[Closed] E-bike prevalence

Is it actually a new sport?

Well it's not mountain biking, so it must be.

It's a new pastime. I agree it's not mountain biking, It's e-mountain biking! 😆

And yes, acoustic bikes are doooooooomed! 😆

No issues with it...was similar at Sherwood Pines last week...good to see people out riding a bike irrespective of what it is.

pretty sure grizedale isn't a mountain.

ergo no one was mountainbiking.

unless there was a race on no one was doing a sport.

Reading people refer to normal bicycles as "acoustic" and "analogue" brings up a little sick into my mouth... Do people actually use those terms out loud?

nope, it's just to annoy you. 😆

Ha ha

TBF it depends what I've eaten as to whether the sick in my mouth is annoying or just a little reminder of something lovely.

Was following a couple of bikes at a distance along Mastiles Lane this morning. Got to Street Gate at the end and thought I'd catch them heading round the tarn. No chance, next time I saw them they were away in the distance! Heading round to Malham House they'd stopped under a tree to get some shade and saw they were both on e-bikes.

Maybe the riders should have to have a rotating flashing light like tractors do when they are on the road then you know not to try and catch them up 😉

If u see a tractor I tend to race it as it makes an excellent windbreak whilst riding.

Nowadays if anyone overtakes me - i just mutter 'e-bike' - I don't care if it is - it just makes me feel better - and probably outrages the fitter-than-me 'analogue' cyclists - win / win 🙂

Ha ha... That's ^^ AWESOME ! 😀

I had a mechanical today so had to get fixed up at the bike shop.  Plenty of ebikes for hire in the shop and the mechanic took a couple of calls inquiring about ebikes while I was waiting.

Top service from the bike shop BTW

Will us analog types just die out?

Nah, we'll live a lot longer than the biffers riding e-bikes.

Yip.  Rode cromford > Edale today by way of the high peak trail/pennine bridleway/limestone way.

The Royal Oak near Monyash was rammed with ebikes. Loads of people piling into burgers and fish and chips before motoring off on the flat flat trail.

I had a caprese salad. But then I'm a sanctamonious pr1ck 😉

"E-Dale"

It must be a northern thing. I see way more whippets in the FoD having fun on eBikes than Clydesdales (unless I ride past a mirror).

I’ll be riding one up and down a mountain tomorrow morning, I imagine it’s going to be lots a fun.

Must remember to turn Strava on, see if I can nab some KOMs.

Followed a chap up out of arncliffe over to kettlekett on my ebike today. I was in eco mode getting a sweat on and barely making it into this chap. Turned out to be a non e- biker who I knew who was just for and on a good day.

Ebikes aren't a free ticket they just let me keep up with the quick lads 😋

Ooh ooh! I've got an eBike story! Saw one today! lots of other bikes, but one eBike. Was out with my son and I got a (very rare) puncture. As I was sticking the plug in and pumping it up, a rather lovely Rocky Mountain eBike flew past us, fella riding passes not so much as a nod hello. I said to the kid, yeah I've never been ridden past by an actual mountain biker or ridden past one without saying at least Hi, or if they need anything. So yeah, all high and horsey. Got back to the cafe and the rather tasty Rocky Mountain ebike arrives shortly after us. Bloke was disabled, one leg, bloody brilliant that he can fly around on an assisted bike like that. So cool. And man, what a tasty bike. Sorry eBike.

Could said hello though eh?! 😉

Maybe the riders should have to have a rotating flashing light like tractors do when they are on the road then you know not to try and catch them up

Only the illegal ones.  Legal e-bikes are great for pacing up hill.

I'm pretty ambivalent about them.

However, it turns out some ebikers hate it when you say 'nice moped' as you pass them.

I got chased up the next hill and told to get over myself. Sense of humour fail anyone? 😂

Ooh ooh! I’ve got an eBike story! Saw one today! lots of other bikes, but one eBike. Was out with my son and I got a (very rare) puncture. As I was sticking the plug in and pumping it up, a rather lovely Rocky Mountain eBike flew past us, fella riding passes not so much as a nod hello. I said to the kid, yeah I’ve never been ridden past by an actual mountain biker or ridden past one without saying at least Hi, or if they need anything. So yeah, all high and horsey. Got back to the cafe and the rather tasty Rocky Mountain ebike arrives shortly after us. Bloke was disabled, one leg, bloody brilliant that he can fly around on an assisted bike like that. So cool. And man, what a tasty bike. Sorry eBike.

Could said hello though eh?!

Phew, Thought you were talking about me until the bit at the end. The RM Powerplay is a rare thing and I passed a couple of guys with a mechanical at Afan on Friday. Pretty sure I said hello and asked if they were OK though!

I’ve only ever seen one outside of a shop and that was in the car park at my local Evans. I really don’t understand those saying “Does this mean the end of the normal bike” Unless somebody sneaks in to your house at night and replaces your bike then, no, no it doesn’t.

Just carry on riding your bike and enjoy it.

In terms of ‘does it mean the end of the normal bike’  I guess what I meant is. For at least the last couple of decades (or more) short of a couple of wheel sizes there hasn’t been anything that’s radically redefined the sport/vehicle. This seems to be doing so. I’m not anti it, just more surprised at how many have sold and are in use. After all it’s just like a Segway right? And you don’t see many of those about.

How many bikes do people have? A lot of folk on here seem to have a few. I would see it as an excuse to have yet another bike in the garage.  In fact you could argue it is a reason to double your bike count, to get an electric version of every type of bike you have a leg version of.

No probs with them in rocky areas, but quite a few around Woburn and the trails are a bit fragile there...

Geometry changes, dropper posts and tubeless have also been done over last few years and made a huge difference.

I suspect most folk who are complaining and making fun are doing so as they can cope with being overtaken...

Ebikes will certainly become a huge part of a brand's portfolio.  With 60% of the UK population either overweight or obsese ebikes present an opportunity to increase product sales to a larger market.

Clearly there will be people who select an ebikes due to an unchangeable health condition, most though buy them because it makes cycling accessable without effort associated with a "traditional" bicycle.

In the last 20 years a further 10% of the population has entered the overweight or obsese category.  Poor diet and lack of excercise the main factors, it's possible for most of those people to make choices now to live a healthy life.  They clearly don't.  Ebikes won't change it, just make it possible for people to access cycling without effort.

The more overweight and unfit the population become, the bigger the ebike market.  Eurobike was dominated by ebikes this year.

People like easy.  Take aways, ready meals, ebikes are feeding that market.

LOL really. E-bikes are yet another symptom of our decadent society and an evil to be compared with Take Aways and ready meals.

Must be a bit hot in your hair shirt in this weather 😉

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">I’ve been itching to buy a trials bike, or something in between like a Montessa 4Ride for a while. E-bikes look like another option for having a lot of fun on two wheels.</span>

Since having kids I’m not fit enough for a full day out in the hills. I’m goosed after an hour or two.

I can’t imagine wanting one at a trail centre (could be wrong) but an ebike would get me back on favourite 5 hour loops around the Lake District without a fear of a coronary...

I want one.

I've touted out a couple of times on here that I've certainly noticed an increase in ebikes across a wide range of riders. I'm just outside of Bakewell so have good trails and road riding from my door, and use the more family trails with the kids and as part of my commute. I've seen older folk using more recreational type bikes, and some fat younger couples who I'm guessing have seen them as a way to get fit without as much pain.  On the trails I've seen older mountain bikers on full blown trail ebikes and a couple of younger guy's that looked 'bike fit' and made me double take to be fair. I've only seen one proper roadie ebike and that's definitely a commuter.

It must be something about this bit of the Peak but I would reckon I see more ebikes in a week than I have seen phat bikes ever. I don't have any issues with them at all, I did initially think it was just for the assist side, in helping people access what they couldn't. But the few younger guys I've seen has made me consider that there is the fun without all the pain, and again if that's their bag, fair dues.

My best biking buddy move to Essex about 10 years ago, and due to kids etc has become a bit of an Epping forest pootler. This has meant our day epics around the Peak have got shorter and shorter when he's back, and in fairness it has dented his enjoyment of riding up here. He's not unfit, just not as fit as he would be riding around here week in week out. I think he has kind of thought he would get his fitness back, but at the wrong side of 40 with a time scarce life, it won't. I think an ebike could be just the thing to pop a smile back on his face.

People, for the most part, are extremely lazy. That, I imagine, is the appeal for a lot of people. The remainder, I assume, are folk who

1: Just fancy buying one.

2: Have medical issues that limit their ability to ride a normal bicycle.

3: Are knocking on a bit and don’t want to stop doing something they enjoy.

4: Can’t resist N+1

Fair play to all of the above in my opinion. If it gets people out and exercising it’s got to be a good thing. Me, I enjoy riding a normal bike and e-bikes simply don’t appeal. Christ, I’ve only just adopted full suspension. I’m sure the bicycle as we know it will still be available for a long time yet.

My point wasn't to deride society, just pointing the economics.  If the population is getting fatter, then if you only sell "traditional" bikes you're selling to a shrinking market.

Ebikes are a product strategy to cater to the market.  If you don't like which part of the market you belong to, ditch the take aways big boy!

Question to those of you that dislike ebikes: have you had the chance to try one yet?

I appreciate they're not for everyone but they're a lot of fun. It's not just about making riding easier.

They are what they are - but you won’t get me on one till I can no longer ride a normal bike..

But then I race XC & ride about 12hrs a wk so hopefully the days of being a biffer are a way off!

If it gets folks off the sofa, away from the pizzas & out the door....that can only be a good thing mind.

Seriously considering buying one...

2 young kids, wrong side of 40, arthritic knees have massively dented my riding, getting out now hurts and kind of loose loose as I've put on the pounds.

Building a light XC bike at the minute to see how I get on with that, but I reckon something which gives that bit help up the hills will bring the enjoyment back to it all, which for me is what its all about...

Now, just got the find a few grand down the back of the sofa...

What's loose loose after putting on the pounds? Not your shorts, obviously.

I walk the dog past an older guy (mid 60's?) who has 2 really top end ebikes (I think his wife also has one?) that he has to keep chained up outside his flat with just a tarp to cover them both!! He has to lock them to the column holding the staircase to the upper floors which is well out of sight from his flat.

Like buggery I'd keep what must be 7 or 8 grands worth of bikey tech locked up in the open for all and sundry to make plans to pinch... deface...vandalise etc etc. That would keep me up at nights.

Reckon id have to buy a devil dog to keep chained up next to them... or just fashion some room in the flat?

For the over 40s that can't be arsed anymore, they are a god send! 😆 I'll testify to that!

Hah, sorry, lose/lose 😉

Given that:

1) eBikes are coming down in price all the time

2) eBikes are now available from most manufacturers in a wide range of types

3) The "average" mountain biker, who isn't either a DH or XC world champ is going to go faster and/or further on an ebike than on a normal bike, so they open up the riding possibilities for those bikers

4) eBikes are heavy, so you may as well get one with long travel, so they look pretty gnarcore to the average buyer (ie eDuro a thing yet?) so they have good marketing / sales presence

I can only see them becoming mainstream very quickly indeed.......  (for better or worse)

I love this idea that 40 is now considered too old to get fit without assistance 🙂

Personally I have no problem with anybody who is already a keen cyclist getting an e-bike, for whatever reason. It doesn't make any difference to me what you are riding, so knock yourself out. I may consider one myself one day.

The two questions I have are: will they result in a signifant increase in the number of people out in the hills on bikes and if so, will that be a good or a bad thing. I don't have answers to either of those questions, but will watch with interest.

For the record, I've yet to see one in the wild. Mind you, nine times out of ten I don't see another cyclist (and often not another person) on my rides. Oh and I'm 53 and fitter than ever thanks 🙂

I love this idea that 40 is now considered too old to get fit without assistance

I was was thinking the exact same thing. I’m 41 and have just recently started working out properly again. I don’t have any issues with training or cycling. What are some of you doing to yourselves? 😕