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^^^^ Amen to that. You've clearly got your life priorities in the right order and if an e-mtb helps you get some enjoyable trail time in without compromising the important stuff, it's a good thing. Fair play to you - and enjoy it!
If I could find something easier that paid a similar amount that would be great. 3 kids and a South East sized mortgage takes up vastly more of my income than bikes
Then you need to move to a cheaper area. All choices you have made to limit your free time.
The thought had occurred to me kerley but the kids are settled in school, with friends etc and my wife has a fairly niche job that she loves. When you have a family sacrifices have to be made.
Anyway we're straying off topic a bit, I bloody love my ebike! The concerns over energy consumption for a leisure activity and battery raw material ethics are certainly valid but the rest of it over trail erosion, "cheating", too many fat people in the countryside that haven't earned the right to be there etc are complete nonsense as far as I'm concerned
55000m descending isn't that much of a challenge...that number climbed would be far more impressive...No matter what bike it was done on.
55000m in 10 weeks seems like a huuuuge number to a mortal like me... well done whatever you did it on!
I’m not sure why people need to keep kidding themselves that an E-bike will make an overweight, but otherwise healthy individual any fitter…
I;m not an e-bike advocate, but it will make you fitter. but it wont make you 'fit' without 1) other life style changes 2) actually getting out and riding it.
just like riding a normal bike, you still have to use it.
i rode my normal bike every weekend solid for 2 over years, rain and shine . barely dropped any weight, but my fitness, stamina went up massively over time. i went from 1 hour rides to 5 hour ones. i know if i'd changed my diet etc that would have had more impact. so i can say even a normal bike isn't a silver bullet solution, and anyone thinking an e-bike is, unless they put in serious hours is kidding themselves.
but it depends on your motivation....
…totally misses the point of my post and circumstances.
I used to spend about 7 hours a week riding, mostly on the road. Now I spend that 7 hours riding with my kids, playing football with them and swimming.
I don’t have more time I could find at this stage of my life between my kids, wife’s career and my own business.
Really struggle to understand why anybody cares whether I’m fit enough to do a sub 5 hour century or not, and whether I’m riding an ebike or a regular bike out on the trails. Odd.
I hear ya though I tend to spend more time cycling with the kid...
My e-bike purchase when it comes will simply be so I'm not slowing him down on training runs.
If he continues as he has and a magic fairy doesn't grant me endless free time then it's pure stupidity to think at 60 I will be able to keep up with a race fit 18yr old...
In the spirit of previous replies to this thread, you should have had your child earlier in life.
The motivational speakers are out in force I see! 😆
In the spirit of previous replies to this thread, you should have had your child earlier in life.
Yep. Person makes loads of life choices that limit their free time and then wishes they had more free time. Typical e-biker attitude right there.
I don't need more free time now that I've got an ebike you luddites!
increased running costs?
er… What increased running costs?
Well, all sorts of things from incremental increases in weight and large increases in power through the drivetrain, plus charging (admittedly these will be minimal) plus replacing/maintaining the electrical bits, which will cost something. I wouldn't think it's that hard to have a look at the moving parts of an ebike and see there are more of them than a proper bike so it'll take a bit more to maintain.
I don’t need more free time now that I’ve got an ebike you luddites!
You do realise you could have just got a motorbike and saved even more time.
Myth busters! PT#1
Hold on... incremental increases in weight cost cyclists money? How?
The drivetrain wearing more quickly on Ebikes is mostly a myth.
The parts that wear quickest on mtb drivetrains are the Aluminium consumable parts. - I don't use any Aluminium drivetrain parts on my Emtb
What wears drivetrains quickly is poor shifting and poor conditions. not more power.
Chains don't stretch, they wear at the pins and pivots which is exaserbated by poor shifting under load. smooth If anything I ride my Emtb with smoother gear changes and smoother power delivery than my ordinary mtbs.
A lot of Ebike noobs don't realise for smooth shifts with a Shimano motor (I can't speak for other brands) you need to ease off your pedal stroke and shift while gently spinning when the motor has just stopped assisting. As being at your optimum cadence isn't really much of an issue when riding an Ebike you have more time to plan ahead for shifts and far less need to shift as often as on a normal mtb.
My Ebike's chain has now done 800 miles and measures exactly the same as my Enduro bike which has only done just shy of 500 miles (both 11spd)
After 800 miles my tyres aren't even slightly worn and my brake pads have barely any wear right about the same amount of wear I'd expect on any of my bikes. I'm not a skidder or brake dragger though.
Charging a 504wh Ebike battery costs less than 15pence
What extra moving parts requiring maintenance do you think an Emtb has over a normal bike?
The only extra parts are contained in the non servicable motor unit
I don't know where the idea you can't use a hose to wash an Ebike comes from either. I always wash all of my bikes with a bucket of soapy water, a brush, a sponge and a hot water hose. It's by far the most effective way of cleaning a bike and only takes 5 minutes from utterly minging to gleaming. My Emtb has been washed this way after every ride.
They do not need to cost £5k+ to get a good one. Mine was almost half that and there's not many normal 170mm bikes spec'd so well for that (11spdXT, Lyrik, Sdeluxe, DTswiss. 150mm dropper and good quality finishing kit)
Too heavy to lift over gates? Come on... really. I lifted mine over 5 gates and 2 electric fences lastnight (some of the gates could have been opened, I just couldn't be bothered with the faff).. Yes, of course it's heavier than a normal bike but are you really saying you can't lift 20kg over a gate?
You actually can take an emtb on a plane. You just need to take the battery as hand luggage.
No. You don't get muddier on an Ebike.
You don't have to use stupid big super grippy tyres on one either. infact those are what makes a lot of Emtbs handle so badly.
it really is quite strange the amount of utter nonsense you read about Ebikes.
@Timbog160 Thanks. and on a mixture of Emtb, Enduro mtb, Hardtail(s), DH bike and roadbike. I don't just ride Ebikes.
You just need to take the battery as hand luggage.
Ebike batteries are a no on planes. Max is about 100-300wh. And if you post it, it needs to be categorised as a class 9 hazardous material.
Travelling abroad with your ebike is a no go by plane anyhow. I'd imagine car and ferry would be easier. I'd double check the ferry rules.
You also can’t wash an EMTB with the hosepipe it will damage the motor and electronics.
😂
I think you get a lot muddier on an Ebike than a normal MTB if your riding in bad conditions.
😂
Apart from all these [b](Fictional)[/b] drawbacks,...
Is it really so hard to find negatives about ebikes that people are just making stuff up now 😂
It all reinforces my opinion that mountain biking disappeared up its own arse some time ago. I still love it on a personal level though.....in lycra, away from trail centres, burning calories, collecting adrenaline buzzes.
A lot of lazy folk on them in my opinion. NOTE - that comment does not disregard the benefits to the elderly or disabled etc., I acknowledge that and I will not assume any individual ebike rider is in any way inferior to the very fit me
What does:
mountain biking disappeared up its own arse some time ago.
even mean?
and you know there's absolutely nothing stopping you riding...
in lycra, away from trail centres, burning calories, collecting adrenaline buzzes.
on an Ebike
@seosamh77 Sorry. Myth bust busted! Was sure I'd read on here someone saying they'd checked with the airline (Ryanair I think) and been told they could take it as hand luggage. I have no real interest in taking mine on a flight and it seems a very odd reason to discourage anyone from buying one.
It's a colloquialism geex. Do you post on forums so much that you have no time to read more widely?
There is only one thing fundamentally wrong with ebikes...it's not as good or as fun as providing all the motive power yourself, which is an activity known as cycling, or riding a bike.
as fun as providing all the motive power yourself,
So the people that say they have more fun on an bike are wrong ?
it’s not as good or as fun as providing all the motive power yourself
😆 kid yourself all ye like!
Erm... it tends to mean holding a high view of ones self.
So you think Mountainbiking has a high view of itself? And yet you're the one who thinks the only correct way to do it is lycra clad, away from trail centres with adrenaline buzzes? (burning calories is a given no Ebike or not)What about uplifted downhill? Bike parks? Pump tracks? Skate parks? Dirt Jump trails? none of which are generally frequented by lycra wearers and none of which require any pedalling.
What makes you think you have the right to judge how much less fun than you others get from riding any bike?
FWIW I ride a fair few places no one else does and for a lot of my old well ridden (by me) mtb loops the ebike has actually made them a lot more fun.
I certainly get the feeling at least one mountainbiker here has adopted your colloqialism (some time ago)
You do realise you could have just got a motorbike and saved even more time.
What type of motorbike?
A super-bike?
Tourer?
Commuter?
Bobber?
Trials?
Trail?
MX?
Enduro?
Which of these can you ride on bridleways etc?
Which of these have a power output of around 0.3hp which only kicks in when you pedal?
Which of these weigh less than 50lbs?
It’s almost like comparing them to e-bikes is a bit silly and suggests the poster knows nothing about either.
There is only one thing fundamentally wrong with ebikes…it’s not as good or as fun as providing all the motive power yourself, which is an activity known as cycling, or riding a bike.
Utter pish. And I dont have an ebike .
I reckon at my local dh stuff, I could easily do at least double the number of runs on an ebike as I could on my Bronson.
Explain how that's less fun?.
I think the climbing gods are a tad upset that bifters can breeze passed them while eating a cheeseburger and a chocolate milk shake! 😆
That alone makes ebiking all sorts for awesome, on a few levels. 😆
This thread, man 🙂
This made me chuckle: In the spirit of previous replies to this thread, you should have had your child earlier in life.
Whereas this, which I think was aimed at me: Yep. Person makes loads of life choices that limit their free time and then wishes they had more free time. Typical e-biker attitude right there.
Weird. Are there really many of us out there who don't want more free time? It doesn't mean I'm not happy with my 'life choices'.
Pretty much every post anti-ebikes assumes that they are for fat, lazy people, who don't want to make the effort. I just don't understand it. When I was fit (not super fit, but fit enough for sub 5hr centuries and sub 24min 10m TTs) I would have still wanted an ebike if they had been available.
They just look like a lot of fun. I fancy one regardless of how fit I am now or next year - it's just another way of having fun on two wheels. It wouldn't replace my other bikes, just supplement them.
Resurrection,
yeah, it does seem that some people think ebikes are for fat lazy people, I’ve heard this on a number of occasions.
i’d counter it by saying that if someone was truly lazy, they wouldn’t bother riding any bike, ‘E’ or not.
i also don’t get this idea that some people think it’s ok to decide whether or not it’s ‘ok’ for someone else to ride an ebike, or not.
Why not try telling someone in a wheelchair that maybe they could try a bit harder, let us know how that goes.
fwiw, i have an ebike, i use it to rehabilitate a severely broken leg I suffered last year which kept me off work for more than 5 months, it’s made a massive difference to my life, and has hastened my recovery.
I’ve said this before, but i never ever hear anything negative said in the real world, it’s always overwhelmingly positive. The only ‘E’ negativity i hear is online, where people aren’t saying this stuff to an actual person.
Resurrection,
yeah, it does seem that some people think ebikes are for fat lazy people, I’ve heard this on a number of occasions.
The lazy-arses were always going to get on ebikes like tramps on chips, that's just human nature and not especially interesting. What is interesting is when decent riders start getting them - on here represented by folk hitting their 50s and looking for 'more smiles per mile' and to 'supplement' their other bikes which will of course continue to see vigorous use. Sounds self-serving to me, and the wrong trajectory to take as we get older and want to keep fit (IMHO), but time will tell.
I'm no fan of climbing, and can't do 25kph on the flat most of the time, so definitely want an Ebike. The only issue is maintenance.
A perfect example of EVERYTHING that is wrong with e-mtb riders right here. Not wearing lycra, having fun rather than "glory through pain" or some such rubbish, and as you'll see in the video, clearly massively obese & lazy....... 😉😉😉
......and French.
Weird. Are there really many of us out there who don’t want more free time? It doesn’t mean I’m not happy with my ‘life choices’.
Sorry, my comment was a piss take. I though the "typical e-biker attitude" phrase made that clear. I don't care what you do with your life or what bikes you ride.
Yep. Person makes loads of life choices that limit their free time and then wishes they had more free time. Typical e-biker attitude right there.
Yep, it's like when I visit my mother 200 miles away I drive... yeah I know I should walk I'm just a typical e-biker who made the wrong life choices and strapped for time.
😀
Which I guess illustrates e-bikes and life choices for me...
Life choices on a big scale are a myth - we make choices based on where we are (both physically and in life) and what happens around us and to us and those choices then determine our later choices. I could have made different life choices say 30 yrs ago and ended up dying under a bus or losing a leg and not spending 20 years seeing the world or not being able to ride a bike.
E-Bikes are now a choice... one that is currently open to me if I want to keep cycling the same distances and speeds (assuming my choice of working from home today doesn't result in a meteor striking my house etc.)
You might get a bit of a skewed picture at Grizedale because they hire eBikes there. So likely to be loads. I’ve not particularly noticed eBikes on my local trails in West Yorkshire and the Dales.
Definitely in the mountains they are becoming more and more popular.
The great thing about ebikes for me is that the uphills and downhills are now balanced. Whereas I used to spend 1.5hrs climbing for a 20 min descent (I live in the Alps...the climbs are steep and some unrideable) I can now do a 20 min climb (still need to pedal flat out, even on full motor-assist) then a 20 min descent...followed by another and another. I can also now choose the techy climbs (which just aren't pedalable on a non e-bike) rather than tapping it out on some dull fire road/Tarmac which all the non-ebikers do.
Lots of people say they don't need an e bike until they are unfit and 'need' pedal assistance. (Strangely, here in the Alps, several people have said how they don't 'need' an e bike and are then the first in the queue when the lifts open - I don't understand the logic there). Im glad I got mine whilst I'm at a really good level of fitness to make the most of the techy ups and fast climbs and extra descents, but to me riding a mountain bike is about the technical challenge + flow (now uphill, as well as down) and I definitely get more of both of those with the e bike.
Love reading these threads, I’m a 33 year old , 10 stone lightweight that raced mtb enduro etc, keep myself very fit (running and cycling), and for the last year all I’ve rode is my Specialized Levo. Some people might be bemused and I must admit it does kill the sarcastic comments by some as they have no argument . I can’t understand what’s not to like about doing what we normally do....just faster!! You still have to pedal and put as much effort in to get the best out of one. In my experience most haters haven’t even ridden one
Is this the same eBike thread from the other day, or a new one?
Love reading these threads, I’m a 33 year old , 10 stone lightweight that raced mtb enduro etc, keep myself very fit (running and cycling), and for the last year all I’ve rode is my Specialized Levo. Some people might be bemused and I must admit it does kill the sarcastic comments by some as they have no argument . I can’t understand what’s not to like about doing what we normally do….just faster!! You still have to pedal and put as much effort in to get the best out of one. In my experience most haters haven’t even ridden one
But do you wear lycra? That's the important thing. If not, according to some purists/grumpy people/haters/e-bike non riders you are #notarealcyclist
Is this the same eBike thread from the other day, or a new one?
Same one, just descended (sic) into the usual "If you aren't with us" BS.
I have nothing against Ebikes, but i don't get the evangelicals proclaiming it is no different to unassisted MTBiking, surely it is a new discipline, like climbing with it's various niches, Trad, sport, Alpinism.
@desb there's been one every few days for the last couple of weeks All have been filled with utter nonsense and prejudices from folk who don't have one and sensible factual information from those who do.
No one cares if you're with "us" or not Whitestone.
Is this the same eBike thread from the other day, or a new one?
Dunno, but it's a similar comment from you. 😆
Are people not allowed to talk about ebikes?
It's not a sport Ferg.
It's just a different kind of bike .
And yes. Of course they ride slightly differently. No one is saying they ride the exact same as a normal bike.
Hold on geex, bennyb is challenging for your crown of awesomeness.
Pretty much every post anti-ebikes assumes that they are for fat, lazy people, who don’t want to make the effort.
Thats because Lycra wearing “hillclimb hero” cyclists don’t often get the opportunity to act all superior while they are hobbling round on their cleats looking like they’ve shit themselves and sweating like a derby winner.
So they take the opportunity where they can, even if it is fictionalised 😂