[Closed] All my riding buddies are getting e-mtb’s, what would STW do ?

As above, fixing trails doesn't take a lot of time or effort, you can just walk up one trail and stamp down where possible, clear any debris and so on, deep ruts formed during winter can be healed pretty easily if done regularly, i actually tend to do a little now and again whilst walking the trails with my little girl, we get a nice walk and a few minutes on a trail help every so often, then of course dig days cover the main fixing.

The well recognised ‘etiquette’ for off piste is not to over traffic said trails in the middle of a a very wet period thus leaving them shagged come the drier months- hopefully not too hard to comprehend or possibly just me and my mates have a little more respect for the hard work the trail pixies put in?- anyway I did say it was probably for a separate subject matter but thanks for the observation….

As a digger (and an eeb’r) people riding them in the wet isn’t an issue really. More of a gripe is people slapping them up all over Strava and the ‘gram - that generates way more traffic than a couple of guys who do a few laps & move on to the next trail.

We do tend to build steeper, harder stuff though so maybe it puts the average person off a bit - multiple laps of ‘survival mode’ is not what most people want 🙂

In answer to the OP, it may depend on the reasons why your friends are getting ebikes as to whether you'll keep riding with them without one. If they are getting the bikes because they just want assistance to do the rides they always do then maybe things wont change much, except for the fact that you're going to be more knackered keeping up and they will have more stop/start rides or slower rides waiting for you.

For me though, I find emtb a different sport to mtb, as on my emtb I go different places, different speeds, different distances than I would on an mtb and will therefore only ride with people on non e bikes for the social aspect (I only have an ebike). If your friends have bought ebikes for that reason then you'll probably find that they will start to organise more and more ebike rides where those without emtbs are left of the invite list! I ended up doing very few 'mixed' social rides, as it wasn't long before all of my riding friends got ebikes!

I have an E Bike but there is no way I'm ready to have this as my only bike:

1) It breaks down a lot. Good to have analogue bikes rather than going bikeless for weeks!

2) Everyone else I ride with has an analogue bike. Riding with them on an E Bike REALLY does not work. I tried it a few times this year when I was too injuried to ride a normal bike for a while. I found I was waiting at the top of hills for ages. The rides had no flow or pace it was just all waiting waiting and waiting. It was awful

But on the positive side, for solo riding, particularly in Summer when I want to go out a lot, it's great. I can imagine group rides being good if everyone else is on Electric bikes, as long as they are as fast as me.

With regardes to E Bikes and trail damage. I believe descents are not the issue. Same as a normal bike. It's wet boggy climbs where they start churning up the wet ground while riders on analogue bikes would be off the bike and pushing - causing barely any damage at all.

1) It breaks down a lot. Good to have analogue bikes rather than going bikeless for weeks!

Is it a specialized levo?

Boooooo, my eBike broke for the first time on Wednesday. Merida with E8000, just over 8000km/2.5 years and the torque sensor has died in the motor. The misses' Levo has broken 2 wiring looms in the same time, but no motors yet, fingers crossed!

Turbo Levo Comp yes

Random question ....Do those who’ve participated in other off-road sports (trials, enduros, 4x4 trials etc) view, and ride, e-mtb’s differently from those whose off-road experience is solely mountain bike based?
In other words, do we just view them as an extra experience rather than a substitute for the “real” (ie totally human powered) thing?

Or is this a stupid and pointless question?

Quite a good question. I have never ridden anything motor powered off road and sort of do see e-bikes a a substitute for really riding a bike I suppose.

I know it's fashionable on here to call them mopeds and such like, but it's nothing like that in reality, it's just like riding with someone gently pushing you.

Looking at the new commencal ebikes, look fantastic.

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Nobeerinthefridge
Free Member

I know it’s fashionable on here to call them mopeds and such like, but it’s nothing like that in reality, it’s just like riding with someone gently pushing you.

Or occasionally more than a “gentle push” 😉

Looking at the new commencal ebikes, look fantastic

It's going to be one of those things that gets me. 7 grand though! Double the price of my most expensive bike ever.

.Do those who’ve participated in other off-road sports (trials, enduros, 4×4 trials etc) view, and ride, e-mtb’s differently from those whose off-road experience is solely mountain bike based?

I come from an MX and Enduro background and view my Eeb as just another way of having fun on two wheels. I tend to use it as a self uplift tool and use a standard bike for more big loop rides.
Other people I ride Eebs with are also from the same sort of background as me and tend to use them in the same way.

WTF a Gentle Push ?!

I don't know about you, but they turn me a SLOW climber into much faster than KOM-level with not much effort!

Instead of a slow grind up a 11% gradient the e bike feels like it's racing from ground level to sky level in no time.

I've also dabbed into de limiting my e bike and on road sections with 30mph speed limits I've found myself generally going as fast as the cars (or quicker in some cases) while on the regular MTB I used to get a constant stream of traffic overtaking me while I struggled to maintain 15-16mph.

The feeling is unbelievable, the power and speed.

It feels like there is four times the power that I'm putting down.

I still haven't given up on the regular bikes though. I ride both. E Bikes are very powerful, but regular bikes are lighter, less hassle, don't break as often and allow me to ride at the right pace in group rides.

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singlespeedstu
Full Member

I come from an MX and Enduro background and view my Eeb as just another way of having fun on two wheels

Much the same as me then...

WTF a Gentle Push

Exactly. It is a 250W push isn't it. I don't even ride at that amount so it is adding more power than I have.

Only ever ridden one eBike and only for 10 minutes but I did go up some steep short hills and definitely wouldn't describe it as a gentle push.

kerley
Free Member
WTF a Gentle Push

Exactly. It is a 250W push isn’t it. I don’t even ride at that amount so it is adding more power than I have.

Only ever ridden one eBike and only for 10 minutes but I did go up some steep short hills and definitely wouldn’t describe it as a gentle push.

It all depends on what mode you are in and what you are inputting to get the support, also what type of set up you have and many other factors, i can go uphill in eco mode and feel it, because my ebike is not set up for efficiency, it's heavy, has DD maxxgrip carcass tyres, built solid and set up for enduro stuff (flow and tech), i can stick it into higher modes, but sacrifice range for that, reality is if i'm hitting hills in high modes, i'm on a limited time and trying to get more out of an hour or two.

My normal bike is enduro, but a lot lighter, still way harder to get up hills, but i just switch off and grind, certainly enjoy climbing more on the ebike, but downs on the normal!

Instead of a slow grind up a 11% gradient the e bike feels like it’s racing from ground level to sky level in no time.

This sounds like heaven.

kerley
WTF a Gentle Push
Exactly. It is a 250W push isn’t it. I don’t even ride at that amount so it is adding more power than I have.
Only ever ridden one eBike and only for 10 minute

See now Turbo is great fun, and it's what everyone's impression, of a quick go is all about. When you actually own one unless your only doing uplift type runs, most people run Eco* or at least a lower mode, to conserve the battery. I use mine to ride further, and up more hill to come back down again, so eco it is That's not to say I never use Turbo but it's 1% of my riding & mainly on the way back, when I know I'm going the battery going to last.

Ps: my first vehicle was a chicken chaser 50cc moped, many many many years ago and was followed by numerous motorbikes. A less than 1hp e-bike has no comparison to either the moped, let alone a proper motorcycle. So asking if you'd ride it differently, no don't be silly but then...
* there is always going to be a small minority, for whom turbo is the only setting, but what can you do, they also probably have it de-restricted, which completely kills the battery.