Discussion
Went up Cannock chase (CC) at weekend, not been for a while, still pretty unfit but i noticed a few points of ebikes, that i had previously never noticed.
They are actually slower, i got stuck behinf a few, as CC is pretty techinical, this old guy on one was moaning about it as we passed him.
I thought it was funny, my 300 quid fs being more fun thaN a 5k ebike. Yes on the uphills i guess it great to wizz past people, but CC can't be a great place for them as very tight and few long stretches. They must weigh 25-30 kilos, as they way they handle really seems to slow them down. Out of the 5 I saw 4 where ridden by bigger framed people. I honestly think that they just aren't as fun as getting non ones, maybe CC isnt the right place for them.
They are actually slower, i got stuck behinf a few, as CC is pretty techinical, this old guy on one was moaning about it as we passed him.
I thought it was funny, my 300 quid fs being more fun thaN a 5k ebike. Yes on the uphills i guess it great to wizz past people, but CC can't be a great place for them as very tight and few long stretches. They must weigh 25-30 kilos, as they way they handle really seems to slow them down. Out of the 5 I saw 4 where ridden by bigger framed people. I honestly think that they just aren't as fun as getting non ones, maybe CC isnt the right place for them.
Unless suffering from mobility / fitness / health issues I don't see why you'd want one for generally plodding around CC, it's a very tame trail, a hardtail is probably the most fun to ride it on as makes it more of a challenge.
What I would like an e-bike for is doing things like stile cop where on a normal bike it's a 10 minute ride/push-up for less than a minute coming back down, being able to whizz back to the top and get more downhill runs in really appeals
I like the YT Decoy and the new Orbea, but don't think I can justify £6k on a bike
What I would like an e-bike for is doing things like stile cop where on a normal bike it's a 10 minute ride/push-up for less than a minute coming back down, being able to whizz back to the top and get more downhill runs in really appeals
I like the YT Decoy and the new Orbea, but don't think I can justify £6k on a bike
I was unable to keep up with a group of 40 somethings on their ebikes around CC when I was on hardtail trail bike.
I absolutely concur that they are gash for threading along fast, twisty, fun trails, but for zipping up hills and along the forest roads that connect the (very few) good bits of CC, you can't argue with an extra few hundred Watts
I absolutely concur that they are gash for threading along fast, twisty, fun trails, but for zipping up hills and along the forest roads that connect the (very few) good bits of CC, you can't argue with an extra few hundred Watts
It’s becoming more widely recognised that, especially at the aggressive trail and enduro level, e-bikes have certain advantages that will usually make them faster. The weight is actually an advantage as it loads the suspension more and the bikes track the ground better - and then there’s the uphill advantage. The bikes there are replacing are already large with wide handlebars and big wheels so agility isn’t affected. Additionally, the extra power available helps with exiting berms and suchlike and makes up for the weight on jumps etc.
XC I can see there being much less of an advantage except in reduced fatigue over a long ride.
XC I can see there being much less of an advantage except in reduced fatigue over a long ride.
I am sold on replacing my full suspension mtb with an E bike, however dont really know where to start. Whats the entry price of a full sus E bike thats worth getting. If you took say the £1000 bossnut as a reference whats a similar spec e bike cost? Do i need to be spending £3k or £6k, I notice end if year models always get massive discounts compared to non E bikes assume this is because next years models are so much better.
Omaruk said:
Yep, sold my YT Capra as my Specialized Levo just does everything better for Enduro style riding. The upshot is I am just as knackered at the end of the ride but have covered at least twice the distance and have had more than twice the fun.
Nearly 40 miles, 3200ft climb and 13.8 average mph on my Levo last weekend.I’m an EMTB convert, it’s not cheating it’s faster, further, just as much sweat and calories lost so just as much fun for me.
Downhill, it flies and the Levo rides like a normal mountain bike in every situation.
HoHoHo said:
Downhill, it flies and the Levo rides like a normal mountain bike in every situation.
Thesprucegoose said:
HoHoHo said:
Downhill, it flies and the Levo rides like a normal mountain bike in every situation.
It wasn't just the hills, but it accelerated much harder out of every corner with the assist. As much as I don't like admiting it a (decent) e-bike will be faster in pretty much all situations.
HoHoHo said:
Nearly 40 miles, 3200ft climb and 13.8 average mph on my Levo last weekend.
I’m an EMTB convert, it’s not cheating it’s faster, further, just as much sweat and calories lost so just as much fun for me.
Downhill, it flies and the Levo rides like a normal mountain bike in every situation.
Same here - I'd never ride a "normal" bike again. eMTBs are just awesome, and if the OP saw "big framed" people going slow then I think they'd be going slow whatever. I’m an EMTB convert, it’s not cheating it’s faster, further, just as much sweat and calories lost so just as much fun for me.
Downhill, it flies and the Levo rides like a normal mountain bike in every situation.
Check out the guys on embn on Youtube - there's nothing a normal bike can do that an ebike can't do faster and more fun.
I got myself a 2019 Haibike Fullnine 5.0 - fantastic bike. However I've already decided that I'm upgrading to one of those flyon motored things next year - 120nm of torque
Sambucket said:
Ebike hate is just social posturing as far as i can tell.
Thesprucegoose said:
I don't hate ebikes, it was a discussion about them, which for some i guess comes across as binary, i was thinking about getting one but not until at least sub 18 kilos. Just suprised how unwieldy them seemed but CC is very close and tight turns.
I'd bet it was the rider not the bike. The good/bad thing about ebikes is that it opens up trails to people who would not attempt them. For a "newbie" Cannock can be quite intimidating. Without doubt you'd be much faster round Cannock on an e-bike than a std bike.
WestyCarl said:
I'd bet it was the rider not the bike. The good/bad thing about ebikes is that it opens up trails to people who would not attempt them. For a "newbie" Cannock can be quite intimidating.
Without doubt you'd be much faster round Cannock on an e-bike than a std bike.
This, really. For all the moaning about them, if an e-bike gets someone who would otherwise not ride out riding, then it's a win, surely? More riders means more pressure on those that would drive MTBing away (MOD/Landmarc, I'm looking at you) to actually accommodate riders. Without doubt you'd be much faster round Cannock on an e-bike than a std bike.
Sure, the boost it gives to performance flatters the unfit, and probably does mean that they break away from "pootling around the lake" and start exploring natural, and built single-track, but unless they ride challenging stuff they won't develop into capable riders.
As for getting held up by them? C'est la vie, really. Many's the time I've been held up by family groups, occasional riders, ladies with dogs in baskets, etc, even at Swinley. The answer is to play nice with them, get past when it's safe, and don't do anything dickish to discourage them. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, after all. And if that somewhere is an e-bike, that's cool with me. I'll have one one day, I reckon. But I've no need of one right now, nor could I afford one "just because".
So long as the buggers check the "e-bike ride" box on Strava and don't cheat me out of what few KOMs I have, then we'll all get along just fine...
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