Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Chingy182]

They do have a place but not on trails or races[emoji106][emoji6]

In my heart I want to say I agree (only for old, sick, frail, disabled riders, etc, etc.)

 

I've had a few chats with guys on the mountains with their E-bikes.

I've realised it doesn't bother me in the slightest. 

Some interesting stories though once you chat to the guys.

One guy literally bought an ebike so he can go for longer rides in the same amount of time, so he can get back home and take care of 2 little kids. 

 

I just wouldn't give him a medal at the end of a race.

[Chingy182]

They do have a place but not on trails or races[emoji106][emoji6]

...got a bit distracted from what my actual thought was.

 

We've all met some people who have this exact same attitude towards ALL cyclists on the roads.

 

You know them... "roads are for cars, not bikes!! take your bike and p!$$ off"

[BigDL]

They should have indicators, number plates

and lights and stay on the road where they belong

[ChrisF]

They should have indicators, number plates

and lights and stay on the road where they belong

 

same mentality as : "Bicycles dont have number plates and should stay OFF the roads ..."

 

 

LIVE AND LET LIVE .....

[Headshot]

Blackwing you're a flippin saint man.What you doing on this forum then?

[Eldron]

Just one push of this little button and Pina's new bike will automatically connect to your mobile phone, locate you via GPS and send your closest Pina representative to collect your man card.

[Delarey]

I demo’ed a Levo at The U prologue and with Jonkers in my backyard I have to say I agree with this guy

 

https://youtu.be/ED0m3CbRLcI

[ChrisF]

I demo’ed a Levo at The U prologue and with Jonkers in my backyard I have to say I agree with this guy

 

 

Just a matter of time when I wont be able to keep up with Maritz ....

 

 

We then need to figure out HIS future in cycling.  IF he wants to progress in the SPUR league .... I will get an ebike to keep up with him, and use my normal bike for when I ride on my own ....

 

 

Heck, I may even join my DC and Trans Baviaans buddy for some day trails .... nice new world of options for me, and an extra riding buddy that does not hold him up ..... 

 

 

 

For now .... I am just that bit faster and fitter than Maritz ... better ENJOY it while it lasts ....      

 

 

 

I ENJOYED the 12km ride of Hermanus trails on Sunday .... but was more than a bit enveous of the riders that turned off the blue route to enjoy the rest of the route .....  Due to my arthritis and knees those extra distances simply are not an option for me on a traditional bike ...  But then again, but constantly pushing my limits that that little bit, I am now capable of a LOT more than 18 months ago !!!!!!  So the ebike can wait a while ... 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I demo’ed a Levo at The U prologue and with Jonkers in my backyard I have to say I agree with this guy

 

https://youtu.be/ED0m3CbRLcI

100%

 

That's what I've personally said from the beginning. I want to be able to do multiple full laps of Jonkers in a day. Not just one. This, means I can.

[BigDL]

same mentality as : "Bicycles dont have number plates and should stay OFF the roads ..."

 

 

LIVE AND LET LIVE .....

[rudi-h]

They should have indicators, number plates

and lights and stay on the road where they belong

 

imagine a world where every single one of us took an ebike to work...

 

a city with bike paths and trails everywhere (yes, even gnarly ones with jumps and berms and shi_t) so that you can hop and smile your way back home after work.

 

trails that are safe to use day and night (because they get used by everybody), a world where you don't need to drop your car somewhere and call uber every time that you feel like drinking a beer

 

people waving, smiling and greeting each other as they fly by each other 8AM on their morning commute instead of vloeking the douchbag pushing in front of you in morning traffic...

 

a place with no taxis or hooters or idling for hours and sucking up fumes

______

 

Now lets face it, normal bikes have been around for 100+ years, yet the amount of people actively using bicycles as a means of either transport and fun/recreation are confined to a select few lean and mean blokes (many of us) that have become too damn scared to ride our bikes anywhere but 50km outside of the city perimeter in some "safe" spot, and god forbid riding alone or out at night.

 

How do we get from this fking mess that we live with now to the picture above?  E-bikes are currently the only likely transport technology (fast enough, cheap enough, capable to cover distance, fun enough and doesn't leave you in a puddle of sweat after you've cycled 1km up the road) that has the ability to even attempt this change.  And the only way that we ill ever get a large scale take-up in ebike use is to make ebikes sexy, make them efficient, make them fun, make them cool AND make them inclusive.  That would mean that we might have to drop our "tough-guy" / "purist" / "hardman" / "HTFU" and "earn your downhills" sentiments that many of us cyclists associate with and welcome those e-bike users to our trails and races...

 

Who knows, in 20 years you might thank yourself for your progressive new mindset and one day when you're 75 and no longer capable of pushing out 350W on the hills, you still might enjoy riding your favorite trail...

Edited December 7, 2018 by rudi-h

[Rigardt@Scott]

imagine a world where every single one of us took an ebike to work...

 

a city with bike paths and trails everywhere (yes, even gnarly ones with jumps and berms and shi_t) so that you can hop and smile your way back home after work.

 

trails that are safe to use day and night (because they get used by everybody), a world where you don't need to drop your car somewhere and call uber every time that you feel like drinking a beer

 

people waving, smiling and greeting each other as they fly by each other 8AM on their morning commute instead of vloeking the douchbag pushing in front of you in morning traffic...

 

a place with no taxis or hooters or idling for hours and sucking up fumes

______

 

Now lets face it, normal bikes have been around for 100+ years, yet the amount of people actively using bicycles as a means of either transport and fun/recreation are confined to a select few lean and mean blokes (many of us) that have become too damn scared to ride our bikes anywhere but 50km outside of the city perimeter in some "safe" spot, and god forbid riding alone or out at night.

 

How do we get from this fking mess that we live with now to the picture above? E-bikes are currently the only likely transport technology (fast enough, cheap enough, capable to cover distance, fun enough and doesn't leave you in a puddle of sweat after you've cycled 1km up the road) that has the ability to even attempt this change. And the only way that we ill ever get a large scale take-up in ebike use is to make ebikes sexy, make them efficient, make them fun, make them cool AND make them inclusive. That would mean that we might have to drop our "tough-guy" / "purist" / "hardman" / "HTFU" and "earn your downhills" sentiments that many of us cyclists associate with and welcome those e-bike users to our trails and races...

 

Who knows, in 20 years you might thank yourself for your progressive new mindset and one day when you're 75 and no longer capable of pushing out 350W on the hills, you still might enjoy riding your favorite trail...

Pretty sure wahoofish was being sarcastic with his numberplates remark...

[Robbow]

So I've had my bike for around a month now, and with this forum that just keeps on giving I thought I would give some real world feedback.

 

To start off with I am in no way disabled (wife disagrees ), old or too unfit. I've done loads of marathons/stage races and in more recent years have been enjoying Enduro/DH, whilst also doing the Megavalanche twice. So would class myself as a reasonably capable rider. My home trails are Karkloof and I pretty much spend all my free time there.

 

Why did I buy an ebike? In short cos I wanted to, I had a few short rides on other models and they are a laugh. Do I regret it? Not in the slightest, I am having great fun on it.

 

Plus Side:

The obvious I can climb faster, but beyond that its more the mentality that I am happy to ride any trail heading in any direction now because you aren't concerned about the way back or where you may land up.

The weight helps the bike stay more planted, some may find this an issue if they after poppy/playful bikes, but for me I've never been great in the air so the better stability is pleasant.

 

Down Side:

Lifting that sucker off the back of the bakkie

Remembering to charge it before the weekend

 

 

I've done a few rides on my own and you certainly can cover some distance when going for it, but you can ride it at a normal pace too. I regularly ride with a group of mates and I just leave it in the lowest power mode and it's cool. Except for the really steep hills when I land up towing 2 of them

 

As for racing, We did the team Enduro at Giba a few weekends back and there are no issues, other than you can obviously climb up the really steep liasons where guys are walking, but in stage at racing speeds the bike is not really faster, you are often above 25km/h so its not powering up. For sure you get chirped etc, but after a few big hills that quickly changed to can I have a turn.

 

Most people I have come across are far more interested in what it is, how it works, can they try it as opposed to outright hate.

 

Ebike or no ebike, most of the *** out on the trails is around EGO and attitude towards others. If you are polite and not shouting at everyone who's in the way of your Strava attempt then generally no one give a ...... about what bike you are on.

[coppi]

Our ideal scenario that i'm busy working on ( Mrs & I ) :

 

Hire a camper-van and go on a year long journey around SA and neighboring countries. 

Strap 2 E-bikes to the back, use them to go exploring from various campsites............

[Eldron]

imagine a world where every single one of us took an ebike to work...

 

a city with bike paths and trails everywhere (yes, even gnarly ones with jumps and berms and shi_t) so that you can hop and smile your way back home after work.

 

trails that are safe to use day and night (because they get used by everybody), a world where you don't need to drop your car somewhere and call uber every time that you feel like drinking a beer

 

people waving, smiling and greeting each other as they fly by each other 8AM on their morning commute instead of vloeking the douchbag pushing in front of you in morning traffic...

 

a place with no taxis or hooters or idling for hours and sucking up fumes

______

 

Now lets face it, normal bikes have been around for 100+ years, yet the amount of people actively using bicycles as a means of either transport and fun/recreation are confined to a select few lean and mean blokes (many of us) that have become too damn scared to ride our bikes anywhere but 50km outside of the city perimeter in some "safe" spot, and god forbid riding alone or out at night.

 

How do we get from this fking mess that we live with now to the picture above? E-bikes are currently the only likely transport technology (fast enough, cheap enough, capable to cover distance, fun enough and doesn't leave you in a puddle of sweat after you've cycled 1km up the road) that has the ability to even attempt this change. And the only way that we ill ever get a large scale take-up in ebike use is to make ebikes sexy, make them efficient, make them fun, make them cool AND make them inclusive. That would mean that we might have to drop our "tough-guy" / "purist" / "hardman" / "HTFU" and "earn your downhills" sentiments that many of us cyclists associate with and welcome those e-bike users to our trails and races...

 

Who knows, in 20 years you might thank yourself for your progressive new mindset and one day when you're 75 and no longer capable of pushing out 350W on the hills, you still might enjoy riding your favorite trail...

Right here right now Copenhagen has exactly that...without ebikes. 65% of Copenhageners ride to work in summer and 35% in winter (and we have proper winters!).

 

The only ebikes around are under older folk who still want to ride into their 70s. Most younger e-users are on escooters or those 1 wheeled death emachines. The Mate ebike is seeing some traction now.

 

The vast minority of people NEED an ebike. I'm still of the opinion that most ebikes in SA are top end carbon wonder bikes used by people who want to go fast without investing the time and effort. I'm all for that - knock yourselves out - just don't race them, steal KOMs or consider yourselves normal cyclists.

Edited December 7, 2018 by Eldron

[rudi-h]

Right here right now Copenhagen has exactly that...without ebikes. 65% of Copenhageners ride to work in summer and 35% in winter (and we have proper winters!).

 

The only ebikes around are under older folk who still want to ride into their 70s. Most younger e-users are on escooters or those 1 wheeled death emachines. The Mate ebike is seeing some traction now.

 

The vast minority of people NEED an ebike. I'm still of the opinion that most ebikes in SA are top end carbon wonder bikes used by people who want to go fast without investing the time and effort. I'm all for that - knock yourselves out - just don't race them, steal KOMs or consider yourselves normal cyclists.

 

i get the point...  i've never been to copenhagen, but most cities where bicycle commuting works well are quite flat and the city designs lend itself to living, working and playing in closer proximity to what we typically have in SA.  i'm guessing the same holds there, probably an easy sub 30 min commute for the majority of those 65% bicycle commuters?