In my mind the average guy who’ll buy an ebike will be the person who gets out of bed, sits in a car to get to work, sits all day at a desk, drives home and sits around all evening watching TV. Come the weekend, joy! A new type of bike has come out that halves the effort involved in going for a ride.

And slowly the human race are turning themselves into slugs.

Is this really a fitting way to use the amazing body gifted to you by nature?

(Can we ignore the obvious exemptions due to health reasons in this light hearted but kinda serious question?)

its true people are indeed lazy by default

One day in my dotage i will own one but i really cannot be bothered getting annoyed because someone rides a type of bike i dont.

Has it been a full day since the last one yet?

Ummm, me, retired, ebike for the road, it’s a Trek Super Commuter. Ordinary ( human powered) mountain bike.

probably ride a total of around 80 miles a week in most weathers.

No sitting around for me, pretty much active most days.

Reading a book most evenings, just started doing yoga at home to help keep flexible.

Am I typical? Dunno, but should be interesting to see other replies.

Riding was a way to reverse the trend of modern laziness. But now a way has been found to to circumvent that.

i get up in the morning and judge people I know nothing about, before going to work at a desk etc etc

Makes me feel much more superior, because well, I am.

Touch me.

45 years old

Sales rep driving 40k a year

Needs something new and fun to play with.

Group of mates all getting ebikes so we are on a level pegging

Levo ordered

typical ebiker?

Is this really a fitting way to use the amazing body gifted to you by nature?

TBH, hunter-gatherers are pretty lazy. All this “God hates lazy people” nonsense is the work of religious nutters.

They’re just people on bikes. Same as anyone else riding a bicycle.

My parent’s just bought a couple of Trek Powerfly’s.

Dad claims to have invented mountain biking in the Lake district sometime in the 60’s/70’s (not quite as cool an origin story and the repack) and has spent most of his working life in the countryside and I don’t think he’s ever commuted.

My girfriend just bought a Carrera Vulcan-E to commute on once the weather improves. She’s probably closer to your stereotype, but won’t be bothering any strava times and it’ll be nice to go out for longer rides together as she has no interest in the masochistic elements of cycling like spending a whole winter puttin in the miles in order to enjoy a few nice weekends in the summer.

Is this really a fitting way to use the amazing body gifted to you by nature?

Nature (or god) also gave it cancer and a whole host of other shit.

Or someone who is on their feet all day, doing a stressful manual job for 9 hours a day and still rides their ‘normal’ MTB as well perhaps?

Judgemental, it’s not an attractive feature.

rollingdoughnut

No you’ve got that wrong on my book.

In my case, it allows me to get out on the bike more and stay active.

I have some trouble with strength and arthritis, riding the mountain bike which I really enjoy takes it out of me due to the rougher terrain etc.

I prefer to ride a normal powered mtb off road, but could probably only manage about one ride per week of say 30 miles.

Having an ebike for the road allows me to get out more, more exercise for body and mind. Also use it for transport, so one less car on the roads.

Good for me, and good for the environment.

When I was younger I used to ride 12,000 miles a year normally, just wish I could do that now, so I have to alter my cycling habits.

There isn’t a one size fits all in most cases.

Genuinely don’t see the issue with them…if it gets people riding then all good. Like the plethora of bike types already available for doing the same thing – it adds variety and choice, so all good.

Someone who used to drive to work, but now rides their ebike in the same clothes they drove in?

I’m outraged and so’s my wife..
I’ve already penned a letter to my bank manager….
Darling Facist BullyBoy. May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman. Boomshanka!

You started projecting yourself in your dumb generalisation when you said “guy” and you just carried on from there. 0/10.

In my mind the average guy who’ll buy an ebike will be the person who gets out of bed, sits in a car to get to work, sits all day at a desk, drives home and sits around all evening watching TV. Come the weekend, joy! A new type of bike has come out that halves the effort involved in going for a ride.

True.

And slowly the human race are turning themselves into slugs

Or instead of thinking “I can’t be arsed” Mr Average goes out and rides. Puts the same effort in as they would have without a motor but actually has fun.

Masochism is a roadie thing.

I have a E-mtb

Little background info

Used to cycle 100 miles a week to work, went out on the road bike at weekends, averaged around 5000+ miles a year just on the road bike, im generally quite fit, not a lazy person

Also been a bmx’er for 25+ years and riding mtb’s for the last 15 years

A year or so ago we had our first child, which now means i have to drive to work every day  to drop him off at our parents who live near my work, so no more riding to work, no more evening rides

At the weekends my time is limited due to the wife wanting to spend time as a family

So family life has reduced my riding time significantly

The E-mtb is perfect, means i can go out for a ride and cover the same sort of distances in around half the time

If im not pushed for time i can put in eco and change and the settings in the app to give me a real work out (much harder than a normal mtb)

If i didn’t have the E-mtb i would get much less riding done than i do now!

Once the kid grows up enough to be ok on his own or i have more free time ill jump back on a normal bike, till then the E-mtb works perfectly for me

Dont care what people think about E-mtb’s, it allows me to go have fun and unwind in a short amount of time and thats all that matters to me

Most of the people i know who ride don’t ride for fitness, they ride for FUN!!!!!!

Just like they did as kids and guess what E-bikes make riding off road even more fun!!!

“Riding was a way to reverse the trend of modern laziness. But now a way has been found to to circumvent that.”

Who for? For you? It’s not for me. I do get great satisfaction from riding a bike uphill, I’m fit (I just got 5th at the Strathpuffer) but what riding is for you and I isn’t for everyone. It’s just a bit of fun for most people, not a statement about the state of the modern world. Most people I’ve seen with them are middle aged blokes who were mountain biking anyway who use them to ride further in the time they have available.

A new type of bike has come out that halves the effort involved in going for a ride

I assume you only ever ride into huge head winds in the pouring rain and subzero temps then as a reduction in your effort is a “bad thing”?

I see commuter e-bikes, and cargo e-bikes as the perfect transition from a car-based society – while the government tries to flog us expensive electric cars to sit in traffic jams in, many non-athletic people could swap their car for an electric assist bike for their short commute or town chores, and get fit as a side-effect, because you still have to pedal.

As for e-mountain bikes, I see a plenty of people putting their bikes in an uplift trailer at trail centres and then jumping in a stinky mini bus rather than riding up hills, surely a leisurely cruise back to the trail head on an e-bike would be preferable!

Surely lazy people book uplifts?

edit: 25 seconds too late.

I must admit, I’m surprised there are enough people willing to spend in excess of £3K on something you still have to pedal to make it a viable market. As far as I can tell, there are two distinct types of ebiker.

1. Keen cyclists who were already used to spending a fair bit on nice bikes but who, for whatever reason, appreciate having a bit of motor assistance. For these people an ebike is great but I wonder if there are enough of them to sustain this interest from the manufacturers.

2. More sedentary types who think that an ebike will encourage them to get out more. I know a couple of people like this, but in both cases (after an initial flurry of excitement) the ebike is now sitting in the shed along with the rowing machines and other stuff that they thought would now make them more active. Basically, if you don’t enjoy cycling you don’t suddenly enjoy going a bit further for the same effort.

Although I’ve got nothing against the people who ride them, I see ebikes as a negative development, but not for the reasons usually quoted. I see it as a symptom of a decline in cycling, particularly among the young. So, rather than pushing new bikes at fit young things the manufacturers are increasingly having to focus on the existing group of (now ageing) cyclists.

In my mind the average guy who’ll buy an ebike will be the person who gets out of bed, sits in a car to get to work, sits all day at a desk, drives home and sits around all evening watching TV. Come the weekend, joy! A new type of bike has come out that halves the effort involved in going for a ride.

so you’re saying that the person who previously would have spent the weekend sitting on his arse watching TV will now go out and do something that’s significantly more active than sitting on his arse, but requires somewhat less effort than full on mountain biking?

I’m waiting to hear the down side…

Your typical e bike user?

People who wanted an e-bike, so bought one?

Is there a typical e-bike rider?

No.

They are not for me (I ride 7kg fixed gear bikes) but if I was to use one I would just end up riding as long and put as much effort in while going faster and longer.

37 years old, spent the last year laid up after a fairly spectacular ankle injury (almost lost the foot).

Still unable to ride long distances on a conventional MTB without considerable pain. .

Work, commute and 2 young children means opportunities for MTB rides only come along about twice a month in the winter, although I’ve been going to the gym since October to try and make up for this.

Got an E-bike so that when these precious ride windows come along I can go further and keep up my now considerably fitter mates.

If you have a problem with that then you’re the one with the problem, not me.

e bike use v normal bike use is the same as riding a 2×11 bike versus a single speed, they are both riding but no one criticises the rider getting the benefit of all those gears

cycling is cycling, as long as you still pedal it i’m all for it. twist and go though is another matter entirely

I do concede to all your points. I don’t usually get involved in these discussions as I don’t particularly enjoy confrontation. For some reason the whole electrification and computerisation of everything really frustrates me. Up until recently cycling was an escape from all this ‘progress’, which is why I now feel exasperated by the emergence of this technology.

I know I’m a bit of a silly idealist, but I do think people are generally happier when not buying so much stuff and not having to spend every waking hour working to afford it

whole electrification and computerisation of everything really frustrates me. Up until recently cycling was an escape from all this ‘progress

That’s the joy of cycling, if you’d rather ride a full rigid steel single speed.. you can, nobody’s forcing you to embrace the tech.

For shorter rides I still have my trusty steel 29er hardtail, which I’m sure will get more use as my ankle recovers, but for now I need a tool for a job and an E-bike is that tool.

they are pedal assist, not rev and go. climbing is BORING. if i can ride twice as far / do twice as many descents in the same allotted time as my normal ride, why the hell wouldn’t I?

you are still outdoors, on your bike, pedalling away – how is that lazy?

i haven’t got one btw, but i frickin want one.

For some reason the whole electrification and computerisation of everything really frustrates me. Up until recently cycling was an escape from all this ‘progress’, which is why I now feel exasperated by the emergence of this technology.

But no-one’s come along and electrified or computerised your bike. You’re getting exasperated about other people’s bikes. (And perpetuating that by inventing their decision process to fit your exasperation.)

I bought an ebike at Christmas because I wanted one. I’d given up diving earlier in the year and the cash was burning a hole in my pocket when a decent spec’d bike up at a very good price and I love it.

I can ride it in Eco and 25-30 hard miles (HRM doesn’t lie) or I can ride it in eMTB mode and have an absolute blast for 18-20 and still work hard. On my clockwork bike 15 miles is a struggle; I’m underfit and overweight and have Sciatica which **** me up if I do too much. I’m also getting out pretty much every weekend rather than once a month.

The think about ebikes is they’re wicked fun, usually the people moaning about them haven’t tried them. If I had the money I’d buy one just for sheets and giggles.

I genuinely do not care.

A new type of bike has come out that halves the effort involved in going for a ride.

but what if you use it to ride for the same time and effort but go further? Or is that not in your imagination of lazy ebiker?

It’s clear you haven’t ridden one.

Been mountain biking since the 80’s, and retired nice and early (47 and retired at 40)

Ride 3 times a week, all over the uk and lots of trips to the Alps, Whistler etc etc etc.

Have a “few” pedal power bikes.

Bought it originally due to a knee injury that was keeping from my mid week rides.

Found out it was Awsome fun and I’m now addicted to it. Best bike I have ever owned for fun. I ride it has hard as I can and always knackered at the end of ride and still have the biggest smile (which is what it has always been about for me). Strava my arse.

First time I saw somebody on one I though the same as most people… but now think once youve ride one you’d be hard pushed not to want one.

I nearly got one, but I bought a conventional MTB instead. I’m 62 and all my riding buddies are younger (a lot, in some cases), so I thought it would help me to keep up. However, I thought about lifting it over stiles, in and out of cars and walking/ carrying up stuff in the Lakes and decided to put off the inevitable a bit longer. I got the lightest MTB I could (just about) afford ……

E-bikes aren’t my bag, I quite like knowing all the motive force for my ride has all come from me both on and offroad, but that is entirely my own thing, others can ride what they like.

I can’t see them ever really being used (legitimately) in any form of competition as that sort of undermines the human effort element of things, but again most people aren’t actually racing 99% of the time…

I’ve done uplifted DH in the past so can’t really pick on e-bikers for being too lazy to pedal up and “earn their turns”…

I’d always be cautious about stereotyping based on people’s purchasing choices OP; yes I’m sure a proportion of E-bikers will be “Cash rich – time poor” individuals, but why is that something for you to take exception to, differing lifestyles, priorities and expectations are just part of life’s rich tapestry…

We’re all on a scale somewhere between constructing our shelter from woven reeds and mud, while feeding/clothing ourselves only with the animals and berries we can trap/gather, or else profligate frittering away of money on mansions, sportscars and caviar…
The poorest people are those constantly caught up noticing everyone else’s circumstances rather than living their own lives…