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Just watched the EMBN video from Sea Otter . I guess at 70 years old I'm no longer part of the target audience. All this more power arms race , £1000 brakes , adjustable this that and the other meh 🙄Just left me jaded .
My 2022 Orbea Rise with standard non series Shimano brakes and a third of the power of the latest motors suits my riding just fine .
I think I've got a bit of reality fallout , rode with our son on Tuesday he's finally faster than me now after all these years 🙄Maybe I should accept that at nearly 30 years younger it's best I ride my E Bike when I ride with him in the future.
After wanting one forever I finally got a Curtis 18 months ago , should have done it years ago as I think I'm not " worthy" enough any more 🤔
Yet riding on my own and at my own pace I'm fine maybe that's the way to go ? I know the argument goes ride with faster people etc but ....
Time to get back to how I've always ridden , I've never been flat out just a same pace plodder , I'm riding most days solo , yesterday stopped at a nature reserve and just sat for a while, then on to a cafe for tea and cake and thoroughly enjoyed it.👍
My riding was commented on back in 2005 my first overseas trip " Don't take it the wrong way but I've noticed you just ride at the same pace , still going hours later so not a bad thing "
Some of my mates are going through rough times with cancer treatment etc so maybe I should count my blessings and just accept I've always been an Old Fart even when I was much younger!
My only MTB is a 2004 Cotic Soul. You, sir, are a young whippersnapper!
I should also add , I've started riding occasionally with an ex work colleague, she's concluded I'm my own worst enemy constantly comparing myself with the wrong people and I would make a shrink consider their career choice !
I'm my own worst enemy constantly comparing myself with the wrong people and I would make a shrink consider their career choice
That's a very fair point, applies to a few of us I suspect.
The bike industry has always been like this, ebike power is just the latest thing to froth over and part people from their money.
I'm a few years behind you (45) but feel the same. I'm just happy doing my own thing at my own pace and mostly on my own. Funnily enough on the same bike, albeit the 2025 LT model.
Maybe you're my spirit animal? 😀
Plenty will be comparing themselves to you...keep doing what you are doing.
keep enjoying it mate......... why fix something that aint broken.
on a side note, i am the only 20 stone 60 yr old rider i know........ we are all unique in our own way.
just ride at the same pace , still going hours later so not a bad thing
I've got that 'T shirt' and it fits very nicely, thank you 😊
(Early 60's pootler)
I had this done about 20 years ago now checks out 🤟Just watched the EMBN video from Sea Otter . I guess at 70 years old I'm no longer part of the target audience. All this more power arms race , £1000 brakes , adjustable this that and the other meh
Just left me jaded .
My 2022 Orbea Rise with standard non series Shimano brakes and a third of the power of the latest motors suits my riding just fine .
What did you think EMBN would be reporting on from Sea Otter that made you want to watch?
Just thought there would be as much emphasis on " ordinary" trail type e bikes , seemed to be focused more on anything with at least 170mm travel not much talk if any about half fat just full power bikes , maybe that sort of bike is old hat now ?
I had a full power EBike , sold it because it was too much like a supertanker ploughing through everything. I checked the spec , it was half the output of the latest Avinox, I'd rather the industry concentrated on reliability rather than this power arms race .
I guess that's what sells now ?
Early 60s pootler here. I love riding on my own. No judgement, no worries I'm holding anyone up. Stop for a breather or a look at the view, or coffee and cake whenever I want. I'm not completely anti-social! I do enjoy riding with friends but it's a different vibe.
These days I find myself mulling over whether my mtb days might be drawing to a close. I find myself riding my gravel bike a lot more. I'm off to meet my son at FoD for some mtbing today, we are taking a few hours out en route to a lads walking weekend on Dartmoor. He's a way better rider than me and my principal concern will be not to have an epic off and wreck my weekend and not to get so knackered trying to keep up that I won't enjoy tor bagging tomorrow! He's a good lad and recognises my gradually looming decrepitude and will make allowances!
Rather than give up, I should probably get an eMTB. I've never really fancied one, but if it lets me ride with my kids for a few more years, it might be the way ahead?
"the argument goes ride with faster people etc but ..."
If you want to get fitter and faster maybe but I'd argue that you should ride with people who have the same attitude. In our group that means we only ride trails everyone is happy with and we stop and chat as often as the slowest person needs. We're going to Bulgaria for a week in the autumn and I have no worries about it because I know we all have the right attitude.
And another thing, I'm twenty years younger than you and my son is already faster than me. It's meant to be, you've taught him well.
Yeah but does every ride have to involve cake , beer or ice cream? 🤔😁
What do you mean "or"?
Yeah but does every ride have to involve cake , beer or ice cream? 🤔😁
Is it even a ride if it doesn't involve cake, beer or ice cream? 😀
I love having a reality check on here. Sometimes consider myself old, but it's all relative. If i'm riding as much as some folk on here when I'm 70 I'll be one very happy a11y 😀
Totally with you on the arms race when it comes to ebike power. Doesn't interest me. The development I'll get excited about will be weight reduction through battery advancements. More capacity for the same weight, or less capacity for a ebike even closer to 'normal' bike weight...
I'm starting to go the other way with ebike power. I've had a Cube FS full fat for a couple of years (which I like) having moved from being a roadie to non-assisted mtbs.
However this year I've treated myself to a Specialized Creo 2 gravel bike - a lot less power and assist, a lot smaller battery and a lot lighter. I'm absolutely loving it. It rides so nicely, can ride a lot with the power assist off and Eco mode does me for much of the time, when things ramp up a bit too much for me I go in Sport mode but rarely Turbo.
The handling is nice and it's allowed me to ride all the Blues (and a few Reds) at Swinley - I know Swinley isn't the biggest test but on a gravel bike it does me just fine. I think the more limited size battery is good for me as it encourages me not to just stick it in Turbo mode and take a chance on the range..... I might get a battery extender in the future though. It's keeping me active and the more road geometry takes me back to my roadie days and encourages me to try and push on and keep my heart rate at a good level.
In case of any negatives about riding ebikes I'll add that I'm coming up to 79 so I don't think I'll apologise.
You've got 30+ years on me yet it sounds like your 'riding most days'.
Three or Four good MTB rides a month is a good result for me at the moment with life/work/kids/etc.
Your winning at life mate 👍
Late 70s pootler here. In the 40 years I have been mtbing I have never been fast or skilful but I enjoy it. A recent bout of ill health when I couldn’t ride for six weeks really underlined how much I miss riding. I think you have just got to accept things change but that doesn’t mean you can’t go on ploughing your own furrow!
What do you mean "or"?
I took it in the semiconductor/logic sense of not being an exclusive OR 😀
And I wonder why I can't keep up ! 🤔Note the salad though 👍@FOG yeah my riding buddy is going through cancer treatment no riding since November or the foreseeable ATM I need to give my head a wobble! 🙄