Eldron

Everything I see a storm warning on my Garmin I ack my lips....it's KOMMING time! 100% legal and totally (im)moral....

Motordoping in Italy, France and Spain? NO! BURN THE DOPERS! SCOUNDRELS! CHEATERS! THEY BROKE OUR TRUST! WE HATE THEM. Motordoping at World Fun Rider Champs in SA? Totally acceptable. Your egos are soooo fragile. Is it Friday yet?

Information is Power 🙂 I just learnt a few things! 3. E-Bikes/ Power Assisted Bicycles 3.1. Definition: In this clause the term “e-bike” means a bicycle that has pedals as its primary mode of propulsion and an auxiliary electric motor as a form of power assistance. 3.2. Should a cyclist wish to use a power assisted (PAS) bicycle in the Cape Town Cycle Tour only a bicycle which has electricity as its auxiliary power may be ridden. 3.3. Should a rider wish to partake in the Cycle Tour by using an e-bike, such rider must select the E-bike category when completing the online entry for the Cycle Tour. 3.4. If the rider failed to register in the E-bike category, he/she will not be allowed to partake in the Cycle Tour. 3.5. Any person riding an e-bike on the Cycle Tour that has not formally entered as an E-Bike participant shall be disqualified from this and future Cycle Tours. 3.6. An e-bike may only be used by a rider in the Cycle Tour if such e-bike adheres to ALL of the following requirements: 3.6.1. it weighs less than 30 kg; 3.6.2. it looks like a bicycle and accordingly must contain pedals which serve as the principal method of propulsion; 3.6.3. the auxiliary electric motor with which it is equipped has a maximum continuous rated power of 250W (or 0.25kW); 3.6.4. the motorised assistance only engages when the rider is pedalling, progressively reduces and finally cuts off as the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h or sooner (i.e. no permanently powered bicycles); 3.6.5. it is fitted with a control mechanism that limits the maximum electric powered speed on PAS (power assist) mode to 25 km/h; 3.6.6. is fitted with all the safety equipment recommended, and/or required under South African road traffic legislation, for pedal cycles. 3.7. An e-bike rider may not start or attempt to start the event before his/her designated starting time slot. Any rider who does so will be disqualified with immediate effect. 3.8. E-bike results will be marked as such in the Cycle Tour results and may not be used as seeding for other cycling events. 3.9. Riders using e-bikes will not qualify for any prize in the Cycle Tour. 3.10. The fastest time that a cyclist, using an e-bike, may complete the event is 3hr 50min. Any e-bike cyclists recording a time of less than 3hr 50min will be disqualified.

We've already established that if ebikes get their own category and timing their is no problem... I think you need to read your dictionary again - this is not how you belittle someone's achievements: That doesn't take anything away from her achievements of course - each person has different goals, genetics, fortitude, money to spend on bikes etc.

You're the only one banging on about egos and being passed by ebikes....whilst insulting people who disagree with you. Most of the other folk on here seem to think that diluting the spirit of fair competition is the only real problem.

Somewhere in the universe a bike fitter dies every time someone makes a comment like this 🙂

Well that's the thing right - if you can only ride 100km using a motor then you can't actually ride 100km can you? Kinda like me saying I can swim 2km if I use a flotation device and fins. In the real world I can actually swim about 8m before drowning...and that is only if the pool is 8m deep. Using eBikes to get people into cycling and/or increase cycling numbers is a completely different thing and should be encouraged 100%.

As you said each to their own. Me - I wouldn't feel right telling my friends I could ride a 100km if I knew I had used a motor....or it would be a step along the way to riding 100km unaided. That doesn't take anything away from her achievements of course - each person has different goals, genetics, fortitude, money to spend on bikes etc. Any cycling is good cycling - more cyclists is better for every cyclist.

I only recommend shorter cranks for my customer under around 160cm (and then only if they are having hip or knee issues). As above it is only really to reduce hip impingement and/or knee pain from acute knee angles at top dead centre of pedal stroke.

Torque is not the right factor in determining power - pedal speed is the key. The good news is that the science says that between 120mm and 220mm the effect of crank length is negligible so you can use whatever cranks you feel most comfortable on without affecting your performance. If your inseam is over 950mm then impingement is not going to be a problem at all so roll those 175/180mm cranks with nary a care in the world 🙂

Time is the big thing - someone else's wife worked harder than your wife to ride the 100km on her own steam and (theoretically) your wife could have a better time...how is that fair to the other wife? Or the other riders? Having a motor should exclude you from timing (or your time should have a little asterisk stating that you did your time on a ebike).

After Danger Dassie's post and some thought I reckon ebikers at races is cool as long as they have their own category and don't use race chips/get a time/result.

It is a race, a competition, a timed event where people try and do well - top whatever, less than whatever hours etc. Taking a motor to a race is a little silly (unless everyone has the same motor). Of course the ebikers aren't complaining. Dopers, short cutters, cheats etc aren't the ones complaining either...

People are fragile because they don't want to be beaten by motors? That's a little like taking a gun to a knife fight then complaining that the knife fighters don't think it is a fair fight....

32kph? Farkin amateurs - this thing does 346kph.

Double check that you do have the taller seat mast..... Trek say the max rail height with the tall mast on a 58 is 785mm - throw in another 35/40mm for the seat and you should be at 820mm no worries - that is plenty high enough for an 870mm inseam.

Shorter is better according to Dr. Jim Martin. Love his work. According to his research there was very little difference in efficiency between 140mm and 200mm cranks. People are going shorter to open the hips (especially on Tri/TT bikes) and reduce acute angles on knees. Longer gains you nothing (according to most of the research I've seen).

In many ways they are self regulating. 25kph will only really help you uphill where wind resistance doesn't really matter so sitting behind an ebike won't affect the outcome too much. The only place I see actual conflict would be bloc headwinds (especially towards the end of a race 🙂) I just don't understand the need - there are generally short/medium and long races - if you aren't fit enough to ride the long ride the short or medium. Work towards a goal - jumping on an ebike to finish your first 100km makes the effort meaningless.

Mixing motors into a human powered race creates inequality not equality.

Not necessarily - Treks are known to have pretty low max seat heights (and pretty short seat masts). Riders with short torsos/longer legs generally have to size up to get enough seat height then you have to compromise on stem length/handling. It is entirely possible that the frame is the right size.

Chat to Graeme at Carbon Craft. He has worked some magic kon Trek seat masts for me. In unrelated news - are you short torso/long legs body type?

The bigger question is - what are perfectly capable people doing on ebikes in the first place? If you want to ride with your slower mates, disabled mates, health issue mates great but if you're on an ebike in the single letter groups sitting on the front of the peleton then you're just being a douche.

It is elective though....

Put a handful of watts in and get several hundred watts out. From a motor. On your bike. The correlation is spot on. I'll happily compromise on the involvement though - a non timed event that starts after the non motorised participants would work.

Why not? You're getting something so why the hesitancy to pay? GCN is around 50USD a year and it covers the vast majority of bike racing. Cheaps as chips in lost people's books.