Semi jokey but honestly semi serious too.
I'm at FoD tomorrow with mate just messing around really, bit of riding, trails, fun.
But I'm sitting here thinking "take the Rise" but then my inner ego sits there and says "get a grip, ride the proper bike"
Having the van means I can take both, but I'm half embarrassed to consider taking the Eeb.
Semi jokey but honestly semi serious too.
Are you old and/or infirm? If not, then yes ebikes are giving in/up. 😉
Are you old and/or infirm
That's relative sometimes.
I'm 50+ , I've got a few medical issues and my crappy right knee is fairly crap at the moment
The way my legs & body feel after 37 miles of gravel-ish today I'd be happy with motorised support. If only on the ups. I hate the ups. 😂😂
If anyone thinks an e-bike to get up the trail is “giving up” then they would leave the van at home and ride all the way to FoD.
On a singlespeed.
A rigid singlespeed.
Different things for different people.
I don’t have an ebike as the reason I ride is (trying to convince myself about) fitness and clearing my mind. The bloke across the road who is ten years younger is shopping for one as he’s mainly about riding downhill and reckons he can get more fun out of an ebike as he’ll spend less time climbing.
If we had adequate infrastructure, an ebike would make my commute rideable (on the assumption that average speed is higher due to going faster uphill) but it’s slightly too far without.
I'm almost 53 and I consider it giving in from a fitness perspective if I am otherwise healthy.
I say that without a even a hint of ebike hate, I'm looking forward to one in the future 🙂
That future will come when I feel that I physically need one or everybody else I ride with has one. I suspect that the latter will come first.
I think it is giving up, in a way. I'd love to still ride my MTB like I did before the heart issues kicked in. Took me ages to give in (yep) and buy an Ebike, almost kidding myself my health and fitness would get back to normal. It hasn't and won't, so for longer rides I ebike it. Sprinting up hills with motor assistance isn't the same as being fit and riding hard up stuff using your own strength. It's kind of unsatisfiying, but of course, it's F*N.
Views differ and I'm not saying it's the same for everyone else.
Take both and decide what you want to ride when you arrive.
We took both on this year's Alps trips and the Levos never came out of the van
Only motorised ride Kevin got was of the bladed kind 🚁 🤣🤣
Yes. Ish.
Not ridden the HB916 since getting the blue badge bike Kenevo SL 6 weeks ago. It's hilariously lazy fun, but also annoyingly good when the motor is turned off as well.
No way I could justify it at RRP...£7.5k and only an NX chain FFS... but 50% off and it's acceptable. I'd have a KSL as an only bike (with a spare proper bike for if/when motor or battery issues appear).
I didn't really see the point in it to start with. Then I realised that climbing on a MTB is just something that's to be endured rather than enjoyed and I'm only interested in the downhill bits. So anything that makes the climbs more fun and less of a waste of energy I'm all for. I'd love one but they're so expensive.
On road bikes I still don't really see the point unless you're commuting or have health issues.
OP what’s your goal? Is riding uphill fun? Then take the ebike. Is downhill fun? Then take the ebike. Is it getting fit? Then take either bike. Giving up is not going out at all.
OP what’s your goal? Is riding uphill fun? Then take the ebike. Is downhill fun? Then take the ebike. Is it getting fit? Then take either bike. Giving up is not going out at all.
It varies day to day ride to ride. Fitness deffo plays a factor and my mate tomorrow has been the reverse for many years, he's been the one dying while I'm ok. He's now got a Rail and he cruises while I die instead. Tomorrow is only a short window of riding of 2.5 hours as we're off to deepest darkest Wales afterwards, so part of me thinks I should mtfu and power out the ride and just get on with it. It'll be tough but rewarding.
The Eeb is fun, but in a very different way of course.
I'm 64. Riding up hills is an important part of my riding, and I want to carry on doing it unassisted for as long as I can. I've seen what happens to people's fitness when they get an e-bike, and I'd rather that didn't happen to me. I don't hate them, just at the moment I don't need one. If you've only ever been into cycling for the downs, you'll feel differently - and that's fine.
You're your own worst enemy if you think riding your Orbea Rise is "giving up"...
Au contraire... As keen MTBer's, we're likely to put as much effort as we can within reason anyway, so I find that an eBike just means most of us go further and ride more trails for a given amount of time...
Also, it's a lightweight eBike, you're getting a bit of a helping hand up the climbs, you're not Boosting your way up the climbs on a personal uplift device so to speak.
And it's winter... If it's summer, the trails are running prime, you've got your fastest rolling tyres on and you're really feeling it at the moment then yeah, maybe you should still be on your regular bike... If there's any time when eBikes come into their own for just getting you out there and having fun when otherwise it might be a struggle, it's in winter...
I’ve seen what happens to people’s fitness when they get an e-bike, and I’d rather that didn’t happen to me
Yeah... Most people who realise it's a pedal assist rather than the motor should be doing all the work, actually ride more/further/faster and stop finding excuses not to go riding, and get fitter as a result. Also eMTB's are superb for helping build cardio fitness. On most climbs on a regular MTB, you can be struggling to keep warm in the winter, cadence so low and barely going anywhere, pushing hard on the pedals but ultimately not achieving much except to knacker yourself out prematurely... On an eMTB, you will be spinning a much higher cadence up the same climb, which will actually keep you warmer, give you more of an aerobic workout (less of an anaerobic workout though) and you're likely to stay out riding for longer as you won't be knackered anywhere near as quickly...
The pro DH and EWS boys all use eMTB's as important training tools for a very good reason!
Yes, absolutely its giving up.
Ok before my view I do not have an ebike, but I have no issues with them at all. My normal riding buddy most often rides an ebike and it gets him out and that's cool.
Anything with two wheels, that you pedal, and gets you out and enjoying it is fine so don't agonise.
If you feel up for a full on pedal take the pedally bike, not feeling it take the ebike, but just get out on a bike 🙂
Personally I enjoy the exercise and challenge of the pedally bike still, but when i am not having a good time then I might think about an eeb, not for some time yet I suspect, but if it works for you and gets a smile go for it.
James
You worry too much.
Just pick one and go ride and have fun
The pro DH and EWS boys all use eMTB’s as important training tools for a very good reason!
That's semi surprising. There was uproar when Bruni commented about his love for ebike on a ride a while ago. 😃
He is yes. Full power Rail9
In that case take the bloody ebike and don’t be shy with the power! It’s a whole new game where uphills can be the same kind of fun as the downhills and more ‘fun’ bits can be packed into a ride. It’s a different game, embrace it. Then back to the regular bike for mixed group rides.
Some of the pro guys do use eMTBs, but it's so they can do more miles for skill development, not as a replacement for fitness training.
And I've yet to come across anybody who's bought an eMTB and got fitter. Everyone I know has got fatter.
Yes.
If anyone thinks an e-bike to get up the trail is “giving up” then they would leave the van at home and ride all the way to FoD.
On a singlespeed.
A rigid singlespeed.
Oi, my SS Surly Krampus wants a word 😉
I have a power meter on my kenevo sl. I can go as hard or easy as I want and I can directly achieve any type of power output I want. Ups are usually 200 watt zone 2 affairs which are perfect for winter build of aerobic fitness. If you see them as tools instead of labelling what you may not have actually experienced there might be some enlightenment. For someone with young kids and who is time crunched like myself they're a godsend and yes they get me very fit. It just alters the time ratios of ups and downs favourably in my opinion. I am not buying one for xc riding tbh where I'm all about the manual climbing. But for enduro type riding it's phenomenal.
That’s semi surprising. There was uproar when Bruni commented about his love for ebike on a ride a while ago. 😃
I had a conversation with Alan Milway sometime earlier this year (or might even have been last year) and he was saying how fantastic a training tool they are...
Most of us that are keen cyclists are hard wired to put a maximum amount of effort that we can (within reason) when we ride anyway... You simply go further on an eBike for a given effort, which results in more smiles per hour most of the time...
I will caveat this by saying that yes, I still prefer the feel of a good regular MTB all things being optimal, but they rarely are... In the depths of winter, eBike wins...
I'm half way between 50 & 60 and still on a hardtail, sometimes with or without suspension.
When I do eventually have to give up using my own power due to injury or I'll health I'll quite gladly use an ebike, hopefully an electric gearbox one though. I'll start saving now😁
Most people who realise it’s a pedal assist rather than the motor should be doing all the work, actually ride more/further/faster and stop finding excuses not to go riding, and get fitter as a result.
I can see that in theory that might be the case, but in practice it is not what I've observed.
And I’ve yet to come across anybody who’s bought an eMTB and got fitter. Everyone I know has got fatter.
This is what I've observed.
Fitness is an important part of cycling for me - but I do have an ebike which I use on easier/rest days.
I have just done a trainer road workout tonight, so I'll take the ebike for a spin tomorrow, maybe concerntrate on more techy trails.
For me at the moment I think it would be. I'm not 40 yet and feel I have more to get done before I acknowledge that I'm past my best.
ultimately not achieving much except to knacker yourself out prematurely
But this. At the moment I'm knackering myself doing the stuff I enjoy the least - climbing in 1st or 2nd gear.
pushing hard on the pedals but ultimately not achieving much except to knacker yourself out prematurely
Sounds to me like you don’t really like cycling.
Sounds to me like you don’t really like cycling.
Sounds to me like you don't know what on earth you're talking about! 🤦🏻
You do realise that cycling can be many different things to many different people, right...?🤷🏻♂️
If you're relatively young, healthy and have plenty of spare time then there is no reason to not be fit or even very fit. There is definitely a place for eebs but I'd rather ride a regular pedal bike.
It really is a shame that if you ride in a group and they all get eebs then you'd really need to keep up with the jones or get left behind.
I'm not anti-eebs, and can see them as progress in a way but I just don't think most folks actually need them. But that can be leveled at suspension etc.....
I've got the Rise , before that I had a full power Kona Remote, I get more involved and knackered on the Rise which is exactly what I was after , last time at FOD it was on the Rise it was ace 👍
