Electric Bike Thread

[ACH]

Am I to assume that there are no assholes on designated MB trails now? Really?

Amazing, huh?

[grinch]

Electric Bike Thread

It’ll be a long road of opposition in the states despite plenty of more densely populated countries allowing them and setting in place regulations that are working. More reinventing the wheel in NA. They’ll be banned and then infrastructure week will include yuuuuuge incentives for expanding paved trail heads , and more of them, with ample room for diesel pusher RV buses. Koch paving will get the contract. Koch logging will log around the parking and they’ll be a Trump golf course for after riding. One skid or cutty and all golf privileges will be revoked but you’ll still be able to buy the hat , so don’t fret. #winning #eisbad #coalbikesrule

[grinch]

I’d use my truck way less(shuttles,groceries, drive to the ski hill, touring up the road)

[jackstraw]

Am I to assume that there are no assholes on designated MB trails now? Really?

Only the roadies.

Ok, so here's my final answer. You need a dr's note to ride an ebike on trails. Kinda like a handicap plate. That should be easy enough to manage.

[mtngirl79]

Trying so hard not to flame this thread. Maybe it's enough to say that Ebikes are their own thing and they should not be coat-tailed into access we have secured because the throttle is pretending to pedal. Trail access should be dealt with on a case by case basis. They are motorized plain and simple. Attempts to lump them in with human powered recreation is a sham.

This.

They are easy to modify so the 20 mph speed is invalid.

A lot of shared trail systems are designed around shared climbing trails because climbing mountain bikes don't go much faster than a walking/jogging pace very often. 20 mph will terrify many hikers and wreck the fragile balance.

You lower the cost of entry by making technology do all the work and more people can be out there doing more laps...

It's just not the same thing.

[mtngirl79]

Am I to assume that there are no assholes on designated MB trails now? Really?

Usually it's not so much assholeness as its ignorance.

No knowing the unwritten rules, not reading the written rules, not caring enough to figure it out...

[buttahflake]

You’re focusing on one small slice of the pie. Think about how they could change the dynamic of urban living/commuting. Think about all the fat fucks that might actually start living right, because they ride an ebike. To me, the fact that the yuros all over these things, speaks volumes. These things could be real game changers.

Future so bright

[Dantheman]

You’re focusing on one small slice of the pie. Think about how they could change the dynamic of urban living/commuting. Think about all the fat fucks that might actually start living right, because they ride an ebike.

There's universal agreement in this thread that they're great for that purpose. The only debate here is their use on designated non-motorized trails.

[ACH]

You lower the cost of entry by making technology do all the work and more people can be out there doing more laps...

Yeah, I mean fuck other people for wanting to have fun.

You probably should actually try one before writing more.
The technology does not "do all the work"....

[S_jenks]

You’re focusing on one small slice of the pie. Think about how they could change the dynamic of urban living/commuting. Think about all the fat fucks that might actually start living right, because they ride an ebike. To me, the fact that the yuros all over these things, speaks volumes. These things could be real game changers.

Future so bright

Definitely agree on the urban/suburban uses here. More people riding bikes in general is a win in my book, and if it gets people more active and spending less time in traffic, I'm all for E-bikes.

I always dream of a future that is more like the Netherlands- with the bikes, I mean....

[grinch]

Lots of top(euro) EWS riders use them for training. Rather than ride the lift or shuttle , for dh training, and riding road bikes for cardio, they get all their pedLing and dh on one bike. A few of our out and back alpine trails there would be definite conflict with steady traffic up and down. I suspect on our two way xc trails there might be conflict as well but I’m guessing. I can think of numerous trails that it would be no problem

[smartyiak]

...Think about all the fat fucks that might actually start living right, because they ride an ebike...

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Because there's nothing available to all of us fatties now. How's that working out???

I'm not against e-bikes for commuting, bike paths, rails-to-trail etc. But I also don't think they are bicycles.

I was at a big MTB demo event this weekend where Trek, Spec-Ed, and BH were making a hard push for e-bikes and had tons of demo bikes. Although I didn't try one, I learned:

1) they can go UP fast - on two occasions, I was going up a fairly steep hill with loose rocks and slate; two guys on e-bikes rode past me like I wasn't moving. It didn't bother me so much as I was surprised at how fast/easy it was related to my human powered struggle; and

2) every single person that I spoke to that tried one RAVED about them...like they were the greatest thing since the round wheel...ok, maybe the dropper post...but: every person smiled and really enjoyed their time on them.

I don't know what to make of either of those observations (other than we're gonna see lots more of them), but I just throw it out there.

[Vt-Freeheel]

2) every single person that I spoke to that tried one RAVED about them...like they were the greatest thing since the round wheel...ok, maybe the dropper post...but: every person smiled and really enjoyed their time on them.

Sounds like I need one of these bad boys, I like having fun.

[mtngirl79]

Yeah, I mean fuck other people for wanting to have fun.

You probably should actually try one before writing more.
The technology does not "do all the work"....

It's not about who gets to have fun and who doesnt.

Things with motors are motorized and shouldn't be on non motorized trails.

[carlh]

Am I to assume that there are no assholes on designated MB trails now? Really?

I did not say that, there are plenty of assholes on mtbs now but they will do a lot more reputation damage when they can cruise around at 30mph without pedaling on their modified bikes. Also most assholes are lazy so I expect their number to increase exponentially when they don't have to work as hard or at all with a throttle. One of the first sites you find when googling for ebikes has an author who trashes all the off the shelf options because they are not fast enough or powerful enough and advocates for 1000w+ home made speed machines.