anyone mix it up this way ? Due to health issues I may be getting an eMTB but would be sticking with regular road and gravel bikes. (It’s the steep short offroad climbs that I have a problem with, not the long pedally stuff)

Anyone chop and change like this and how do you find it ?

Makes sense, my HR is always a lot higher off road (assuming this is some sort of cardiovascular issue?).

I can see the appeal of electric road bikes, but not really how they would work in a group. I had the day off yesterday so went out with the thursday daytime club ride, I was the youngest by 35 years and they still average >15mph up the shallower hills. I guess with the much smaller motors on road bikes you’re a lot less likely to draw attention if it’s derestricted.

That and, surely with a motor taking the strain and adding speed to an MTB, gravel bikes lose their raison d’etre of being able to go faster/further than mountainbikes.

Makes sense to me. I went back to MTB for a couple of months after years of road and gravel and I found it hard work as the effort was not constant and the spikes in effort were higher than on the road/gravel.

thanks for replies, yes, spiking HR is the issue, so I think this is a way forward for me

Probably the only way that doesn’t involve getting of and pushing to avoid the increased heart rate off road. I’m sure for me part of the increased heart rate is the having to think about and manoeuvre the bike up steep climbs off road. Also of course a lesser effort on road will still maintain a speed that keeps you upright!

Ebikes aye, go for it. Gravel? That’s embarrassing.

🤣

I guess as long as you’re not hitting short sharp climbs on the road, and it’s for smoothing off the sharp climbs/peaks in HR, it’s probably a good plan.

Mind out though, as I’m led to believe that they’re just as hard a workout as normal MTBs 🙂

My heart rate is always a lot more consistent on the gravel bike, less peaks – my last gravel ride was 136 average with a peak of 170, last mtb ride was 149 average with a peak of 177.

So yeah, an emtb and regular road bike makes the most sense, on road/gravel you’re above 15mph a lot of the time anyway.

I have an emtb and a Defy road bike. The fun had gone out of off road, the seating position to maintain traction on loose climbs killed the slipped discs in my lower back and the spikes in intensity seemed to frequently give me migraines. The efforts on the road bike are just a lot more manageable, I’m sure I’ll have an Eroad someday but it will be when I really couldn’t pedal properly otherwise. So the combo works great for me and the E-Sommet is one of the best things I ever bought

Sounds like a good plan then !

2020 Focus Jam2 6.8 Plus being ordered in by LBS for me to have a try on 😀. Big thumbs up to the guys at Sprockets in Kilmarnock !

yes, spiking HR is the issue

an Emtb will definitely help smoothen out and control your HR as well as lowering your max while climbing but be careful when descending.
My max HR on almost every mtb ride is while descending not climbing (and I don’t mean just on an Ebike). On longer descents it can spike a lot. (I don’t have any heart issues though)
As for mixing it up. I still ride regular road, BMX, 4X, trail/Enduro and DH bikes as well as Emtb. Still prefer the light/nimbleness of a non motorised bike over my Emtb.
There are no rules. Just do what you enjoy and whatever keeps you in good health. Even if that does mean gravel 😉

Thanks geex, hopefully catch up for an ebike ride if/once I get it !

I’ll be selling my FS to help fund it but I think I’ll hang onto the Bird Zero TR…at least for a while ..