OC Parks General Meeting on 01/09 to discuss E-Bikes

I’m not sure I’ve seen an e bike on the trails out here in Phoenix. I did see one guy on a full electric motorcycle but in an area where it’s legal.

 

Didn't see that anyone posted this:

http://www.ocparks.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=109009

 

Nice, reasoned questions.
1. Don't think I ever said e-MTB's didn't have motors, were the same as MTB's or deserved the same considerations; if I did, I misstated.
2. The individuals I'm acquainted with who ride e-MTB's are slower than lots of MTB riders, but admittedly I don't know all who ride them.
3. Most of these discussions are academic since (at this time) I ride MTB's on weekends and could all the time if necessary. Surprisingly, my friend has a handicap card and a letter from OC Parks allowing him to ride e-MTB in the parks. He's accosted Rangers and hasn't needed to show it yet.
4. Riding an e-MTB or any MTB in a crowded area isn't something that appeals to me.
5. I ride many places during the week (some even on weekends) where I encounter an average of one or fewer other riders (groups) the entire ride. Can't see a problem with e-MTB usage (even if only during the week) there even though they're a different animal than MTB's.
6. I know some e-MTB riders who are advanced in age and some are women. Anyone who has discussed harassing them or inflicting bodily harm is a lowlife IMO.

 

They had those available at the meeting.

 

I got passed by an ebiker last week at Oaks.....I had just passed through the gate at the top of the 2nd B. By the time I got around to the turn off to Peralta Hills, said ebiker was already at the turn off for Yucca. Those that have ridden with me know I'm no slug.

 

got passed twice by the same female ebiker in LCWP last weekend. I neither harassed nor inflicted. She was neither old nor out of shape.

the 80 year old looking guy on a hard tail got a pass from me too.

the 40 year old dudes with entitlement issues who want me to pull over to let them by will just have to wait and hear me out.

 

I bet yah bud...

• Point is we can all logically agree that it’s a motorized vehicle on non motorized trails. (I knew you were one of the sane ones, I was referring to the irrational majority). So the first conclusion is they should not be on bicycle specific trails.
• You are doing a great job of defending questions I didn’t ask Bob. I’m always fascinated how folks think if they state the worse case scenario then defend it like it’s the norm, that it makes sense. The people with one arm, one leg, one eye, truly handicapped, are of absolute no concern to me. It’s the vast majority that I am.
• Last point is, the answer is No. No, we don’t want motor powered vehicles on horse, biker, and biking trails. It’s unsafe.

See? People we can have a mature conversation! Thanks Bob!

 

We can go on and on, but nothing changes. I'm glad to be around e-MTB's.

 

Wait a minute. @fos'l is an E-biker!?

 

Same old, same old...

Mountain biker: I don't mind e-bikes. I mind when people ride them where they are specifically not allowed. The behavior is the issue, not the tool.
E-Biker: Hater!

Well, at least we're improving. Last time I mentioned to @fos'l that we gave some harassment to an e-biker illegally riding in a county park, I was compared to a child abuser. I see this present discussion as progress.

 

I have no fight in the ebikes in OC Parks issue but after recently riding one (to test the DVO suspension ) I can assure you they have no place in parks or on multi use trails. They are just too powerful.

 

I wonder just how many e-bikers are actually following the laws now and staying out. I'd bet that almost all of them are breaking the law already by riding where they shouldn't be. So if you fear that there would be a big increase in trail use traffic, I doubt that there would be. Sure, more people would purchase e-bikes but I already see an awful lot of them for sale by existing owners in the used ads all over the place.

 

Used market is like any used market. Someone buys something and doesn’t like the activity.

would be great if it were because they weeent allowed most places, but unfortunately most just don’t give a sh!t and will poach.

 

My point is, quite a few of them that came to be are no longer to be. e-bikes haven't been around for long enough for the activity to have cycled through. They aren't cheap either. So the fact that there is a considerable amount of them for sale by their owners now is good news.

 

Upgrade upgrade upgrade!

 

Haha! That's a bit of an exaggeration but when I say I almost got spit off the back in turbo mode I'm not kidding.

 

Nobody panic!
The imtbtrails Hooligan Electro Magnetic Pulse Device (iHEMP'D) will be on sale in no time on imtbgear...

Would that not be an absolute blast? Get past by an unruly eBiker, whoop out your iHEMP'D... point and flip the switch. BAM! Power... Shut Down!

 

iHEMP'D? Isn't that something @rossage would say?

 

Hey! It’s how the Acro fell...

 

I kind of remember that and was wrong, really wrong and am sorry; no excuse, but probably a stupid gut reaction. If you and your friends like to harass e-MTBer's, go ahead; if it's me, I'll try to laugh it off (it won't be in Whiting, Aliso or El Moro, but possibly in a less crowded park, and not on a weekend). Still, the only individuals that I'm against are those that create situations where others could be injured, and it hasn't happened with any "e" activity. Also, I'll try to ignore responding to these "e" threads since there's no benefit to anyone.

 

I didn't re-read the thread, but I'm sure I said a few things, too. And I'm glad you're back on the board.

As far as my harassment, it usually goes something like: "Wow... Didn't know those were legal here." That's usually the extent of the conversation. I'm about at the point that I want the parks and forest service to go ahead and remove the ban. Without enforcement, they may as well be legal. Legality would remove the premise for the majority of the conflict with the mountain biker groups.

And then I could buy my wife one.

 

Yep I asked a kid that yesterday as he passed me at the Oaks....again....his response was “yes they did”. When I let him know he was wrong, and I’d let the Ranger know he was poaching....his pace picked up and he took off.

 

From my experience, it seems like the ones who are genuinely unaware are much nicer. The eBikers who know they are illegal are the ones who tend to get bent out of shape or sarcastic.

 

From my experience, this is quickly becoming the majority.

 

I'm slow AF when climbing, if one of you goats here passes me at a clip that I deem "too fast", does that make it any less dangerous than someone on an eBike passing one of the goats here?

(ducking and running out the door)

 

HA hah!
I'm attempting to imagine S.A.F. and assuming we are talking in the 1 to 3mph range on a climb. So if I bombed past you at a raging 6 mph but said as I approached, "Hey buddy! Passing you on your left." And then I proceeded to smoke on by you... How exactly "would" we compare that to a guy doing 10, 15, maybe even 20mph and not saying a word and you didn't hear him coming.

That JUST happened to @Voodoo Tom and I on a fire road climb at Tapia on Saturday.
Jackwad passed us on the right side of us where there was very little room. I called him on it, even to the point of sharing with him his name Richard (aka Dick... for short)
I guess he did not think we were going to crest as fast as we did. As we rode over to him with his buddies of 3 eBikers ( I think a group of eBikers is called what, a DROVE?) they were deciding to go down Burn Victim and he rushed the trail in front of his buddies, knowing he had a conversation coming with us.

So I guess we would need to decide on what is S.A.F. and how someone from behind would utilize trail etiquette!

This is also a Drove:

 

Your "harassment" is like a friendly greeting to me. I thought your bark might be worse than your bite (BTW, that's a compliment).

 

Just throw an elbow...

 

Absolutely. Like @Mikie said, 6mph isn’t a real danger to anyone up a hill. 15-20 UPHILL is extremely dangerous, especially on a two way trail.