My bikes have always made a horrible wheezing noise going uphill. Acoustic works for me.
As a fairly recent e-bike user, I really appreciate the help it gives me uphill and along the flat - the range it gives me back is also so, so welcome.
However, I miss the slow-speed manoeuvrability, predictable torque and the downhill agility of a normal bike. The lightness of it when I am putting it on a car is also very much missed!
Acoustic? Brilliant.
I suggest we go for bicycle and for electric bicycles the term electric bicycle.
The potential is there to shorten these to bike and e-bike.
(I like e-bikes but "acoustic". My word)
Also, if full sussers are acoustic then what is singlespeed rigid?
I suggest "a capella".
The point I dislike is some adopters of emtbs are like ex smokers who grill smokers
Steve on embn is the absolute epitampy of this …….
For eg big up the emtb my all means but then to downtalk MTBs without motors like there something your have stood in really gets my goat .
Me too...!
Yes. I don't see the point in them. Why do less riding and more pushing up hill?
My riding group range 22 to 50 plus are all replacing their old pedal bikes with eeb's.
I suspect in 10 years there will only be odd niche or catalogue Argos type pedal bikes left.
Or at least I hope so, they are a bloody rolling roadblock out on the trails!
I hope not, I'm waiting for my new Bird Aether 7 to arrive...
I do fear that I'm going to go through a slow and painful death of my favourite riding buddies though. That said only 2 have succumbed, the first I asked him to as his as his work life imbalance has led to a huge gut and no fitness and now we can ride together again.
The second just has lots of money and couldn't resist a new toy. We rode together on a frozen Ilkley Moor yesterday and it wasn't a problem.
He did say though, that whereas I was ready for home after 3 hours he now looks at his battery and just wants to carry on riding as he still feels fresh and there's plenty left in his and the bikes tank.
“Yes. I don’t see the point in them. Why do less riding and more pushing up hill?”
I ride my ebike more than my normal bike but comments like this are disappointing (or an unfunny troll). Also you can pedal normal bikes uphill, especially if they have gears.
I briefly joined an ebike forum after getting my Levo and sadly it was full of people with these sort of tiresome attitudes, acting as though anyone who didn’t want, or couldn’t afford, an eMTB was inferior, behind the times, etc etc.
I can’t see normal full-sus bikes dying out - they may become more niche but there will always be demand for them. The only difference between my ebike and a matching full-sus is the frame and bottom bracket, all the other parts can be swapped. It’s not like 26” wheels where once they fell out of fashion it’s become harder and harder to get good forks and tyres in that size.
If I had more money and space I would have one as well as my normal bikes.
so what’s not to like?
The cost
The fragility
The generally back to source repair solution for anything battery or motor related.
The weight
The limited life span/support time
The increased environmental concerns around a toy (and for most folk it is a toy, for those that actually need the physical assistance it's unavoidable but for many it's a toy.)
Lots not to like.
Arguably alot apply to a normal full suspension but generally most of them are halfed.
This is a game of #toptrolling right ?
How about, just for a change, instead of picking 1 word out of the OPs post, we actually concentrate discussions on the point being raised 🙂
Personally, no, i don't think so, i still thing they'll sell many many many non-ebikes, sure they're selling more e-bikes than previously.
Here's a question for someone who gets these sort of figures.
How many 'FS standard' bikes were sold in 2018/2019/2020 ?
Because that's the important figure, not how many ebikes were sold, because they may have been extra, over the normal sales of non ebikes.
Sure this has come up many times before, before ebikes, but riding doesn't follow a path of everyone adopting what is perceived to be the latest / best technology. If we all did that, there would be much less diversity in bikes already (even if you just focussed on FS), but ebikes might be the most significant test of that yet.
It does seem likely that as both normal full sus mtbs and Emtbs are very expensive, most people only buy one bike every few years. And right now, many people will choose to buy an emtb as it's new and interesting and adds variety to their riding. That will make it look like expensive normal bike sales are plummeting, but it isn't clear how many people will continue to buy emtbs when the next bike purchase opportunity rolls round.
I do wonder if this will affect the pricing (or more likely the spec) of normal bikes - I mean, if you are spending 8k on a bike that doesn't have a motor and you aren't all-out racing, does it start to look like poor value to the general buyer?
I mean, if you are spending 8k on a bike that doesn’t have a motor and you aren’t all-out racing, does it start to look like poor value to the general buyer?
You'd think so yes... but it doesn't seem to stop them selling does it ? I see lots of £4/5/6000 bikes out and about and think "wow, how did you afford that"
Heck, i even have a £6000 RRP bike that my 12 year old owns, but i paid a lot lot less than that 🙂
Using the term analogue is even more wrong that acoustic. Analogue relies on voltage.
I briefly joined an ebike forum after getting my Levo and sadly it was full of people with these sort of tiresome attitudes, acting as though anyone who didn’t want, or couldn’t afford, an eMTB was inferior, behind the times, etc etc.
I had a very similar experience. I left as a result too. The general line being that if you didn’t have an e-bike you couldn’t afford one and therefor any criticism was based on envy. All a bit sad.
Analogous bikes?
A bit like a bike with a motor, but weirdly missing one? I'M JOKING 😉
I said that I thought MTB would have a majority image of being a powered sport at some point, as the pedalling aspect isn't what drives MTB culture, marketing, etc. As E-bikes get better and more accessible at the lower end they will carry on displacing nonE bikes in that FS Trail/Enduro area. There will always be pedally XC as one end of the line between road, gavel and XC MTB. Also riders going out for remote mountain days on bigger travel non-E bikes, but that's a kind of XC in my book anyway.
I briefly joined an ebike forum after getting my Levo and sadly it was full of people with these sort of tiresome attitudes, acting as though anyone who didn’t want, or couldn’t afford, an eMTB was inferior, behind the times, etc etc.
Purchase justification and wanting to belong - possibly exacerbated by feeling 'outside' of MTB/cycling before?
Nope
If a full suss is an acoustic...
I think I ride a diddly-bow.
Or a triangle.
I said that I thought MTB would have a majority image of being a powered sport at some point, as the pedalling aspect isn’t what drives MTB culture, marketing, etc. As E-bikes get better and more accessible at the lower end they will carry on displacing nonE bikes in that FS Trail/Enduro area. There will always be pedally XC as one end of the line between road, gavel and XC MTB. Also riders going out for remote mountain days on bigger travel non-E bikes, but that’s a kind of XC in my book anyway.
Yep and on pretty much the same thread a week or so ago (or was it? I lose track of these threads after a while), I questioned the notion of e-biking as a "sport" because it's really not. An E-bike is just a thing for dentists and stockbrokers to buy to briefly fill the void where their soul used to be.
For a couple of weeks a year, while the sun is shining and when they're not busy raiding everyone else's pensions, they can do two loops of swinley, going full Toad of Toad hall and barge the prols out of the way. For just £10k anyone can play at mountain biking, and then bore on about how they really do away with the tiresome task if pedalling as hard, and how they allow time crunched important people to "go further, faster" (so long as it's not too far from a 3 pin socket)...
Honestly you're missing the point, E-bikes aren't for the masses, the bike companies (with some help from Bosch) have found a way to get at a new higher tier of consumer. They're for the well off and they won't replace #Enduro or trail bikes as desirable in the minds of actual MTBist any time soon. Those customers are still going to aspire to spent £5-6k to emulate Sam Hill or Jared Graves rather than double the money to emulate a tubby city boy...
There are still plenty of mountain bikers who have no problem with spending more time on a bike pedalling,
@cookeaa reminds me of the Harley Davidson riders we see every year for their big get-together. Bikes arrived towed behind huge motorhomes, immaculate, polished, covered up until time for their annual ride-out when they don their fake colours and pretend to be outlaws before returning home to their lovely houses and job in the stock market, estate agency or operating theatre.
Acoustic seriously moi?
You are the one emitting a high pitched whine although it reminds me of a dry knackered bearing.
I like the term moped though.
Honestly you’re missing the point, E-bikes aren’t for the masses, the bike companies (with some help from Bosch) have found a way to get at a new higher tier of consumer. They’re for the well off and they won’t replace #Enduro or trail bikes as desirable in the minds of actual MTBist any time soon. Those customers are still going to aspire to spent £5-6k to emulate Sam Hill or Jared Graves rather than double the money to emulate a tubby city boy
Is that the case, though? I thought the main draw of Emtbs was to be able to scoot back up a hill quickly and do more runs down - it was why bikes like the Kenevo got so much coverage and marketing. I'd be surprised if many of those actual MTBist riders weren't swayed by the "training tool" marketing approach promoted on social media by many of those pros. Whether they are affordable to the masses is a separate question, but these are high cost bikes either way.
Is that the case, though?
Who knows what the actual thought processes at work really are TBF. My own biased blathering is as insightful as anyone else's (or not)...
You can buy an expensive toy that's more knackering to use (but arguably a better bike to descend on?) or a really expensive toy that lets you do less work but you can't really lie to yourself and say you're going to race it, and I'd suggest the sheer cost of them is actually part of the appeal for some...
I questioned the notion of e-biking as a “sport” because it’s really not.
Sport, hobby, pass-time, something those of us fortunate to have spare money and time can do.
Honestly you’re missing the point, E-bikes aren’t for the masses,
They are / will be? There's a premium end and a competitive entry level in every market right?
I agree there's still a lot of us who like pedalling. I'd look at skiing where lifts are the norm, not XC, and I don't see how MTB will be a lot different now that your bike can have an uplift built in. That's amazing added value, isn't it? Maybe not to me or you, but to many others. MTB has it's roots in DH and having fun, it's not the same as road culture that primarily celebrates the athletics. XC is in that middle ground between roadie gravel and enduro, tricky to say what / if changes will be there. Anyway, just making a call on it for fun and for the sake of dragging it up again in 5 years time really. I may well be (hope?) I'm wrong.
Those bamboo bikes have the best acoustics. I’m very shallow when it comes to bikes so until they can make a full sus ebike that doesn’t look like shit I’ll be riding steel hardtails and aspiring to owning a Swarf Contour.
There may well be snobbery by emtb owners about normal mtb - this seems to come mainly from people who've never really had a mountain bike before, and they just jumped straight into ebikes, they genuinely do seem to regard them as not just mountain bikes with motors, but something entirely different - which isnt helped by the plethora of ebike specific stuff that really doesnt need to be ebike specific, theyre pretty ignorant in this regard, but who can blame them , the marketing has told them that they need ebike specific everything. They're also mostly clueless, but dont realise how little they know and how inexperienced they really are - they can be mostly found making you tube videos and trying to become an 'influencer'. Whilst asking which app they can use to guide them around sherwood pines.
Those who were riding normal mountain bikes before seem much more enlightened about what ebikes are good for and what theyre not.
But it seems from cookeaa post up there that there is equal snobbery the other way from normal bike owners (who maybe have never spent significant time on an ebike?) about ebike owners.
Ebikes are just bikes, I've got both, and I ride both. Its more ebike than normal bike for me these days, but if I were doing uplift, a ride with lots of lifting over gates etc, or lots of hikeabike, then I'd be on my normal bike.
You dont need to spend £10k to get a decent ebike, a decent full suss ebike can be had for £4k - possibly less depending on what compromises you're willing to make.
They’ll obviously say they’re not lazy and they work just as hard, because of course you’re going to work as hard with a motor on your bike as you will without.
What I've been doing is 'work'?
I thought I'd been having fun. But now I know I'm working who do I invoice?
a decent full suss ebike can be had for £4k
Aye. Not expensive at all 🤔
Aye. Not expensive at all 🤔
I didnt say it wasnt expensive,but expensive is all relative. To most 'normal' people, even spending a grand on a basic hardtailis expensive.
It was in response to cookeaa, who was implying you had to spend 10k to get an ebike, when its clearly not the case - £4k will get you a decent ebike - it most likely wont be as well specced as a £4k normal bike , but it'll work well .
Acoustic?
Electric?
You lot sound like a bunch of Bob Dylan nerds!
🤣
Shocking as it may seem, some people actually enjoy cycling. You know, the whole getting around under your own steam, up hill and down dale. The popularity of this pastime has persisted despite the fact that various motorised alternatives have existed for over 100 years and I can't really see that changing just because there is another option on the table.
Of course there has always been a subset of the off-road community who don't really enjoy the act of cycling in the traditional sense and just enjoy the thrills of the descents. They are often portrayed as the the only face of mountain biking, but in fact have only ever been a part of that scene. My guess is that these are people who would be skiing (or more likely boarding) down the mountain if we had the weather for it. I don't know how big a part of the off-road scene they really are, but certainly a significant part. Just look at the development of trail centres (often with boring fireroad climbs) where all the effort goes into the descents. Then lift assisted trail centres and bike parks. The eMTB is just an evolution of this and makes perfect sense for the people who enjoyed that sort of riding.
As I say, I have no idea how many people mainly ride off road for the descents. I suspect there are enough people in each camp to make it worth manufacturing bikes for each. I suspect that eMTBs will serve to make the split more obvious and may result in the death of some models. High end enduro bikes without motors could die out for example. But XC will remain I suspect.
How about "unplugged"?
If you can't be bothered to pedal a bike or get fit to efficiently ride an 'acoustic'(??) bike, why not just get a motorcycle and give up the pedalling all together?
Or is it the false feeling of superiority in thinking you are quick and its not the bike doing it all for you?
If you can’t be bothered to pedal a bike or get fit to efficiently ride an ‘acoustic'(??) bike, why not just get a motorcycle and give up the pedalling all together?
I think I possibly would get an offroad motorbike if they had the same amount of access to trails that an emtb has, but they dont, so I wont.
Or is it the false feeling of superiority in thinking you are quick and its not the bike doing it all for you?
ebikes are only quick uphill/across hill. Thery're pretty much the same speed downhill as a normal bike, They wont make you fast downhill if you werent fast to begin with.
If you can’t be bothered to pedal a bike or get fit to efficiently ride an ‘acoustic'(??) bike, why not just get a motorcycle and give up the pedalling all together?
Ever ridden/raced an MX bike?
You'll need to be a lot fitter than your average MTB rider...
Back on topic.
Had a couple of eebs for around three years now.
Still ride and still buy regular bikes.
They all have their place, they're all fun.
As for Ebike forums.
They're not for me personaly but I'm sure the folks who go on there find them useful.
I think we need to give the op a break on using "acoustic" he's far from the first to use it.😁
I think there is a place for both types of full suss as I suspect most do.
It would be a sad day if there were literally no longer a choice but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I think there are enough people around that will always want a non ebike. As they get older and perhaps go ebike there will be younger ones getting into biking to replace them.
When my legs give up I’d consider one.
“– If I have an e-bike will I ever get back to my old fitness levels?”
If you choose to pedal hard often enough, then yes. It’s down to you because on max assist you can shoot uphill for minimal effort, and if you cruise downhill the modern geometry, tyres and suspension will do most of the work too.
I seem to do mostly one of two things uphill on the Levo, either full turbo lunacy whilst pedalling as hard as I can because going uphill that fast becomes quite a technical challenge (actual corners!) Or when with non ebikers, no assistance at all, and just suck up the punishment of hauling a 50lb bike uphill. It’s not as bad as most think - my wife pedalled it on a family bike ride with our smalls and left it switched off. If my legs need a break I can always turn the power on for a bit and rest.
Downhill, especially on twisty trails, the Levo is very fast and very physical. I love it but it’s not subtle - it just wants to go as fast as possible in a straight line, stuck to the ground. Despite that it’s the best cornering and jumping (I’m not good in the air) bike I’ve owned - it’s so stable that it gives me the confidence to chuck it about. Riding an ebike downhill fast will make you stronger - you don’t get a choice! I leave the power off downhill most of the time.
“– Would I ever ride my old (ie current) bike again – it’s a Banshee Prime which I love to bits, but as a 2015 model will it just seem too old-school? How hard is it switching between electric and “acoustic”?”
I switch between the Levo and Bird Zero AM hardtail. The way I ride the Zero is more relaxing because it’s either slower or lighter uphill and slower downhill. I sold my Spitfire because I don’t have the time to use three MTBs, I like having a hardtail and ebike suspension just works better due to the sprung:unsprung ratio.
“– My winter rides often include BB-deep gloop and stream crossings – how do e-Bikes cope with this kind of thing?”
The former should be fine. Not sure about proper submersion, worth investigating.
“– Can an e-bike go on the lifts in the Alps?”
I believe so.
“Or even on a car roof-rack carrier for that matter?”
They’re around the official weight limit on many carriers but you can take the battery out if you’re worried. It’s a good reason to keep/get strong, as is dealing with gates, stiles, etc.
My old five had pretty good acoustics.
That’s literally what I thought the thread title was about! Is disappoint.
Ever ridden/raced an MX bike?
You’ll need to be a lot fitter than your average MTB rider…
Back on topic.
Yes, regularly.
Off road motorcycle riding exists outside of motorcross.
Much like mountain biking exists outside of downhill racing.
To poodle along a trail or Greenlane, which is more closely comparable to what I see most middle aged overweight blokes doing on ebikes at all the trail centres is a very similar effort level.
Give it a try, you don't even have to spin the pedals to pretend you are powering yourself along!
But like you see, let's keep on topic!
But it seems from cookeaa post up there that there is equal snobbery the other way from normal bike owners (who maybe have never spent significant time on an ebike?) about ebike owners.
Oh absolutely, I'll freely acknowledge my own inverse snobbery and bias... but there's at least a kernel of truth to those stereotypes.
E-bikes should really be tools to enable less physically able people to ride (IMO of course), but the sad truth is they simply aren't being marketed for that purpose because there's nothing like enough money to be made from it...
E-bikes should really be tools to enable less physically able people to ride
Of course they shouldn't, they are good for that but they also seem to be good for many other uses. Why should fun and ease of cycling be restricted?
Can't see a time when e-bikes will completely replace bikes but the the ratio is clearly going to be increasing in favour of e-bikes for all sorts of reasons (fun, easier commuting and for some just making cycling easier, i.e. hills)
E-bikes should really be tools to enable less physically able people to ride (IMO of course), but the sad truth is they simply aren’t being marketed for that purpose because there’s nothing like enough money to be made from it…
"Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? We are getting soft... As for me, give me a fixed gear!"
; )
Just spent 90 minutes riding my fixed gear on soggy gravel in 2 degrees and it may have been a triumph of strength but it was bloody hard work.
Give it a try
Green laning isn't for me.
Seems really dull after three ISDE's.😂
Personally I don't care what's powering me.
It could be legs, petrol motor or a combo of legs and electric.
Makes no odds to me as it's more about the tech challenge that spinning up a fireroad for hours on end.
