Electric Mountain Bikes on a MTB race.

['Dale]

Also caught up to one the other day and when trying to figure out whether he was able bodied or not, saw he was wearing a Blue Bulls top which then qualifies him as mentally deficient - not sure if that is a criteria for an E MTB though.

 

Eish

[DanMan]

An E-bike does not conform to the CSA or the UCI rules and is not allowed to be used in a sanctioned cycling race. If you do see one at a race, you can inform the race commissaire and he will do the necessary.

[GLuvsMtb]

An E-bike does not conform to the CSA or the UCI rules and is not allowed to be used in a sanctioned cycling race. If you do see one at a race, you can inform the race commissaire and he will do the necessary.

K2C was not sanctioned IIRC. Otherwise the CSA licensed riders would not have faced penalties and other punitive actions from CSA.

[Grease_Monkey]

I am all for it if it is assisting a disability. But if an able-bodied comes from behind shouting "track", "passing right" I will not take kind to it. Even worse would be if he/she is in full spez kit on a spez e-bike (does spez even have one?)

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

Hi, Yeah Spez has one. IMO they are great, gets my dad who previously did nothing out on the track. He has done a race on it, but you just opt out of all prizes or official timing if you are on an e-bike.

[eddy]

Hi, Yeah Spez has one. IMO they are great, gets my dad who previously did nothing out on the track. He has done a race on it, but you just opt out of all prizes or official timing if you are on an e-bike.

 

 

Apparently Brad Binder has a powered bike and is doing 94.7 on it. As long as he doesn't want a prize, it should be allowed.

[Skubarra]

He has done a race on it, but you just opt out of all prizes or official timing if you are on an e-bike.

 

So okes on e-bikes should just have their own little honesty system going and all problems would be avoided - yeah, don't see any potential flaws in that one.. 

[gtr1]

Bottom line is it is mechanical doping and banned according to UCI, WADA and CSA. So you could get a 4 year ban in a sanctioned event. Or lifetime as some have suggested for mechanical doping. Not sure what can be done in a non-sanctioned event.

 

So hey, if we gonna allow e-bikes, then allow the dopers. No difference.

[Grease_Monkey]

So okes on e-bikes should just have their own little honesty system going and all problems would be avoided - yeah, don't see any potential flaws in that one.. 

Okes on e-bikes typically aren't the ones racing for prizes. They are fat guys who are just trying to lose a couple kg, or are just on the e-bike to be able to take part in the sport. I reckon if it gets unhealthy people into the sport and get then to change their lifestyle it's awesome.

 

Just from personal experience - my dad has lost allot of weight and is all of a sudden able to rude with my very fit mom who he could not previously even dream of riding with. He has also been able to take part in a few stage races with her. All in all it has been a massively positive experience for me.

 

But you make a good point - it relies on an honesty system by which everyone will not abide. BUT - even the most 'stealthy' ebikes are pretty easy to spot. So I don't think anyone is gonna be fooling their way onto the podium with one.

[Grease_Monkey]

Bottom line is it is mechanical doping and banned according to UCI, WADA and CSA. So you could get a 4 year ban in a sanctioned event. Or lifetime as some have suggested for mechanical doping. Not sure what can be done in a non-sanctioned event.

So hey, if we gonna allow e-bikes, then allow the dopers. No difference.

They're opting out of prizes. Don't think you're gonna find the same breed of guys on EPO on e-bikes. Very different target market.

 

As long as there are some well thought out rules with regards to where in the pack people on e-bikes start or something like limiting the races they can take part in I believe it is great as more people get into the sport - which can only be good for us in SA. Bigger market = lower prices = more trails built = more races.

 

I'm not blind to the downsides such as unexperienced riders getting to the front of a race on hills and then clogging up single tracks, but I think the advantages of these e-bikes are enough to warrant exploring some ways to include this crowd into the sport as well.

[Thor Buttox]

I've never ridden an ebike but i think this is going to be real issue soon. People with below average skills riding at above average speeds and wanting to overtake. Disaster awaits.

 

I'm a year into the sport and i reckon if electronics allowed me to keep up with the proper riders i'd be a menace to everyone's safety.

 

 

I can attest that Mamil is a very, very honest person.

[Grease_Monkey]

I've never ridden an ebike but i think this is going to be real issue soon. People with below average skills riding at above average speeds and wanting to overtake. Disaster awaits.

I'm a year into the sport and i reckon if electronics allowed me to keep up with the proper riders i'd be a menace to everyone's safety.

I have, they don't make you superman. The only place you are gonna really be faster is while pedaling on flats and hills. The motor stops working at 30km/hr. And they don't have a 'throttle' as such, you have to be pedaling for it the motor to add power. So if you are less experienced you are surely not going to be pedaling hard into technical bits, hence you won't be going any faster than usual (except for hills and flat bits really).

 

At least that was my experience riding one...

[scotty]

I've never ridden an ebike but i think this is going to be real issue soon. People with below average skills riding at above average speeds and wanting to overtake take Strava KOM's. Disaster awaits.

 

I'm a year into the sport and i reckon if electronics allowed me to keep up with the proper riders i'd be a menace to everyone's safety strava KOM's.

 

Some modification. 

[Mamil]

You say that Thor but it's all part of a cunning ploy. I have dismantled the weedeater and am currently building it's motor into the merida. One of these days I'll come cruising past you halway up that infernal dorstberg molehill and wait modestly at the top with as much patience as you've waited for me at the top of hoogekraal.

 

I can attest that Mamil is a very, very honest person.

[BSG]

We actually have 2 e-bikes in the family, I surely enjoy it when I'm lazy.

Fire away you fit bunch. [emoji23] [emoji122]

[Mamil]

Somehow I don't see either of those beasts barging their way through the pack in the late stages of the epic ????

 

We actually have 2 e-bikes in the family, I surely enjoy it when I'm lazy.

DSC_0030.JPG DSC_0029.JPG

Fire away you fit bunch. [emoji23] [emoji122]

[(Deon)]

I'm sure one still gets a fairly decent workout on a powered bike..