Softail EMTB versus Hardtail EMTB

Electric mountain bikes (EMTBs) may be the new darling of the wonderful world of ebikes. Ebikes are selling like hotcakes, with eager consumers setting sales records year after year. A significant segment of the record-setting sales comes from the rising interest in electric MTBs.

It’s not that consumers are just giddy over something relatively new. No, the rapidly growing sales of EMTBs is based on solid facts. In other words, there are some very valid reasons why you might choose an electric mountain bike as your “first-ever” ebike. There are also valid reasons why consumers might consider might decide to replace their conventional e-bike with an EMTB. And others will simply make room in their garage for one more ebike and purchase an EMTB.

Your Key Shopping Decision

Perhaps the Number 1 question for electric mountain bike shoppers is this — “What type of suspension to I want on my EMTB?” It is necessary to choose between hardtail and softail models, and yes, it does make a huge difference. Magicycle Inc. is releasing a new ebike early this year, and it is an electric mountain bike.

The Magicycle Design Team devoted a lot of time in research before finalizing a decision on suspension for the new EMTB. They had to answer the same questions that shoppers must answer…”What kind of suspension?” Their decision for this new Magicycle electric mountain bike is — you guessed it — softail! Softail, also known as full suspension — means that in addition to the front fork suspension for the front wheel, there is also an additional suspension for the rear wheel.

Known as the Magicycle Deer, this softail EMTB is as quick and nimble as any mountain deer. Magicycle has decided on a full suspension electric mountain bike, and you may want to do the same — here’s why:

Advantages of Full Suspension EMTBs

A full suspension softail EMTB is a better-equipped EMTB. Because that is true, it naturally follows that in most cases a similar hardtail ebike (front suspension only) is priced a little lower. For a lot of reasons, most e-bikers feel it is better to pay a little more and get the advantages of full suspension.

Better for New Riders

Shoppers who are new to e-biking in general, or new to trail riding, can feel confident about deciding in favor of a softail EMTB. A full suspension EMTB will “take care of you” while you are building your skills. That softail will provide you with far less jarring on the bumps, better traction, and more stability on the turns. If you find yourself in a less than ideal position on the trail, that might lead to trouble for a hardtail rider, but on a softail you may well get away with it.

The full suspension is a great improvement for absorbing the bumps. You’ll be more comfortable, and far less likely to have your feet bounced off the pedals.

Soft Landings are Nice!

The more you ride, the more your skills improve, and before you know it you may find yourself jumping your bike now and then. Or perhaps taking your full suspension mountain ebike over a dropoff that you would want to avoid on a hardtail. It’s very nice having a softail suspension to take the “sting” out of those landings. Again, this gives you more confidence as a rider, and after adequate time to gain experience, you may decide to try a more technical trail.

Enjoy Longer Off-Road Adventures

If you weren’t already aware, having read this far has clued you in to the fact that a full suspension EMTB absolutely does give you a more comfortable ride. The beating that your body absorbs from a hardtail EMTB is tiring, and that fatigue will grow to the point that you just do not want to ride any farther. On a hardtail, it is necessary to stand up more frequently to help absorb the bumps, and that is also more tiring. The comfort factor of a softail is very noticeable.

Do Your Joints a Favor

When you decide to go with a full suspension electric mountain bike, your joints immediately breathe a sigh of relief. The cushioning provided by full suspension is much less punishing for your feet, ankles, knees, back, shoulders, and neck. You can easily understand that riding without any rear suspension transfers a lot of shock energy to your body.

Got a Need for Speed?

For any rider interested in speed, full suspension EMTBs can be ridden faster than the hardtails. The extra suspension allows the rear wheel to do a better job of staying in contact with the dirt or gravel, giving you a more stable ride…even on the faster downhill sections of the trail. When you are riding at increased speeds and you hit a rock or tree root, you’ll be very glad that you made the decision to get a full suspension ride.

The huge increase in comfort, stability, and joint protection are reason enough to decide in favor of a full suspension EMTB. That’s why Magicycle is giving its new electric mountain bike, the Magicycle Deer, a full suspension.

The Magicycle Deer Full Suspension EMTB

Of course, every e-biker knows that comfort alone is not enough. It’s great to own a softail electric mountain bike, but only if its motor has the power and torque needed to handle the steep mountain trails. When you think about quick starts, cruising speed, and hill-climbing ability — all these are related to power. You want an electric mountain bike equipped with a strong motor, providing plenty of power. Those steep climbs where you catch the best views are no fun at all without a powerful high-torque motor. The Magicycle Deer comes equipped with a 1100 watt (peak) motor that will satisfy the demands of hill climbing, whether you ride in downtown San Francisco or a Rocky Mountain National Park trail.

1100 Watts at your Fingertips 

For easy, comfortable, relaxed riding, this mighty hub motor is an obvious choice. That choice is confirmed when you realize that hub motors are far more economical than mid-drive motors. The design of mid-drive motors requires a much larger number of moving parts. This naturally means more wear and tear, along with greater possibility of motor failure. Mid-drive motors are also more complex to install or replace, which adds to the expense. 

With 1100 watts of peak power, the Magicycle Deer’s hub motor is the perfect size. If you settle for a 500 watt motor, your EMTB will feel underpowered on the steep hills. The Magicycle Deer is a full-suspension electric mountain bike intended for riding on any terrain, including tough and steep mountain trails. To accomplish this, it absolutely must have a motor that delivers excellent torque. The Magicycle Deer’s motor is meticulously engineered to produce industry-leading torque — 96.8 Neuton meters! You won’t find many e-bikes that can give you that kind of torque. In fact, the Magicycle Deer has about the same torque as an 800cc motorcycle!

Energize the Power with a Great Battery

Magicycle Inc. burst onto the US e-bike scene with a gorgeous high-powered all terrain cruiser. One of the amazing features on that first bike is the industry-leading battery, with a full 52 volts of power. You might think the Magicycle Design Team would be satisfied with that excellent battery for the Deer EMTB, but no! Magicycle has decided to give the softail Magicycle Deer a freshly designed battery, and it gives riders even more range. The amp hours have been increased from 15 to 20, and the new battery is beautifully integrated into the frame. 

This provides Magicycle Deer owners a very strong battery that features a 25% boost in amps, meaning you can look forward to long rides of as much as 80 miles without worrying about battery life. Of course, if you tip the scales at 290 pounds and ride mostly in hilly terrain, that will reduce your range. Range will also vary according to wind speed, tire pressure, and your pedaling habits.

Not Just for the Brave and Daring

At one time, mountain biking was mostly considered a sport for the young riders filled with bravodo. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. The truth is, a great full suspension EMTB like the Magicycle Deer is perfectly suitable for multipurpose use. You might, for example, enjoy a remote forest train on the weekend. Then on Monday, you could be loving the fun and economy of commuting to work on your EMTB bikes. You might even decide to take an off-road shortcut on your way home that evening!

Regardless of age or your current level of fitness, softail electric mountain bikes are a possibility for most folks. Sure, you’ll need to exercise a little common sense about where you ride, how fast, and how long you ride. But all those things are easily manageable, and there could certainly be an EMTB in your future! Click to learn more about Magicycle ebikes.