If your normal playground is the Lakes then surely there are trails that are impossible to santitise. I don’t own one right now but I’d be interested to see if an ebike would make some of the epic routes in the lakes more enjoyable in terms of making some of the impossible uphills possible. Some amazing all day routes around Haweswater, Helvellyn etc but some of the uphill slogs are impossible to ride up. Perhaps doable on an ebike though?

Ha ha, yes Kelley, I probably am being totally NIMBY.

Tjagain, I’m in total agreement with trail maintenance but the sanitisation isn’t trail maintenance, it’s repurposing. This isn’t the fix the fells stuff, which has its own problems but is understandable, this is replacing trails that weren’t even badly worn with hard pack, smooth surfaces to enable access by more user groups. Highly laudable and done with the best intentions, but it depends how far you go. I admit I’m a dinosaur who’s been walking and riding in the Lakes for 25 years and doesn’t want to see them change too much and maybe I’m in the wrong, but it would be a shame to completely tame somewhere so precious.

Andylc I agree that e-bikes ridden by capable riders open up trails that are very difficult or impossible on normal bikes. That wasn’t my point. I said that for riders on this forum, e-bikes are just a different way to explore trails. The ‘problem’ occurs when the majority of e-bike riders aren’t capable riders but still want access to the fells. I don’t believe there are many places that can’t be sanitised to meet the potential demand of these riders and, in fact, I suspect Helvellyn and possibly Skiddaw would be the earliest to be sanitised. But, hey, I may well be wrong or this may be the greatest democratisation of the fells ever.

bwakel

if you have been in the lakes for 25 years then you must have seen the erosion / repair / erode again pattern many times over. think back to what those paths were like when you first saw them?

tjagain, I have. Not sure you’re reading my posts. This isn’t trail maintenance, it’s repurposing. The decision was made to change the accessibility of certain trails.

Rigid, steel, singlespeed. That’s all you need. What, you don’t all agree? Can’t see why.

Don’t even need that – fixed brakeless, that’s all you need.

I can’t imagine the average person who isn’t already into mountain biking spending several grand on a ebike? And even then surely they’re going to be pootling around Grizedale rather than trying to ride up Hellvelyn?

bwakel

but5 what were these paths like 25 years ago when you first saw them compared to now?

fixed brakeless, that’s all you need.

Could just go for a walk : )

Hypothetical question. If you were, let’s say a 55+ year old eBike sceptic who’d just had their £6k sub 28lb analog full sus pinched, would you spend the insurance money on a direct replacement, or think about getting an eBike and look around for a cheap second hand analog?

Go and demo one ???
I hired one on holiday and also borrow my brother’s sometimes but don’t feel I want to buy one for myself yet.
Most important to me I don’t think I’d want one as an only bike.

Could just go for a walk

As someone who has loved riding bikes from the age of 4 for the last 50 years I don’t think walking is a good option.

Nope. No cheating. Nosiree 😉

Just don’t want this thread to die, do you?

I’d say this thread title wins the 2019 irony award. 10 pages of preaching and its not done yet.

Do i feel the need to ramn in people’s faces that what I’ve chosen is the best, no, that’s just silly.

Chevy, I think the OP was talking about you.

I find the lack of humour amongst overly-touchy ebikers amusing @Squirrelking. It’s like prodding an angry molerat.

Video’s a good ‘un btw 🙂

No, it’s tedious and I’m pretty they stopped giving a crap a long time ago. Just let it die.

I find the lack of humour amongst overly-touchy ebikers amusing

It could be their lack of humour or maybe it is because you are not funny? I know which option my money is on.

Me and my lads, 7 and 9, (ages not hippy names🙄) went for a tootle round FoD today. Busy! Wow. The amount of eBikes was eye opening. They do look great fun, interesting to note that there appear to be eBike shortcuts developing on a lot of the switchback climbs, taking advantage of the extra torque available. Given that they appear to be able to sustain climbs on a steeper gradient than non motorised bikes, hows about they get their own, steeper, shorter climbs to the top of the trailhead, then they can crack on down the same descents where their advantage is less pronounced? It would save my lads having to give way to the whirring contraptions frequently and becoming disheartened by it. My eldest started loudly commenting “oh look it’s another cheater bike” as they went past in the end (he’d get on well on here I reckon) I had to shush him a few times 😂🙄.

Seriously though, I can’t believe that they are allowed on trails. They are going to increase trail erosion no end.

I think we’re nearly at the point with design, weight and price that that all the “haters” will have to concede defeat

I wander if chevy is still trying to **** himself thinner while using his hate of ebikes as a motive…

What happened to kenevo19’s post and my reply?

No shit Onion. 🙃

Holy thread resurrection!

Meh…