Sceptical aging Mountain Biker of 35 years FINALLY takes the plunge on an Ebike after sooooo many years of slogging it out.
I wandered into the Bristol Trek store in a daze in the early spring having read multiple online reviews of what sort of Ebike I needed and completely open minded about spec and budget. I ended up at a Trek store on the basis I wanted to return to brand that I knew had solid R&D budgets and good local support. I was in that cohort that bought a Trek 9800 OCLV gen in 1992!!
Anyway, I walked in and Jon the store manager asked if I needed any help. I explained where I was at and even though the model I was suggested was a colour I hated at the time he did an amazing job of suggesting I just ride it.
I did and was stoked already even though it was just on tarmac and down a few steps. Next up I borrowed it for a whole weekend and rode it in Wales where I was was truly blown away. Many FaceTime calls with other MTB sceptics as the top of the line 9.9 assisted me to the tops of Cwm Carn on many occasions!!
Pithy concerns over the colour soon evaporated as I realised this RRP £13.5k beast of an ebike was truly phenomenal.
So it was a yes to Jon when I got back with the bike and he and his team have been nothing but accommodating since. Be it adding extra bits to my Bike to Work scheme so I can update the other bikes I ride or just helping with silly first world problems with tubeless tyres, including the other day where I had foolishly forgotten I’d put a tube in a tubeless tyre leading to an small explosion in the store I was amazed I wasnt escorted out at that point.
Product, service, brand have all aligned but what has shone through is how supportive the team are of newbie Ebike people like me and I’m an old MTB dog!!
A huge thanks to Jon and the team, it’s been a stand out brand moment for me this year and I work in brand/lifestyle/retail which makes me even more cynical.