Yesterday i went on a group ride. One guy was on an electric bike.

I usually ride alone, or with 1 or 2 others.

Each time he was behind me i kept thinking i had a leaf or twig caught between my tyre/frame, but no, it was the whirr of his Bosch motor.

He was in jeans & jumper, long trousers, not breaking a sweat (unlike me).

Is this the future ❓ 😐 ➡ 😳 😕 😯

it’s a future, certainly.

Yes. I’m searching Aliexpress for cheap EMP devices which I will deploy at the start of any major climb 😈

I thought they were pedal assist only up to 15mph? It ought to be possible to drop him unless you’re somewhere very hilly. Might hurt a bit….

If it is the future, we’re going to have to stop treating group rides as an informal competition.

🙂

yes. get over it

The wierdest bit for me, was that it made him a bit of a voyeur of my gurns.

Where you riding around Nailsworth by any chance ?

If not we had the same thing, 14 people out, 1 electric bike.

Could he not have followed in his car?

Did you ask why was he on an electric bike?

I usually ride alone, or with 1 or 2 others.

Each time he was behind me i kept thinking i had a leaf or twig caught between my tyre/frame, but no, it was the whirr of his Bosch motor.

He was in jeans & jumper, long trousers, not breaking a sweat (unlike me).

Now we need motor-assisted running shoes to make life on Strava even more complicated.

I feel really conflicted about e-bikes.

They’re going to be more and more visible on the trail, no doubt.

But if you’re on a group ride, part of the shared experience is the effort you have to put in to make (or at least attempt to make) the climbs. Earn the decents.

If you’re on an e-bike, you can’t be part of that. You’re not really joining in.

I think e-bike riders should stick to group rides with other e-bike riders.*

*I reserve the right to change my mind about that in about 10 years time.

I thought they were pedal assist only up to 15mph?

Yes, but you can get performance upgrade kits for them.

unless you’re somewhere very hilly

Hilly round here.

Did the same last night.. one lass on a full suss e-bike out along with 18 others in small groups… Cost her over €6k but at least she is still biking.

She would have had to have given up otherwise due to a medical condition…

Had a great evening, a good giggle all round with some good singletrack too.

did he spoil your fun?

also, was he enjoying himself?

e-bikes are ACE. They will really muck with the strava cheaters. All those who go onto leader boards simply to ‘win’ a segment. I’m convinced most are upto something so it’ll be an arms race who can cheat even more…then the proper strava users can use it for what is intended for IMO.

Qwerty- still a dull topic mate.

Top speed is 15 mph so they may mess with your times even the OP said he could hear it behind him.

Ton spoke about this at length a she has used them

Needs a massive improvement in weight and batteries and they are all pedal assisted rather than powered

he has used a few

Very costly with only so many battery cycles

Was it £600 for a spare battery he said ???

TBH i enjoy the riding up hills bit but may like one for massive hike a bikes

Did you ask why was he on an electric bike?

Do you ask people their medical histories?

She would have had to have given up otherwise due to a medical condition…

This.

rhayter – it certainly adds another dynamic to the group. I’m not too sure about accepting them either. If i was planning an epic ride, during which i’d suffer a lot, i don’t think i’d appreciate someone on a ebike whirring past me on the climbs. But, then again, the said ebikes have got the likes of Ton back out on a bike sooner rather than later.

Do you ask people their medical histories?

Not on a bike ride but I have asked people about their bikes on a bike ride as its seems dangerously close to a reasonable and interesting question.

I think they would probably cope as in the real world folk seem to cope with simple questions better than the internet does

Saw a guy on an electric bike at Swinley the other week, riding down the jump gulley then zapping back up the track to the top. We all felt quite bemused by it.

It’s the start of the e-pocalypse…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-e-apocalypse-is-nigh

I’d be quite happy about it really. Can spend ages waiting at the top of hills on group rides for everyone to get to the top.

So how did he get on with the technical/DH parts of the ride? Or technical climbs?

Cannock is overrun with them

But they’re not so good when the battery’s flat and you have to push them eh eh muhuwahaha

I was out in Buxton the other week. Was going up a climb, working hard. Middle aged woman came past on a shopping bike complete with fully loaded bag in basket on front. She waved a cheery hello and I did a double take and realised she was on an electric bike. I get the impression she enjoyed passing “proper roadies in lycra” and did it regularly.

I don’t think she was on strava though.

For this kind of utility riding I think they are an excellent idea. Vastly cheaper than a car or motorbike (if you consider running costs) and could be a way to get more people to do short journeys on bikes.

I still remain skeptical about their use for “sport” cycling as it fundamentally alters the physical nature of the activity. They can do it as they won’t be hurting anybody, I would just rather they described it as something other than cycling.

not breaking a sweat

I can’t decide what’s worse. Someone behind me on an electric bike behind me not breaking a sweat or someone behind me on a normal bike not breaking a sweat.

[/quote]Did you ask why was he on an electric bike?

Do you ask people their medical histories?

I don’t generally no. But I would ask why they bought an Ebike just out of curiosity.

There was a guy on my commute yesterday clearly riding a “de-restricted” e-bike, must have been doing 25-30mph!

Ideally you want one with a detachable battery and motor so it can be removed for the descents..

I do see the flaw in this idea however…

You could build in a catapult and it could fire the battery/motor down the trail ready for you to pick up for the next climb…

She would have had to have given up otherwise due to a medical condition…

I would be happy to see someone along for a ride in these circumstances. Otherwise I have very mixed feelings about the e-bikes. Would probably be on the side of avoiding rides with them although to be honest I rarely ride in a group over 3 inc me.

It’s interesting to see others motivation for riding their bike..
I ride mine cos I like riding it, I think if I was primarily motivated by what others are doing on theirs I would enter races

There was a guy on my commute yesterday clearly riding a “de-restricted” e-bike, must have been doing 25-30mph!

why clearly de-restricted? it is possible to pedal a bike at that speed without a motor, or was it obvious because it was uphill and he wasn’t trying?

She would have had to have given up otherwise due to a medical condition…

I would be happy to see someone along for a ride in these circumstances

See this doesn’t sit well with me, not the eBiking bit, but you* deciding when it is an isn’t acceptable to use them in your company.

Would you be happy if someone with a genuine medical need joined you but didn’t want to tell you (or didn’t say) what the need was? How are is that situation any different to them simply deciding to use an eBike other than in your perception and judgement of them?

Excluding someone from a sociable group ride just because they are riding an eBike doesn’t sound like a very nice thing to do.

Same with the whole shared effort thing, is it a pre-requisite of riding with you that other members of the group must suffer equally, or put in the same effort?

*not you, you, but a theoretical someone in a group.

Just ride a route that involves hopping a few gates 😈

But in all seriousness I am similarly conflicted:

I’m not too sure about accepting them either. If i was planning an epic ride, during which i’d suffer a lot, i don’t think i’d appreciate someone on a ebike whirring past me on the climbs. But, then again, the said ebikes have got the likes of Ton back out on a bike sooner rather than later.

I think if it was a few hours bimble stop and chat every two seconds type social ride then it would be more than fine. I wouldn’t appreciate someone chatting merrily or taking in the wildlife while the rest of the group suffer over a long, hilly ride though- power assisted or not! 😀

There was a guy on my commute yesterday clearly riding a “de-restricted” e-bike, must have been doing 25-30mph!
POSTED 13 MINUTES AGO # REPORT

He was really riding an unregistered, uninsured motorbike with no helmet.
Bye bye licence.

I reckon they are the future, once I’m too old or too busted up to ride a normal bike

If they are expensive are we allowed to damage them (see Lambo v BMX thread)? That’ll soon sort out the fat Johnny-Come-Lately aspirational rich old lazy bastards.