Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[ChrisF]

3 minutes ago, YaseenEnos said:

Got super annoyed with a group of ebikers at Tokai.

Tokai is generally very busy on weekends and this is exacerbated with the closures at Table Mountain.  

No complaints, more people on the trails the better the jol.

Lot of riders (at various fitness levels) slogging their way up the jeep tracks, some faster than other and some pushing their bikes.

What pissed me off was that on a very busy section of the jeep track was a group of ebikers storming past everyone causing some to veer off their lines and almost falling off their bikes.

I get it, they want to do repeated laps but they had no trail etiquette, no warning, no bell, just wiz past in turbo mode. 

Either these are new riders or riders that think they own the trail (elitist mentality).

Generally though during the week when Tokai is more quiet my experience with Ebikers are pleasant. 

 

"Riders" passing groups up single tracks can be very dangerous.

 

sucks when e-bikers behave in this way.  Then again, have seen young racing snakes on normal bikes do exactly the same ....

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, YaseenEnos said:

Got super annoyed with a group of ebikers at Tokai.

Tokai is generally very busy on weekends and this is exacerbated with the closures at Table Mountain.  

No complaints, more people on the trails the better the jol.

Lot of riders (at various fitness levels) slogging their way up the jeep tracks, some faster than other and some pushing their bikes.

What pissed me off was that on a very busy section of the jeep track was a group of ebikers storming past everyone causing some to veer off their lines and almost falling off their bikes.

I get it, they want to do repeated laps but they had no trail etiquette, no warning, no bell, just wiz past in turbo mode. 

Either these are new riders or riders that think they own the trail (elitist mentality).

Generally though during the week when Tokai is more quiet my experience with Ebikers are pleasant. 

every community has it's proportion of w@nkers. Maybe the ebiker one is higher than average, but they do have the potential to cause more crap don't they (with power comes responsibility!). It's always a few ruining it for the rest, hopefully this doesn't become a trend as we don't need more battle lines within the biking community.

What you've done well here is not to tar all with the same brush.

[Mike Mac]

Riding up Tokai yesterday, as I came out of Fairy Garden, there was a guy coming straight up the road about 30 m behind me. Anyway, I continue to grind my way up the hill to top of Vasbyt and it is not too long before this guy is on my wheel. He sits there for a short while, but as soon as the road smooths out, he puts in a burst and comes past. Says hi and is on his way. I try and sit on his wheel for a while, but my heart rate is going into the red, I hang on as long as I can and eventually drop off and wave goodbye as he cruises up the hill.

These damn racing snakes on their analog bikes.

 

Wondering if I should have hit turbo and shown him who is boss ???? ????

 

 

 

 

 

[Headshot]

I saw some people complaining on STRAVA re the very slow eBikers getting in their way on the fun DH single track at Tokai this weekend. And here is one of those things we need to get used to - even more barely competent riders on the mountain who are now able, with the benefit of 250 watts,  to make it up the mountain, only to be going very slowly back down. R150k and 250 watts does not a competent rider make. ???? 

Edited June 7, 2021 by Headshot

[Mark James]

Riding my bike in the Table mountain area, even on a busy Sunday morning (like yesterday), is still far more enjoyable and less stressful than riding my car around CPT on Sunday mornings... No matter how many riders are on the mountain

And playing dodge-bike with other riders makes me a better and more skilled MTB'er  

 

[stefmeister]

3 hours ago, Headshot said:

I saw some people complaining on STRAVA re the very slow eBikers getting in their way on the fun DH single track at Tokai this weekend. And here is one of those things we need to get used to - even more barely competent riders on the mountain who are now able, with the benefit of 250 watts,  to make it up the mountain, only to be going very slowly back down. R150k and 250 watts does not a competent rider make. ???? 

A solution to that would be a deterrent filter right at the start of the trail, like a 3 ft drop or a rock garden littered with baby heads. Go earn your stripes first on the red/blue trails before you crawl down a black line.

[Hairy]

I hate stating this .... but e-bikes are starting to look pretty!

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2021-scor-4060/

 

[Mike Mac]

On 6/7/2021 at 8:37 AM, YaseenEnos said:

Got super annoyed with a group of ebikers at Tokai.

Tokai is generally very busy on weekends and this is exacerbated with the closures at Table Mountain.  

No complaints, more people on the trails the better the jol.

Lot of riders (at various fitness levels) slogging their way up the jeep tracks, some faster than other and some pushing their bikes.

What pissed me off was that on a very busy section of the jeep track was a group of ebikers storming past everyone causing some to veer off their lines and almost falling off their bikes.

I get it, they want to do repeated laps but they had no trail etiquette, no warning, no bell, just wiz past in turbo mode. 

Either these are new riders or riders that think they own the trail (elitist mentality).

Generally though during the week when Tokai is more quiet my experience with Ebikers are pleasant. 

I must say this pisses me off too (and I have an eBike). If they come up fast but slow down until you have seen them and then safely pass, I have no issue. But flying past at speed does tend to take one by surprise and can cause one to go off line, which could lead to a fall. 
 

If I am on the eBike and it is busy, I adjust the power to the point where my effort and speed is similar to the majority of the bikes going up. That way we all ride to the top safely and enjoy the climb. 
 

I am not sure what the other eBikers think when the fly past me grinding up the hill. Probably assume it is broken (as I ride the brand that is rumoured to be unreliable) ????????

[Mamil]

We rented an ebike for my non cycling partner and spent the weekend a few weeks back in Prince Albert - we rode up the pass and she absolutely SMOKED me to the top - Wearing her tekkies she just turned the pedals over like she was noodling around the Rondebosch common and whoosh - I hadn't quite realised how much of a difference the assist makes. On the way down though it was a different story and on the flat back to town she called me to come back for her because the ebike was broken ---- ie - 25kmph limit!

What a blast and and I'm definitely getting one when I turn 60 in 7 years 8 months time. I am surprised and a little disappointed though that she hasn't gone and bought one after this experience.

[ChrisF]

7 hours ago, Hairy said:

I hate stating this .... but e-bikes are starting to look pretty!

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2021-scor-4060/

 

WELCOME to the dark side .... 

[ChrisF]

7 hours ago, Mamil said:

We rented an ebike for my non cycling partner and spent the weekend a few weeks back in Prince Albert - we rode up the pass and she absolutely SMOKED me to the top - Wearing her tekkies she just turned the pedals over like she was noodling around the Rondebosch common and whoosh - I hadn't quite realised how much of a difference the assist makes. On the way down though it was a different story and on the flat back to town she called me to come back for her because the ebike was broken ---- ie - 25kmph limit!

What a blast and and I'm definitely getting one when I turn 60 in 7 years 8 months time. I am surprised and a little disappointed though that she hasn't gone and bought one after this experience.

Mamil something to consider when shopping for an ebike ....

 

As this is the darkest tip of Africa we buy from both Europe AND the Americas .....

 

European bikes, not by design but by target market, gets programmed for the 25km/h speed assist limit.

 

Bikes from the Americas (both USA and Canada) are programmed to assist up to 20 mph, or 32km/h.  Giant certainly comes pre-programmed to this limit.  I have heard of some models in other known brands also having this setting ..... 

 

Make no mistake !!!  Those extra 7km/h REDUCES the battery range .... BUT it is super handy to have the 32km/h option for those times you/she needs to keep up with a faster rider.

 

 

PS - it is very easy to re-programme later .... but that is the warranty gone .... 

 

 

worth noting the vast range difference when you up the power assist levels .... if she will be using "mid boost" most of the time, dont believe the marketing range ....

[ChrisF]

Okay, just between us ladies of the tea club ..... 

 

NOTHING beats a good pair of cycling legs !!!

 

Doing my long trek on Tuesday I knew I would have to nurse the batteries to get back .... going up Swartbergpass I noted another rider two switchbacks below me .....  Turns out this was a 70-something rider on a normal MTB, just grinding away up the pass.  With me using minimal boost he kept pace with me all the way up the pass.

 

Well actually, when I stopped for a snack he passed me ..... had my blood sugar not tanked, we would have kept the same spacing all the way to the top.

 

 

e-bikes are "nice" .... good legs are "nicer" ....

[justinafrika]

26 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Turns out this was a 70-something rider on a normal MTB, just grinding away up the pass

 

 

Another level of beast those toppies.  Reminiscent of my 84 year old mate who still adventures like riding a Harley east to west coast USA, like riding a rubber duck from Angolan border to Mozambique border to raise charity funds, like keeping pace as we hike up mountains, like his many dozens of ultra marathons, like trying to persuade us to join him for his 13th Comrades completion.  Interspersed with him flying to watch footie in Manchester (his original home) and F1 in Melbourne and Silverstone.

“… good legs are nicer…”, ne’er a truer word...

Edited September 9, 2021 by justinafrika

[Hairy]

2 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Okay, just between us ladies of the tea club ..... 

 

NOTHING beats a good pair of cycling legs !!!

 

Doing my long trek on Tuesday I knew I would have to nurse the batteries to get back .... going up Swartbergpass I noted another rider two switchbacks below me .....  Turns out this was a 70-something rider on a normal MTB, just grinding away up the pass.  With me using minimal boost he kept pace with me all the way up the pass.

 

Well actually, when I stopped for a snack he passed me ..... had my blood sugar not tanked, we would have kept the same spacing all the way to the top.

 

 

e-bikes are "nice" .... good legs are "nicer" ....

70 something ... was this @Pure Savage

[ChrisF]

37 minutes ago, Hairy said:

70 something ... was this @Pure Savage

 

Probably not .... this guy had real handle bars on his bike ....

[Hairy]

30 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Probably not .... this guy had real handle bars on his bike ....

Probably had bigger leg muscles too