IMBA eMTB access survey

Discussion in 'Trail Advocacy' started by Sasquatch9billion, Nov 14, 2017.


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  1. I dropped a note today, and included the board.

    "
    Dear IMBA Executive Director Dave Wiens,
    I have just read the new IMBA statement concerning Electric Assist MTB access here: https://www.imba.com/blog/supporter/imba-updates-emtb-position-statement
    If I can be clear, and in the strongest of terms, I sincerely hope that you sit down for lunch today and think about eating a pile of old dildos. While the potential of choking on a pile of old dildos may be scary, it does not even compare the threat that ebikes pose to the crowded multi use trails of southern California.Your statement about emtb access is an embarrassment and degrades much of the wonder and important trail advocacy work your organization has completed.
    I strongly urge the entire IMBA board of directors to take immediate action in resolving your mistaken position and update IMBA with a more robust mission statement that includes working against EMTB access in areas that are not approved for motorized vehicle access.
    Dear,
    Godspeed all,

    Dustan Baker




    LEGAL CONFIDENTIAL: The information in this e-mail and in any attachment may contain information which is legally privileged. It is intended only for the attention and use of the named recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you are not authorized to retain, disclose, copy or distribute the message and/or any of its attachments."
     
  2. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Another reason I havent renewed my on and off membership. Probably done with IMBA for good.
    This topic infuriates me so it's best I keep my mouth shut! Screaming obscenities never solved anything but it sure feels good sometimes.

    Tomorrow I will go ride my bicycle on a trail that even hikers avoid. There will be rocks and roots and downed trees and streams. I will cross those obstacles under my own power, riding or walking. My muscles will burn, my lungs sting, and my heart will pound out a psychotic rythym to the cadence that runs in my head. It is a chance to be most alive, in tune and focused.
    Birds will sing.....

    Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccccchhhhh!!!!!!!

    F@ck e bikes!
    F@ck e bikes!
    F@ck e bikes!

    I feel better now.
     
  3. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    It's not F@ck e-bikes. I wish I owned one. I own a Tesla and let me tell you electric vehicles are the shiznitz!

    I just don't want motorized vehicles on my human-powered trails. Hikers - awesome. Trail-runners - better yet. Horses? - Kinda spooky for me because they are large animals and I had a bad pony experience as a child but that is a subject for another day but still - love to see them.

    E-bikes? Stick to the pavement.
     
  4. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    The last time the sh!t hit the fan in the cycling world was when 29er wheels were introduced. After rolling on 26" wheels for so many years, the mountain biking community was in a major uproar. I recall seeing some guys (not many) out on the trail rolling 29ers and asking them their opinion. They loved them. I eventually drank the kool-aid, too.

    It seems like just about all the manufacturers are going to jump on this motorized bike bandwagon. I hope they don't win.
     
  5. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    IMO, e-bikes should be sold on a limited basis, not open to the general public. They should be available only to those who have limited use of their bodies, and for commuting purposes ONLY. A handicapped rider would only be increasing the risk of becoming injured by rolling on the terrain that fully capable riders enjoy. Sorry if that sounds prejudice but I see it raising medical and insurance costs for everyone due to the risk and increase in senseless related injuries. Not to mention the fact that they could be breaking the law by rolling where motorized vehicles are restricted AND the damage they may cause.
     
  6. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    Last time I saw an e-bike on the trails was about two months ago in Blackstar Canyon. I was riding on the lower (aka "flat") section of Blackstar heading towards the cutoff for the falls. There was a little Asian woman on an e-bike. She seemed a little uncertain on a bike... and hesitant cruising up the trail. I passed her on the flat, and when I came back down from Beek's she was gone.

    Personally, I think she would have been better served, all the way around, had she just had a cheap trail bike and rode a mellow ride up to the falls turnoff and back.
     
  7. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    Ha, Im pretty sure the percentage of ebike riders on our local trails that are handicapped or elderly is virtually zero. Every ebike rider ive seen has been young and/or obviously fit/unhandicapped looking.
     
  8. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    About a year ago an e-bike BLAZED past me as I was climbing a big hill in Whiting Ranch. Had I honestly seen him coming I might have tackled him :) He was dressed in work clothes and wasn't wearing a helmet. Just casually motoring through Whiting... on his way to work or something I guess...
     
  9. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Big difference is that irregardless of wheels size....the bikes were still human powered. The Pro-Ebike people can’t seem to see past the fact that ebikes have motors.
     
  10. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I have only seen a small handful myself since their inception. What I am fearing is that with more bike companies jumping on the e-bike band wagon AND now with a well known association (IMBA) supporting them as well, we could see a big increase in the number of encounters. I hate to think that seeing them could one day become commonplace. :eek::eek::eek:
     
  11. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    It’s already commonplace in OC, I see them all the time, and I don’t even ride that often
     
  12. kioti

    kioti iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Jim Jennings
    Current Bike:
    ibis ripley
    Same here.
     
  13. pperrelle

    pperrelle iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Oracle, AZ
    Name:
    Paul
    Current Bike:
    Ripley V4 & Ripmo V2
    I see them every 2 or 3 rides as well. And usually ridden by guys that look more than capable to pedal a bike. The funniest thing I have seen yet is a guy at LCWP on an e-bike wearing a full skin tight matching kit. :bang:
     
  14. knucklebuster

    knucklebuster Well-Known Member

    Location:
    34.2295° N, 117.2257° W
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail
    Did ya'll read the actual IMBA EMTB Position Statement (not the emagazine summaries)? Excerpt below, I added the bolding.

    "MBA is supportive of Class 1 eMTB access to non-motorized trails when the responsible land management agency, in consultation with local mountain bikers, deem such eMTB access is appropriate and will not cause any loss of access to non-motorized bikes. IMBA recognizes that changes in design, technology and the numbers of eMTB users is evolving, and believes these bikes can be managed in a sustainable way for both the environment and other trail users."

    IMBA not supporting anything the land managers don't support. IMBA following their lead. More details.... : https://www.imba.com/blog/supporter/imba-updates-emtb-position-statement


    yes, still issue currently of illegally riding them on non motorized trails. Shops selling them without telling the buyer where they can ride them, etc, etc.....

     
  15. MattB

    MattB Member

    Name:
    Matt B
    Me too. I've been seeing them almost every ride in OC lately. Not as often at Oaks (before it burned) - maybe half of my rides or less, but almost every ride in Laguna/Aliso. If I had to guess, I'd say half of them have been 50 or older (which is clearly no excuse for riding an eBike). Today at LCWP I only saw maybe half a dozen riders out there in total, and one of them was an older guy on a folding eMTB fatbike with what looked like 20" wheels!:eek: Nope, nothing can go wrong in that scenario.:bang:
     
  16. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    That is the dirty seed that will grow into a massive, toxic plant that may be immune to death if the powers that be push until they win.

    Of course they are going to cover their asses in legal mumbo-jumbo.
     
  17. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    In the final question I answered:

    "No interest in one. I'm currently a Cat1 racer racing with a pro license, I have no need for a motor. Even with a motor, I find most eBike riders struggle to ride trails at my level (seen it first hand multiple times)."

    I have seen a few of them at Sycamore. A couple of them were able to keep up with me on the decent, though I think they bypassed the obstacles I was hitting. On another occasion I watched one struggle on an enduro line with rock drops and such, something I normally huck off of. Same riders struggle on a climb and were pushing the bikes up the hill, a hill I pedal up with my 160mm 35 pound bike with the suspension unlocked.
     
  18. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Hmmm, I sort of know two of those people. I coached Dave Wiens in ski racing the one year he lived in Durango and was attempting to ski race (before his mtb career), and I exchange e-mails with Chris Conroy fairly regularly, and have chatted with him a couple of times at Yeti HQ in Golden.

    I was hoping Wiens would steer IMBA away from their manicured, low gradient flow trails (which are fun for what they are) and help them figure out how to step it up a notch. Looks like they have to appease the bike manufacturers and the growing e-crowd now.

    It also appears that most of the Laguna Rads have adopted e-mt bikes as a way of dealing with their aging bodies and continuing desire to do gnarly laps after work during their sausage-fest Wednesday rides.
     
  19. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    WTF!?!
     
  20. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
     
    Mikie, kioti and herzalot like this.
  21. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    NIMBY? I assure you Colorado cyclists are just as tweaked about this as Californians. COMBA seems unlikely to remain affiliated with IMBA at this point.

    Be careful what you wish for...
     
  22. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Gotta keep up with Lopes I guess....Oh and I fixed it for you. :Roflmao
     
  23. "Laguna E-Rads" holy Sh!t that's a burn to end all burns. You win the internet today.
     
  24. kioti

    kioti iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Jim Jennings
    Current Bike:
    ibis ripley
  25. kioti

    kioti iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Jim Jennings
    Current Bike:
    ibis ripley
    I contacted Performance and severed my ties to them.

    My message:

    Performance,
    Is your company aware that battery-assist mountain bikes are considered “motorized” by our local land managers, OC Parks and the Cleveland National Forest?
    Many of us in the mtb community are deeply concerned that supporting/facilitating their use on trails where they’re illegal will cause all mountain bike use to be banned?
    We’re not talking bicycle commuting or handicapped usage, rather flagrant law-breaking by able bodied users.
    If you care about the future of mountain biking on non-motorized trails, please stop selling battery-assist, motorized bicycles in areas where their use is illegal.
    Thank you,
    Jim Jennings
    Mountain biker, hiker, trail runner, mountaineer, road cyclist
    County park and National Forest Volunteer—Trail maintenance and advocacy

    Their response:

    "Thank you for your email and we apologize for selling them. Have a nice day."
     
  26. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan

    have-a-nice-day-fuck-you-mug.jpg
     
  27. Redman

    Redman iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Henderson, Nv
    Name:
    Kevin
    Current Bike:
    SC OG Hightower 29'r
    Time for a derail.....

    Dude? 62:1? Why so lean?
     
  28. kioti

    kioti iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Jim Jennings
    Current Bike:
    ibis ripley
    Ha ha! Hey Performance, you have a nice day too.
     
  29. HBkites

    HBkites Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Huntington Beach
    Name:
    Sharone
    Current Bike:
    Why S7, Revel Rascal, Spark RC
    A few of my friends own e-bikes in addition to conventional Mountain bikes. Two of them bought their e-bikes for their wifes, and now they can enjoy nature/adventures together.
    Personally, I don't have a problem with e-bikes, but IMO they are not bicycles.
    The main issues that I have are the lack of clarity on where they are allowed to be used legally and the risk that the added traffic will impose on trail access.
    My wish is for e-bikes to be classified as motor vehicles, and have the same access as all other forms of motor vehicles.
     
  30. jimbowho

    jimbowho Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Podunk KS
    Name:
    james jim jimmy
    Current Bike:
    GT sensor
    It's motul, the good stuff.. properly jetted it's what works. 100% synthetic, you can take off the head and just wipe it clean. Power-valves love it too. 2t factory racing 800. their is also a road racing blend. Try it at 50-to-1 and go from there.
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?