weeksy
Why the F you’d consider going on a ride with 25 people especially when you know several are aholes, i have no idea at all. I honestly can’t think of a worse ride than trying to ride with that many people.
We do inclusive group rides and then rides where a few of us have more fun...
WHY ?
Partly the same reason I/we build/maintain trails/features I'm not personally that into riding, partly because people have kids, relatives, friends etc. they want to introduce to MTB.
but also ...a few of us often 2 group rides in a day at weekend ... or maybe want a recovery day or just an easy day pre-race etc. sometimes a bunch of us will do an early morning ride and be totally knackered then do a social ride after lunch for example
It's all made clear in "what to expect" but then some dicks just want to hijack it.
Example "Title" - "Will someone show me and the kids around SH" (from one of the fairly regular riders) - "subtitle " - "I'm not that confident at not getting lost". (This was about 10-12 parents and kids)
So turning up at Peaslake on an eMTB and then trying to get everyone "over Holmbury to do Wet and Wild then we can pop over Winterfold to do Trouser Snake and Northern" with 6yr old beginners in the group is just stupid to start off so it's suggested they just go and do that with anyone that fancies and those of us turning up for the beginner kids ride do our own thing...
Only noone wants to go because those of us would have done it (I'd already committed to showing around) turned up on real bikes and we know full well they will be in Turbo till their battery is flat and the other eMTB dick couldn't even get down crackpipe or the start of Northern Monkey.
So both of the ones turned up on eMTB's decide to ride with the group (+1 eMTB with embarrassed son of one of them) then beast every hill and set off the second the last kid gets to the top - get caught up, told to cool it or **** off on their own ride and do the same again and again...
That's just one example...and to some extent it could happen without an eMTB the difference though is the riders who don't ride eMTB and have been known to be a bit dickish from time to time don't usually come on a "social ride" or if they do tend to moderate themselves, even if it takes a couple of prompts.
We used to be an inclusive group... well above "the average" for girls of all ages, welcoming to beginners if they stuck to the inclusive rides.
Out of the 2 (+1) one still comes on the more advanced rides and since we don't even do beginner rides anymore given they all left the group that is what it is. The other quit the group (taking his poor long suffering son with him)
it's admirable.... but...seems somewhat bonkers and completely frustrating 🙂
julians
group mountain bike rides of 25 people sound like hell regardless of whether there are any ebikes in the group or not. Cant imagine why you’d choose to be part of that. Cant you split into smaller groups of 5 or 6?
anything over about 5 or 6 people and it starts to become difficult with either different paces (both up and down), mechanicals etc
We do (well did) split on the really big group rides ... I think the max simultaneous groups was 3 once but more usually 2 on a Swinley group ride. Being Swinley the beginner group can do a load of shortcuts and still meet the faster group 4/5 times. Even on the split in 2 rides we try and have clear fireroad alternatives if anyone doesn't feel like a tech part
mrdoberman
Most of my experience riding with e-bike riders has been good. They keep to the pace of the group etc. One rider I know who wasn’t particularly strong on a bike became an absolute pita when he got an e-bike. The newly acquired super powers most certainly went to his head
^^^ This exactly ^^^ except he thought his uphill superpowers allowed him to ride with the more advanced group and then moaned when our route involved any steep decents, gaps or drops which were like kryptonite... so instead tried to turn the beginners group into what his new superpowers actually worked with.
group mountain bike rides of 25 people sound like hell regardless of whether there are any ebikes in the group or not.
I completely agree, I try my best to avoid busy areas when on the bike or hiking so I just don't understand why somebody would arrange to meet a traffic jam and then take part in it. Ditto sportives, races and other mass events.
I appreciate others will have different opinions and I'm not claiming everybody should be an antisocial bugger like me 🙂
“then beast every hill and set off the second the last kid gets to the top – get caught up, told to cool it or **** off on their own ride and do the same again and again…”
Again, it’s not complicated - if they ride off without waiting, let them go! The rest of the group can hang back like sensible humans who understand that empathy is required if you’re going to have group rides that everyone enjoys.
Maybe I get really militant about this because my Dad had a heart problem and back in the ‘80s we started MTBing together when I was small.
Although it was good for his health I always had to be aware not to go too fast uphill in case it literally killed him - so I don’t have much tolerance for people being competitive ****s, especially if they’re being enabled by a motor.
Being Swinley the beginner group can do a load of shortcuts and still meet the faster group 4/5 times. Even on the split in 2 rides we try and have clear fireroad alternatives if anyone doesn’t feel like a tech part
Swinley
Tech?
I don’t have much tolerance for people being competitive ****, especially if they’re being enabled by a motor.
Just a minor point of order:
You can't be competitive uphill on an eebike. It's a contradiction in terms.
“Just a minor point of order:
You can’t be competitive uphill on an eebike. It’s a contradiction in terms.”
But it’s not though, is it? Cars have been doing hill climb competitions for well over a hundred years.
Again, it’s not complicated – if they ride off without waiting, let them go!
I’m amazed it’s taken this long to reach that conclusion, but then the world’s most anti-eeb ebiker wouldn’t have anything to moan about.
You can’t be competitive uphill on an eebike. It’s a contradiction in terms.
Not seen the EWS-E Power Stage then?
hooli
I appreciate others will have different opinions and I’m not claiming everybody should be an antisocial bugger like me
It's not top of my list either but like I said I build and maintain trails and build bypass features don't interest me either. (I'd have answered yesterday but we were out maintaining a trail I never ride)
chiefgrooveguru
Again, it’s not complicated – if they ride off without waiting, let them go! The rest of the group can hang back like sensible humans who understand that empathy is required if you’re going to have group rides that everyone enjoys.
Except with the EMTB's on a larger group ride it is more complicated.
I'm going to make an assumption on an inclusive group ride that any of the ones at the top 1st are experienced enough to let bugger off and if they manage to drag a few along they are also. Indeed if it was just one then I'll be honest I don't care if they get lost or hurt. The problem is after creating deliberate confusion when they drag others with them
I've talked to some of the ones got dragged in and reasons given range from "I couldn't let him just take everyone to get lost or hurt" to the most common being essentially "I was all confused because he was shouting we had to go and then when I saw others go I followed" to "I know, but he's my Dad"... this latter being another complication as the lad (adult) is one of the nicest blokes you'd ride with ... I've also listened to the excuses .. "I was getting cold/hot/wet, I'd been waiting ages" .. "it's not my fault they can only afford peasant bikes" ... and probably most common for the umteenth time "oh I didn't realise".
thegeneralist
You can’t be competitive uphill on an eebike. It’s a contradiction in terms.
Oh you totally can... and its great fun.
doomanic
but then the world’s most anti-eeb ebiker wouldn’t have anything to moan about.
What makes you think I'm anti-EEB?
I'm anti- built in failure/obsolescence and non maintainable parts.
in the same way I'm anti manufacturer warranties that take your fork off to service yourself you voided warranty.
I'm anti- people selling eMTB's pretending the failures and built in obsolescence are not a thing. (same as people selling frame with known issues to buy a different one) - these aren't eMTB specific.
I'm anti taking the piss out of people can't afford them because they are peasants same as I'm anti people owning Yeti's or SC taking the piss out of people for getting affordable bikes - again not eMTB specific
BUT mostly I'm anti people who don't "moan" about the lack or availability of replacement motors or proper serviceability of them because unless people do moan it will never change.
TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR
Swinley
Tech?
Yeah ... not where I'd choose to ride but partly its a convenient location (for people North/South of London) and partly some of the beginners class even the official trails as "tech".
Yeah … not where I’d choose to ride but partly its a convenient location (for people North/South of London) and partly some of the beginners class even the official trails as “tech”.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it - ridden once on the HT and once on the EEB. Preferred it on the E-bike
TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind it – ridden once on the HT and once on the EEB. Preferred it on the E-bike
Yeah, I don't mind it... I just wouldn't choose to go by myself. (Its the same time to cycle/drive to Peaslake and I'd go past Tunnel Hill to get there and rather ride there ) but its a pleasant place to be in the trees and get some fresh air meeting people for whom peaslake is an extra hour after work.
If I was the OP then I'd get an indoor trainer instead of an ebike. You only need to do 3 x 45 minute indoor sessions a week to really boost your fitness. They're much cheaper than an ebike as well.
This would however be hard work compared to just buying an ebike.
What makes you think I’m anti-EEB?
Oh, I dunno, maybe it's pretty much every time you post it's to say ebikers are dicks or ebike manufacturers are dicks, or some combination of the two.
Oh, I dunno, maybe it’s pretty much every time you post it’s to say ebikers are dicks or ebike manufacturers are dicks, or some combination of the two.
Got to say I'm struggling with why anyone would disagree with any of this:
I’m anti- built in failure/obsolescence and non maintainable parts.
in the same way I’m anti manufacturer warranties that take your fork off to service yourself you voided warranty.
I’m anti- people selling eMTB’s pretending the failures and built in obsolescence are not a thing. (same as people selling frame with known issues to buy a different one) – these aren’t eMTB specific.
.....
BUT mostly I’m anti people who don’t “moan” about the lack or availability of replacement motors or proper serviceability of them because unless people do moan it will never change.
None of it is eMTB specific except the last one but who are we supposed to moan to? The supposedly high failure rates motors in eMTBs is not representative of the market as a whole.
For all the snobbery swinley attracts versus TH/Peaslake, I do find swinley delightful for a solo bimble and some playing on a few jumps.
I don't really understand why people look down their nose at swinley, I personally can make it just as technically challenging as anywhere else in the area. And just as fun.
Tongue in cheek, but definitely serious, is lack of fun at swinley actually down to lack in ability?
Mix with the lower orders 😕 Not likely.
They're like the cantilever crowd from yesteryear, stoically sticking to what they know, and afraid to move on.