Do eBikes belong on the mountain?

[Eldron]

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?

 

Yup. I'd hazard a guess at sub 30 min commute for most people.

 

I'd say the two biggest factors that encourage commuting are the dedicated bike lanes (separate from the road) and the cycling culture (kids get transported in cargo bikes until they're old enough to ride then they're on bikes).

 

Parking spaces are limited in the city and cycling is generally faster than public transport.

 

Perfect recipe for a commuter culture!

[Hairy]

and most likely far less chance of being mugged on your bike on your way to work/school!

Yup. I'd hazard a guess at sub 30 min commute for most people.

 

I'd say the two biggest factors that encourage commuting are the dedicated bike lanes (separate from the road) and the cycling culture (kids get transported in cargo bikes until they're old enough to ride then they're on bikes).

 

Parking spaces are limited in the city and cycling is generally faster than public transport.

 

Perfect recipe for a commuter culture!

[ChrisF]

Uhm ja .... saw two ebikes at Contermanskloof today ... make that THREE ...

 

Young man in baggies standing and pedling that bike !! 

EDIT - I see he is wearing knee braces, despite standing on the pedals ..

 

 

 

The second sighting had me totally  baffeled !  Man test riding an ebike in the parking lot ... few of his friends taking turns.  Then him and his wife heads off onto the trails.  HIM bunny hopping the ebike and doing all kinds of tricks that would suggest he may just be able bodied enough for a normal bike ... O-oooo, and his wife on a standard bike.

 

 

While later yer another husband and wife out on the trails .... husband on the ebike, wife peddling away on a normal MTB .... at least this gent was sitting and riding "normally", so just maybe he "needed" it .....

 

 

 

Hey, dont get me wrong.  If your ebike is the SA version of a cable-ride to the top ... so be it .... just a strange seeing the wifes peddling away on normal bikes while able bodied men doing tricks on their ebikes are to lazy to peddle up a few hills with their wifes ....

Edited December 9, 2018 by ChrisF

[ChrisF]

double post ....

Edited December 8, 2018 by ChrisF

[Pure Savage]

Uhm ja .... saw two ebikes at Contermanskloof today ... make that THREE ...

 

Young man in baggies standing and pedling that bike !! Visually no "need" for an ebike ... maybe he wanted a shuttle to the top .....

 

 

Dairy Shed-3.jpg

 

 

 

Man test riding an ebike in the parking lot ... few of his friends taking turns. Then him and his wife heads off onto the trails. HIM bunny hopping the ebike and doing all kinds of tricks that would suggest he may just be able bodied enough for a normal bike ... O-oooo, and his wife on a standard bike.

 

 

While later yer another husband and wife out on the trails .... husband on the ebike, wife peddling away on a normal MTB .... at least this gent was sitting and riding "normally", so just maybe he "needed" it .....

 

 

 

Hey, dont get me wrong. If your ebike is the SA version of a cable-ride to the top ... so be it .... just a strange seeing the wifes peddling away on normal bikes while able bodied men doing tricks on their ebikes are to sleg lazy to peddle up a few hills with their wifes ....

Wait till you see okes driving 10km to work in their cars. Lazy I tell you

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Uhm ja .... saw two ebikes at Contermanskloof today ... make that THREE ...

 

Young man in baggies standing and pedling that bike !!

EDIT - I see he is wearing knee braces, despite standing on the pedals ..

 

Dairy Shed-3.jpg

 

 

 

Knee PADS, not braces. We wear em to protect our knees from any crashes we have.

 

As for the testers, maybe they were actually testing? Who actually gives a fk what they ride? No racing there. If they wanna ride an ebike, so what?

 

A mate of mine recently tested one at the weekly Thursday night ride. He was able to stay with the fkn fit okes up the hills (kloof nek, etc) and have fun. Id definitely get one as my next bike due to how many laps of jonkers I could do in one day vs just one on my current bike, on a good day. Just stick it on Eco mode and go for it.

[Rigardt@Scott]

Young man in baggies standing and pedling that bike !!

EDIT - I see he is wearing knee braces, despite standing on the pedals ..

 

Knee braces?? Hahaha

 

Guy was probably doing his own version of a shuttle day man. In my opinion the best use for an ebike. If I was ever going to buy one it would be kitted out like a DH bike and used for shuttle days at places like Jonkershoek and Helderberg.

[Goodbadugly]

After a year or so of this ebike fad, I see it as something that will blow over.

The people who liked the idea, bought them.

At some stage the batteries of these vehicles will need replacement. At a cost. They will hit the classifieds at rock bottom prices.

The lazy will at some stage find the trouble that they have to go through too much.

The cyclists will go back to real bikes. They will find the handling of these machines cumbersome.

The frail will be the only ones left on these before moving on to mobility scooters. 

[L.T.G]

The fun I've had with this bike has been off the charts!!

The handling of this bike was amazing.. and then there was the speed on flats and climbs (when I rode alone)..INSANE!!!!

I had the bike set up as follows

Eco: 3-5% of max...I used this and OFF a lot. Kind of made up for the weight a bit and gave me a great extra workout when off.

Trail:-30% of max

and Turbo:- 100% obviously

 

My average HR riding this bike was always 80% of max and above... I flippen rode it! I'm 44. my 80% starts at around 141bpm

 

People who think I'm lazy/don't like me/are jealous for riding an Ebike...    .. cool... I don't care.

My bike

My time

and my FUN!!

I never "pushed" anyone out the way on the trails (I upset a few roadies on the road on my way out the Cradle back to work a couple times  .. never intentionally, but the chirps showered me many times.... just their egos and bitterness getting the better of them )

Always courteous on the trails, just like when on my "normal" bike.

I just did things FASTER!

 

Well this bike now has a new owner, a very lucky new owner as it was immaculate!

 

Onto newer things..

 

 

 

Working 7 days a week 

a business that trades from 6:30am till 7pm

closed 3 days a year

I grab my rides when I can

This, allows me to fit more in..

BUT if I worked "normal" hours.... I'd still ride it 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ebikes DO belong on the mountain.

if people want to chirp me..  , go mad ... "sticks and stones........."

You don't like it... don't ride it. simple.

 

[WaynejG]

The fun I've had with this bike has been off the charts!!

IMG_8498.JPG

The handling of this bike was amazing.. and then there was the speed on flats and climbs (when I rode alone)..INSANE!!!!

IMG_9878.JPG

IMG_8494.JPG

I had the bike set up as follows

Eco: 3-5% of max...I used this and OFF a lot. Kind of made up for the weight a bit and gave me a great extra workout when off.

Trail:-30% of max

and Turbo:- 100% obviously

IMG_8884.JPG

 

My average HR riding this bike was always 80% of max and above... I flippen rode it! I'm 44. my 80% starts at around 141bpm

IMG_1460.jpg

 

People who think I'm lazy/don't like me/are jealous for riding an Ebike... [emoji38] .. cool... I don't care.

My bike

My time

and my FUN!!

I never "pushed" anyone out the way on the trails (I upset a few roadies on the road on my way out the Cradle back to work a couple times [emoji38] .. never intentionally, but the chirps showered me many times.... just their egos and bitterness getting the better of them )

Always courteous on the trails, just like when on my "normal" bike.

I just did things FASTER!

 

Well this bike now has a new owner, a very lucky new owner as it was immaculate!

 

Onto newer things..

 

IMG_1096.JPG

 

IMG_1110.jpg

 

Working 7 days a week

a business that trades from 6:30am till 7pm

closed 3 days a year

I grab my rides when I can

This, allows me to fit more in..

BUT if I worked "normal" hours.... I'd still ride it [emoji106]

 

IMG_1106.JPG

 

 

 

IMG_1452.JPG

 

 

Ebikes DO belong on the mountain.

if people want to chirp me.. [emoji14] , go mad [emoji106] ... "sticks and stones........."

You don't like it... don't ride it. simple.

Stunning photos

[Headshot]

That Ebomination looks way better than the normal Stumpy for some reason... must be the battery.

[capediver]

you decide.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wCFGfd7L58

[Rigardt@Scott]

you decide.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wCFGfd7L58

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0EZX0WCy1LQ

 

That's not an argument for or against ebikes.

 

I'm all for them (except in races), but I HATE how the EMBN channel speaks of normal bikes as "old" bikes and e-bikes as "modern" bikes. The other day they compared a Levo to a 80' Stumpjumper. Horse sh@t man, they are two completely different things, and the quicker it's marketed as something else alltogether the quicker the hate for them will stop.

 

An ebike is as close to a mtb as it is to a MX bike.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Grease_Monkey

[L.T.G]

Stunning photos

Thanks Wayne

[Hairy]

If an 82 year old cancer survivor can still ride a conventional MTB, then why do we need motorbikes on the trails

 

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-alf-the-82-year-old-cancer-survivor-who-still-rides.html

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by Hairy

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

'cos this....

 

A certain genie, rippin with the Savage crew on a TM ride and Levo demo day. If you've ridden with em, you know how difficult it is to keep up with em, especially with those hills.