order. I have relatively long arms and legs, and according to Pure electrics website (who don't have the bike I think I want, I'd be just under the middle size of large. I used to take large bikes but my last couple of hybrids were mediums from Evans. On Evans size scale I'm only just a large?)

More indecision...

I had gone off the idea of the Sduro trekking 4.0 as it has mtb sized wheels and it's listed at £2549 and the Sduro trekking 3.0 is £2349. However, I think I've found a haibike dealer not too far from me that lists the 4.0 in a sale at £2400 and if it is in stock I'd be able to actually try it for size, but I'd feel bad going to the shop, just to gauge the size of the frames?

Especially as I still think the 3.0 would be the better fit for my intended usage... Also, I think my preferred Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 tyres will fit, and I have a new pair that I bought just before winter

I think I might just sleep on it again...

NeverRodeBefore said:

More valid insights...

I had a look online and Bosch do a rubber plug which will cover the pins when they are exposed, so for a few quid I'd be happy with a couple of those. I think the battery on the frame is probably easier to remove on a very regular basis (even though I do like the sleeker lines of the in frame battery bikes)

I've been using a trunkbag for many years now on my rear rack (which is 'fused' to the frame) and that's on it's way out too (zips barely work) so I fancy some waterproof panniers as the trekkings have fitted racks.

I've read others saying they needed to change sizes downwards and quite honestly that is an issue. I don't fancy doing a return post because it's mail order. I have relatively long arms and legs, and according to Pure electrics website (who don't have the bike I think I want, I'd be just under the middle size of large. I used to take large bikes but my last couple of hybrids were mediums from Evans. On Evans size scale I'm only just a large?)

More indecision...

I had gone off the idea of the Sduro trekking 4.0 as it has mtb sized wheels and it's listed at £2549 and the Sduro trekking 3.0 is £2349. However, I think I've found a haibike dealer not too far from me that lists the 4.0 in a sale at £2400 and if it is in stock I'd be able to actually try it for size, but I'd feel bad going to the shop, just to gauge the size of the frames?

Especially as I still think the 3.0 would be the better fit for my intended usage... Also, I think my preferred Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 tyres will fit, and I have a new pair that I bought just before winter

I think I might just sleep on it again...

Click to expand...

How tall or you? I'm 5'10 ish and the large is fine but on the large side, I could have fitted a medium comfortably.

Greenman14 said:

I just bought my wife a Raleigh Motus Tour e-bike. I have to confess to being a bit of a bike brand snob but on close inspection the Raleigh is really nicely made and well specced. For your commute the range isn’t an issue, and my wife’s bike has the hub gear; it’s only 7 speed but for he it’s enough as she won’t be doing over 15.5mph! And we don’t live in Switzerland so when she meets a hill the battery gets a bit of stick and that’s what it’s for after all.

Click to expand...

I'm no brand snob, but I don't do the cheaper stuff from brands I've never heard of. My very first (no suspension) mountain bike was a Raleigh. Before, and since that one I'd ridden Dawes racing bikes, one of which was redone with braze on mounts for cantilever brakes (like mtbs used to have) for the extra stopping power over my caliper brakes, given the full set of brazed on luggage lugs and carradice panniers. However all the stopping power in the world won't help when a car turns into a traffic gap which happens to be where I was. It was fixed (I'd been knocked down just a few yards from the cycle shop that had built it for me) but I never really rode it again as that's when I switched to mtb or hybrids.

My best mountain bike was a bright red specialized rockhopper many years ago which got stolen. It had to live outside rather more exposed than usual and they managed to even take the locks and cable. It was 'waiting repair' so I was more concerned about loosing those locks.

I didn't like the look of the handlebars on the Motus as I prefer a straighter bar, but the Nexus 7 speed was tempting. However that made me look at bikes with the Gates carbon belt drive and my budget was being well and truly stretched.

I have a 52cm 2018 Haibike sDuro Trekking 7.0 with a pathetic 800 miles on the clock. It’s great but I’m selling it because I don’t use it.

Maybe that could work for you -depending on geography...

fs996 said:

How tall or you? I'm 5'10 ish and the large is fine but on the large side, I could have fitted a medium comfortably.

Click to expand...

I measured myself at work the other day, so wearing safety shoes, I was 179cm or 5'10 1/2". My inside leg (wearing slippers) this evening was 82cm and my arm length is about 63cm. According to Pure electric bike size guide, that makes my arms and legs a little longer than average.

Whilst I was measuring myself at work, the lady in the next office asked me to weigh myself out of curiosity, I came in at 74kg with my keys, phone, diary and the safety shoes on (composite toes though) which gives me a BMI of 23. My green zone according to the NHS is 18.5 to 25. Perhaps I need to stop having a portion of trifle and a piece of cake after my tea?