Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Headshot]

22 hours ago, DuncanDoughnuts said:

That's why they make long non lycra pants ... 

https://leatt.com/za/product/pant-mtb-enduro-3-0-v22?selected-color=5440

Love them. comfy, dont overheat .. and no mud in my crack

Preach it brother - I have some cheap stretchy gym longs from Total Sports I wear in winter some times (over my padded ballet shorts). Keep the mud off your lower legs too. And I don't find them too sweaty, even though I have to pedal like mad, not having an eScooter and all. 🙂 

[Eddy Gordo]

I think the only way strava will get around that is if they ad a questionnaire that asks if you have an ebike, cx, mtb, roadie, especially when signing up. I suppose with an update that can also be done. Can ad wheel size also!

Then it can automatically ad you to ebike category. 

[ChrisF]

Just now, Eddy Gordo said:

I think the only way strava will get around that is if they ad a questionnaire that asks if you have an ebike, cx, mtb, roadie, especially when signing up. I suppose with an update that can also be done. Can ad wheel size also!

Then it can automatically ad you to ebike category. 

 

OR ... create an ebike category under default gear .... ...😉

[Shebeen]

14 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

I think the only way strava will get around that is if they ad a questionnaire that asks if you have an ebike, cx, mtb, roadie, especially when signing up. I suppose with an update that can also be done. Can ad wheel size also!

Then it can automatically ad you to ebike category. 

disagree, software can easily detect if your ride is most likely on an ebike.

if you are throwing 500W up the hills and 250W on the flats, Then 99% chance you're on an ebike.

And this doesn't have to come from a power meter either, the maths is easy if the gradient or data from a segment with a lot of rides is used..

 

[Shebeen]

On 10/4/2022 at 1:34 PM, ChrisF said:

 

camera man ?

 

On 10/4/2022 at 1:35 PM, TheoG said:

Either that or he's a stalker .... 🤪😁😂

My first impression was that they rode as a group and because he is on an ebike they made sure he didn't finish in front.*

Ladies have been wheelsucking men for years, normally not an issue. When you're an elite rider/prizemoney involved and you do it as a "team" then it becomes a moral issue in my mind. Wheelsucking someone on an ebike isn't really that worse, especially since there is less benefit on the flats when it is really helpful.

*not saying this is the case here, but I see it as a problem rearing it's head going forward as more ebikes are on the racecourse.

[DuncanDoughnuts]

17 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

My first impression was that they rode as a group and because he is on an ebike they made sure he didn't finish in front.*

Ladies have been wheelsucking men for years, normally not an issue. When you're an elite rider/prizemoney involved and you do it as a "team" then it becomes a moral issue in my mind. Wheelsucking someone on an ebike isn't really that worse, especially since there is less benefit on the flats when it is really helpful.

*not saying this is the case here, but I see it as a problem rearing it's head going forward as more ebikes are on the racecourse.

I only see a benefit of drafting a ebike on the technical downs ... where a more advanced rider can choose the right lines and the others follow his wheel. 

Drafting on a flat will have no benefit as you mentioned. Top end riders with leave a ebike in the dust on the flats. and no ways a legal ebike will keep up... Only benefit on a ebike is uphill, but not sure how drafting uphill can help as you still have gravity you need to overcome. 

so other than moral support... no real advantage on a MTB race... 

Never ridden a road ebike not sure how that changes things and if there are other speed restrictions? perhaps someone can chime in?

Was looking at all my strava logs yesterday looking for a particular ride and noticed that I am not any faster on my ebike in terms of top speed.... still faster on my enduro bike when it comes to top end speed... but my ave speed is higher on the ebike. - I found this rather interesting.  

[Johan A Marais]

A mate of mine completed a race last week end.  There was an ebiker in front of him and this biker got the official position ahead of his...  So it seems the biker did not enter as an ebiker, and raced with the cyclists...

Not cool, or good for cyclist and biker relationships...

[LazyTrailRider]

15 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

I think the only way strava will get around that is if they ad a questionnaire that asks if you have an ebike, cx, mtb, roadie, especially when signing up. I suppose with an update that can also be done. Can ad wheel size also!

Then it can automatically ad you to ebike category. 

The reality is that many people have all of the above. I log gravel, road, MTB and eMTB rides on Strava depending on the day.

[Eddy Gordo]

7 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

The reality is that many people have all of the above. I log gravel, road, MTB and eMTB rides on Strava depending on the day.

Same, and after the end the ride, I select which bike I used as I want to keep track of mileage on the parts of said bike. I think that only works if you ad all the parts to the bike list

[Tatt]

On 10/5/2022 at 12:22 PM, Paul Ruinaard said:

Ever hooked your loose fitting baggies on your saddle when trying to get far back for a dropoff?

I have.

Nuff said.

Hey you can ride in your wife beater sleeveless vest and all the kit you want but a good bib short that is tight fitting is really also the only thing to use on a muddy day on an MTB, unless you really like getting mud and gravel in your crack 10kms in to a 120km stage.

Again i can talk from experience.

 

I hooked my b*lls on my saddle once going over a drop off at Tokai.. Lycra didn't help at all and it hurt. It hurt a lot.. An hour or two later I had a Specialized Command dropper post.. Nobody told me that you had to ease them up slowly with your thighs, otherwise they shoot up with speed.. It hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot for the second time that day..

[Paul Ruinaard]

13 hours ago, Tatt said:

I hooked my b*lls on my saddle once going over a drop off at Tokai.. Lycra didn't help at all and it hurt. It hurt a lot.. An hour or two later I had a Specialized Command dropper post.. Nobody told me that you had to ease them up slowly with your thighs, otherwise they shoot up with speed.. It hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot for the second time that day..

Bwahaha I didn’t think of that. Haven’t smacked my nuts with a fast rising dropper yet. Done other things to get them caught on the saddle when moving back on a drop off but that’s a first. Chuckling at your misfortune…

[ChrisF]

Okay .... there should be a rule against fit able bodied persons riding ebikes on the mountains .... at the very least they should be forced to wear big warning labels on their riding gear ....

 

Trying to keep up with one of these yesterday afternoon up to the mast, I set a couple of PB's .... and now feel like I did a marathon event .....

 

blerrie ebikers .... 

[Hairy]

On 10/7/2022 at 8:49 PM, Tatt said:

I hooked my b*lls on my saddle once going over a drop off at Tokai.. Lycra didn't help at all and it hurt. It hurt a lot.. An hour or two later I had a Specialized Command dropper post.. Nobody told me that you had to ease them up slowly with your thighs, otherwise they shoot up with speed.. It hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot for the second time that day..

that specific dropper post has a rather "quick return" ..........

[ChrisF]

6 minutes ago, Hairy said:

that specific dropper post has a rather "quick return" ..........

 

That sounds like a balls-up ... ...😬

[Hairy]

Just now, ChrisF said:

 

That sounds like a balls-up ... ...😬

... all the way up to your throat yes.....

[MORNE]

have you guys seen this Trek ebike short film? sorry if it has been posted somewhere already. I thinks it's awesome lol

well done.