anyone have a e bike they are mountain biking with

I'd love to hear from someone  that rides an ebike as to what the appeal is.  I've never been able to understand the concept as one of the main reasons I ride is the exercise/fitness aspect.  I'm not going to knock someone for riding one if that's their thing, it just isn't appealing to me.

Ordered one along with a new garmin to knock out some strava records. 

Maybe not, but I did ride one briefly on the road and I could see the appeal for commuting and for the weekend warrior types that want to go fast without suffering a lot. I could see the potential for injury being very real in the woods with novice riders. 

I think this is a growing segment of the market but will probably not catch on as much off-road. My bet is you'll see them banned from the majority of bike trails.

mountainbiker90 wrote on 04/14/17 at 4:16pm:


My concern exactly. I think the main appeal of e-bikes is for people who don't have the conditioning to get out on a bike under their own power. But on many, if not most, mtn bike trails that's a recipe for disaster because to successfully ride the trails takes more strength and coordination than just the propulsion aspect. The electric motor won't help with those things. I do hope they are banned on mtn bike trails, not out of a spirit of meanness but because of the problems it would cause.

not looking for your thoughts on e bikes

looking to see if anyone rides one around here. if you want to discuss the aspects of riding a e-bike please start another thread.

thanks

I have a response to this but if I vented I would no longer be on here,,,RAMFB<,,,,Ride...

Rode the Turbo Levo at Cyclofest.  As soon as you start to take a pedal stroke the pedal assist kicks in and it turns a average rider into Lance Armstrong just off a fresh bag.  Actually had to feather the breaks going up Goat Hill.   

It is heavy but you don't feel it when you are riding because of the pedal assist, until you try to leave the ground,  then the full weight becomes apparent.  Other issues, uses a regular bike chain but with the amount of force that can be "assisted" into the drive train its easy to break chain.  Happened to someone in our group.  Also the very expensive Battery and pedal assist is located in the bottom bracket area where it can easily be cased and destroyed as was also done by someone in our test group.

Plus they are banned from National Forest so that eliminates most of my favorite places to ride.  Also when you pass MTBers on the trail with an E-Bike I Believe a Kitten is drowned (or at least this is the look you get as you roll on past)  Hope this information helps.

lots of different e bikes options, putting a battery in a back pack leaves only a additional 7 pounds of wight on the frame,  my batteries only weigh 4 lbs jfyi

I'm sure it's possible to get the weight wayyyy down using softcell lithium polymer batteries. Although you wouldn't want to scratch it on a rock. Would be interesting to try out on a roadie.
-Sam

Gravitythief76 wrote on 04/15/17 at 11:42pm:
 
Yea, basically sums up my view on assist bikes, especially on anything more advanced than a green trail. Although I can't​ say much considering I've never ridden one, might be the best thing since non wooden frames once you hop on.

Although I will​ say this, hitting 30mph while not putting in much effort does sound like loads of fun 

Hope everyone enjoys their Easter (if you take part),
-Sam

  Aww, now where's the fun in that . 20mph is easily achievable on a normal mountain bike(on a flat). heck, if a broken collar bone didn't hurt as much as it does 35+mph is probably just as achievable 
 
I guess it helps keep the possible injuries(read as "lawsuits") down but I'd hope it's an option that can be turned off, you know, to test the entire potential of the system 

Yeah, nothing like running over a family of 4 on your favorite trail.

Getting stomped by a spooked horse or having a combined 60 mph head-on with the big boy heading the other direction.

Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

If one of them runs into me, there's going to be a major problem.. 

I mean if you want to do this, why not just buy a dirt bike or ride up I-77 at 100 mph during rush hour.

Ok, I said my peace. Besides that, I think there a great option for someone that wants to bike commute, or somebody that lives in Arizona or someplace else with long, wide trails and plenty of visibility. I'd like to have one for those purposes. But where I live there are no bike lanes and I don't like playing chicken with the physically and mentally challenged drivers around here.

I know we are going off OP's topic but the governor sparked my interest:

E-bikes definitely have their place and I'm not going to knock them.  As a friend put it yesterday I cycle for fitness and it just happens to be fun ( a lot more fun than I originally thought it would be ) so they're not my cup of tea.

I don't ride dirt bikes anymore b/c all the time and effort it took to get to the track / trail and do maintenance, not to mention the fact there are absolutely no local places to ride.  Ebikes would be a good option for those who can only ride 2-3 times a month for an hour or two... I think if they would govern the pedal assist to 8-10 MPH people would have less of an issue with them; but when your average joe with no skill can hit 18mph up a climb or 25 mph on a flat, it becomes a safety issue.

I think all of you need to ride one before you pass judgement.  With me pushing my max with it turned all the way up I was still slower than the top 20-30 Strava KOM's on a lot of the segments.  I'm not super fit but I've been riding since 1995 and I'm no Fred on a bike.

Look for a demo day some Sunday at Fisher and I'll bring it out for everyone to try.  It is a gray area and/or slippery slope if you will but I think done responsibly it's no different than a super fit rider.   

The motor actually sits down by the crank area and the battery is basically the down tube of the frame.  Is it heavy? Yes it is.  Can you ride it, albeit slowly, with the motor off?  Yes you can.  If anyone is interested I'll be riding it at LNSP tonight on our 5:30 and  6:30 ride.

Sager. I may have at one time.  Having looked at all the current information and giving it the benefit of a doubt I'm inclined to change my position on them.  Trail design will be the ultimate barrier to excessive speeds.  I think the newbies riding them are more likely to crash into a bunch of trees than other riders.

The Cycle Path wrote on 04/17/17 at 7:43pm:


Maybe it's your e-bike or maybe it's DH / Flat segments; all I know is some of the ones they brought out at Cyclofest allowed some friends to beat some of my climb times out at wwc (earning them a top 10 spot).  Now, I may be a big boy but I'm pretty quick on the climbs; when you go from not being able to make a certain climb without stopping to getting a top 10 trophy your first demo ride on an e-bike I would say it's safe to pass judgment.  Heck, one acquaintance went from not even breaking top 7-800+ riders to getting KOMS at wwc in 2 weeks.  Guess what changed?

sCvHeaVens wrote on 04/18/17 at 12:21pm:


An electric motor?

I wonder if they'll allow me to compete in the Tour de France with one of these..   

How about just put some fake pedals on a dirt bike?

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So, now the cutoff is the internal combustion engine?

I mean if this is the way we're heading, weight is no longer an issue. Can you imagine the new suspensions that will be coming our way? And I can guarantee, the electric motor and battery technology will get radically better very quickly. Hey, maybe you can even ride it from home on the interstate directly to the trail, set a new strava time, then go home.

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Douglas, you and I can't do anything about age.

But weight is within your control. Can't out exercise a bad diet. But an e-bike certainly wont help in that area.

If you're not being facetious, send me a PM and I'll tell you how to get rid of it. No charge and no B.S. mail order nonsense.

pearl wrote on 04/18/17 at 1:37pm:


While I'm sure that is certainly some of the animosity I think there is also the concern that you have a newbie who can now go up climbs at 14-15+ mph while people are coming down them at 25-30mph.   

IMO the reason why people get hurt more at Sherman than any other place is the fact that it's easy for beginners to get up to 15-20mph and sustain it when they dont have the skills for it.   

My comment was more of a "yes they do make a big difference, here is an example", not "no they shouldn't be allowed because strava".  Trying to use strava as a reason they shouldn't be allowed is silly.

I also have the pro view of there are people with disabilities in which this could get them out on the trail and possibly even help with faster rehabilitation... my point is that it doesn't need to get them out on the trail at 26mph....

As far as tearing up the trails more - I could see where it very well could cause more wear on the trail; I wouldn't mind seeing an independent study about it.

Not having ever rode one myself, I can't say for sure but it looks like to me having the extra mass going down hill with a novice rider wouldn't be good either.

This is the same damn argument from when 29ers first came out...e-bikes are simply the new 29ers!  

A bunch of people flocked to 29ers, some for the speed, some for the geo/fit, some for the ease of overcoming obstacles...  E-bikes along with 29ers makes getting up and over what was once was semi difficult for most on existing equipment easier.  They both help the rider ride faster with out having to put in as much effort or training. The industry will continue to offer more advanced equipment that expands the market. Brings more people into mountain biking by building the equipment that will help them enjoy what we all enjoy about the sport but won't have to put in the work to achieve it. We all enjoy mountain biking for many different reasons, ride what you like.  I like slack long travel bikes which makes the ride more enjoyable for me, easier on some trails and obstacles and too much for most.  For me it's all about the challenge and the fun. 

Go ride your damn bike (or e-bike)...

Got to try a 29er the other day for the first time. Yea it gets over stuff smoother than 27.5 or 26 but it doesn't feel as fun. I mean sure, you don't have to bunny hop most roots. But on tight trails, it kinda feels like you're driving a ford e350 driving through DC roads, specifically Dupoint Circle.

Sierra_bravo wrote on 04/20/17 at 12:18am:

29'ers are just fast through tight trails as 26 and 650b, BUT...you have to ride them differently.  I noticed that when I went from a 26 to a 29.  Took me about 6 rides to get the hang of it but now it's as fast or faster than a 650b26.

Banjopickin wrote on 04/20/17 at 5:04pm:



I really don't mean this as a stab or to jump to conclusions but my guess is all the same trails he/she is riding the camber on....

The Cycle Path wrote on 04/20/17 at 9:25pm:


Obviously you would have to check with trail coordinator with Fisher and Allison , but are e-bikes allowed in LNSP?

Banjopickin wrote on 04/21/17 at 12:31pm:


Just for clarification, trial coordinators have no say over eBike usage on trails, it is 100% up to land managers on trails that are on public lands (which is all of the trails we build/maintain).

Banjopickin wrote on 04/21/17 at 2:30pm:


Sure but WWC is a business.  If I was in it for the money I would have a fleet of them for rent to general public and make a killing, just make sure they sign the liability waiver.   

so we can ride dirt bikes at WWC and RRT?
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TIME TO SELL THE SCALPEL

Doc00t wrote on 04/21/17 at 4:28pm:


Yep, that's what it's all about.

It's all a business, in one shape or form.

Hey, as long as we're heading in this direction, how about a few handicap ramps over the roots at Beatty, or out at Fishstix. 

Interesting event happened at Sea Otter yesterday AM;

Posted by Christina Probert Turner (Wife of Dave Turner, Owner of Turner Bikes)

Wtf
@haibike...
Head on crash with a @haibike ebike on a blind corner, the girl on the ebike was going so fast she couldn't stop or handle the speed and going against traffic...Ebikes aren't allowed on the single track that I was riding! No one seems to care, @Haibike says "that's people", wtf..
My whole body aches cause of the crash....

The Cycle Path wrote on 04/22/17 at 6:52pm:


Hey Mark, how far off are airbags and self riding bikes at fish stix? 

I might get one just to pi$$ off all the haters. 

Until the spandex crowd jumps in... then I'm out.

^^^He's right you know.

As someone who flew(and flies) model aircraft, E bikes remind me way too much of the made up drone dilemma. They start off as something for the pros, then get simplified for the Joes, then the Joes don't know how to handle it and crash blaming the device, and then someone at CNN learns about it and next thing you know you'll have to register your E-bike and take a drivers course so the general public can calm down. Hopefully, if a E-bike (scare) story reaches the desk of a CNN script editor they'll toss it out. If they don't though, it'll probably blow over in about a month.

RAMFB
-Sam

I dont see a major issue with most eBikes available now...

They dont go that much faster than a traditional pedal bike used by someone who is fit and experienced.

The issue will be when these bikes get faster, cheaper, and easier to control. Then I could see the ebike equivalent of 125cc dirt bike on trails. Electric motors can pack a punch and I would not want them on trails shared with runners, hikers, and pedal bike folks.

If you allow eBikes in general you would have to make exceptions based on motor output, speed, pedal assist vs. straight throttle, etc. Or just say "no ebikes" and let it roll.

The Cycle Path wrote on 04/26/17 at 3:48pm:
 

 
Maybe they knew where all this was heading..

It is true, nothing is sacred anymore. The masses are all heading in the same direction.
Up I-77 at rush hour. At least they're heading in your direction.

So, I'm riding the Greenway on my single speed today.

Some old Japanese guy on a cyclocross or urban style E-bike goes by me like I'm standing still. He had racks, panniers, battery packs, the works.. And a rather obnoxious and extremely loud bell that he kept ringing constantly.
The bike must have weighed 50 lbs. 
Dude rode like Lance Armstrong.. Powers up the steepest hill, doesn't change gears, doesn't get out of the seat or break a sweat..

Never saw him again. 

My take:

If a trail is open to motorized vehicles E-Bikes Ok

If a trail is closed to motorized vehicles E-Bikes not Ok

Nuf said....

bikermedic wrote on 05/03/17 at 12:55pm:

Fixed it for ya

IntheBush wrote on 05/03/17 at 1:08am:



Yeah the whole idea of it doesn't help people go any faster has got to be like a trolling contract you sign when you get one.

FMWilly wrote on 05/04/17 at 6:28pm:


I rode one at Cyclofest and can confirm that they do indeed suck.

Heavy, cumbersome at slow speeds, good luck doing any hike-a-bike with it, and I have to charge it!?! 

Now commuting, grocery getting, or just as a "get around town" bike they're fine. On singeltrack its pretty terrible.

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