u/emeff-gee

Which is your favorite for exploring trails?

Which is your favorite app for finding trails?

I'm 5'9 160lbs on a good day, my partner is 5'4 130lbs. Looking to buy 2 well-rounded eMTBs.
We mostly ride scenic dirt trails with climbs/ descents.

We want to occasionally hit bike parks but we're not into big jumps, drops or super aggressive riding that might get us hurt.
I'm leaning hardtail because of the lighter weight, lower price and less maintanence and I like the idea of sticking to reputable brands (Trek, Specialized, Giant) but I'm open to all suggestions.

I originally wanted used, but the selection (especially for size Small) isn't great and prices don't seem worth it. Battery/motor longevity and discontinuation also worry me, which has me looking more at Bosch systems.

At this point I'm considering used, dealer pre-owned, or even older new stock like 2023/2024 models. Mainly wondering what bikes you guys would look at for this type of riding and whether buying a few years old is worth

I'm having second thoughts about buying an emtb. I'm looking at used pedal-assisted specialized, giant, or trek for me and my partner. We rented some giant pedal assisted bikes at Mammoth Lakes last year and loved it.

My goal has been to buy us bikes but after doing some research, I'm feeling very discouraged. All electronic batteries obviously have their own lifetime. I was reading that almost no batteries are backwards compatible. I was speaking to a representative at specialized and they told me that they usually keep the service window open for about 10 years. So a bike that's 10 years old most likely won't have a battery replacement and no new battery would fit. This essentially makes the bike useless. Who wants to ride a heavy E bike that isn't E powered anymore?

I understand that things aren't meant to last forever but for example if I buy a regular mtb and I take care of it, it might hold its value for the rest of it's life. I can still ride the same mtb 20 years + later if serviced properly. The value is in the continued use not it's financial worth.

So I ask as a newbie, to all the e-bike enthusiasts, what are your thoughts on the batteries? How do you justify buying an E bike? Do you just accept the fact that they're not meant to last forever and that you're paying for the use and the experience while it lasts? Is there a way to modify E bikes to fit a newer battery? Are e-bikes basically useless after the battery dies?