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Not currently into mountain biking (I like the current structural integrity of my collarbones tyvm) - have ebikes revolutionized the sport? Seems like they'd in

Not currently into mountain biking (I like the current structural integrity of my collarbones tyvm) - have ebikes revolutionized the sport? Seems like they'd increase accessibility by making the hard part (long arduous biking uphill to get to the drop) quite a bit more tolerable. Although as a hiker/climber I do appreciate that putting in real effort makes the payoff all the sweeter.

skeeter2020 5y ago
Yes, this is one of the biggest complaints I have with ebikes (though I just try and keep my mouth shut). Rleatively healthy, able-bodied people use ebikes to get into terrain that is way above their pay grade. I love the idea of physically limited people being able to ride offroad, but they are a rare exception to what you normally see.
guyzero 5y ago
They have revolutionized the sport to the extent that they're banned in some popular mountain bike areas. That said, I think a lot of studies have shown they don't cause any more trail damage than a traditional bike.
- ianhowson 5y ago
  At least here in NorCal, it's not trail damage that's the issue. It's: * people riding beyond their ability (too fast, too technical) and getting injured * batteries overheating and stranding the rider somewhere they can't climb out of, requiring heli rescue and risking wildfires I also don't like to be overtaken by someone who isn't suffering as much as I am [1] and it makes me feel bad. [1] Not really, I also ride a road e-bike which strokes my fragile ego.
  - dd_roger 5y ago
    I'm personally convinced that there's no justification for banning eMTBs (or any other negative sentiments toward them really) beside gatekeeping. There's nothing about eMTBs allowing people to venture in more difficult trails than with normal MTBs. Most terrains that are too hard on a normal MTB will be even harder on an eMTB because you loose some agility and the ability to carry the bike over unrideable sections. I often see people complain about "how fast eMTBs go in some climbs, which is dangerous to bystanders". This is the most ridiculous argument, completely unrelated to eMTBs. Regardless of the terrain (uphill, downhill, flat, ...) I always slow down to ~walking speed when passing someone if the trail isn't wide enough to put at least ~1.5 meter between me and them. Meanwhile the same people who complain about eMTBs being dangerous bomb down the hill past hikers at 25+ km/h. Anyway, a long rant to basically say that any argument about speed is only ever relevant if brought up in the context of educating people to be more courteous riders regardless of the bike they ride. Finally, you're orders of magnitudes more likely to be stranded because you punctured and forgot your repair kit (or whatever other damage to your bike that can't be fixed trailside) than due to overheating battery or whatever improbable scenario people come up to justify hating on eMTBs.
    - ianhowson 5y ago
      I generally agree with you. I don't personally find eMTBs to be bothersome, and fully expect to be riding one when I'm not physically able to ride an acoustic MTB. And I definitely agree with you re. bystanders, where regular MTBs are fast enough to be dangerous. The only point where I disagree is: > There's nothing about eMTBs allowing people to venture in more difficult trails than with normal MTBs If you want to go down the hill, you need to climb up the hill. This is a skill and fitness gate, normally; you're not going to tackle a difficult or extended descent if you don't think you can climb out again. Soquel Demo Forest, one of the very popular Bay Area spots, bans eMTBs. It might be reasonable in this case due to the elevation profile. From the car park you need to climb for 20-40 minutes. You descend. You then have another long climb back to the carpark. It's a worst-case scenario for batteries, and because the area is so popular, it tends to attract people riding beyond their limits already. I don't personally care, and I don't want to tell people not to enjoy an activity, but I can understand the reasoning in some cases.
soared 5y ago
Yes. Tons and tons more people are biking now, especially those that weren't able before. Older and also overweight people can now bike much more easily. All anecdotal, but Denver has seemingly many more bikers.
- anotherboffin 5y ago
  Anecdotal as well, but Switzerland has loads of them too. I appreciate the fact that it gets more people on bikes, but I'm a bit concerned about them going on terrain way above their level (as noted above) or risking accidents with hikers.
twalla 5y ago
If the amount of 50+ year olds on e-MTBs smoking me on the uphill is any indication I'd say yes. I just checked and they've also gotten remarkably more affordable (at least for a sport where 3k for a bike is considered low-end) - like the cheapest model from a reputable brand is 6000 bucks (Kona Remote 160) compared to just under 10k for most models last time I checked.

skeeter2020 5y ago

Yes, this is one of the biggest complaints I have with ebikes (though I just try and keep my mouth shut). Rleatively healthy, able-bodied people use ebikes to get into terrain that is way above their pay grade. I love the idea of physically limited people being able to ride offroad, but they are a rare exception to what you normally see.

guyzero 5y ago

They have revolutionized the sport to the extent that they're banned in some popular mountain bike areas. That said, I think a lot of studies have shown they don't cause any more trail damage than a traditional bike.

ianhowson 5y ago
At least here in NorCal, it's not trail damage that's the issue. It's: * people riding beyond their ability (too fast, too technical) and getting injured * batteries overheating and stranding the rider somewhere they can't climb out of, requiring heli rescue and risking wildfires I also don't like to be overtaken by someone who isn't suffering as much as I am [1] and it makes me feel bad. [1] Not really, I also ride a road e-bike which strokes my fragile ego.
- dd_roger 5y ago
  I'm personally convinced that there's no justification for banning eMTBs (or any other negative sentiments toward them really) beside gatekeeping. There's nothing about eMTBs allowing people to venture in more difficult trails than with normal MTBs. Most terrains that are too hard on a normal MTB will be even harder on an eMTB because you loose some agility and the ability to carry the bike over unrideable sections. I often see people complain about "how fast eMTBs go in some climbs, which is dangerous to bystanders". This is the most ridiculous argument, completely unrelated to eMTBs. Regardless of the terrain (uphill, downhill, flat, ...) I always slow down to ~walking speed when passing someone if the trail isn't wide enough to put at least ~1.5 meter between me and them. Meanwhile the same people who complain about eMTBs being dangerous bomb down the hill past hikers at 25+ km/h. Anyway, a long rant to basically say that any argument about speed is only ever relevant if brought up in the context of educating people to be more courteous riders regardless of the bike they ride. Finally, you're orders of magnitudes more likely to be stranded because you punctured and forgot your repair kit (or whatever other damage to your bike that can't be fixed trailside) than due to overheating battery or whatever improbable scenario people come up to justify hating on eMTBs.
  - ianhowson 5y ago
    I generally agree with you. I don't personally find eMTBs to be bothersome, and fully expect to be riding one when I'm not physically able to ride an acoustic MTB. And I definitely agree with you re. bystanders, where regular MTBs are fast enough to be dangerous. The only point where I disagree is: > There's nothing about eMTBs allowing people to venture in more difficult trails than with normal MTBs If you want to go down the hill, you need to climb up the hill. This is a skill and fitness gate, normally; you're not going to tackle a difficult or extended descent if you don't think you can climb out again. Soquel Demo Forest, one of the very popular Bay Area spots, bans eMTBs. It might be reasonable in this case due to the elevation profile. From the car park you need to climb for 20-40 minutes. You descend. You then have another long climb back to the carpark. It's a worst-case scenario for batteries, and because the area is so popular, it tends to attract people riding beyond their limits already. I don't personally care, and I don't want to tell people not to enjoy an activity, but I can understand the reasoning in some cases.

soared 5y ago

Yes. Tons and tons more people are biking now, especially those that weren't able before. Older and also overweight people can now bike much more easily. All anecdotal, but Denver has seemingly many more bikers.

anotherboffin 5y ago
Anecdotal as well, but Switzerland has loads of them too. I appreciate the fact that it gets more people on bikes, but I'm a bit concerned about them going on terrain way above their level (as noted above) or risking accidents with hikers.

twalla 5y ago

If the amount of 50+ year olds on e-MTBs smoking me on the uphill is any indication I'd say yes. I just checked and they've also gotten remarkably more affordable (at least for a sport where 3k for a bike is considered low-end) - like the cheapest model from a reputable brand is 6000 bucks (Kona Remote 160) compared to just under 10k for most models last time I checked.