Electric Bike Thread

[Flexon Phil]

I don’t get it. Why not just buy a dirt bike? You can go twice as fast on the up with even less effort.

Thats right, you don't get it, it's NOT like a Dirt bike

Plus, I hear they are pretty easy to modify...

Wow, I bet you read that in the internet....or saw a video..on the internet.

Then they can ride on trails motors are allowed on, roads or advacate for their own trails.

I'm fat and middle aged and I haul myself to the top to ride down. If I can, everyone can.

Our trails cant handle more laps. The secret, not legal trails are still pretty nice. The ones on the map are all blown out. More laps with heavier bikes is going to blow them out faster, make more and bigger brake bumps...

So, if a rider that is a tail builder has both an acoustic bike and an E-bike...he can't ride thise trails? As far as the weight...exactly what weight is the break point..and you have to do it rider AND bike..is it 175..200lb?

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...

Like posting on the internet and staying the same thing over like ...if I have to do it..everyone has to.." What makes you think the riders of these have any less knowledge of the trail than you?

If you are going to post a view...do it from a basis of fact and not just "I heard" or "They might..."

[buttahflake]

Electric Bike Thread

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.

Yeah, same here. When they get the MTB’s dialed in with long travel and semi-light weight. I’m in. Think how fun it would be on the worst stretches of class 4/snowmachine trails. Nobody rides those things in summer. Way too gnarly, endless steeps on technical lines. Go for six hour backwoods tours, fuck yes. I’m so pro-ebike. I’ll be riding when I’m 80+

Edit:throttle is not what is is, it’s pedal assist. And the first time you try it, you will laugh out loud. It makes perfect sense, what city will be the first to jump all in? And build an infrastructure dedicated to a new way of living.

Future so bright

[Flexon Phil]

Fuck, can we stop arguing over E-bikes and let's actually talk about who is making some good ones? You don't approve of people riding em on trails, fine, STFU you made your point. I feel like some parts of the country will have better access for these than others.

Most of the ones that come up on a google search are more geared toward commuting/grocery getters. What are some of the faster/longer range/ better built brands out there for actual trail riding?

I spent some time on the Cannondale Moterra and while the Bosch system is good, the bike is pretty heavy and not all of that weight is masked, the Bosch can only do so much. With said, it is a dream going down hill, it is very planted on the trail and in the corners. Nothing seems to bother the 27.5+ tires on the climb and I do not uderstand the concern about erosion, I did not spit up one rock or displaced any more dirt than I did on the other bikes I was testing. The Pivot Shuttle with it's carbon fiber frame and low 40lb weight add to it's nimbleness The Di2 Shifting is the bomb but all of this comes at a premium $10K price point. I think they should come out with a couple of lower models and offer a collection, I think they would do great. The upcoming LaPeirre E-Zesty looks like a fantastic option with it's 17.5Kg weight (about 38lb) which will make it very well the lightest Full Suspension option. The E-Zesty, gives up some of it's top end boost and range for the light weight battery...IMHO a fair trade off and something that a few riders would be willing to balance...shedding a few lb for a bit less range because twith that less weight, the range will come because you won't be using that much assist...makes sense to me.

[babybear]

I've got an e-commuter bike and IT IS THE SHIT.
Raleigh Supre and it was also relatively affordable to boot at $1500 https://www.raleighusa.com/superbe-i...ond-frame-3271
I rarely ever drive my car in the summer and when I run home for lunch etc, I don't have to worry about being all sweaty and gross when I get back to the office, I can wear nice clothes out AND ride to dinner/ out with friends

But the E-MTB's are a different beast and they are not allowed on the non-motorized trails around here. Luckily for the e-bikers around here we have tons of dirt biking/ motorized access trails.
Been hearing about some folks with the Specialized e-bikes doing some long bike packing trips in the Big Holes, which makes me somewhat jealous and seems like the perfect use of that sort of tool

I think I saw someone prior ask/ mention the categories but for ebikes and here's what they are. for reference my bike as well as most you see around are Class 1's. The Class 2-3's are where, imo, things get more complicated
Class 1: Bikes with a top assisted speed of 20 mph that must be pedaled to operate.
Class 2: Bikes with a top assisted speed of 20 mph that can be operated without pedaling by using a handlebar-mounted throttle.
Class 3: Bikes with a top assisted speed of 28 mph that must be pedaled to operate.

[ill-advised strategy]

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.

You realize the delineation was predicated on a fairly stark difference between combustion dirtbikes where you wear a ton of gear and make a ton of noise and can effortlessly blipbrap at 50mph uphill versus pedal bikes. Ebikes are something different than that.

The rules weren't made for the technology we currently have. Trying to apply rules set up to distinguish between a 1985 Stumpjumper and a 1985 Honda CR250 to a pedal enduro bike versus an enduro ebike is just fundamentalism. It's "NO MOTORS OF ANY KIND" fundamentalism....which is just as ridiculous as any other kind of fundamentalism.

[grinch]

Electric Bike Thread

I’m a bit surprised , not entirely surprised, to see a fair bit of open minded posts. It’s been almost a taboo topic. Be careful where you bring the subject up. It kind of reminds me of the early days when bikes started to get more specialized and separated between xc and dh. When there was nobody riding bikes we could go anywhere. There were no signs and no closures. I could ride anywhere in the national parks and did. Just off the pavement surrounding the townsite I could see my tracks 4 days later or if tracks had gone over them I could know who’s they were from their tire combo(there were only 6 or 8 tire options then). Then people started to discover the sport and signs went up. Timing allowed us to poach selectively for a few years. Then more people discovered it and then we had freeride/dh bikes or xc bikes. Sierra club , environmentalists, horse back riders and the law were now looking at mountain bikes as terrorists out to destroy the world(in spite of similar outside pursuits). Then the xc demographic was accepted . They promoted themselves as respectable citizens as opposed to the ruffian dhers . A lot of the xc riders threw dh riders under the bus using the same excuses that they were discriminated for . I’ve always just thought of myself as a mountain biker. Dh xc whatever. I like bikes on dirt. I would discuss the dh biker hate with friends and acquaintances and they would say “but your a downhiller”. Funny because I’ve road as much or more xc but because they only road xc and/or we’re scared to ride dh, I was a dh’er and because they didn’t or couldn’t do it dh riding was bad/evil for the same reason all mountain bikers years previously were ostracized. It’s not identical but the e bike thing has a familiar ring. I think there’s a time and a place and it’ll need regulations and signage but there’s certainly worse environmental 2 wheel pursuits that I’m ok with. There’s been a slight boost in bike sales were e bikes have been excepted and there’s been more miles covered but it’s been far from an onslaught. Populations are getting fitter because of them along with seasoned riders and lbs’ have seen a similar slight tic in business and trails are getting built with/because of them. It’s give and take but seems like the big picture is positive. The great trails we have now are by in large a result of the great bikes we have now. I can think of about 7 or 8 local high mountain loops that could easily be linked with these. Place is great now, it’d be unreal with a few 5-7000ft up and overs surrounding the town

[ill-advised strategy]

Luckily for the e-bikers around here we have tons of dirt biking/ motorized access trails.

Really? I wouldn't want to be sharing trails with fully-geared-up guys on 50 horsepower 2 stroke motocross bikes roosting gravel at me in my t-shirt and bike helmet going 5x slower with my electric mountain bike. Mixing dirtbikes with emtb's is a way worse mix than mixing ebikes and pedal bikes imho.

[ill-advised strategy]

Yeah, what happens when you are way the fuck in the middle of BFE and your battery dies? Riding a 40+lb bike back to civilization could be pretty fun. Will we see an increase in rescues of E-bikers?

How would that be different than any bikepacking trip?

[mtngirl79]

How would that be different than any bikepacking trip?

Because if the 40+lb ebike breaks the rider has to push a 40+lb thing loaded with gear.

If a regular bike breaks, it's more likely to be fixable on the trail, the rider pedalled to where ever they are and wasn't counting on a battery to get them out and they only have to push a 20ish lb thing loaded with gear.

Not a reason not to take an ebike packing trip on motorized trails, but something to think about. When you make it easy people without the required experience are more likely to be there...

[mtngirl79]

Really? I wouldn't want to be sharing trails with fully-geared-up guys on 50 horsepower 2 stroke motocross bikes roosting gravel at me in my t-shirt and bike helmet going 5x slower with my electric mountain bike. Mixing dirtbikes with emtb's is a way worse mix than mixing ebikes and pedal bikes imho.

What about hikers that already feel this intimidation you speak of about pedal bikes? Now we want them to share with even faster bikes?

[Flexon Phil]

The rules weren't made for the technology we currently have. Trying to apply rules set up to distinguish between a 1985 Stumpjumper and a 1985 Honda CR250 to a pedal enduro bike versus an enduro ebike is just fundamentalism. It's "NO MOTORS OF ANY KIND" fundamentalism....which is just as ridiculous as any other kind of fundamentalism.

It's like people who quote parts of the bible but not all of it. Like gun control, the thought of the automatic weapons that are out there now weren't even conceived. This is why we have 80MPH speed limits in some areas because the automotive technonoly is safe at that speed. Laws need to adjust for the technology at hand.

[ill-advised strategy]

Now we want them to share with even faster bikes?

Yup. I want them to do that, and I don't even think it's that big of a deal.

[mtngirl79]

Yup. I want them to do that, and I don't even think it's that big of a deal.

But you don't want to share with motos?

[ill-advised strategy]

At least where I live, there's a significant difference between walking my dog where there's moto use and where there is ebike use. The whole moto situation is people just hauling ass who just run stuff over at speed. They'll just run you over and kill you with a snowmobile or an atv. Ebike riders aren't really in the habit of just running over stuff that's in their way.

[Flexon Phil]

What about hikers that already feel this intimidation you speak of about pedal bikes? Now we want them to share with even faster bikes?

Now, you are concerned about the hikers. E-bikes max out at 20MPH which is slower than any novice to expert level rider can hit on down hills and even some flats. I have been riding one off and on for the past few weeks along with a acoustic bike. On a hill climb, it was faster but still not as fast as what the top 20 are on Strava. So, if speed is the issue...how do we control fast riders? Start monitoring Strava? What about the horses on the trail, horses are fast, they scare hikers. A horse is more likely to get spooked and go faster and scare hikers and bikers more than an e-bike can.

What else do you got?