Been in Wales this weekend doing a couple of those trail centers. One of te lads hired an electric assist full suss mtb (or whatever you call them) due to ragging his knee 2 weeks prior to the planned event. I had a go, WHAT AN ABSOLUTE BLAST!! I was laughing like a big kid. They are frankly brilliant! I could not believe what they can climb, as in just point it up a steep bank and pedal! However, how many strava sections will fall foul to this new electrickery? Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t do it but I bet others would….

Does it matter? It’s only Strava.

None you just mark them as ebike

I like the idea of pedal assist bikes, I suspect I’ll end up needing one eventually. Hopefully when they’ve got better, lighter batteries.

Right now it’s a struggle but the struggle is doing me more good than harm for now so I’ll stick to just pedal power.

With one of these ebikes I reckon I can now do two laps of my local trail in the same time it takes me to peddle all by myself…and without stabilisers..

allan23 – Member
I like the idea of pedal assist bikes, I suspect I’ll end up needing one eventually. Hopefully when they’ve got better, lighter batteries.

Right now it’s a struggle but the struggle is doing me more good than harm for now so I’ll stick to just pedal power

+1

I like the idea of pedal assist bikes, I suspect I’ll end up needing one eventually. Hopefully when they’ve got better, lighter batteries.

Right now it’s a struggle but the struggle is doing me more good than harm for now so I’ll stick to just pedal power.

This pretty much mirrors how I feel about ebikes. I reckon I’ve got a good 10 years till I need one. Hopefully by then they’ll be 15lbs lighter.

I might hire one just to upset the Strava fanatics 🙂

they do look like fun. One came past me up on ‘what goes up,’ the climb to Upper Cliff at Cannock, which is a pig of a climb. The guy was just zooming up the switchbacks. I stared on enviously panting for breath.

I stared on enviously panting for breath.

this is the issue for me. i just turned 40, i’m riding as much to get fitter and get into the great outdoors as i am for fun. having some smug tit cruise past me when i’m putting in work could be very demoralising.

about a month ago, coming off some illness a week prior i was a little physically sick from the exertion (first and last time ever) at a place i don’t usually ride, following some locals up.. and the next time they came to my neck of the woods (trading our routes) they told me that they were stopped at the very same rest spot that climb and some guys on electric mtb’s cruised past them.

i’m all for people using them for injury, rehab, and health reasons – but when ‘it’ is a thing of its own.. no thanks.

i predict they’re going to cause problems for mtbers in general, like some places haven’t got enough issues already!

I think it’s great they’ve been made and I’m sure they’re fun – just like a fatbike is or a motorbike.

Don’t understand the grievance about people going up hills faster though… Who cares? PersonLly I ride my bike for me and the only competition is against myself and how I’m getting better. I don’t give two hoots about anyone else…

I’m sure I will buy one in the next few years.

Not the oldest rider in the world, at 61, but having retired I look forward to getting out a few times a week.

The issue for me is that most rides where I live involve a total climb of around 1,000 meters.
This makes it a bit of a struggle, and some vey steep sections involve a short walk.

Also, I cannot go out and ride two days on the trot, as the previous day leaves me quite tired and aching.

Looking carefully at the different manufacturers options, but Specialized seem to have some good bikes already.

I’m with edenvalleyboy. I’m fitter than I’ve ever been but I’m not training for the Olympics just for me. I wouldn’t get the self satisfaction from nailing a tough climb on one. They do look a blast but they aren’t for me. Not sure how I’d feel if I was grinding my way up a tough singletrack climb and was been buzzed by someone behind cruising up in full turbo mode. Was quite amused at Dfyi as the guy on the e bike cruised up the first hill weaving thru us mere mortals.

They are genuinely an absolute blast. I can imagine one of the fatty versions being even more so. It genuinely will go anywhere.

They should put Shurter, Hermida, Kulhavy, Absolon and others super fast XCers on ebikes for a “fun race”. Would be awesome to watch!

Everyone goes past me on the climbs as if they are on an e-bike 😕

I like MTB’s and mortorbikes, expect I’d have fun on an e-bike too. Might get one when I’m old(er) and they are 15lb lighter and I’m 15lb heavier.

It’s just uplift without having to wait for the minibus.

I used a one to ‘uplift’ minilugz at his mini DH race yesterday. strap round his headtube, held in my hand, 8mph up hill.

I found it a little underbraked on the way back down though.

having some smug tit cruise past me when i’m putting in work could be very demoralising.

I think that shows you’re the one with issues. I don’t think there’s any need to call someone a ‘smug tit’ just because they ride an ebike! Does someone passing you really matter to you that much?

i predict they’re going to cause problems for mtbers in general, like some places haven’t got enough issues already!

Really, what sort of problems?

Went on a ride with my uncle last week, me on my road bike, him on his electric mtb (it may possibly have been tweaked!) Couldn’t help but laugh at the way it hit the climbs and just carried on at the same speed as the flats. Put in a hard effort up a long climb with my uncle riding alongside, the conversation was very much one way!

Anyway we both had a good fun ride which might not otherwise have been possible, so a thumbs up from me 🙂

Really, what sort of problems?

I can see that they might cause access issues where the lines between mtb and motorbikes starts to blur.