I assumed I had a clue how they worked until I read about them some more on the bike section over at MTBR. You apparently don't have to always be pedaling to keep moving as people are talking about having to watch themselves on some corners, depending what shift "mode" they are in because their Specialized Levo (the #1 selling e-bike) has a lurch where it *may* punch you forward when it may not be desired.

While there supposedly "limits" to e-bikes at this point, we all know they won't stay that way. I know I never left a single jet ski, wakeboard boat or dirt bike I owned stock. They were always modified to get some type of performance gain. It's not hard to go online and see that they are already being sold for e-bikes. Of course, the retailer may add that these mods aren't intended for e-bikes being ridden in certain areas....as if that ever stopped anybody. I've seen exactly (4) e-bikes so far on my MTB rides and they have all been on trails where they are 100% illegal.

I don't care about the "cheating" aspect. If I knew there was a guarantee that we wouldn't lose any trail access, I wouldn't care much about e-bikes at all.

_________________
If you don't go this year, you'll only be a year older when you do - Warren Miller

You just offended many Pinoy mtbikers with that bell ugly statement.
We're probably the only creed who buys those bell (met, urge and lazer too).


Ldood, do all these poignant conversations now warrant for an eBike sub forum?

Sigh, now back onto my classic traditional pedal mountain bike ride (so cold out right now brrrr)
https://flic.kr/p/PJ7ULJ

_________________
Department of Good Times

I will restructure my question, have you personally ridden one?

Because much of what we read online is fueled with vitriol prevalent with all and any eBike discussion. I have ridden both the powerfly and Levo, extensively on the latter. With the Levo, you could manually control and set that "lurch." You could control the assist level and acceleration (which you could control to 40% or less). So lurching or launching is muted pretty much anything below 30-40%. Shit is so cool you could do all these management on your phone via their proprietary (Oh wow!! what Specialized trait) app. Not too familiar with the Bosch system on the Trek. Really wasn't interested because it looked hideous.

Nonetheless, I cringe thinking of an inexperienced rider renting an eBike while in Moab and getting "launched" off the edge or exposure because improper acceleration setting. Poor tourist.

_________________
Department of Good Times

I wholeheartedly agree 1000%. In fact, there is already (allegedly) a chip mod to increase the motor output on the Brose and Bosch to reach higher max speed beyond 20 - up to 35 MPH. I just READ about it so gnawing it with a grain of salt. I want to be very explicitly clear that I am very very fucking against eBikes with manual paddle/throttle/switch to engage assist on demand without pedaling. That's against all principles I have about mountain biking.

However, when people oppose something out of fear (lathered with little to no real understanding of the use), sentiment or just speculation, it's rather contradictory when you consider so many of us here admittedly ride on many trails we ALL aren't really supposed to be riding in the first place with or without knowledge of it. Everyone likes Brown Angel trail in Calavera and Mel Brooks, right? So it seems almost as if the issue with losing trail access is just a convenient scapegoat to thrust everyone's personal agenda with eBike usage.

I'm glad people have dropped the trail damage as result of eBike band aid argument bullshit. I could tell you right now, me and my 4 shredding downhill buddies inadvertently created more incidental trail impact moving at an average speed of 20 mph slaying loose earthened berm segments and cutting inside lines (still within the tread) on several sustained descents last Sunday in Palm Canyon. No eBikes needed for that cumulative impact.

Lastly and unfortunately there is no guarantee.
I remember when grouchy dudes used to scoff at the 9 spd movement -that they guarantee skinny chains will break and we all be back to 8 spd all over again. 12 speed what? Ironically, 8 spd is making a realistic comeback - in the form of a dedicated eBike specific gearing (SRAM eX1). Hahahaha.

_________________
Department of Good Times

Yup same gentleman. My immediate reaction when he passed us was, deng! So cool. My buddies were a bit more verbally colorful. By the time we reached the tractor break spot, the same Foes dude was there and my buddies were still at it -indirectly but loud as fuck. I asked everyone to chill. They said their piece, let it go and allow the guy to have his fun. I mean seriously, the only thing that old guy hurt at the point and moving forward was some guys' feelings. Same feelings/vitriol people feed off of when they pop their knuckles and take a deep breath before they type their tirade on the internet about why eBike is satan's motorized vehicle.

Back to the Foes guy, coincidentally, one of my good friend in this Palm Canyon ride is 64 (his wife is nearing 60). He cramped up way before 10 mile mark, back hurt badly by the tractor and eventually and ever so gradually finished the ride some nearly two hours back. He did not have fun.


So if I show up on my eBike at the next DT ride and take the battery out and put in my pack and pedal the now acceptably lighter 48 lbs classical 6Fattie FSR mountain bike, would it be cool?



Ldood, could you please make an eBike dungeon sub forum already? I could keep this up here on general board.

_________________
Department of Good Times

Yes, READ only but that was on the ebike forum on MTBR posted by people that actually OWN the bike and love it. It wasn't posted by the haters....which there are plenty of. That just seems to be one of the *possible* negatives associated with that one bike.

_________________
If you don't go this year, you'll only be a year older when you do - Warren Miller

No worries.
Like I said, my whole caveat here as of late is just to stir up shit, any shit.
We need some caffeine in the blood stream here. LOL.
We need to interact again as some sort of cycling virtual community that transcends into real ride and personal interaction. It's been lacking and we can't go on evdog bikeadventures all the time. We're not all built and conditioned that way and is why eBikes makes sense.

One thing I hated about eBike and I thought where it really fell flat on its fatass and face was where I truly enjoy riding a mountain bike - downhill. My old old 46 lb full on DH bike felt like lightning compared to the Levo on the descent. eBike advantage on the descent = zero.

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, not one fuck was given over eBikes.

_________________
Department of Good Times

Nah. This is the right place for eBike talk.

Awwww. Back to my cave

_________________
Department of Good Times

Ozzer, when is the IntensE-bike coming out? There are already some garage-built ones out there.

_________________
Thus, if we are to understand the world, we should live somewhere between judgement and amazement — Alfredo Lopez Austin

I'd be happy to further discuss these topics openly in an appropriate sub-forum.

_________________
Department of Good Times

All I know is that I now want to go back to Costa Rica! (and not give any fucks while I'm down there).

_________________
_______________________________


"it can go full porno alley"

- Kimba - One love, many bikes - 2020

I saw my first ebike in LPQ on the Bridges trail a few weeks back. And yes, I could not resist giving a bit of shit. The guy, about my age kept insisting on explaining, one more time, how his bike has no throttle, must be peddled, ad nauseum.

Finally, I relented. "OK, I get it. You are riding a peddle assisted electric motorcycle. I understand. Just don't let Gina catch you out here."

He gave up at that point.

_________________
Scum on a Bike

While I do think EBikes have their place, I think it would not be legal on most biking trails, as they are NON MOTORIZED vehicles only. You cannot even begin to argue that an EBike is Not a motorized vehicle. Additionally, how does the current EBike phase differ than from the advent of the motorcycle, which started as adding small motors to bicycles. At what point does an EBike become an electric motorcycle or moped?

I think they are a fantastic idea for a commuter bike, get some benefit of riding, added speed, less sweat, but again, when does it become a Motorcycle?

I'm more concerned about the next administration selling off public land than I am about the slippery slope argument of enviro-nazis blocking all MTB access due to ebikes. Once land is sold, all access and possible future access is over.

With the sad state of my spine, I may have to join the ebike ranks someday...

_________________
Velo Ergo Endo