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I have an ebike, along with some others, so I am often conscious of the conflicts of opinion that can occur. However, the only place I can recall encountering ebikers that I thought were actively being dicks was actually at Sherwood Pines, and I have only been there once.
We (Me, wife, 6yo and 9yo) were riding the red loop and we encountered a number of ebikes absolutely charging it on the trail, almost steamrollering those in front of them, and huffing and grumbling when other riders were in front of them. My kids were a bit scared by it ,but I told them to just ignore it, keep riding and pull over when it was safe.
Towards the end of the trail we encountered a wandering family, complete with pushchair on one of the last sections of singletrack. I was just having the "Are you lost?" type conversation with a Mum and kids who were clearly not meaning to be on the bike trail, when a woman on an ebike came charging up, started the sotto voce muttering, and roughly pushed past all of us saying to the woman, "Your kids are gonna get killed." I was mortified and reassured the lady that that wasn't the case, but the nearest walking trail was over-there. She was a bit white with shock.
My conclusion was not that all ebikers are dicks, but that ebikes help suppressed dicks let their inner dicks out.
Why you would go to Sherwood Pines on a sunny August weekend and expect that you'd have the place to yourself is beyond me. I was amazed how busy it was. It made GT seem quiet, and the massive range of bikes and abilities was pleasing to see, and if anything, made the all-the-gear brigade with matching colour coded 160mm travel bikes and outfits look even more ridiculous.
“ I’ve got nothing against ebikes, but how the hell do people afford them?”
This comment would make a lot more sense if people were having problems with super yacht owners buzzing their rear tyre, and pondering where they get the money for their multimillion pound boat.
But when the price difference between an alloy full-sus and the same in carbon is as much as the cost of adding a motor and battery, then…
A ebike costs less than the first year depreciation on an average new car.
Still makes sense to me as I’ve never purchased a new car or spent more than about £1.5k on a bike. The opening price for a decent eBike is very expensive. Hence why I find their prevalence quite strange. Assume people must have a lot more disposable income than me.
It’s the looks I can’t get past either. They’re just really ugly things.
Secondly, do Ebikes mean that a subset of plonkers who would never normally ride mountain bikes are now on the trails?
No more than lockdown has done the same to the outdoors in general.
Country park near me has been part of my local loop for 16 years. Average weekday now is busier than it ever used to be on a sunny summer Sunday. Car park regularly full with cars abandoned on the grass verge of the drive and part blocking the entry junction. On the one hand it’s great to see an increase in types of folks using it, while on the other it’s increased the types who can’t go anywhere without a take away coffee cup in their hand but are unable to carry it all the way back to the car. Never used to see any litter there, but now a common sight. Sooner the pubs and shopping centres are open and cheap flights to Benidorm resume the better
Still makes sense to me as I’ve never purchased a new car or spent more than about £1.5k on a bike. The opening price for a decent eBike is very expensive. Hence why I find their prevalence quite strange. Assume people must have a lot more disposable income than me.
Lots of cheap finance deals around. People aren’t going on holiday or to the pub.
“ Still makes sense to me as I’ve never purchased a new car...”
Yes but you must have seen new cars existing, even if you’ve never bought one yourself (nor have I). You might even know someone personally who has bought one. I assume those people driving expensive new cars have more disposable income than me!
In better times I ride with a group made up of analogue and e bikers. The latter group have In my mind earned the right to move to e after doing 20 odd years of hard graft to get to and up the trails under their own steam. Some of them are getting on now or have health issues and this helps them continue to enjoy trails. Most of the time theyre courteous eg stay back to close gates etc.
Occasionally we have some fun blocking them uphill on narrow paths and they may buzz our tyre.
I suspect a lot of these badly behaved e types are new to the sport, don’t know the etiquette and have jumped on the latest fad. As above I am worried about what perception of our sport and impact on continuing access the idiot element may cause.
If a stranger rides up and buzzed my back wheel on a trail I’d be getting out the bombers. Not that they’d know what that means......
Couchy, I'm a regular on my clockwork bikes at Pines as it's very local, you aren't the problem, and it sounds as though there are plenty of eejits on both sides.
I've had grief off people for a cheery "can I squeeze by when it's safe?" if they don't hear me approach, but most are fine. Can't let the odd @rse spoil a ride.
Conversely I try to sprint to a safe overtake spot if I realise someone is catching me, it's basic trail etiquette.
Sadly I think a few people need reminding, but for those who never knew some signage at the trail head might help. Yes, I'm being optimistic.
Couchy, I’m a regular on my clockwork bikes at Pines as it’s very local, you aren’t the problem, and it sounds as though there are plenty of eejits on both sides.
I’ve had grief off people for a cheery “can I squeeze by when it’s safe?” if they don’t hear me approach, but most are fine. Can’t let the odd @rse spoil a ride.
Conversely I try to sprint to a safe overtake spot if I realise someone is catching me, it’s basic trail etiquette.
Sadly I think a few people need reminding, but for those who never knew some signage at the trail head might help. Yes, I’m being optimistic.
We’ve probably passed at some point, tbh ebikes at pines are least of the issues at the moment especially at weekends. During first lockdown it was chaos, everyone all of a sudden had a right to be out and exercising and were vocal about it as it was essential, now it’s cold for some reason their exercise isn’t as essential.... But pines at a weekend is a no for me, families with tag alongs and seats on red, people stopping for a picnic and blocking routes, people walking and riding the wrong way. There’s a whole new group of people who have no idea of trail etiquette and no idea some of us can be doing 25-30mph on the long down hill bits, it’s pretty dangerous and tbh it’s no surprise some of these new folk are dickheads and some are on ebikes. Luckily as soon as restrictions are lifted these folk should mostly disappear back to the all day pubs and retail parks 🤣
on the long down hill bits,
At Sherwood Pines? Now I know I'm getting on a bit but I don't remember there being any such thing. Has someone imported a hill, a bit like they did Stonehenge from Wales?
Lol long for Sherwood pines, not long for anywhere else 🤣
Yes. No lengthy downhills, but plenty of twisting singletrack that would be stimulating to ride at around 15.5mph, up, down, or along-hill.
Sotto voce 😋
Ebikes at sherwood pines, really, its flat as a flat thing. I imagine they are the same heffers that are queuing outside MacDonalds to get their greasy fix.
Find a lot of the time the ebikes have given excessive speed to inexperienced riders, who have no idea that its unacceptable to force their way past.
The plonker today with a bell was the best one, then 3 of his mates firing past, 20ft further on and the trail widens to a doubletrack.
I went out on my ebike today. I ran over three squirrels, two dogs, kicked over a small child and knocked off six people on their old fashioned bikes.
Ebikes at sherwood pines, really, its flat as a flat thing.
Flat=constant pedalling. Hilly means you can stop pedalling on the downs.
I went out on my ebike today. I ran over three squirrels, two dogs, kicked over a small child and knocked off six people on their old fashioned bikes.
Just 1 baby robin would of been enough
Lots of cheap finance deals around. People aren’t going on holiday or to the pub.
Specialized turbo levo = £150 per month, that's a night out for a lot people.
Sooner the pubs and shopping centres are open and cheap flights to Benidorm resume the better
Traffic (and associated dick head behavior) round my way dropped off considerably in July(?) when things opened up a bit.
The most worrying thing about them far and above any tyre buzzing is the prevalence of people saying 'clockwork' or 'analogue' bikes.
Please stop it. Please, I implore you, stop it now before you're beyond saving.
They were distinguishable from the off by the presence of the letter 'E'. 😂
“ The most worrying thing about them far and above any tyre buzzing is the prevalence of people saying ‘clockwork’ or ‘analogue’ bikes.”
You forget ACOUSTIC. Aaaaaaarrrgggghh!!!
Indeed 😂
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-new-low-2/page/3/#post-11753551
I just love this place for the closed minds on what sort of people do many things, once applied to ebikes it makes some great reading. I'm not fat or overweight but do eat mcdonalds once a week and I love the sausage rolls served in the cafe at pines, they're proper yummy 🙂
I've only been riding a mtb 3-4 years now but even on downhill sections and cornering bits I manage to match speeds of much more experienced riders on normal bikes without falling off, it must be a miracle I can do this on a 25kg bike when we all know 1/2 kg makes such a difference to a cycle.
I guess it sits better that you think ebike riders are talentless fatties, in the same vein I could say all normal bike riders are poor people and tbh should let us that can afford ebikes have the trails to ourselves then we wouldn't be tripping over them, what bell would you recommend so I can let the poor folk know I'm coming through much faster than them ?, thanks
Couchy, just **** off with your estupidity. Anyone with half a brain can see that a heavier full-sus will be at no disadvantage downhill. And there are competitive MTBers who’ve only been riding 3-4 years, so that’s more than enough time to become highly skilled.
I love my ebike but I know that hassling non-e MTBers by wanting to overtake them is a bad idea for all of us.
The fact is that on average eMTBers are fatter than other MTBers. You might not be, I know I’m not. But that doesn’t stop the stereotype from being broadly true. Calling non-e MTBers poor just makes you sound like a ****.
I went out on my ebike today. I ran over three squirrels, two dogs, kicked over a small child and knocked off six people on their old fashioned bikes.
Guns don't kill people, wappers do... (cba finishing the logic on this one)
I’m always delighted to see the bottom bracket lump when someone charges past me on a climb, because it means that I wasn’t just ground into the dirt by a non-powered rider!
exactly this - a few occasional and entirely pleasant interactions on uphill tracks and I'll say something like "please tell me that's turned on...' as I like to share my slightly overbearing humour wherever I go.
estupidity
Brilliant.
@Couchy, missed the sarcasm tags off
1.I guess it sits better that you think ebike riders are talentless fatties
2. in the same vein I could say all normal bike riders are poor people
3. tbh should let us that can afford ebikes have the trails to ourselves
4. then we wouldn’t be tripping over them, what bell would you recommend so I can let the poor folk know I’m coming through much faster than them ?, thanks
1. Mostly, see my previous point about giving inexperienced riders 500w to control
2. I suppose 7k buys you a budget moped
3. Watch out for the braking bumps appearing after corners
4. I'll make sure I give you enough space on the downhills so I dont trip over you
I’ve caught folk before and been told to **** off when asking politely to pass.
Always two sides to that, pick your passing place and announce it, don't just expect folk to pull over and stop.
Right, back to finding where I can get a Trek Rail 9 or when the new Levo/Kenevo SL is being launched.
Reading through this it makes me wonder how many of the bad mannered ebikers on here don't own them but have actually hired them for the day so have very limited experience of them and/or trail etiquette?
LOL I won't be in your way on the downhills, tbh I'm not in the way of any normal bike at any point but I guess some of the fat ebike riders are. I might not change my ride type tomorrow and claim a few 'normal' bike KOMS, I can have 2 sausage rolls then 🙂 🙂