Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Headshot]

Looks like they are having fun and getting more people onto the trails, Kudos!!

Is that what we want - more people clogging the trails? That's why we don't road cycle like you. We hate traffic. 

[Headshot]

There are going to be eBike world champs next year, if its so easy why not go be a world champion??

 

Ebikes will get more people enjoying more trails. If they are able to do more descents per day, they may get better skilled and there will be less dirt roadies out there... There is always road cycling for those that dont like eBikes.

I will. I'll get mine hopped to the max. It will basically wheel spin the whole way up the hill and the extra heavy duty battery pack will make it so heavy it will descend like a boat anchor.

[Headshot]

E Bike Tours On Proper Trails

Free

 Durbanville, Western Cape

 

 

Offering guided pedal assist E Bike Tours on Specialised Levo's on proper Trails at capetownebiketours.co.za. Novice to advanced Riders welcome. Groups from 2 - 8 riders. Rides from 1 to 3.5 hours commencing from Durbanville, WC am and pm options.

 

 

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/333036-e-bike-tours-on-proper-trails/

 

 "Got a belly, then you need a battery" 

[Paddaman]

E-biker bragging about his strava segments

[Patchelicious]

E-biker bragging about his strava segments

They are more like those North Korean Generals who need to wear medals on their pants.

[Patchelicious]

Come to think of it, their Strava achievements are as hollow as Dudu Myeni’s at SAA.

[Paddaman]

They are more like those North Korean Generals who need to wear medals on their pants.

[slickjay007]

Taken from Wikipedia:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle#Health_benefits

 

Health benefits

E-bikes can be a useful part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes, since health professionals will often recommend a stationary bike be used in the early stages of these. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes can reduce deaths in people with coronary heart disease by around 27%;[55] and a patient may feel safer progressing from stationary bikes to e-bikes.[56] They require less cardiac exertion for those who have experienced heart problems.[57]

 

E-bikes can also provide a source of exercise for individuals who have trouble exercising for an extended time (due to injury or excessive weight, for example) as the bike can allow the rider to take short breaks from pedaling and also provide confidence to the rider that they'll be able to complete the selected path without becoming too fatigued[58] or without having forced their knee joints too hard (people who need to use their knee joints without wearing them out unnecessarily may in some electric bikes adjust the level of motor assistance according to the terrain). A University of Tennessee study provides evidence that energy expenditure (EE) and oxygen consumption (VO2) for e-bikes are 24% lower than that for conventional bicycles, and 64% lower than for walking. Further, the study notes that the difference between e-bikes and bicycles are most pronounced on the uphill segments.[59] Reaching VO2 Max, can really help your body as a whole[60]. Professor Janet Lord of Birmingham University in the UK published a study that looked at older cyclists, ““The study looked at muscle mass, blood cholesterol, their VO2 Max, lung function, and in many of those measures we found they didn’t age! No loss of muscle, their bones were a little thin (but nothing like the general population), their blood pressure didn’t go up.[61]

 

There are individuals who claim to have lost considerable amounts of weight by using an electric bike.[62] A recent prospective cohort study however found that people using e-bikes have a higher BMI.[63] By making the biking terrain less of an issue, people who wouldn't otherwise consider biking can use the electric assistance when needed and otherwise pedal as they are able.[64] This means people of lower fitness levels or who haven't cycled in many years can start enjoying the many health benefits E-bikes have to offer. [1]

 

 

.....so there must be a method in their madness. Wikipedia doesn't lie 

[Paddaman]

Taken from Wikipedia:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle#Health_benefits

 

Health benefits

E-bikes can be a useful part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes, since health professionals will often recommend a stationary bike be used in the early stages of these. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes can reduce deaths in people with coronary heart disease by around 27%;[55] and a patient may feel safer progressing from stationary bikes to e-bikes.[56] They require less cardiac exertion for those who have experienced heart problems.[57]

 

E-bikes can also provide a source of exercise for individuals who have trouble exercising for an extended time (due to injury or excessive weight, for example) as the bike can allow the rider to take short breaks from pedaling and also provide confidence to the rider that they'll be able to complete the selected path without becoming too fatigued[58] or without having forced their knee joints too hard (people who need to use their knee joints without wearing them out unnecessarily may in some electric bikes adjust the level of motor assistance according to the terrain). A University of Tennessee study provides evidence that energy expenditure (EE) and oxygen consumption (VO2) for e-bikes are 24% lower than that for conventional bicycles, and 64% lower than for walking. Further, the study notes that the difference between e-bikes and bicycles are most pronounced on the uphill segments.[59] Reaching VO2 Max, can really help your body as a whole[60]. Professor Janet Lord of Birmingham University in the UK published a study that looked at older cyclists, ““The study looked at muscle mass, blood cholesterol, their VO2 Max, lung function, and in many of those measures we found they didn’t age! No loss of muscle, their bones were a little thin (but nothing like the general population), their blood pressure didn’t go up.[61]

 

There are individuals who claim to have lost considerable amounts of weight by using an electric bike.[62] A recent prospective cohort study however found that people using e-bikes have a higher BMI.[63] By making the biking terrain less of an issue, people who wouldn't otherwise consider biking can use the electric assistance when needed and otherwise pedal as they are able.[64] This means people of lower fitness levels or who haven't cycled in many years can start enjoying the many health benefits E-bikes have to offer. [1]

 

 

.....so there must be a method in their madness. Wikipedia doesn't lie 

In the USA they discovered that cycling could make you infertile, in Italy they discovered cycling can make you more virile.  Conclusion, in the USA any excuse not to exercise will be found, in Italy any excuse for sex will be found.

[Duane_Bosch]

E-biker bragging about his strava segments

Kind of like bragging coz you banged a hot prostitute.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Duane_Bosch

[Hairy]

post of the day!

 

In the USA they discovered that cycling could make you infertile, in Italy they discovered cycling can make you more virile.  Conclusion, in the USA any excuse not to exercise will be found, in Italy any excuse for sex will be found.

[Paddaman]

Kind of like bragging coz you banged a hot prostitute.

Kind of stopped asking my wife for a e-bike, when she started asking me for an e-lover......

[Patchelicious]

Kind of like bragging coz you banged a hot prostitute.

More like bragging that you banged a Fleshlight

[Duane_Bosch]

Kind of stopped asking my wife for a e-bike, when she started asking me for an e-lover......

The way I see it they make you more of what you are. If you are fit and fast it's going to make you more of that. If you're a fat slob who desperately needs the workout that a bike ride brings?

 

Well......

[Duane_Bosch]

More like bragging that you banged a Fleshlight

You owe me a keyboard!

[Dirkitech]

Military historians may point out that Repack Hill was not the first time bicycles were used "off road".  In the Boer War both sides used bicycles to traverse the veld and avoid getting shot.  (The British had a extensive bicycle corp for communications between headquarters).  At one stage Danie Theron insisted his rapportryers get double rations, as they did not have horses, therefore they needed to be fed twice, once for sustainment, and once for locomotion.  They were nicknamed dikvreeters.....Danie Theron also "invented" the puncture-less tube, by inserting a leather belt between the tube and the tire.  (Orginal tire liners).  In order to get Pres Kruger to accept his concept, he challenged a horse rider to a race between Pretoria and Potchestroom, which he won on his bicycle.   Despite this history the SANDF still prefers horses and motorbikes (despite the noise and maintenance costs) as means of transport in rural areas.  maybe they should investigate e-bikes.........

 

(Bianci also developed a good military bicycle at one stage)

That was a very interesting read! Do you perhaps have links to online sources or books for further reading? Just about the sandf side of the text.

 

Taken from Wikipedia:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle#Health_benefits

 

snip

 

 

.....so there must be a method in their madness. Wikipedia doesn't lie 

I saw some seriously unhealthy overweight people on mtb's riding up the hill on the macsteel race recently and I was [flabber]gasted. Kudos to those people, you made some heads turn for sure!

There is no compulsory need for ebikes for these health benefits, unless maybe honest knee issues. If an ebike doesn't get an overweight person exercising, nothing will.

If an ebike takes away some of the pain from cycling up a hill, then no thanks