Wait ā there’s an e-bike World Championships now? Yes. Yes, there is.
First run by eBike Dolomiti in 2014, this year’s race was held in the Dolomites, Italy on June 13/14th. The race was split over two days on an 18km course with 1,500m of height gain ā tough courses, at altitude, presumably to maximise the suffering.
Only riders of pedelec bikes with a maximum assist speed of 25km/h and 250W motors were eligible to enter, and the title went to Yves Ketterer (Team bikesportworld/klk-Raceteam), who also won the e-bike marathon at Tegernsee’s MTB Festival earlier in June. Of his new world title, he said:
“It is just as hard to ride an e-bike contest as a pure MTB event. On the flat sections we ride these bikes exceeding the limit of 25 km/h where the motor is no longer allowed to assist. So we have to push the approx. 20kg e-bikes permanently with pure muscle power. The routes also provide steep climbs that you would barely accomplish with normal MTBs ā that Ćs where we and the bikes are riding close to the limit.”
So – the World Champ agrees with our assessment that electric assist bikes are still just as hard to ride as regular bikes. Phew, that’s a relief. But should e-bikes really have their own World Champs, or indeed have any place in racing at all? We’re sure you have an opinionā¦
The guy on the left looks like he stole his bike.
[i]Weāre sure you have an opinionā¦[/i]
Er. Um… erm.. well… Nope.
wtf? Surely e-bikes are about giving folk who might struggle with a regular mtb access to same hills/ trails as everyone else. Now we have fit xc racers competing on them. Is this April 1st again?
Where e-bikes are concerned, it’s always April 1st š
My mate was at Snetterton the other week watching perfectly fit and able blokes race bikes that were *completely* powered by petrol engines and required no pedalling at all. š®
I keep getting overtaken by them on my commute .
Tempting as a commuter , especially when there are no showers .
The future is coming – west world stylee
Looking for the next big thing…
Riderless 39er E-bikes coming to a trail near you…..
My wife loves mountain biking but always struggles to keep pace with me up the hills
I bought her a quality electric hard tail, cube Xt equipped etc
It’s a game changer for her, she can now keep up with me and really enjoys riding now
She is 54 and I’m 55
I’m sure there’s a place for e bikes but as I’m trying to regain fitness after cancer treatment I don’t think I want one yet!
This sums it up best I feel https://instagram.com/p/4XHaCrjAET/