Should e-bikes be allowed in Cycle Tour and other Races

[ChrisF]

9 minutes ago, RobbyB said:

LOOK at this available on BikeHUB: (Search Yamaha)

Reliable second generation tuning chip for your e-bike with Yamaha motor.
SpeedBox 2.0 tuning chip enables to suppress the speed limiter on your electric bike. After the chip is installed your e-bike’s display shows real data, such as maximum and average speed, daily mileage and cruising range.
E-bike electric assistance switches off with this chip when reaching the speed of 50 km/h.

 

And when you take the bike in for a waranty item they connect it to their computer ....

 

FIRST thing they asked me was why I dont use full boost .... computer tells ALL ....

 

 

Waranty aside .... VERY easy to either chip or bypass all these systems ....

 

 

 

Which is why the minimum time of the CTCT makes sense .... that and ebikes starting last ....

 

Just hope they manage to implement their rules ....

 

 

 

I did a 101km ride this morning.  Bike assist as delivered .... road bikes glide past .... gravel bike I could hang with him on the hills, then he just rode away .... it was only some of the MTB's that I could catch and pass.  Simply no way that "I" can impact even the midpack starting from the back, with a standard ebike.  

 

 

All that said .... I dread the thought of ebikers starting mid pack, with chipped bikes ....

 

How much more bad press from a few individuals before all ebikers suffer a blanket ban ....

 

 

I HOPE they apply the minimum time, and ban these guys ... same with ebikers caught riding with standard entries

[DieselnDust]

On 2/26/2022 at 7:27 AM, Jewbacca said:

A real man rides/drives whatever he wants in what ever colour he wants wearing whatever he wants because a real man doesn't care about what other people think nor does he concern himself with what other people are doing. 

He is too busy caring for those close to him, supporting those who need him and asking for help when he needs it. 

A real man lives without judgement as he is man enough to accept he doesn't know the circumstances of everyone around him.

We could all do with being less judgy

Judggerag….#semanet

judgy sounds so …Bishops

[Dicky DQ]

On 2/22/2022 at 9:01 AM, Longbarn Killer said:

I was chatting to an old aquaintence on Sat. He started cycling to lose weight. He was so proud of his 50km cycle that he did the day before, until he told me he rode an eBike.

Do you know:

1. How e-bikes work
2. What an achievement it is for a couch potato to get out there at all
3. The Joy it brings to people who wound otherwise never experience the joys of riding a bike.

Probably not and next time you should probably have a bit of a deeper chat with that guy/gal.
 

My wife got an ebike in December and it has opened up a world of enjoyment for both of us so I say go for it, more bikes out there more sales so hopefully bike shops will hang around a bit longer.

I agree there is a bit of a challenge with ebikes possibly assisting other riders do a faster time. But now with experience, unless those bikes are chipped they are only going to be able to offer assistance on climbs. If you are a an over 3.5 to 4 hr World Funride finisher they are going to be of no real use to you unless the guy/gal driving it is as strong as or stronger than you. On the flats and downhills those things are useless (unchipped of course)

So yes give them their spot in the sun. If someone uses one to cheat, they would have found another way to cheat anyway.

[Dicky DQ]

On 2/22/2022 at 9:21 AM, Eldron said:

Having motorbikes in bicycle races is ridiculous.

Buy an ebike, ride it, have fun, enjoy etc but as soon as timing is involved then leave your motorbike at home. It's a bicycle race.

Agreed if it is a race, but most people on ebikes are not in it for the race.

As long as the racing cats are screened for ebikes all is good. the rest are just riding for their own time anyway.

 

Also considering how most of the non race cats ride they would mostly never get any benefit from trying to draft an ebike.

[Dicky DQ]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:40 AM, Skubarra said:

I have a mate who rode that ride in one of the lower alphabet soup groups, did a few breakaways from his bunch only to see the bunch pulled back to him by a guy on a ebike. They also caught a bunch or 2 ahead of them by slipping mr e-bike. 

If the Ebike was able to bring the guys back it would have been way down the alphabet soup or only on the climbs and if the gys could stick on the climbs they would have bridged anyway. Flats and downhills there are not may ebikes that will run over about 36kph giving assist so if they are doing it then they are providing the power. If so great for them. On the climbs ebikes have a HUGE advantage and could drag people with against the wind. 

Then battery life becomes an issue and then that is a whole new ball game.

 

[Longbarn Killer]

 

2 hours ago, TDFN said:

Do you know:

1. How e-bikes work
2. What an achievement it is for a couch potato to get out there at all
3. The Joy it brings to people who wound otherwise never experience the joys of riding a bike.

Probably not and next time you should probably have a bit of a deeper chat with that guy/gal.
 

My wife got an ebike in December and it has opened up a world of enjoyment for both of us so I say go for it, more bikes out there more sales so hopefully bike shops will hang around a bit longer.

I agree there is a bit of a challenge with ebikes possibly assisting other riders do a faster time. But now with experience, unless those bikes are chipped they are only going to be able to offer assistance on climbs. If you are a an over 3.5 to 4 hr World Funride finisher they are going to be of no real use to you unless the guy/gal driving it is as strong as or stronger than you. On the flats and downhills those things are useless (unchipped of course)

So yes give them their spot in the sun. If someone uses one to cheat, they would have found another way to cheat anyway.

1. Yes I do. 

2. How did couch potatoes do it a few years ago before eBikes? 

3. I am not disputing that eBikes bring joy to some people and they are more than welcome to ride their eBikes whenever they want. I was merely voicing my opinion on the original question. The question was whether eBikes should be allowed to participate in races. 

[BaGearA]

8 minutes ago, Longbarn Killer said:

 

1. Yes I do. 

2. How did couch potatoes do it a few years ago before eBikes? 

3. I am not disputing that eBikes bring joy to some people and they are more than welcome to ride their eBikes whenever they want. I was merely voicing my opinion on the original question. The question was whether eBikes should be allowed to participate in races. 

1. Congratulations

2. Most of them didn't and the few that did tortured themselves for that day to then slowly get better or just never picked up the bike again.

3. Yeah races I'm not going to comment on because I feel very in the middle but think i side with your opinion more

[BaGearA]

more people on bikes = good ? 

 

think we can all agree on that , after this trying to justify why or how you use the bikes gets murky quick

[Skubarra]

13 hours ago, TDFN said:

If the Ebike was able to bring the guys back it would have been way down the alphabet soup or only on the climbs and if the gys could stick on the climbs they would have bridged anyway. Flats and downhills there are not may ebikes that will run over about 36kph giving assist so if they are doing it then they are providing the power. If so great for them. On the climbs ebikes have a HUGE advantage and could drag people with against the wind. 

Then battery life becomes an issue and then that is a whole new ball game.

 

It was very much mid-bunch, on the day the bunch averaged about 30km/h over 100km. I think bunches racing at that pace also have the right to race without interference from motorised bicycles. Think people are just kicking the can down the road when they argue that ebikes are not fast enough to interfere with the faster bunches, already examples of that not being always the case and that is sure to change as the technology on ebikes improve.

[Milosh]

The question is too wide 

The Cape Town Cycle Tour - Yes, 

Races - high debatable

Other events that are true races and outside the full road closure space are another discussion.

THe CTCT It is not a true race and is rather a mass participation event with multiple Race , fun , charity,  carnival elements

, it that attracts a large number riders that do not normal ride in any other events, this makes the organisers job quite unique in trying to marry the needs small % of actual racers and the weekend warriors  with the one a year specials that make it so special.

The 94.7 and Amasova fit into this to mould.

So for the 2022 CTCT the E-bikes have being pushed back to a later start time that should not impact any of the concerns raised above . This makes the eBike entry a tour around a beautiful city with the added privilege of full road closure. 

As a tour which I imagine majority of the alphabet soup sees the event, (which is how i treat it on my MTB )   an eBike opens the event up to a lot more people, improving participation number sand ultimately bringing down the scale of economics and we will not end up with a super expensive elite event that is slowly dieing.

 

We should just apply rules #5 and #6 just roll with it.

 

[ChrisF]

53 minutes ago, Milosh said:

The question is too wide 

The Cape Town Cycle Tour - Yes, 

Races - high debatable

Other events that are true races and outside the full road closure space are another discussion.

THe CTCT It is not a true race and is rather a mass participation event with multiple Race , fun , charity,  carnival elements

, it that attracts a large number riders that do not normal ride in any other events, this makes the organisers job quite unique in trying to marry the needs small % of actual racers and the weekend warriors  with the one a year specials that make it so special.

The 94.7 and Amasova fit into this to mould.

So for the 2022 CTCT the E-bikes have being pushed back to a later start time that should not impact any of the concerns raised above . This makes the eBike entry a tour around a beautiful city with the added privilege of full road closure. 

As a tour which I imagine majority of the alphabet soup sees the event, (which is how i treat it on my MTB )   an eBike opens the event up to a lot more people, improving participation number sand ultimately bringing down the scale of economics and we will not end up with a super expensive elite event that is slowly dieing.

 

We should just apply rules #5 and #6 just roll with it.

 

 

Along this line of thought ....

 

The SEEDING RACES is probably where the ebikes has the greatest potential to "mess with the results" ..... For these, IF ebikes were allowed to take part .... let them start 30 minutes later.

[Pieterlab1]

People we cannot let this thread die!

Only 12 days to go!

Do you guys know of a nice bar/brewery type place about 1km before the finish line where I can have a few beers and kill about 45 minutes or so before I cross the finish line?

I do not want to break the rules, so I will cross the finish line at exactly 3:50:10.

TIA!

[ChrisF]

43 minutes ago, Pieterlab1 said:

People we cannot let this thread die!

Only 12 days to go!

Do you guys know of a nice bar/brewery type place about 1km before the finish line where I can have a few beers and kill about 45 minutes or so before I cross the finish line?

I do not want to break the rules, so I will cross the finish line at exactly 3:50:10.

TIA!

 

For MAXIMUM effect you should stop at Seattle in Houtbay (or a local brewery) .... wait out your time ....

 

Then BLAST past those pesky racing snakes up the last hills .....

 

 

 

 

 

Wonder just how many e-jidts are going to do just that .... 

[jcza]

2 hours ago, Pieterlab1 said:

People we cannot let this thread die!

Only 12 days to go!

Do you guys know of a nice bar/brewery type place about 1km before the finish line where I can have a few beers and kill about 45 minutes or so before I cross the finish line?

I do not want to break the rules, so I will cross the finish line at exactly 3:50:10.

TIA!

 

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

For MAXIMUM effect you should stop at Seattle in Houtbay (or a local brewery) .... wait out your time ....

 

Then BLAST past those pesky racing snakes up the last hills .....

 

 

 

 

 

Wonder just how many e-jidts are going to do just that .... 

Great idea gents. 

Get there in 2 hours, smash some beers and cruise to the finish. What can possibly go wrong? 

[Eddy Gordo]

stop at one of the fisheries in the harbour and have a nice meal, then up suikerbossie with a drink in hand

[Duane_Bosch]

5 hours ago, Pieterlab1 said:

People we cannot let this thread die!

Only 12 days to go!

Do you guys know of a nice bar/brewery type place about 1km before the finish line where I can have a few beers and kill about 45 minutes or so before I cross the finish line?

I do not want to break the rules, so I will cross the finish line at exactly 3:50:10.

TIA!

Pull in at Woodcutters. It's in HB so well out of your 1km radius but it's pretty festive on race day.