Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Headshot]

https://mobile-reuters-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1RH298?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cycling-uci-ebikes-idUSKCN1RH298

[BigDL]

https://mobile-reuters-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1RH298?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cycling-uci-ebikes-idUSKCN1RH298

Both in search of a new growth area. Would think that the motorcycle dudes should have priority as they are motorbikes

[Shebeen]

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/uci-threatens-disciplinary-measures-on-riders-who-compete-in-fim-e-mtb-series.html

 

I don't think petrolheads are going to get excited by guys riding 250W bikes at 45km/w, when they are used to 500Hp bikes going 245km/h

 

 

but the amount of crap the ebike haters spew, I'm not surprised they fell for something published on the opening day of april

[StuartLemanski]

Slight thread derail (or maybe re-rail back onto the OT... )

 

A couple of weeks back, I was cycling up the Newlands Forest climb ("Trev's Bastard" for those of you on Strava) to head over the top Kirstenbosch on a family ride.

 

Riding one handed and pushing a tired 6 year old up the jeep track with the other (try it sometime, it's a good workout!). A black Specialized (Stumpy?) E-bike came flying down the descent (not crazy speed - but anyone coming downhill looks like they're flying when you're grinding up at 5kph...). I moved us across off the smoother part of the track to make way. My 6 year old's 20" wheels hit a bump, he wobbled, I wobbled, we fell off (at about 4kph - no harm done). 

 

I resigned myself to having to push the rest of the way up the climb as getting a 6 year old moving and also getting myself moving quickly enough to "catch" him and push before he grinds to a halt and falls off is a tall order up the steep gravelly bit of the jeep track. 

 

15 seconds later, the E-bike rider comes back up the climb, introduces himself as "Toren" and kindly offers to push said 6 year old up to the top of the hill, as he says he "feels guilty for making us fall off". (It really wasn't his fault - I chose to change our line to give him the safer line downhill, and falling off was entirely my own lack of skill/carrying enough speed to push 6 year old over the bumpy rocks). We gratefully accept and my 6 year old gets the fastest ascent of the second half of Trev's Bastard in his life!

 

Anyway, the point of this is to say

 

(1) a belated "thank you" to Toren (if you're reading this) - you didn't have to turn round, but it was really kind that you did.

 

(2) I don't much care if you're motor assisted - I'd rather have the mountain filled with people like Toren than people too busy chasing the next Strava segment to nod hello. (To be fair, very few people on the Newlands-Kirstenbosch track fall into that category). 

 

Regarding events, I don't think someone riding the Cycle Tour on an e-bike diminishes the achievement of someone who rides unassisted. It's obviously not fair to have e-bikes *race* against unassisted riders, but that's no reason to prevent them from taking part especially if it makes the sport accessible to more people.

 

As an occasional tandem rider, I think there's a direct parallel with tandems - weaker riders can gain assistance from a much stronger riders. But no-one seems to complain about 12 year old kids doing the Cycle Tour on the back of a tandem with a parent... 

 

Should tandems be allowed to ride in $ and compete for the win? No, of course not.

Should tandems have a dedicated start group for their own competition if they want? I don't see why not. 

Should tandems be welcomed as part of the cycling fraternity and allowed to participate in the massed start? Absolutely.  

 

Replace tandem with e-bike and I don't have a problem with that. As long as they're not trying to pass themselves off as unassisted riders in races, I don't see why anyone else should either...

Edited April 8, 2019 by StuartLemanski

[Headshot]

The FIM have the right idea - speeds up to 45km/h. I'd like to self shuttle up Tokai and Jonks with one of those beasts :-)

[MrJacques]

I have decided that the e in e-bikes stands for everywhere

[Ascension]

Surely it should then also be ok to allow this on mtb trails:

[MrJacques]

Yeah... that's definitely a motorbike. We are actually facing some issues in the Baakens valley with guys riding motorcycles (not allowed by municipal law) and damaging the trails.

[DieselnDust]

Seen some motorcycles (real motorcycles) on the green belt in Constantia a few times now. Neighbours don't seem to complain

[Ascension]

Seen some motorcycles (real motorcycles) on the green belt in Constantia a few times now. Neighbours don't seem to complain

 

They should just super-glue some bicycle pedals to the motorbikes then they are allowed to ride there.

[Headshot]

Slight thread derail (or maybe re-rail back onto the OT... )

 

A couple of weeks back, I was cycling up the Newlands Forest climb ("Trev's Bastard" for those of you on Strava) to head over the top Kirstenbosch on a family ride.

 

Riding one handed and pushing a tired 6 year old up the jeep track with the other (try it sometime, it's a good workout!). A black Specialized (Stumpy?) E-bike came flying down the descent (not crazy speed - but anyone coming downhill looks like they're flying when you're grinding up at 5kph...). I moved us across off the smoother part of the track to make way. My 6 year old's 20" wheels hit a bump, he wobbled, I wobbled, we fell off (at about 4kph - no harm done). 

 

I resigned myself to having to push the rest of the way up the climb as getting a 6 year old moving and also getting myself moving quickly enough to "catch" him and push before he grinds to a halt and falls off is a tall order up the steep gravelly bit of the jeep track. 

 

15 seconds later, the E-bike rider comes back up the climb, introduces himself as "Toren" and kindly offers to push said 6 year old up to the top of the hill, as he says he "feels guilty for making us fall off". (It really wasn't his fault - I chose to change our line to give him the safer line downhill, and falling off was entirely my own lack of skill/carrying enough speed to push 6 year old over the bumpy rocks). We gratefully accept and my 6 year old gets the fastest ascent of the second half of Trev's Bastard in his life!

 

Anyway, the point of this is to say

 

(1) a belated "thank you" to Toren (if you're reading this) - you didn't have to turn round, but it was really kind that you did.

 

(2) I don't much care if you're motor assisted - I'd rather have the mountain filled with people like Toren than people too busy chasing the next Strava segment to nod hello. (To be fair, very few people on the Newlands-Kirstenbosch track fall into that category). 

 

Regarding events, I don't think someone riding the Cycle Tour on an e-bike diminishes the achievement of someone who rides unassisted. It's obviously not fair to have e-bikes *race* against unassisted riders, but that's no reason to prevent them from taking part especially if it makes the sport accessible to more people.

 

As an occasional tandem rider, I think there's a direct parallel with tandems - weaker riders can gain assistance from a much stronger riders. But no-one seems to complain about 12 year old kids doing the Cycle Tour on the back of a tandem with a parent... 

 

Should tandems be allowed to ride in $ and compete for the win? No, of course not.

Should tandems have a dedicated start group for their own competition if they want? I don't see why not. 

Should tandems be welcomed as part of the cycling fraternity and allowed to participate in the massed start? Absolutely.  

 

Replace tandem with e-bike and I don't have a problem with that. As long as they're not trying to pass themselves off as unassisted riders in races, I don't see why anyone else should either...

I bet Torent or Current or whatever his real name was would never have offered to push anyone had he not had a motor to assist him. He is the worst kind, an eBike Pusher. Much like drug pushers they start small with a gentle push until the victim can't do without it and gets addicted to E. 

 

Its a slippery slope I tell you. Mark my words, Take my word for it. 

[Ascension]

Yeah... that's definitely a motorbike. We are actually facing some issues in the Baakens valley with guys riding motorcycles (not allowed by municipal law) and damaging the trails.

 

Why is it that when you ad a petrol engine to a bicycle then it becomes a motorbike but if it is an electric engine its not a motorbike?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Why is it that when you ad a petrol engine to a bicycle then it becomes a motorbike but if it is an electric engine its not a motorbike?

cos the one has a throttle, whereas legit e-bikes are pedal assist. 

 

There are "e-bikes" that are just electric motos with MTB componentry, but because the drive isn't dependent on the pedals being turned, they're not ebikes. 

[Ascension]

cos the one has a throttle, whereas legit e-bikes are pedal assist. 

 

There are "e-bikes" that are just electric motos with MTB componentry, but because the drive isn't dependent on the pedals being turned, they're not ebikes. 

 

So you just let the engine idle if not pedaling then its not a motorbike?

[edkin]

Did the HouwHoek tour last week. Quite a few eBikes were there. They had a lot of fun. 

[Headshot]

Did the HouwHoek tour last week. Quite a few eBikes were there. They had a lot of fun. 

What, laughing at you as they barely broke a sweat pedalling their boep pense up the hills at 3x your speed?