Jump to content

Do eBikes belong on the mountain?


Bike Hub Features

Recommended Posts

I am convinced that ebikes are here to stay... so instead of fighting it, better to find solutions that fit all, for example if ebikes start an event 30m after the last bike group the likelihood of bottlenecks are much lower... definitely I don't think they shouldn't start together ever, but I do think is great for MTB that more people join, ebike will help on that!

 

Definitely here... saw some 2016 sales stats for Switzerland awhile ago, wish i had saved them but alas...

 

What i do remember is, numbers sold in 2016:

20'000 E-MTB's (up from 2015)

54'000 E-Trekking / City bikes (up from 2015)

102'000 Regular MTB's (Down from 2015)

 

And another interesting stat....

27.5" bikes sales increased (54'000) of which more were sold than 29" which decreased (30'000) by 10%

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 2.7k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Spot on, they are here to stay. So a solution should be found - yours is actually quite a good suggestion....

I have done multiple MTB events with some friends on E-Bikes. We have started at the back, in front, in the middle and every which way the organizers could think of and not on a single one of those events we impacted the a normal MTB riders event (if you exclude some ego's that seem to be the biggest problem). We started one event in front where we actually saved the event for the racing snakes by getting to a locked gate on the coarse and phoning the organizers to come open it before they arrived.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have done multiple MTB events with some friends on E-Bikes. We have started at the back, in front, in the middle and every which way the organizers could think of and not on a single one of those events we impacted the a normal MTB riders event (if you exclude some ego's that seem to be the biggest problem). We started one event in front where we actually saved the event for the racing snakes by getting to a locked gate on the coarse and phoning the organizers to come open it before they arrived.

Okay, so what I'm taking away from the last sentence is that an eBike makes you faster than a racing snake. How does that feel? :-) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have done multiple MTB events with some friends on E-Bikes. We have started at the back, in front, in the middle and every which way the organizers could think of and not on a single one of those events we impacted the a normal MTB riders event (if you exclude some ego's that seem to be the biggest problem). We started one event in front where we actually saved the event for the racing snakes by getting to a locked gate on the coarse and phoning the organizers to come open it before they arrived.

 

Silly question - why don't you guys ride normal bikes? Do you all have medical conditions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

silly question...Why is this any of your business?

Trying to understand why people would take "short cuts" - medical reasons aside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trying to understand why people would take "short cuts" - medical reasons aside.

Imho, try see it as evolution... is it F1 a shortcut to running?

I guess there is space for everything, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other space

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imho, try see it as evolution... is it F1 a shortcut to running?

I guess there is space for everything, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other space

F1 drivers aren't trying to kid themselves and everybody else that they are running, nor do they demand to take part in running events.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imho, try see it as evolution... is it F1 a shortcut to running?

I guess there is space for everything, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other space

 

Disclaimer: I'm seriously anti e-bike in races :-)

 

I don't get the evolution idea - evolution is about the weak dying and strong surviving - the weak die out and the species as a whole gets stronger. If anything ebikes are anti evolution....they allow unfit people to keep up with fitter people....

 

I "get" the attraction of ebikes - it's cool going faster than you normally can without sweating as much or going further than you normally can and seeing new places or having a group with a variety if skills all being able to ride together but why you would want to take your ebike to a race and then use a motor to (presumably?) go faster than people without motors? It just doesn't make sense to old school me. A race is timed - you save a chunk of time because you used a motor. Where is the challenge/reward in that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Disclaimer: I'm seriously anti e-bike in races :-)

 

I don't get the evolution idea - evolution is about the weak dying and strong surviving - the weak die out and the species as a whole gets stronger. If anything ebikes are anti evolution....they allow unfit people to keep up with fitter people....

 

I "get" the attraction of ebikes - it's cool going faster than you normally can without sweating as much or going further than you normally can and seeing new places or having a group with a variety if skills all being able to ride together but why you would want to take your ebike to a race and then use a motor to (presumably?) go faster than people without motors? It just doesn't make sense to old school me. A race is timed - you save a chunk of time because you used a motor. Where is the challenge/reward in that?

Interesting you quoting Darwin theory ... what is being stronger these days? Not about muscles for sure...

 

Though I agree eMTB and MTB shouldn’t compete together, different thinks and diferent effort required.

 

but if you look back see how MTB evolved over the past 20years, they are not the same machines, weight less, more efficient... they help cyclists much more...

 

Have you tried an eMTB?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Disclaimer: I'm seriously anti e-bike in races :-)

 

I don't get the evolution idea - evolution is about the weak dying and strong surviving - the weak die out and the species as a whole gets stronger. If anything ebikes are anti evolution....they allow unfit people to keep up with fitter people....

 

I "get" the attraction of ebikes - it's cool going faster than you normally can without sweating as much or going further than you normally can and seeing new places or having a group with a variety if skills all being able to ride together but why you would want to take your ebike to a race and then use a motor to (presumably?) go faster than people without motors? It just doesn't make sense to old school me. A race is timed - you save a chunk of time because you used a motor. Where is the challenge/reward in that?

 

 

thread title...

EBikes on the mountain.

not EBikes in races.

 

maybe go ride your bike, any bike i don't care what you ride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting you quoting Darwin theory ... what is being stronger these days? Not about muscles for sure...

 

Though I agree eMTB and MTB shouldn’t compete together, different thinks and diferent effort required.

 

but if you look back see how MTB evolved over the past 20years, they are not the same machines, weight less, more efficient... they help cyclists much more...

 

Have you tried an eMTB?

We're on thw same page - I'm all for ebikes. More choice is always better! Just not in races...

 

I've ridden a few and they're cool but I prefer bicycles for cycling and motorbikes for going fast.

 

In general I see most "crossover" products as a compromise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiIPS_kF4J4

 

thread title...

EBikes on the mountain.

not EBikes in races.

 

maybe go ride your bike, any bike i don't care what you ride.

The title doesn't say "Strava" either and yet that was also discussed #mindblown!

 

Oddly enough I am about to do exactly that. Time to ride!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting you quoting Darwin theory ... what is being stronger these days? Not about muscles for sure...

 

 

Do you even lift, bro?

Edited by stefmeister
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, so what I'm taking away from the last sentence is that an eBike makes you faster than a racing snake. How does that feel? :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Assumption is the mother of all fups. In this case we where started 30 min ahead of the racing snakes. I have never done a single event where ebikes competed with normal riders

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout