Dare I post ... eBikes

Posting in the Free Zone since I know how people feel about e-bikes in this community. I used to share the anti-ebike sentiment, especially after ebikers blasting past me on singletracks with no etiquette. But I went from "I hate ebikes" to "ehhh" to "hey, i bought an ebike" in all of 2 months.

The Verdict (TL;DR
* I love the bike and think ebikes have a place on trails, with caveats.
* Access should be limited to Class 1 ebikes.
* I think the top speed of 20mph is too high. My mullet has a top speed of 18mph and any faster I can pedal on my own.
* Saving my back and knees! Usually a normal 1 hour ride through would strain my back and knees for 1-2 days. I get 80% of the workout but can ride 2x as often.
* I will not be selling my normal bike
* Should not be limited to the injured or disabled. Ebikes are proper fun.

The Bike
* Trek Fuel EXe 9.5, with almost everything swapped out.
* Lyrik Ultimate fork
* X2 factory shock
* Carbon mullet wheels with I9 hydra hubs
* GX derailleur, XX1 shifter, Garabuk cassette
* 50nm motor, 360wh battery
* 41 lbs with pedals, about +9lbs over a comparable regular bike

The Rider
* 250lbs 39years old
* Two herniated disks/compressed nerves
* Joint damage from disease/overuse/bad mechanics

The Ride
* Amazingly quiet
* TQ motor feels mostly natural. I'm always paying attention to the motor and its assist when my cadence is under ~60rpm.
* I'm able to control my heart rate and wattage output so I'm not killing myself on rides. This allows me to go out more often and gives me more control over my HR zones.
* Motor is cadence based, so the motor eases into assist as your legs pump. For a large, slow rider like myself, pedaling up at 50rpms means sometimes the motor isn't outputting the max due to slow leg speed.
* Motor overheats in the highest assist setting for >10 minutes. Motor drops from 300watts assist to 180watts.
* Personally tuned the assist levels to match my power output. So when I'm outputting 300w, the bike is outputting 300w. On steep climbs, I'm holding 400watts and the motor is thermally throttling to 180-200watts.
* With the ebike assist, I'm slightly faster than my fit friends but nowhere near competing athletes.

I know many won't ever accept ebikes on the trail, but the newer ebikes are developing their own categorizations. From 35nm "light" ebikes to 80nm enduros, ebikes seem like they're here to stay.

 

Nope

 

Fixed it for you

 

I feel like rejecting e-bikes is like rejecting the onset of Global Warming. Both are here and both are increasing in intensity. If that's bad, sell your property in Micronesia, buy land in Siberia, and ride at midnight when the E-bikers are sleeping.

 

Mopeds are the last thing a lot of our trails need.

Stick to designated motorized trails and bike paths please.

 

Just get a Mike....

 

Pretty much what I did.

That's how I felt for years. Just my take on having my opinion changed. I personally think ebikes are mild compared to illegal trail building, dogs, portable speakers, night riding, and actual dirt bikes. I actually can't think of a safety or usage issue with class I ebikes.

I'm loving the hate because it's exactly what I thought. Many will not ever change their minds, but ebikes seem to be here to stay. Better to steer the boat than to pretend we're not on a collision course. I've drank the kool aid, switched to the dark side, or whatever. I'll drink my tears on my next ride (which I can do right now).

 

We sold all of our 9.7 Ex-e’s within a few weeks and just got a few in this week. We haven’t sold our 9.5 yet. You wouldn’t know it was an e-bike unless you really look at it. If I were to get an E-bike, it definitely would be this.

 

I imagine when you finish a "climb" you can sense the cold shoulder the group of MTBs is giving as you prepare to go down the reward that you really didn't earn. Sounds fun.

 

Except I am seeing more and more actual dirt bikes being ridden WITH eBikes and just calling themselves "eBikes".

An electric dirt bike is NOT an eBike. But I have seen them riding in groups with "regular" eBikes at Greer, Sycamore, and Big Bear.

 

I'm not as anti ebike as most on here but you're delusional if you think Class I ebikes can be managed or regulated in any way. There's hop up kits being sold on Facebook allowing you to reprogram them, there's a guy most people who ride the PCE or Cannell Plunge know that rides a Foes with an external motor that can do 40+ across the sand wash. We got passed by ebikes on trail/path in Bentonville doing at least 40 and now as I predicted in the beginning, emotos have arrived. There's a 10 page thread on MTBR about them running amok in SoCal https://www.mtbr.com/threads/so-cal-trails-growing-surron-electric-dirt-bike-issue.1209992/ One of my SoCal buddies recently bought a Surron for his kid. I got a text message today with a video of him doing a 50' step-up "somewhere in Aliso that's not an a MTB trail."

 

....and to be honest, THIS is the main reason I personally have no desire to ride an ebike at this time. I like having the accomplishment of completing a climb or cleaning a feature/obstacle. I'd lose that on an ebike. I did an off-road ebike tour in Mexico with non-riding friends and of course it was fun but the claim of getting even 50% of the same workout is silly nonsense.

 

Eh? Huh? Wha?

 

The “classes” of eMotorcycles are a joke. It’s a meaningless classification designed to blur the lines, not clarify them.
Call it electric dirt bike or eBike, it’s still a motorcycle.

 

I guess it's like pot in the 70's. It's illegal (ok not a perfect analogy), but everyone does it so why can't I? Those who can, mtb, those who can't or won't, e-bike. I surf, big waves some times, when nature says. If you can't paddle out to the line-up, are you gonna take a pwc tow-out? Eff that. Suck up a latte on shore you little fingered poser. But what do I know? I'm old school and a curmudgeon.

 

Something like 5 posts in the last couple days... Until someone mentions an e-bike.

 

I think this post is actually about ebikes.

I think I misunderstood you. Yeah, crickets the last few days.

 

This is totally normal AND biking is so much less pounding on the joints than many sports. Wait till you "really" need it.

 

I used to ride nights but met an advocate who mentioned that many socal critters are nocturnal foragers/hunters and the lights/intrusion of mtbing at night was disturbing wildlife. In the same vein as not bringing pets whose scents attract cougars, I stopped night riding to be more conscientious to the environment. Hug a tree and all that jazz. An ebike that helps me up an existing trail doesn't seem as intrusive to wilderness as night riding. I could be dead wrong and I'm open to having my opinion changed, but I've personally given up night riding somewhat recently. I'm more worried about wilderness than the rider next to me who scowls at how I'm not working as hard as I should.

 

Depends on the rider, bike, and the effort you put into it. My ebike avg heart rate hovers around 140bpm for 50-60 minutes (peak 160, low 120s). Similar trail on a regular bike and my avg is 156 (peak 185, low 120). Napkin math puts my caloric burn around 75-80% with an e-bike. For those not as weight-challenged as I am, the workout will certainly be less pronounced.

And the sense of accomplishment at the top of the hill is different when the alternative is to never get out on the trail. I'm more proud to be working out 5x a week than making a hill on my own every once in a while.

 

So you don't ride the Luge at night anymore because of nature.....but you will take you motorbike and ride it in the OC Parks and/or State Parks where they prohibited?

And yes, we will eat our young and weak here.

 

This all reminds me of a guy that we used to run across when we first started riding Whiting back in 1997 or so.

I remember getting passed on numerous occasions by a guy with a mechanical arm and leg riding an old rigid hardtail. Always thought to myself, if he can clean Mustard, I can clean Mustard.

 

When I first started riding again around 2013, there was a guy on STT/Luge with one leg. F-ing inspirational.

 

I chased a guy with one leg down JEM about 5-6 years ago. I thought I was hauling the mail but could never catch him. He was on a fat bike too.

 

To each his or her own! I have pedal bikes and an eBike and love both. The eBike opens up more possibilities, so much more terrain and great support for trail work days. And the eBike is just darn fun. They are here to stay and are being embraced by riders of all ages. I am even noticing that all but my most hard-core (grumpy) friends are becoming much more tolerant of them too. If you want an eBike, get one! If you don't like them, no problem, don't get one, but can't we all just get along.

 

Nope, flamed and canceled! It's our woke culture now unfortunately! Divided! Dare I post politics? Yep the end of the world I tell ya.

 

Are ebikes fun? Probably tons of fun. A jetski is fun - and when you turn your ski around and catch a wave, you can even call it surfing if you want.

My point is e-biking is a different sport. Fun uphill and down. Stand up paddle-boarding is not surfing. It's similar, but it's not the same sport. SUPers are shunned at surf breaks by surfers because the machines are bigger and heavier, and catch waves easier than the actual surfboards. Those of us lying down on our surfboards have a combination of smugness and jealousy at that moment - along with a little fear for our safety.

An ebike doesn't make you a douchebag, but the machines attract those who are less committed to the work and more committed to constant self gratification. "My impact isn't any different than yours," thinks the ebiker. But that's where we are as a nation now isn't it? My freedom to do as I please is more important than my obligation to any common good. Not saying ebikers are hedonists who don't care about others - just saying that - oh wait, maybe that is what I'm saying!

My fellow mt bikers, we have lost the war. All bikes will soon have motors. And we will say "I remember when we used to have to PEDAL these damn things! What were we thinking!" Who am I kidding - we will probably just shoot each other if we don't like someone else's choices. An armed society is a polite society, right?

(PS - Cancel goes both ways, Mr. Billy. You say the "wrong" thing in a classroom (like "some people oppressed others at some point in history") and the teacher has to be canceled for making little Whitney feel bad, according to some parents.)

Anyway - congratulations on your fun-machine @stevers! And kudos to you for dropping into shark-infested waters to swim. Now go shred some uphill flow, bro!

 

Wah…..hiking is too hard. They should install an escalator at the Grand Canyon. That way I can go do the hike in a fraction of the time. But I’m still getting the same amount of a workout if I walk fast on the escalator.

you should all try it…don’t judge before you see that it’s just as hard. I get the same lower and upper body workout that I would get if I didn’t use the escalator.

it’s so cool…I can carry so much more gear with me on my bikes since I have walking assistance.

 

I like this idea! Do the DH on my bike, then shuttle back up on the escalator.