Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Headshot]

so, bare with your own logic for a second

bicycle + electric shifting =  electric bike?

uh mean it has a servo motor, so it's actually an electric motorbike?

 

flogging a dead horse is pointless. Pointing out to the man that he is doing something pointless, i suppose does become futile after a while too. Think about that one for a second.

Clutching at straws and flogging your own dead pony?

 

The fact is that the industry has attempted to make motorised bikes cool by calling them "E" . They are in reality, that is, plain English, Motor-bicycles. 

[Headshot]

The same people who pioneered mountain-biking in South Africa are now in their 50s and 60s, and we still like to ride our bikes. Pedelecs allows us to continue to do something that we’ve always loved to do despite the physical challenges that come with age; something that younger folks are not going to get. My pedelec will extend my mountain biking by another 15 years.

 

Not sure what being in your 50's or 60's has to do with needing an eBike? I fall into the 50 something bracket as do several friends. We happily still ride our bikes up hills, do marathons and enduro's. To me an E Bike is a bit like going for the Zimmer Frame or wheel chair option. if old age is your justification of course. :-) 

 

In fact, they make riding and having fun easier for all ages - most of the people I have seen on them don't fit into the age category you mention and I see plenty of people in that category on normal bikes. Do they make kids eBikes? Would help ease them into cycling up hills I reckon.

[Hairy]

The same people who pioneered mountain-biking in South Africa are now in their 50s and 60s, and we still like to ride our bikes. Pedelecs allows us to continue to do something that we’ve always loved to do despite the physical challenges that come with age; something that younger folks are not going to get. My pedelec will extend my mountain biking by another 15 years.

 

Not sure what being in your 50's or 60's has to do with needing an eBike? I fall into the 50 something bracket as do several friends. We happily still ride our bikes up hills, do marathons and enduro's. To me an E Bike is a bit like going for the Zimmer Frame or wheel chair option. if old age is your justification of course. :-) 

 

In fact, they make riding and having fun easier for all ages - most of the people I have seen on them don't fit into the age category you mention and I see plenty of people in that category on normal bikes. Do they make kids eBikes? Would help ease them into cycling up hills I reckon.

Something I too have noticed.

 

When I next pop into a rather trendy bike shop in town (Who told me they sell more motorbikes vs pedal bikes as of late) I will ask them the general age group and fitness level buying up the snazzy motorbikes on offer....what get's me chuckling is that you can buy the motor bikes on higher purchase like any other motorised vehicle (sure you can buy the pedal bikes too on HP, but this still makes me chuckle)

[Escapee..]

After migrating from a Pyga OneTen to a Turbo Levo FSR 6 Fattie earlier this year I have been shown the middle finger more times than I care, which I don’t.

 

When people say ebike, they usually mean Pedelec. There are technical and legal differences between a pedelec and an ebike.

 

Pedelecs (pedal electric cycles) are cycles that assist the rider’s pedaling effort with a battery/ electric motor delivering up to 250 watts assisted power at a speed of up to 25 km/h. There are many other different types of electric bikes with different ways of activating the electric assist and they all fall outside of the definition of a pedelec.

 

Pedelec’s are designed to augment human power and not replace it. Assistance only comes on when you pedal and it makes pedaling easier. Assistance automatically turns off when you stop pedaling; there is simply no throttle present. These amazing bicycles use pedal assist which runs in the background delivering smooth assistance whilst cycling with the option of a little boost to get up a steep section of trail where challenged individuals would normally have to get off and push. This can be seen to be advantageous to the other cyclists as it mitigates bottlenecks.

 

You can adjust the level of assistance from no assistance to a great deal of assistance so don’t take it for granted that everyone on a pedelec is at full boost all the time; I spend most of the time at 20% which basically compensates for the additional weight.

 

At a certain speed assistance is cut out; 25 km/h is the limit. Most bicycle riders can reach speed higher than 25 km/h for a limited time without much effort.

 

The same people who pioneered mountain-biking in South Africa are now in their 50s and 60s, and we still like to ride our bikes. Pedelecs allows us to continue to do something that we’ve always loved to do despite the physical challenges that come with age; something that younger folks are not going to get. My pedelec will extend my mountain biking by another 15 years.

 

In my opinion the limited speed and power of pedelecs makes them okay to use on trails with other cyclists, however I do not agree with mixing then up with other cyclists in races unless they are grouped in a different class without interfering with the other cyclists on the race day.

 

So you are just using the power to compensate for the weight?

 

If so why dont you just get a lighter bike, as in one without an engine?

[Headshot]

So you are just using the power to compensate for the weight?

 

If so why dont you just get a lighter bike, as in one without an engine?

Yes, there is a logic failure there, or a big fat fib.

 

If I ride an eBike, I damn well want to go fast up hill, not at the same speed as my ordinary bike.

[Rigardt@Scott]

You can adjust the level of assistance from no assistance to a great deal of assistance so don’t take it for granted that everyone on a pedelec is at full boost all the time; I spend most of the time at 20% which basically compensates for the additional weight.

 

I don't buy that. I've spent many hours on an ebike now, and at 20% assistant I get to the top of Helderberg in 30mins with relative ease compared to 50mins on my normal bike going flat out... No setting on an ebike just compensates for weight. Edited June 13, 2018 by Grease_Monkey

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I don't buy that. I've spent many hours on an ebike now, and at 20% assistant I get to the top of Helderberg in 30mins with relative ease compared to 50mins on my normal bike going flat out... No setting on an ebike just compensates for weight.

And that Helderberg hill is a *** one. 

[Tony datoy]

So you are just using the power to compensate for the weight?

 

If so why dont you just get a lighter bike, as in one without an engine?

I've just sold my Pyga and I've still got my hardtail in the garage. The Levo is great fun and it's what I choose to ride.

[Tony datoy]

I don't buy that. I've spent many hours on an ebike now, and at 20% assistant I get to the top of Helderberg in 30mins with relative ease compared to 50mins on my normal bike going flat out... No setting on an ebike just compensates for weight.

It all depends on your age, weight and fitness level. My friend weighs 45kgs and she flys uphill on her pedelec, whereas it takes me much longer to get my 110kgs there. Basic physics.

[Shebeen]

Clutching at straws and flogging your own dead pony?

 

The fact is that the industry has attempted to make motorised bikes cool by calling them "E" . They are in reality, that is, plain English, Motor-bicycles. 

 

 

a)have you ridden and e-bike, and decided that they are just schmarketing and actually not that cool.

b)have you read your own signature recently?because this e-bike debate is VERY much like the wheelsize one...

 

There is no debate - ride what the **** you feel like... Skill and fitness trump wheel size 24/7.

 

 

ps. pretty cool that you got trump in your sig before admin banned the word!

[Patchelicious]

a)have you ridden and e-bike, and decided that they are just schmarketing and actually not that cool.

b)have you read your own signature recently?because this e-bike debate is VERY much like the wheelsize one...

 

There is no debate - ride what the **** you feel like... Skill and fitness trump wheel size 24/7.

 

 

ps. pretty cool that you got trump in your sig before admin banned the word!

eBike vs bicycle is not the same as 27.5 vs 29er

 

“Ride what you like, who cares. Race what is fair”

 

But that’s a *** argument.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Patchelicious

[Rigardt@Scott]

It all depends on your age, weight and fitness level. My friend weighs 45kgs and she flys uphill on her pedelec, whereas it takes me much longer to get my 110kgs there. Basic physics.

I'm 100kg plus and unfit... I fly up no matter what the setting. I've got no issues with e-bikes - just dnt race them. I did a whole long essay post on my opinion a while back so I won't again. E-bikes are kief and fun and and... - but they have no place in a race with normal mtbs.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Grease_Monkey

[BigDL]

After migrating from a Pyga OneTen to a Turbo Levo FSR 6 Fattie earlier this year I have been shown the middle finger more times than I care, which I don’t.

 

When people say ebike, they usually mean Pedelec. There are technical and legal differences between a pedelec and an ebike.

 

Pedelecs (pedal electric cycles) are cycles that assist the rider’s pedaling effort with a battery/ electric motor delivering up to 250 watts assisted power at a speed of up to 25 km/h. There are many other different types of electric bikes with different ways of activating the electric assist and they all fall outside of the definition of a pedelec.

 

Pedelec’s are designed to augment human power and not replace it. Assistance only comes on when you pedal and it makes pedaling easier. Assistance automatically turns off when you stop pedaling; there is simply no throttle present. These amazing bicycles use pedal assist which runs in the background delivering smooth assistance whilst cycling with the option of a little boost to get up a steep section of trail where challenged individuals would normally have to get off and push. This can be seen to be advantageous to the other cyclists as it mitigates bottlenecks.

 

You can adjust the level of assistance from no assistance to a great deal of assistance so don’t take it for granted that everyone on a pedelec is at full boost all the time; I spend most of the time at 20% which basically compensates for the additional weight.

 

At a certain speed assistance is cut out; 25 km/h is the limit. Most bicycle riders can reach speed higher than 25 km/h for a limited time without much effort.

 

The same people who pioneered mountain-biking in South Africa are now in their 50s and 60s, and we still like to ride our bikes. Pedelecs allows us to continue to do something that we’ve always loved to do despite the physical challenges that come with age; something that younger folks are not going to get. My pedelec will extend my mountain biking by another 15 years.

 

In my opinion the limited speed and power of pedelecs makes them okay to use on trails with other cyclists, however I do not agree with mixing then up with other cyclists in races unless they are grouped in a different class without interfering with the other cyclists on the race day.

And a few bucks on eBay gets you the ability to double that 25 km/h limit. Let’s not fool ourselves that the engines are somehow just compensating for the extra weight and age.

 

Four of my mates now have pedelecs or whatever. Three of them are my age, fit, strong, fast and skilful. All four have bypassed the limiters and go flying up hills at ridiculous speeds, to be fair to allow them to get more of the downhill runs in. I don’t ride with them anymore as I can’t even hope to try and stay anywhere near them.

 

None of them want to enter races, and all four of them see their ebikes for what they are - a means to get to the top of a hill in order to have fun going down. No Strava, just fun

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

And a few bucks on eBay gets you the ability to double that 25 km/h limit. Let’s not fool ourselves that the engines are somehow just compensating for the extra weight and age.

 

Four of my mates now have pedelecs or whatever. Three of them are my age, fit, strong, fast and skilful. All four have bypassed the limiters and go flying up hills at ridiculous speeds, to be fair to allow them to get more of the downhill runs in. I don’t ride with them anymore as I can’t even hope to try and stay anywhere near them.

 

None of them want to enter races, and all four of them see their ebikes for what they are - a means to get to the top of a hill in order to have fun going down. No Strava, just fun

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Exactly what I'd do. Assistance for the ups, let gravity take over for the downs. 

[Eldron]

On a ride the other day I was reflecting on my anti e-bike stance so I asked myself a question - what would I do if I had an ebike for the weekend?

 

The answer:

On Saturday I would pop a set of aero wheels with road tyres onto my duallie and smash Wiggin's world hour record. He needed 430watts for the world hour record - add some watts on for the poor aerodynamics of an mtb and I reckon I would have to roll 500 watts for an hour. No worries! 250 from me and 250 from the bike - job done. Might as well have some fun though - dial up the wattage and bang 780 watts for an hour (250 from me and 530 from the bike). Job done without raising too much of a sweat...after all I'll need my energy for Sunday....

 

Sunday - pop on some lightweight wheels with road tyres then travel round France smashing every Pro record on every climb I can find. Given that world record holders are around 6.6watts/kg FT and Lance was rumoured to have hit 7 EPO powered watts per kg I'd have to be a little higher as I want to smash multiple records in a day. No worries! I'll make 250 (don't want to tire myself out too early) - the bike would make 530 (I'd charge between efforts) so that makes 780 watts for an hour. I weigh 85kg so my FT would be a comfy 9.17 watts/kg. Job done!

 

World hour record and a handful of ultimate KOMs in 2 days. Not bad for a middle aged wannabe racer on a dual suspended mountain bike. Pros - pah - they're soft.

[SwissVan]

On a ride the other day I was reflecting on my anti e-bike stance so I asked myself a question - what would I do if I had an ebike for the weekend?

 

The answer:

On Saturday I would pop a set of aero wheels with road tyres onto my duallie and smash Wiggin's world hour record. He needed 430watts for the world hour record - add some watts on for the poor aerodynamics of an mtb and I reckon I would have to roll 500 watts for an hour. No worries! 250 from me and 250 from the bike - job done. Might as well have some fun though - dial up the wattage and bang 780 watts for an hour (250 from me and 530 from the bike). Job done without raising too much of a sweat...after all I'll need my energy for Sunday....

 

Sunday - pop on some lightweight wheels with road tyres then travel round France smashing every Pro record on every climb I can find. Given that world record holders are around 6.6watts/kg FT and Lance was rumoured to have hit 7 EPO powered watts per kg I'd have to be a little higher as I want to smash multiple records in a day. No worries! I'll make 250 (don't want to tire myself out too early) - the bike would make 530 (I'd charge between efforts) so that makes 780 watts for an hour. I weigh 85kg so my FT would be a comfy 9.17 watts/kg. Job done!

 

World hour record and a handful of ultimate KOMs in 2 days. Not bad for a middle aged wannabe racer on a dual suspended mountain bike. Pros - pah - they're soft.

That LAnce rumour is utter BS