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one of my mates, a handy rider, has been doing a lot on an ebike this year. He rides some pretty techy stuff, and at a proper fast pace, having a decent enduro racing past.
Anyway, that the scene set.....
I saw the other day that he took a fairly innocuous OTB after a pedal strike on a flattish section of trail, and ended up with some cracked ribs - he thinks due to how he landed entangled with the bike...
This got me thinking about the implications of crashing your ebike and whether the additional momentum of a 50lb bike does actually increase some of the injury risk a bit ?
Not that I fall off much.... 🙂
No. not really. learn to crash (better)
Your mate pedal striked on a flat section of trail?
That's e bike noob territory.
hope he makes a fast and full recovery.
Your mate pedal striked on a flat section of trail?
Not really, its a pumpy section with a few wee booters, caught a pedal on a tree stump.
He's a bloody good rider, been solely riding ebike about a year now.
Iain, stop worrying about shit!
Fanx
makes far moar sense now
a good rider who's been riding an emtb lots will be strong like ox.
send him healing vibes
Your mate pedal striked on a flat section of trail?
That’s bike noob territory.
FTFY
I still crash, bruise and scuff on a regular basis however I do thing that riding the E bike has improved the way I ride any of our bikes.
Just ride it like you would any other mountain bike and remember its all about fun.
No swavis you didn't fix it.
Just like the "helpful" little boy who put bus' wheels on my painting of my house in nursery didn't "fix" it.
Emtb noobs regularly pedal into shit way more than mtb noobs do. many resort to *solving* their issues by fitting sub 150mm cranks rather than actually learning how to time a pedal stroke. It's a fairly well doccumented phenomenon in the Emtb world.
This got me thinking about the implications of crashing your ebike and whether the additional momentum of a 50lb bike does actually increase some of the injury risk a bit ?
I crashed my Ti hardtail this time last year and either cracked my ribs or did some muscle/ligament damage, bike weighs half that of an ebike. I went off my line going down some steps and kind of went otb sideways. I couldn't kick the bike away from me and got stabbed in the side by the handlebars on impact with the ground. I managed to finish the ride but over the next few days the pain became very apparent and it took about 8 weeks to recover.
one of the group on Tuesday night had a new Ebike. On a techy climb up some steps he managed to loop it and went crashing down the steps with the bike on top of him. Nothing nasty but the bars and stem cut his face and chin. Soon healed with a couple of beers after though.
nah, I've crashed numerous times on the ebike, makes no difference. It still hurts if you land bad, still doesn't hurt if you land good.
nobeeer - wisnae worrying, just was a bit surprised at the outcome of the crash, maybe just a bad luck one ! I have offered to look after his bike while he recovers .. 🙂
good to hear feedback, sounds like it's the same as every other tumble, e or no e !
geex
Member
Emtb noobs regularly pedal into shit way more than mtb noobs do. many resort to *solving* their issues by fitting sub 150mm cranks rather than actually learning how to time a pedal stroke. It’s a fairly well doccumented phenomenon in the Emtb world.
Ok, I'm intrigued, how is timing a pedal stroke on an e-MTB different to timing a pedal stroke on an ordinary MTB? Do e-bikes generally have lower BBs than normal bikes?
It’s them disc rotor things that kill you apparently....or are they now accepted technology
Obviously landing on or being landed on by a heavier thing will hurt more. And whilst there are plenty of other things to be hit by in a crash, the bike has a few sticky outy quite strong bits.
Or, you konw, maybe your mate is just a total noob eh, and the laws of physics don't apply to ebikes.
I still wouldn't worry about it too much.
Not cycled ebike.. But
1: energy=mass×acceptation.. Energy =bike weight×bike acceleration.. E bikes are heavier and faster= more energy... Simple physics..
2:how you hit is as important as when you hit.. Move your body to protect your squishy bits.. Learned this when I hit a curb on a road bike yet I've staked it off road and went clean over the bars on a hard tail... But I hit The kirk I got a concussion and major lacerations on left arm and leg.. But got up and was absolutely fine when I stacked it offroad(no kidding didn't even limp or have any pain..)..
Conclusion.. Don't worry about it.. Physics sais you hit harder.. But it's risk to reward.. If there was a risk before you wouldn't have started mtbing right?.. Accidents happen hope he heals up quick and painlessly and just ride and enjoy it..
Crashing an eBike? Never happens. I certainly didn't fall down the side of Lecky Hill on Tuesday evening and sprain my shoulder. Nor did I come off on my first ride at Staunton, less than 100m from the car and end up with a bruise that went from my belly button to my kidney at nipple height and all the way down my thigh...
I'm doing way more riding than I did before and trying more extreme stuff so crashing is inevitable for me.
I used to have a pretty weighty DH bike, no EMTB experince to draw on, but any time came a cropper on that it wasn't the weight on inertia that posed a threat to me. It was either the possibility of tangling my limbs up in it, or the bike wedging itself between something solid like a tree and my tumbling body to form a new unexpected obstical all x the additionl speed... all of which can pose the same problem on any type of MTB really.
The thing about DH bikes that made them a bigger danger to the users was the suspension travel/suppleness and better brakes/tyres and everything else that gives the rider a bit of increased confidence/faith in their own ability, right up to the point that it gets you in extra trouble. many EMTBs have a similar issue IMO, they're built to potentially get the unwary into extra trouble...
you could say a heavier bike is less likely to throw you off in the first place as it tracks better. If you are worried about getting tangled up in it use flats.
Energy =bike weight×bike acceleration.. E bikes are heavier and faster= more energy… Simple physics..
Actually its Force = mass x acceleration
and weight is a force not a mass
Bit anal but I cant stand it when people get physics wrong - especially when calling it simple
Ok, I’m intrigued, how is timing a pedal stroke on an e-MTB different to timing a pedal stroke on an ordinary MTB?
It's not different, it's just that some people try to pedal through/up stuff on an ebike that they wouldn't on a non ebike.
Think they are just trying to keep the motor spinning and not thinking about what they're riding over.
I've been told that the test ebikes at my LBS often come back with a bent crank.
1: energy=mass×acceptation.. Energy =bike weight×bike acceleration.. E bikes are heavier and faster= more energy… Simple physics..
It is simple physics but despite that fact you have still managed to get it wrong.
Want another try?
Ok, I’m intrigued, how is timing a pedal stroke on an e-MTB different to timing a pedal stroke on an ordinary MTB?
it isn't
But... the E part allows the rider to power the bike with less effort. and the E part only assists if you turn the cranks. These two points often mean a noob Emtb rider finds themselves approaching stuff faster (particularly uphill). I can only assume* they get carried away soft pedalling like ****s into stuff.
Do e-bikes generally have lower BBs than normal bikes?
No. The irony is almost ALL FS Emtbs have fairly high BBs. Mine (the exception) has a very low BB.
*Disclaimer: I'm no expert on the exact reason "why" any individual stuffs their pedals into things as I have this crazy ability to look ahead and automatically calibrate my foot position in regards to trail obsticles. I find it even more confusing that these individuals would choose to fit 25mm shorter cranks instead of learning the appropriate skills.
I genuinely wonder how they cope with walking up different height steps.
an wot Stu sed
Wow, every day's a school day huh?
Thank you geex for your thorough explanation, I consider myself educated. I shall employ what I've learnt my next ebike ride.
Yeah swavis.
Thank **** the Friday afternoon physics club nerds have finally been picked up by mummy and daddy and driven home safely without a kicking though, eh?
I wonder if more folk ride flats on ebikes than on non ebikes ?
I thought it was one of my mates describing me at first because I too have recently got an ebike and seem to have a propensity to falling off the thing. I have always exceeded my talents and run wide with a few little offs. But I have really started to do some more lasting injuries. A couple of bad sprains but no broken bones. In fact I have never broken a bone in my life. Others I ride with have had friends fall off lesser obstacles and end up hospitalised. I think it is down to whether the individual is prone to brakes etc.
Regarding pedal strikes my scott genius is known for it so I was quite good at timing the peddle strokes. I bought an e e-genius and I seem to get it worse on this. I reckon you are putting more strokes in where you might ordinarily pump it. This increases the likelihood of it occurring.
Hope your mate heals soon. I managed to to get back on the bike 1 week after my latest sprain. The physiotherapy said keep it mobile. There's no more mobile than hurling down a trail on your bike.
"I find it even more confusing that these individuals would choose to fit 25mm shorter cranks instead of learning the appropriate skills.im under the impression that the average standard mountain bike crank is 175/170"
on the levo/kenevo I think they come standard as 165mm
did you take them off and put longer ones on?
also most levo/kenevo crank changers, change their cranks to 152/150 ? which is a shortening of 13/15mm not 25mm?
and of course as you are apparently a great rider, you have never had a pedal strike.
im one of those individuals, just in case you hadn't guessed 🙂
Love riding my ebike (Vitus E Sommet). Had a sort-of-over-the-bars crash on my first ride... the bike ended up hitting me in the back. It hurt really bad. I'd have much preferred if it had been a 30lb regular mtb rather than a 50lb emtb that I stopped with my vertebrae.
Having said that, I wouldn't have been going uphill nearly so fast at the time if I had been riding a regular bike!
^^^ always a feat of gravity to go OTB on an uphill section 😎
^^^ always a feat of gravity to go OTB on an uphill section 😎
I've managed to do the same without motor assistance. Apart from the being bit in the back by the bike pay, which is lucky as it was a comparable mass to an ebike (huge apologies if mentioning this is too physics geeky for, er, anybody).
^^^ we managed to ride into each other on a flat path and you fell off, no motor assist, remember ? 😜
Thank **** the Friday afternoon physics club nerds have finally been picked up by mummy and daddy and driven home safely without a kicking though, eh?
Without the physics nerds you wouldn't be getting much biking done old bean.....
Pat yourself on the back...
then off to bed. You have chess club in the morning!
^^^ we managed to ride into each other on a flat path and you fell off, no motor assist, remember ? 😜
Was that you? Haha thought it was Alan!
Some great feedback, mainly 😀