I’ve got an itch for an e-bike for my local trails so that I can get more rounds in, when I’m short of time, when I’ve less energy etc.
my question is if I get an e-bike is it likely that the other trail bike will stay in the garage gathering cobwebs? Those of you with both types of bike - do you still use both?
Had e bikes, Turbo Levo's, since 2017. Still use both. I'm probably the exception though.
Most people I know are now on ebike only
I've had an Ebike since 2018 but it hardly gets ridden, I much prefer my Orange stage 4 and Fustle causeway
I only use the ebike these days, had an ebike for 5 years
My ebike has a lot of travel (170/165). Which probably sees 50% of my time.
45% of the other riding is an Epic8, which is use for sub 2 hour rips (XC/lite trail) .I’ve come to the conclusion if I’m human powered only, the only thing I have any interest in pedalling is a short travel, lightweight, predominantly XC based bike.
I have a mid travel pedal bike, which I hardly ever ride any more. I got it to replace a broken frame, more out of habit than need & constantly wonder why I bother with it. I’d be more inclined to sell the frame & put all the nice bits on a SL ebike of similar travel - at least I would actually use it then.
For anything other than the above XC use, I’m pretty much over human powered bikes.
Orbea Rise for big days out once a week, rest of the time Ti or Steel hardtail
Had mine 2 1/2 months and still 50/50. I use as a treat and don't want to lose the ability or joy of actual pedalling.
Today I did 19 miles of Hebden Bridge trails on the e-bike and instead of choosing a few area's, I went everywhere. This weekend I will spend 3 days riding and carrying my Airdrop up and above Keswick.
I made a concious decision to not stop riding my other bikes after talking to lots of people that regret doing so.
The Levo sure is a different kind of workout though. So glad I spent the year doing resistance work first 🙂
It's not too difficult to get it up onto my shoulder for a stile (nice and wide flat area of the motorguard to sit on my shoulder) but I wouldn't want to do any proper hikeabike...
I use the ebike on bigger rides or if riding solo at weekends and take the Orange Stage 6 Evo with a few mates during the week on local rides.
Both of my bikes are 170/160 so quite similar. The ebike is a brilliant fun wagon; 40 minute rides are now epic and I can obviously session stuff a lot more. That being said, I still love riding my Tyee, I just need to “reset” when I swing my leg over it… 🙂
I generally use my ebike for weekends rides further afield and acoustic midweek on local trails or for riding abroad on the lifts.
I’ve had eebikes since 2015.
they have helped me lose 5 stone in that time, i am now capable of riding a normal bike, and i do, about 50/50 between normal and E.
I’m 56, so starting to naturally slow down, but i can still enjoy a normal bike.
I planned to still regularly use my hybrid and road bikes after getting my ebike in April, but two infections have both knocked my limited fitness back, so I've barely used the analogue bikes.
However, I did do a super short 30min spin on the hybrid tonight, up a few local ramps.
When I first got my ebike I tried (but failed) to stay below 50% of my rides on it. Then 2 things happened: it was decided that my grandson ought to have my Giant Trance as his 13th birthday present, and (after converting my MK1 Cotic Soul to 1*12 (plus kiddy seat) (not for him but for any of my other 4 grandkids))) I got a Diverge STR gravel bike.
Utter game changer. I now have to make excuses to ride the ebike. And it's a really good, fun, capable bike. Scott Genius with Bosch motor and big battery. The most capable bike I've ridden.
I live just yards away from a bridle path that takes me down to Cannock Chase and I've just turned 72. But today I spent a couple of hours looking for new trails on the gravel bike so Wednesday we can "session them" (as I believe the kids say) on the ebikes.
As long as you've got 2 bikes that excel at different disciplines you'll be fine. But if you have a just ok mountain bike and a better ebike you'll always choose the ebike.
And re-reading the OP, it's useful the day after a ride, when you feel that the legs might not be up to it, to jump on the ebike. And half an hour in, when you're warmed up, turn it down to eco or off and look forward to getting home and still have 4 bars of battery left.
I've got an ebike. It's sat at the back of the bike pile because it's broken.
It's been broken since February and I just CBA to get it fixed.
I much prefer normal bikes. Just a load less hassle and they ride better. I can do a bigger ride on a normal bike than I can one one battery charge on the eeb on eco, just so long as I've got the time and enough energy gels
(at least comparing my bikes anyway. Id quite like a go on a lighter eeb but then again that's probably got even less range)
I don't own an ebike but it was clear at Boltby on the practice day the majority of people were on ebikes. On race day most appeared to be on normal bikes.
When I first got it, that's all I rode, but have always kept normal bikes.
I go through phases of trying to get some bike fitness and take out a normal bike, or losing fitness and using the ebike only - last year I probably rode the normals more than the E. At the moment though I'm mostly ebike.
Currently have three hardtails and a gravel bike in the shed - must drag one/some of them out soon. Did a HT ride a few weeks ago though
I have both and use both. I have friends however who have moved exclusively to e-bikes.
Personally, I couldn’t be without my regular bikes. For one thing I can fly with them.
I much prefer normal bikes. Just a load less hassle and they ride better. I can do a bigger ride on a normal bike than I can one one battery charge on the eeb on eco, just so long as I've got the time and enough energy gels
That’s the complete opposite to my experience of my eeeb. It rides better than my old analogue, the range is nuts, my body is knackered before I run out of battery.
However - mine is noisy. I do miss the quite of an analogue ride.
Not had an ebike long, but I only really ride my hardtail when out with my brother or few friends that don't have e-bikes.
I think if I had a full suspension trail or enduro bike then I wouldn’t bother, it’s just I really like ripping around trails on a hardtail. I’m sure that if the last few friends get e-bikes then it’ll end up not getting used.
Most of my riding is solo or with the wife and then it’s e-bikes.
Got an ebike to help with recovery from long covid. Now my fitness is better I'm very happy to be back on the Flaremax. I'll ride both but happiest without the motor.
Everyone i know who's bought an ebike still rides a non electric bike as well, I still prefer my Hightower to the ebike (Whyte E-160) but the ability to get out after a 10 hr shift or get 10 trails done instead of getting 3 or 4 makes me glad I bought it
I just use mine (e-gravel bike) for commuting and occasionally a few trips locally, it's handy for just popping to the cafe or to a friend's house for example.
Other than that, all my rides are on unpowered bikes.
That said, it's been a gamechanger for commuting. Rides that I simply wouldn't be able to do on a regular bike - at least not carrying work stuff and with a day of work in the middle - are now the highlight of my day.
Like Boris I borrowed an ebike as it was the only thing I could ride with long covid. I was desperate to get back on a proper bike, and once I could I really didn't miss it, no inclination to get an ebike of my own, they just aren't the same.
It was a means to to an end but I hope I have many, many years left in me before it becomes a necessity.
I've had my Levo for four years now. It's a great bike for long days out with big climbs that my back just can't deal with anymore. It's also brilliant for those cold winter nights when I can't really be bothered to go out, but know I can get a quick loop in that would take twice the time on a normal bike.
However, I wouldn't give up my normal mountain bike. This was me last night on my new bike and it's just better than the Levo. So much lighter, snappier and fun. Plus I get to frighten the heart rate monitor on my fitness app when I hit the climbs.
Plus I get to frighten the heart rate monitor on my fitness app when I hit the climbs.
But you can do that too on an ebike.
It does appear that many people have a shift of mentality on e-bikes and not work as hard as they would be prepared to on a normal bike
Maybe that’s why a lot of people ride e-bikes just purely for fun and not fitnessIve not had a KOM for years but have one on an ebike segment. I’m also routinely top 5% on climbs, and I would certainly not class myself as fit
my question is if I get an e-bike is it likely that the other trail bike will stay in the garage gathering cobwebs? Those of you with both types of bike - do you still use both?
I have a 2017 Levo sat here - tbf, it was an accidental and technically 'borrowed' acquisition dating from my long covid recovery, which it was great for. I still ride it maybe two or three times a month, but I'd far rather ride a real mountain bike. I like the effort, I like the rhythm of rides on a normal bike - slow up, fast down - I like the lightness relative to an e-mtb, I enjoy the absence of a tinnitus-like background whine and honestly, long covid made me treasure the ability to ride under my own power rather than struggling to limp around a football pitch once a day.
Mostly I use the Levo for recovery days, when I fancy something more technically interesting than spinning along a rail trail or canal tow-path and for running errands when I want to save my legs for something proper. Around 95% of my riding is still on either my FlareMax, Transmitter or my gravel bike.
I like climbing. I like effort. I subscribe to the fairly well-proven tenet of 'if you don't use it, you lose it', but mostly I just enjoy riding a non-assisted bike more. I certainly don't have anything against e-mtbs and as a ex but long-term motorcyclist, I get the attraction of effortless speed, but for me, once the novelty had faded, I wasn't really that bothered.
Interesting to see so many fellow long covid recoverers with a similar take to mine. Sometimes it takes losing what you really love doing to make you really appreciate how brilliant it is. The idea that riding an e-mtb is somehow more 'fun' kind of baffles me, I can't imagine anything being more enjoyable than kicking yourself senseless on a climb, then hammering a technical descent on a real mountain bike. YMMV depending on how you're wired I guess.
i bought a couple of light ebikes in lockdown, a Levo SL and a Creo SL. I had been fairly recently diagnosed with some heart problems. I rode them exclusively for a couple of years, then they sat gathering dust for best part of a year as I was riding regular gravel and road bikes all the time. I sold them both earlier this year and don't miss them at all currently. That said, I don't have a MTB anymore, just 2 gravel and one road bike.
I think if I wanted to ride anything more technical than I can cope with on my Revolt X I'd probably buy another light ebike, but at present gravel and road are where I'm at..
All my friends bought massive, heavy, full power e-bikes - under the pretence that they will continue to use their 'regular' trail/enduro bikes aswell. All of them now have a high end full carbon ~150mm travel clothes horse in their garage gradually losing value and never bieng ridden, and only ever ride their full fat ebike. Whilst moaning that its not as nice to ride as their 'analogue' cos its so heavy and numb.
This is why I decided to get an SL ebike - its much nicer to ride, its still an ebike, but it replaced my existing trail bike instead of being an addition. As I wasnt kidding myself that if I wanted to ride a long slackish 150mm travel bike I would ever choose the one without the motor.
I still ride an awful lot (more) on regular bikes - my light XC carbon hardtail, and my gravel bike. Because these are so different and I ride them in places.
My main point being - If your going to have multiple bikes, they need to be sufficently different andhave different use cases.
I've had three ebikes since 2018.
Used them a fair bit for the first couple of years but as time has gone on less so.
Current ebikes is just coming up for two years old and hardly gets ridden. I have no intention of replacing it either.
It's nice to have for days when I'm really knackered or days when everyone else suddenly decides to do an eeber ride but it'd not be missed if I didn't have it.
I recon this year it's taken up less than 10% of my rides.
I've got a Canyon Strive:ON ebike. Great fun. Problem is, I've had a Deviate Claymore (analogue) for a couple of months and haven't touched the ebike since getting it.
I'm sure I'll be out on the ebike soon - but decent weather, a lovely new bike and managing to find time for some decent rides mean the manual bike is getting all the attention at the moment.
So definitely - they both have a place and are both great in their on ways but I've got room for both in my garage.
I have only had my ebike for a few months but I only use it for days out with a lot of climbing. Anything local, reasonably flat, uplifted or when riding with non ebikers means I take the other bike.
That sounds like I am anti-ebike, not at all, it is bloody brilliant on those big days out and means I can do twice as much fun stuff. I just dont want it as my only bike.
Yes, weekly group rides on the hardtail, sometimes longer XC rides (40 miles) in summer if I get the time (family, DIY etc gets in the way!)
My non-ebike was a full sus, but I wanted my other bike to be low maintenance, hence the hardtail. The winter clay mud is pretty bad here and it tends to pack around the BB and knacker full sus bearings.
Yep, well mostly my gravel-type bike (Tripster). I ride it to work. I don't think I'll ever use an electric for commuting, not while I can still do it with my ol legs.
I also have a nice hardtail which I like to take out occasionally. Hurts tho.
Was out with my son on his non-e bike on Saturday and we swapped bikes for part of the ride. It's so weird jumping straight from the ebike to suddenly having no extra power when you pedal. Got used to it after a brain readjustment and then the descent started. 🙂
I'm now lucky enough to own 3 bikes. I have an Eeb for weekends away to hilly places. An Enduro bike for uplift/park days, and as I live in Suffolk I also have a HT for the local XC flatland rides. I ride the HT far more than any of the others, but as I haven't "chipped" the Eeb that helps the decision to keep it in the garage for the local rides as I would hit the cut off point regularly - and that's not much fun
And i do still like the workout of a proper ride!
Another Long COVID ebike botherer. My leg bike has been in bits in the loft for the last 3 years, but if I ever recover I'll be getting straight back to it!
I got my ebike over 2 years ago now. At the time I had a gravel bike, a trail bike and an xc bike. The gravel bike went first as it was for winter slop and the ebike is so much better for winter riding. My xc bike was next to be sold (obsolete standards and old geometry meant it wasn't getting used) and finally I sold my trail bike and bought a lighter ebike (again, old geometry, short and steep compared to the ebike was a bigger factor than not having a motor). Now I have a bike for local stuff and a big bike for big country and don't miss the non ebikes. Age (70) is a factor, I was finding it harder to slog up the hills and knackered at the top but also the youngsters I ride with all went with ebikes so I needed one to keep riding with them
That sounds like I am anti-ebike, not at all, it is bloody brilliant on those big days out and means I can do twice as much fun stuff. I just dont want it as my only bike.
There's a weird thing on here that if you say you prefer riding a non-assisted bike, people sometimes interpret it as being antipathy to e-mtbs, when in fact it's quite possible to enjoy riding a normal bike without nursing some sort of demented hatred of power-assisted ones. I like both, I just happen to prefer riding without assistance.
We are obviously all different but for me I'm still trying to work which I bike prefer for which riding.
I think the eeb scores highly for riding fun sections that are on the edge or maybe even beyond my local area. And obviously places like the Golfie with a couple of repetative climbs.
Whereas on my Airdrop I tend to go for a ride with lots of fun along the way instead of sessioning one spot. I don't mind a big loop or point to point on it and can't wait to do some hikeabike again.
@singlespeedstu its interesting considering your location that you don't ride the e-bike more. Do generally go for more of ride combining different hills than say sessioning the Golfie?
As someone who’s looking my first emtb, I’m reading with interest.
I’d be embarrassed to ride my local trails on the e-bike as they don’t warrant it.
There’s semi local forest is where it would shine. I’ve rode there a few times but it’s a relentless uphill of varying degrees. I was so pooped when I got there I only managed a few runs before concentration started slipping. E-bike would be perfect.
My regular riding buddies don’t have e-bikes (yet) so that could be an interesting dynamic. I have other groups I rode with who now all e-bike/road.
Sorry not much of a contribution, just thinking out loud 😄
its interesting considering your location that you don't ride the e-bike more. Do generally go for more of ride combining different hills than say sessioning the Golfie?
I try and do a variety of different types of ride with at least one more XC focused ride every week but most of my rides are indeed sessioning either one or two locations here in the valley on any given day.
I have no problem with doing multiple big climbs under my own power and have almost no restrictions on time to do it.
I just don't feel the need to try and ride every trail on a hill in one go any more so the ebike seems a bit pointless for my use.
I can understand why folks who are only here for a few day would want to ride an eeber though.
If you have limited time and aren't used to the climbing it makes sense and I use mine if we go to an area we don't know too.
But to me my location is just my home riding and I'm used to it.
Too much overlap with my e-Heckler and my Ibis Ripmo saw me sell the Ripmo recently, but I won't be selling my Kingdom Vendetta.
Covid related fatigue means that any demanding rides are presently completed on the eeb, with shorter rides on the Vendetta. Hopefully, once I can recover quick enough between sessions to actually build fitness and I will be able to bring the Vendetta further into play.
Presently, I'm delighted with the extra variety and route options that the eeb provides, and with the power assist I can still hang with the fit boys.
When I could do ~4W/Kg 20min efforts until September '22, I'd never have considered an ebike so soon. But like others, my health falling off a metaphorical cliff (in my case long covid) made me change my mind and it's a godsend.
I have had an e-bike for six years and now hardly use ordinary bikes at all. There has been no sudden rejection of pedalling , I have just got older. Initially I only used the e-bike occasionally but now my legs are going I can’t justify knocking myself out for a few days by riding acoustic bikes. I have even given my road bike to my son, am giving ht to charity and have stripped down the FS for parts to improve the e-bike. I still drool over ads for new bikes but know it would be a waste of money to even think about getting anything but another e-bike.
Where I ride it is becoming pretty rare to see a normal bike.
Im 13 months into owning a lightweight Mondraker Neat. If my Neat felt less lovely than my normal bike, I’d probably be more tempted to ride the normal bike more often. But I splashed out on a nice spec for the neat. Wireless shifting, Fox Grip fork. Kashima etc. spec. So my Neat feels much, much nicer than my other bikes. Even to the point that, when I went for an uplift weekend , I took the Neat and simply didn’t turn it on. But it felt absolutely fab for the 2 days in Dyfi.
so im sort of embarrassed and disappointed with myself that I do not ride my normal bikes more often. The last time I tried, my heart rate was hitting 173 on the climbs, which is totally normal (for me). But that means im finished (and busted) by 5km. But on my Neat, even in eco mode, my heart rate peaks around 160, and I ride for 8-9km. So I’ve become used to simple hooning round ly local trails with many more grins-per-mile.
in the past year, I’ve. Limbed 60,000m over the year on my e-bike. On the previous year, I climbed 40,000m on my normal bikes. So im riding about 1.5 times further every time I go out.
I still ride my normal bike a lot on my own. Last night me and my ride pal went out on our normal bikes for the first time in 2 years. Certainly lost fitness but the best thing about the ride was the top of the climb catch your breath chat.
On the ebikes we ride more exciting stuff and go further but we don't chat, we zoom round..
As we only ever catch up to ride bikes the chatting bit is really important.
I have an e-cargo bike for shuttling kids/groceries etc about and I'm absolutely sold on pedal assist for getting around town. I think if I did more hard MTBing I'd think about an ebike for that but I ride mostly road/gravel and the effort is part of the deal for me.
To be clear, I think ebikes are brilliant for lots of applications, even the ones I don't use them for. I think it's wonderful to have the privilege of choosing ones own level of suffering.
xc rides on the south downs are a bit pointless on the eeb so i have normal bikes for that.
the more fun places (where you would usually push up) i use the eeb.
i normally ride the fun places more but thats because they are fun not because of the eeb.
Had my e-bike for 18 months now. My MTB didn't get touched for 12 months, but I've since started using it more, e-bikes are brilliant if I'm honest I find them more fun to ride, but, MTBs are better for descending, after 12 months of ebike it felt razor sharp, light, more agile, more throwable everything...
It's not even the extra effort of getting it back up that bothers, be it's just so bloody slow doing it. I'm happy I have both.
Yes. E-bike is an addition rather than replacing any particular bike. It has its place but I still ride my dropbar MTB and trail FSer more often than the ebike. It's only my 'normal' big travel enduro bike that gets ridden less than the e-bike, but I can't blame that on the e-bike.
E-bike's perfect for my use: more trails in a short/fixed time window between dropping off and collecting the kids from sports clubs etc. I can get over twice the riding done compared to a normal bike. What's not to like?
Different tool for different jobs.
Big days out, Wales, Scotand Surrey Hills, anything that's basically 'winch and plummet' - 150/160 mm travel Eeb.
Local loops of flattish singletrack and bridleways, Swinley, Woburn etc with the kids - Steel Hardtail. I hardly ever ride the E-MTB locally.
I'd say each gets roughly the same amount of action these days.
If I lived somewhere with lots of vertical and gnar rideable from my door I'd probably be much more Eeb-reliant.
Yes but I sold my full-sus pretty quickly after getting an e-full-sus, so just had a hardtail. And then replaced that with a singlespeed hardtail which I prefer because it never feels like you're slowly crawling up a hill wishing you had a motor speeding things up, you just pedal hard enough or get off and push.
an e-cargo bike for shuttling kids/groceries etc about and I'm absolutely sold on pedal assist for getting around town.
I have an eBullitt with a motor.
It's brilliant. It replaces a car (in my case it doesn't as I used to cycle everywhere through town anyways and would use my Bob Yak trailer). It serves a purpose.
Motors on MTBs I see as daft and defeatist.
I probably ride 3-5 x each week. 1-2 hard rides on "normal" bikes then a moderate ride on "normal" bike (gravel & road). I use an eeb (f/s mtb) for relaxed fun & days away mtb. I also prefer the eeb if I commute (which is mostly off road). I decided not every ride needs to be hard and for me eeb is a good way of enjoying bikes without digging myself into a hole (I'm getting older and recovery is definitely something I need to think about). I have sold my Tallboy as it was getting no use but kept a rigid mtb for winter fitness.