Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Headshot]

Should the title not be changed to" Who in their right mind rides anything less than a full power EBike on the mountain"?

[Shebeen]

On 10/15/2024 at 3:16 PM, Brakepad said:

digging this out again, Aspen in Colorado (US) has banned ebikes on their trail network.
They say ebikes are too fast, dangerous and too many....

 

seems like it's not universally popular,

 

 

sums up my opinion perfectly

 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

people should start minding their own business and stop caring what other people want to ride. If you want to ride an ebike, then I'm the first one to support that. The fact that you're on a bike should be all that matters. I don't have one, and won't have one any time soon, but that doesn't mean I am entitled to shout at someone who does ride one. 

sometimes people just suck. and this is one such time. 

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Shebeen said:

sums up my opinion perfectly

 

 

 

That second post really sums it up perfectly, sadly so.

 

And the real irony, as posted previously in this thread .... it is the RIDER that's a chop, irrespective of the bike.

 

But it is mostly easy to recognise an ebike, and the whole is measured by the actions of the culprits.

[zeerpuD1]

Robbie, you summed it up pretty good. It’s not the bike, it’s the person on the bike (no matter what kind of bike) that is the problem

[MORNE]

Reminds me of a cheeky chirp i got to spew a few weeks ago haha. (All in good fun though)

A group of a few ebikes were on the same trail. Hitting the bottom, the one’s bike gooi’s a ‘blue screen of death’. Just doesnt want to boot up or reset….and all of them started pushing their 25kg lumps back up with the disabled one. I couldn't help myself as we merrily pedalled our amish bikes past all of them….” If only you rode bicycles I snickered”😊😅.

..Met with embarrassed laughter. 

Luckily they saw the humor in it. Probably the only time ill ever pass that many e-bikes up a hill.

Edited October 16, 2024 by MORNE

[RocknRolla]

I have never had an  issue with an E-bike (the pedal kind, restricted to 25km/h)

I wouldn't buy one, unless I cant pedal properly under my own steam. 

At this year's go2berg E-bikes were welcomed, and there was an E-bike rental service. Arrangements were made for spare batteries to be available at the water points. This opened the event up to a whole lot of riders, who would otherwise not be able to ride this event. 

The E-bikes were not part of the competition. 

Their etiquette on the trails were impeccable, and I had no issues being held up on the singletrack or the downs. A lot of this had to do with the organisers setting the trail etiquette at the onset of the event. A lot of the E-bike riders were not that technically proficient on the trails, and they accommodated the other riders well.

Having not trained for the event, I envied the E-bike riders who zoomed up the climbs with little effort and trying to stick with them into the headwind to try and get some reprieve ended in burning matches we didn't have.

But at the end of the event, the sense of accomplishment my riding partner and I felt completing the ride under our own steam, was tremendous.

[Hairy]

 

[RobynE]

I haven’t had any issues with e-bikes. 
 

I am more likely to have issues with someone in batch D trying for a new PB (or to finish 50th out of 300) in a 20 or 25km “Fun” MTB event (like Jackal Dash) while pushing my kid off the trail into trees, rocks and bushes on switchbacks as he mutters “passing right” like a robot. 

Bro, enter the 40/60/70 and pass right there to your heart’s content.
 

If you’re entering a race with 8-10 year olds, have some patience, pass safely and give the kids a chance to enjoy their rides. Otherwise I guess you’re just someone who hoots at Learner drivers. You were also one, once. Smh.