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Upgrading my DH bike to an e-bike?

Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,767
501
TROLLOLOLOLOL @ that PinkBike pissing match.

Any dorks who think that e-mtbs are magically going to gouge up the trails more than any standard bike needs a slow, sweaty dickslap across the face.

If, post-dickslap, you still aren't convinced, then (for an exorbitant fee) I will travel to your local trail with my 450 loaded up with a fresh M5B rear tire (included in your fee), and ride up your local mtb trail. This will demonstrate one of two things:

1) How insanely little damage an e-mtb will do to a trail compared to "an actual motorcycle"

and/or

2) How little damage "an actual motorcycle" really ends up doing to a trail. Spoiler alert - it's not all that much compared to things like......rain. Or even foot traffic for that matter.


The dusting of some random path in the middle of the woods that has the collective yuppie population of neon-clad "mountain bikers" frothing at the mouth through the previous sip of their espresso is of absolutely ZERO consequence in the big scheme of things. None. Any trails that might ever close to bikes in the near future are going to get closed eventually anyway - they are all on the radar of some Sierra Club hippie skidmark, and the mountains will not turn into a fucking prairie with the oncoming rumbling armies of slightly faster moving bicycles...

It's comforting to see that these people don't have any real problems in life.
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,775
18,284
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
Kanye West said:
TROLLOLOLOLOL @ that PinkBike pissing match.

Any dorks who think that e-mtbs are magically going to gouge up the trails more than any standard bike needs a slow, sweaty dickslap across the face.

If, post-dickslap, you still aren't convinced, then (for an exorbitant fee) I will travel to your local trail with my 450 loaded up with a fresh M5B rear tire (included in your fee), and ride up your local mtb trail. This will demonstrate one of two things:

1) How insanely little damage an e-mtb will do to a trail compared to "an actual motorcycle"

and/or

2) How little damage "an actual motorcycle" really ends up doing to a trail. Spoiler alert - it's not all that much compared to things like......rain. Or even foot traffic for that matter.


The dusting of some random path in the middle of the woods that has the collective yuppie population of neon-clad "mountain bikers" frothing at the mouth through the previous sip of their espresso is of absolutely ZERO consequence in the big scheme of things. None. Any trails that might ever close to bikes in the near future are going to get closed eventually anyway - they are all on the radar of some Sierra Club hippie skidmark, and the mountains will not turn into a fucking prairie with the oncoming rumbling armies of slightly faster moving bicycles...

It's comforting to see that these people don't have any real problems in life.
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Bullshit.
 
Inclag

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,775
459
MA
kidwoo said:
A bunch of people on shitty 50lb trailbikes aren't exactly going to be responsible for building fun rowdy descents anywhere.
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Doesn't seem to be the case with mobs of people riding $5K-$8K 28lbs super-do-everything bikes as it currently stands.....
 
Inclag

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,775
459
MA
A few thoughts....

  1. From a 30,000 ft view, emtb aside, isn't this all essentially an arms race to fulfill the emerging market of the lifer 'urbanite'? People are living in cities, putting more value on proximity to work, and are buying into a higher debt/service based economy (God help us). Given federal and international laws surrounding motorized transportation, ebikes are a massive market opportunity.
  2. I honestly couldn't give two flying frankurters about Emtb's on trails. I have a hard time believing that trails will be destroyed or my experience is going to be influenced by having these things on a trail. My hunch is that the lion's share of Emtb's you'll see will be lined up next to the off road Segways at your local lift accessed resort.
  3. It's frustrating that the optics of land rights, access issues, and incorporation of these devices as personal vehicles that skirt many road, compliance, and insurance laws falls under the guise of "these are bikes" because it puts actual bike things and users at risk.
 
StiHacka

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
Inclag said:
A few thoughts....

  1. From a 30,000 ft view, emtb aside, isn't this all essentially an arms race to fulfill the emerging market of the lifer 'urbanite'? People are living in cities, putting more value on proximity to work, and are buying into a higher debt/service based economy (God help us). Given federal and international laws surrounding motorized transportation, ebikes are a massive market opportunity.
  2. I honestly couldn't give two flying frankurters about Emtb's on trails. I have a hard time believing that trails will be destroyed or my experience is going to be influenced by having these things on a trail. My hunch is that the lion's share of Emtb's you'll see will be lined up next to the off road Segways at your local lift accessed resort.
  3. It's frustrating that the optics of land rights, access issues, and incorporation of these devices as personal vehicles that skirt many road, compliance, and insurance laws falls under the guise of "these are bikes" because it puts actual bike things and users at risk.
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I've seen some e-bikes in Fells this summer. There's no way an untrained eye can tell them apart from bikes. Besides the fact that I don't see the point of getting those things to small and very busy recreation areas that are already simmering with tensions, these dudes are not going to help our cause - poor trail etiquette, sometimes without helmets, going mach speeds at flat fireroads where most of the dog walkers are, etc. And I don't see them volunteering on the trails, ever.
 
Inclag

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,775
459
MA
StiHacka said:
I've seen some e-bikes in Fells this summer. There's no way an untrained eye can tell them apart from bikes. Besides the fact that I don't see the point of getting those things to small and very busy recreation areas that are already simmering with tensions, these dudes are not going to help our cause - poor trail etiquette, sometimes without helmets, going mach speeds at flat fireroads where most of the dog walkers are, etc. And I don't see them volunteering on the trails, ever.
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Wouldn't it be such a tragedy if there was no 'mountain biking' at the Fells......

God I hope they level that place and put up a bunch of SoDoSoPa condos there. That place is ground zero for every misguided Boston make believe nature lover urbanite. The amount of vitriol and effort that people spend bickering about that place is stupid. At least there's one community that just goes about their business and isn't trying to piss on anyone else's parade at the Fells.

But on a more serious note....would you say that these were in general 'helmet-less encounters' at the Fells?
 
StiHacka

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
Inclag said:
Wouldn't it be such a tragedy if there was no 'mountain biking' at the Fells......

God I hope they level that place and put up a bunch of SoDoSoPa condos there. That place is ground zero for every misguided Boston make believe nature lover urbanite. The amount of vitriol and effort that people spend bickering about that place is stupid. At least there's one community that just goes about their business and isn't trying to piss on anyone else's parade at the Fells.

But on a more serious note....would you say that these were in general 'helmet-less encounters' at the Fells?
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I don't share that sentiment - I live 100 yards from the trails there and it is pretty much my only chance of getting any riding done in the weekdays. I avoid the conflict by riding very early or very late when that place is empty.

e-bike helmetless encounters: 50/50.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
I have about 30 hours in on various class 1 offroad pedal assist bikes this year... We've been using the heck out of them out at Thunder to do things like build and tape the fresh enduro tracks that aren't lift accessible. I spent a fair bit riding ebikes on OHV trails at Windrock and TTC in TN earlier this year too.

Class 1 pedal assist bikes in NO WAY cause more damage to a trail than a standard bike. Period. They go no faster downhill, and you can't climb with them in high-power modes for very long before the battery is dead- the power assist cuts off at 20mph on flat ground. There is really nothing about them that should be threatening. In fact they are really pretty fun... The low centralized mass makes them super stable, and they weigh the same as my DH race bike from 12 years ago.

I agree, they certainly have their places at resorts along side the Segway rentals... for now.
Another 5 years or so of advancements in battery technology, and then we're onto something. Right now the range of the bikes is just too limited in the higher-power modes(don't expect to hammer one and get more than 3000ft of climbing in), and the assistance in the lower power modes is only enough to compensate for the added mass+ add a small amount of assist.

It takes one ride to figure out that these things aren't motorcycles, or mopeds. It also takes one ride to figure out that this is pretty immature technology.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,785
5,602
Ottawa, Canada
SuspectDevice said:
I have about 30 hours in on various class 1 offroad pedal assist bikes this year... We've been using the heck out of them out at Thunder to do things like build and tape the fresh enduro tracks that aren't lift accessible. I spent a fair bit riding ebikes on OHV trails at Windrock and TTC in TN earlier this year too.

Class 1 pedal assist bikes in NO WAY cause more damage to a trail than a standard bike. Period. They go no faster downhill, and you can't climb with them in high-power modes for very long before the battery is dead- the power assist cuts off at 20mph on flat ground. There is really nothing about them that should be threatening. In fact they are really pretty fun... The low centralized mass makes them super stable, and they weigh the same as my DH race bike from 12 years ago.

I agree, they certainly have their places at resorts along side the Segway rentals... for now.
Another 5 years or so of advancements in battery technology, and then we're onto something. Right now the range of the bikes is just too limited in the higher-power modes(don't expect to hammer one and get more than 3000ft of climbing in), and the assistance in the lower power modes is only enough to compensate for the added mass+ add a small amount of assist.

It takes one ride to figure out that these things aren't motorcycles, or mopeds. It also takes one ride to figure out that this is pretty immature technology.
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