It's 2024 Is an Emtb in your near future?
- Thread starter mattybfat
- Start date
Captain Brainstorm
Well-Known Member
Less fit riders who are more fit now after being on an ebike? Hmmm, I question that. Put them back on regular bikes and let’s see how fit they’ve become. And riding with a bunch of pros who became pros riding regular bikes isn’t really a good proxy for the other 99.9%.
More riding is more riding.
Someone who once rode 1x a week, but now rides 3x a week (w/ e) is for sure better off for it This is the phenomenon I’ve seen a lot lately.
I can’t say if they are more fit as a result, but I can’t see a way whereas they are worse for more time doing anything athletic
Perhaps someone here who is now riding more hours because of an ebike can speak to how that manifests itself on a traditional bike.
Riding with pros was just an eye opening experience all around. Such a hoot. I was fortunate to have that experience and a few others like it over the years.
I’d also like to add an experience I had yesterday. I took a friend out who in my eyes would never in any world 🌎 do a ten mile ride at Stephens. I was able to share that ride with him and he told me after that it really inspired him to ride all of his bikes more often. I am rather certain that after 2 miles on his analog bike, he would have turned back after blowing up. It was really cool 😎
Put them back on regular bikes and they quit riding because it's too much effort to get fit enough to make mtb'g enjoyable. Or, they ride once or twice a month and suffer through the pain. Now I have some health issues, but before I had an e-bike the only places I could ride without getting SVT's was 6MR and Allaire. With the ebike I can go do 20 mile rides at the hilliest places and enjoy myself.
OddTrickStar
Well-Known Member
People don’t even know the difference. I’m constantly overhearing people call my fat bike an electric bike “that thar is one of those electric bikes”.
Definitely no e-bike in my near future, just not interested. I enjoy riding my bikes the way they are. Good workout, even without the extra weight of all that e stuff.
Definitely no e-bike in my near future, just not interested. I enjoy riding my bikes the way they are. Good workout, even without the extra weight of all that e stuff.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I think in this case he’s referring to someone sitting on the couch vs going outside and exercising, period. In that regard You could totally see it being a life changer for some folks. If you ride bikes already I highly doubt you’ll become faster riding an E-Bike, you’ll just have funner recovery days.
pygmypony
Well-Known Member
one of my oldest friends stopped MTB because he was so beat up from his career as an iron worker. he got an ebike a few years back and he has not looked back! it's been an absolute game changer for him. he started really out of shape, and still sort of chasing me on my acoustic bike (or are we calling them all muscle bikes now?)....now i can't come close to hanging with him on my acoustic bike...
so, the other day at hartshorne i borrowed his "old" ebike and he rode his new one...all i can say is WOW
it was SO MUCH DAMN FUN...sure it was not the same cardio workout as a regular bike ride, but my HR still got up there, and due to the heft of the bike (i was riding his older CUBE which i think weighs close to 50lbs) my upper body was feeling it, throwing that beast around.
also, technical trail features come up on you so much more quickly than you are used to, that bike handling skills are further amplified.
anyway, this is a long way of saying, i am definitely going to have an eMTB sometime in the future, for recovery days, trail maintainence, hanging with my other eMTB buddies, etc etc...
i already have an eCargo bike and that has bascially replaced a car for me
so, the other day at hartshorne i borrowed his "old" ebike and he rode his new one...all i can say is WOW
it was SO MUCH DAMN FUN...sure it was not the same cardio workout as a regular bike ride, but my HR still got up there, and due to the heft of the bike (i was riding his older CUBE which i think weighs close to 50lbs) my upper body was feeling it, throwing that beast around.
also, technical trail features come up on you so much more quickly than you are used to, that bike handling skills are further amplified.
anyway, this is a long way of saying, i am definitely going to have an eMTB sometime in the future, for recovery days, trail maintainence, hanging with my other eMTB buddies, etc etc...
i already have an eCargo bike and that has bascially replaced a car for me
I don't get the ride further argument. How far do you want to go in NJ? I usually do a 3-4 hour ride at least once/week. Three parks of Allamuchy, Ringwood combos with Skyline or Sterling, every inch of Allaire, Hartshorne plus Huber, more than Six Miles, whatever. That's plenty for me. No desire to go further.
Who knows what will happen, but when I'm no longer able to do these rides, feels like I'll just switch to hiking or something else. I don't need to MTB my whole life.
Who knows what will happen, but when I'm no longer able to do these rides, feels like I'll just switch to hiking or something else. I don't need to MTB my whole life.
3-4 hr rides are way beyond what the average American can handle at this point. Have you been to the beach lately? The bar is set so freaking low. Most of the parks that you mentioned are totally out of reach for most people who are interested in MTBing just by the elevation change alone.
Even with e-bikes, I barely ever see anyone at Allamuchy and I have always assumed it’s the elevation that keeps people away.
There is a group for which an ebike is really the only way they are ever riding any more than an hr at any park. We all know someone who once rode dirt bikes or bmx, maybe even early mtbs, but their physical condition just won’t allow them to get off the couch. For this segment, an ebike is a game changer and maybe a life saver.
It’s also interesting to watch the fastest guys out there reaching for ebike more often. They get more laps on the fast Dhs and now ride up trails that were o fun to climb in the past.
Jon is the perfect example of someone who doesn’t need any help, but he has seen that an ebike changes the way he rides the same trails he has ridden for 20+ years. He was not on board at first, but after a few rides in the woods, he saw that e-bikes are just another tool in the toolbox.
I’ll note here that I’m by no means an ebike zealot. We sell one or two most days, but they are by far not the majority of what we see in the shop. What I do see is that this is where the bike industry is going based on the amount of focus and resources dedicated to e-bikes.
I’m now on my 7th or 8th ebike, I’ve seen the evolution and I’m excited to see how they will evolve in the coming years. 2 winters ago I had a total knee replacement. I rode the ebike as part of my recovery and I worked my ass off to NOT need it, but when I did need it I was certainly glad to have it.
1TrackMind
Well-Known Member
I don’t get the ride further either, I only have a 1-2 hours to ride and my butt gives out before my lungs or legs. I want the short window to be an intense workout, I don’t have the multi hour time I think is necessary to stay fit on a e-bike. I also don’t understand how e-bike pushers say on one hand it’s just as good as workout and then say how effortless the rides are… how can it be both? I assume the answer is you ride longer amount of time?
I don’t care what people ride, but every e-bike rider I meet on the trails always seems somewhat embarrassed and quickly gives a justification (I have a bad back etc) without me criticizing or questioning.
Really, I don’t want to pay for one, not just the initial cost, but I imagine the service is a lot more, and soon, like cars, the apps to manage the bike will require a subscription, and in a 3 years it will be unsupported and then the battery dies which will cost 75% of a new bike, or just be embedded in the frame so it can’t be replaced. That’s fine if your a person who gets a new bike every year, but I am just not willing to invest that into recreationally riding a bike in the woods.
My fear is as they become mainstream, everything will be designed for them, and due to mass production regular bikes will get components thst just work won’t great without a motor (I.e. sram transmission), trails won’t have switchback climbs to downhill sections, riders will just power up straight up to the good stuff.
I don’t care what people ride, but every e-bike rider I meet on the trails always seems somewhat embarrassed and quickly gives a justification (I have a bad back etc) without me criticizing or questioning.
Really, I don’t want to pay for one, not just the initial cost, but I imagine the service is a lot more, and soon, like cars, the apps to manage the bike will require a subscription, and in a 3 years it will be unsupported and then the battery dies which will cost 75% of a new bike, or just be embedded in the frame so it can’t be replaced. That’s fine if your a person who gets a new bike every year, but I am just not willing to invest that into recreationally riding a bike in the woods.
My fear is as they become mainstream, everything will be designed for them, and due to mass production regular bikes will get components thst just work won’t great without a motor (I.e. sram transmission), trails won’t have switchback climbs to downhill sections, riders will just power up straight up to the good stuff.
In order to do a 3-4 hour ride at least once/week, i would currently need an ebike (and a divorce). If you can do it without a motor (and married with kids), god bless ya.
Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
This is an interesting question I've been thinking about the last few days. Using the parks you mentioned specifically.... Sterling CW/CCW back to back? No problem. Full 3 park tour of Mooch? Sure, why not. TOS loop from Ramapo and back? Not such a slog anymore. It definitely rings true to the people who said they'd rent one on vacation. If I'm driving a good distance, getting my money's worth in terms of mileage is definitely a factor in my mind.
I also kind of love it as an option to offer it to my friends who aren't as in shape as I am. FWIW I've gone on 3 rides since I've purchased it and 2 were on a regular ole pedal bike and 1 on the eeb. I totally agree it's another tool to use.
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
I was slow on the tent sale! That’s the price they should be at. Ha
I rode a $250 Haro Mary two times this week. It was a blast! Of course only do this south NJ.
There is a place for Emtb for sure. I imagine myself pedaling up big hills with expansive views. CO/UT. Not in Nj. Our parks are usually far part and packs a lot of miles in a small place. 1hr effort is plenty for me these days. To each their own. Ppl ask why I have so many this or that. (1) mind your business (2) they are different tools like @Cassinonorth says. And let me know when your done with it haha
I rode a $250 Haro Mary two times this week. It was a blast! Of course only do this south NJ.
There is a place for Emtb for sure. I imagine myself pedaling up big hills with expansive views. CO/UT. Not in Nj. Our parks are usually far part and packs a lot of miles in a small place. 1hr effort is plenty for me these days. To each their own. Ppl ask why I have so many this or that. (1) mind your business (2) they are different tools like @Cassinonorth says. And let me know when your done with it haha
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Captain Brainstorm
Well-Known Member
There are a group of folks limited by health and medical issues that have legit needs for an ebike, they’re a minority of total riding population. Let’s talk about everyone else. How many couch potatoes are now riding 3x a week because of ebikes? And if you have that much time to devote to it, get your lazy ass in shape and ride a regular bike. It’s a philosophical difference here. This sport isn’t, or shouldn’t be for everyone. Why do we need to dumb it down? It’s not supposed to be easy. Fitness and health is a decision and commitment. If you can’t commit, if it’s too hard, then it isn’t for you.