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In light of the sheer amount of water that's landed on the Peak, this week, I thought I'd head out on the roadie today. Had a lovely ride over the Snake to Glossop, Hayfield, Chapel, Edale, then home.
Coming out of Hathersage, heading up to Foxhouses I caught up with a bunch of CTCers. Lots of "unique" bike setups, beards and Ron Hills, enough luggage to circumnavigate the globe, you know the sort. Now each to their own - not a style of riding that floats my boat, but if they're having fun, then crack on. Amongst all the Rohloffs and Tourney gear, there's also an e-bike.
I'm moving significantly faster than they are, so I say "Hi" to them all as I go past and carry on my merry way (last climb, so I'm giving it some). 30secs later I realise I've picked up a Klingon. A glance over my shoulder confirms that it's Mr E-bike. He proceeds to sit on my back wheel for most of the climb (actually, he's doing that really irritating thing of sitting out a bit, so I can't see what's coming up behind me). Doesn't say a word until about 100m from the top, when he pulls along side and very smugly announces
"Don't worry I'm on an electric bike"
"I bloody well know you are!" says I.
"Oh. How'd you work that out" Comes the very crestfallen reply.
"The 2" rear tyre, the enormous hub and the whacking great battery pack kinda give it away"
"You're not supposed to spot that." With that I hear the sound of a shifter going and he vanishes backwards.
Now is it just me, or is that all a bit crap? If he'd wanted a blast, then great. If he'd offered to give me a tow up, I'd have accepted, and then had a chat. Hell, if he'd wanted to sit on my wheel, all he needed to do was ask. But to wheelsuck, uninvited, whilst trying to make it look like skinnylycraboy can't drop a pensioner seems to shout "small willy" to the world. The sheer disappointment in his voice when he realised that he'd been spotted from the word go, and I was riding hard just because I wanted to was actually quite funny, but the behaviour itself still rankles...
there's no rules for wheelsucking, except that the silent, sneaky type is done by arseholes
the world of roadie sounds amazing
What's you beef ? You smoked him !
Just take it as a compliment and move on.
Why dance around? If you were pissed off you should have just told him OR sat up and asked him for a tow.
He probably heard you call your road bike a "roadie".
His heinous behaviour seems appropriate to me.
Would have been even funnier if he'd come past you whilst smoking a pipe! 😆
How slow were you going? I thought e-bike assist cut out at 16mph... 😆
skinnylycraboy upset about folk seeing him not dropping a pensioner seems to shout "small willy" to the world
What does it matter, he admitted it, didn't burn you off, or give you an unwanted tow (you didn't want a tow, did you?).
If you were truly giving it your all on the last climb you'd be struggling to see through a lactic acid & oxygen starved tunnel vision of your own doom, barely able to focus on the road in front of you let alone some bloke out having fun on his electric bike.
Can't believe people are actually bothered by this sort of thing. They were out on bikes, where's the beef?
If it bugs you so much then next time head straight for nice big pothole and then use your ninja MTB skillz to bunny-hop it at the very last second.
A sharp, monosyllabic expletive from behind generally indicates that it's worked.
If they haven't announced their presence then how can you be expected to signal road hazards.
you're not the only one it's happened too. I was in full strava mode, turning myself inside out to beat my best time, and some unnecessarily chirpy bloke accelerated past putting in no effort at all. I'm used to being passed, it happens often enough, but he could at least have the decency to do it under his own steam or look like he was trying
life is far far too short to worry about such petty things. 8)
I bet he is now KOM as well 🙂
e-bikes are kind of missing the obvious point about cycling - which is that it's exercise and therefore good for you.
The internal combustion engine was invented for those that don't want exercise - and we know what that does to people... 😯
FWIW taking a tow on an e-bike from a guy riding under his own steam is somewhat cheeky and a bit odd IMO
Strange. E-bikes seem great for cyclists who are less lucky in the health stakes - I remember my Dad not being able to cycle on our last family holiday because his heart couldn't take it and he was only in his 40s at the time...
I really can't understand these E Bikes.
I guy I know, who's a bit of a nutcase has one and he bombs round everywhere annoying motorists by blasting off at lights racing them.
On the rare occasions I have to talk to him ( he's a neighbour ) he told me he tried racing a BMW away from some lights whilst turning right. As the power hub is on the front, he accelerated too hard and straight lined into some railings.
Would have loved to have seen that.
I think the point of E bikes are that they assist the older gentleman (or lady) in cycling when they find that their body isn't as able as it once was.
There's a guy local to me (also Peak District) who uses an e-bike. I've never met him but every so often I get a ton of emails from Strava telling me that my KOMs have been beaten (by a hefty margin) by "Mr ebike".
He does have the decency to make the rides private once he's uploaded them (therefore restoring my KOMs) but it does seem a little bit like the rider that the OP encountered, someone keen to make a point.
I'd be annoyed to - basically, you've been raced by a motorcycle up a hill
That's just not cricket
And its bad for the environment...
Just wait till the masses buy them and power past you on a climb in your favorite trail centre 🙁
Wheel sucking us mildly antisocial, but if its a problem say at the time not later on a forum.
Happened to me once. We were out on road bikes doing a climb in gran canaria when we came across an e-bike tour. The standard of riding was fairly low and we'd overtaken them on a flat section, but when it kicked up some of them started overtaking.
I carried on at my own speed, got to the top of the hill where I noticed the ride leader (also on an ebike) sitting on my wheel. I'm sure he could have gone past and I'm not sure why he didn't - my arse may have been female and lycra clad but it's not *that* shapely!
Next time, do a snot rocket! 😈
[url= http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/5-steps-perfect-snot-rocket ][/url]
edit - video was flash and wouldn't embed.
my arse may have been female and lycra clad but it's not *that* shapely!
40 minutes since posting and no offers to be the judge of that? standards are slipping round here...
boltonjon - MemberI'd be annoyed to - basically, you've been raced by a motorcycle up a hill
But why is that annoying? I got overtaken by a car the other day too! If someone beats you in an unfair race, you don't piss and moan about it, because it was unfair. You just realise it was never a race in the first place. And lo, no harm came of it.
I've got a bee in my bonnet about EBikes - that's why
I have no issues about people using them if they have a medical condition hampering the use of a pushbike
However, i confident that 90%+ of full-suss Ebikes will be bought by lazy fat people - who will then use them on our trails
I love to ride for the purity - you, the bike and your fitness against the trail
Then again, i'm a Luddite and don't even own a smartphone 🙂
People can enjoy the outdoors without having to put effort in the Victorians were grait at doing that. And we wouldn't have half the past times and hobbies we have without them.
I disagree with him drafting behind you but i disagree with people saying the likes of
However, i confident that 90%+ of full-suss Ebikes will be bought by lazy fat people - who will then use them on our trails
Its a bit like the car v's bike argument,on who belongs on the road.
Classic STW post!!
Doesn't slipstreaming aid the lead rider by reducing the low pressure zone behind him. Even if it didn't, I don't get why it's so bad.
It smacks of play ground politics to me.
only at speed, in a headwind.
If someone sucks my wheel and takes no turn, then I do what hatter said up there^^ aim for pothole and get technical.
Or just make sure they're slightly on my left, and sit up and stop pedalling. Break their rythm too. I'm not in a Strava run. They probably are.
boltonjon - MemberI love to ride for the purity - you, the bike and your fitness against the trail
Then you probably should not buy an e-bike. Sorted!
First world problem.
Wonder how many of the angry people on this thread will buy one in their decaying days..
the world of roadie sounds amazing
and they all punch/fight like girls 😆
boltonjon - Member
Then again, i'm a Luddite
I can confirm this.
I think you are getting a bit worked up about nothing. The ebike gives people a chance to cycle when their bodies are no longer up to it for whatever reason.
The guy was having a laugh and a bit of fun, he chatted to you and came clean about his bike in what sounds like a nice friendly way. He probably dropped back to his mates and had a joke about it. I doubt he logged online to moan about it with the entire world.
Road bikes do this to people - suddenly everything becomes a race!
However, i confident that 90%+ of full-suss Ebikes will be bought by lazy fat people - who will then use them on our trails
Sorry? Whose trails?
Climbing out of Hathersage you'd likely be KOM doing 16mph!How slow were you going? I thought e-bike assist cut out at 16mph...
Doesn't slipstreaming aid the lead rider by reducing the low pressure zone behind him. Even if it didn't, I don't get why it's so bad.
Its bad for 2 reasons, you're relying on their ability to follow closely without touching your wheel and causing a crash, and if you dont know they're there you cant warn them of potholes, debris, changes of speed/direction, etc, resulting in a crash. And asside from the safety aspect it's bad etiquet. Whether you view that as snobish or cliquey is a different matter, but most people wouldnt object if you introduced yourself and took a turn.
Lots of weird stuff going on here.
The point of a bike is exercise?
Well actually the point of a bike is it's a mode of transport. With an electric motor it's possibly a better mode of transport.
Recreational cycling is different as it's basically pointless but what's wrong with an electric mountain bike? It's like an uplift service, anywhere you want it. The only people who would object to what other people ride are the sort who like to express their opinion on what constitutes "real mountain biking", and who cares what they think?
This does sound a bit annoying but eBikes do have a place. My old neighbour (75ish) and his wife both had them and used them for rides around town and going to the shops. He'd been a racing cyclist in his day (still had the old steel classic) but couldn't hack the hills anymore so it gave him a means to get out and enjoy himself. He always had some good bike chat when he saw me fettling with my mtb in the garage.
Proper funny thread. Uptight roadies, strava-gods, mentalist ebikers, old-timers, keyboard warriors.
Only thing we're missing are animated gifs. I'll see what I can find.
EDIT - try doing that on your 7k Pinarello
[img] 
[/img]
Is it really that big a deal?
E-bikes are primarily for [I]Normal[/I] people (not "proper Cyclist" types) to get about on, as well as allowing those suffering from some form of limiting illness to get out, nothing wrong with that at all IMO, all part of life's rich tapestry...
As with anything there will be those who misunderstand and think that what they are doing is "Proper Cycling" but don't worry, this fella sounded pretty harmless TBH, so what if you end up in a half arsed [I]race[/I] with someone who's missed the point cycling, nobody died did they, did he seriously affect your uphill drag coefficient that much?
Just sit smug and secure in the knowledge that you've done X miles all under your own, ultra-manly, power, and that in a proper, fair race you would doubtless trounce that battery assisted octogenarian...
However, i confident that 90%+ of full-suss E Bikes will be bought by lazy fat people - who will then use them on our trails
Get over it FFS, There are no great hordes of Fat, Lazy, pedal-phobic Closet MXers with several Grand to throw away on a comedy E-bike waiting to wreck your trails...
The real market is for an E-Sports M/C, to go on the road as an economical replacement for peoples commuting 500, once the range and pricing is there (and it's close already), then they can save the "Proper" bike for spannering themselves on B-roads at the weekends. But they care not a jot for our little patches of muddy woodland.
Those who want to play on a two wheeled vehicle in the mud have had access to reasonably priced MX bikes for Years, an offroad E-bike is far less of a threat to your trails that a Chav on a half inched KX250...
Got over taken in the FoD by a eMTB. No issues flew past effortlessly. Can't see any issues you ride what you want how you want
I've not been drafted by one yet, but you see quite a few of them round this Lahndan and I always put in an extra effort to speed past them, just for the personal challenge. As already in this thread, I don't get why fit looking normal people use them - if you want a scooter / motorbike then get one; if you want a bike then get one... 😕
scuttlers post sums this thread up.
Recreational cycling is different as it's basically pointless but what's wrong with an electric mountain bike? It's like an uplift service, anywhere you want it. The only people who would object to what other people ride are the sort who like to express their opinion on what constitutes "real mountain biking", and who cares what they think?
Depends, the person deciding "what constitutes "real mountain biking", " might be the Council's ROW officer, if they decide that e-bikes are no worse than MTB's, and bikes are having a negative impact then they could slap a TRO on bridleways banning bikes.
I've nothing against them for commuters and the infirm, but I think of them in the same way as mobility scooters. And if the population as a whole is getting fatter and less fit, then they need licencing like mopeds before they become more of a problem. The rules governing moped were written back when a 50cc engine was about as powerfull as these E-bikes are now, you were supposed to pedal them uphill as the engine coudln't do it alone.
Its bad for 2 reasons, you're relying on their ability to follow closely without touching your wheel and causing a crash, and if you dont know they're there you cant warn them of potholes, debris, changes of speed/direction, etc, resulting in a crash. And asside from the safety aspect it's bad etiquet. Whether you view that as snobish or cliquey is a different matter, but most people wouldnt object if you introduced yourself and took a turn.
Nail, head. And contrary to some of the vehement reactions on here, I don't read the OP as being in a frothing rage.
None of those problems are anything to do with e-bikes though?
Not a big into road riding, starting to get out a bit more, but all this is a bit new
I don't sit behind others on the commute cos I don't like blocking that much of my view. I couldn't really care if someone sits behind me, though, there are so many other people on the road that you can't really get too upset by other people (central London).
If you're out on a ride for pleasure, it's a different matter. But calling unannounced drafting "bad etiquette" makes it sound as though it's something particular to road biking, part of a secret code of conduct. It isn't, it's just not polite.
If you were out for a walk in the countryside and you were on your own, you met someone at a trail junction and they just followed 2 paces behind you for half an hour that would be incredibly weird. It's not nice to have someone following you, lurking behind you saying nothing and if you're with friends, listening to your conversation.
Substitute walking boots for bikes and it's still wierd. It's a personal space issue more than anything else.
Its bad for 2 reasons, you're relying on their ability to follow closely without touching your wheel and causing a crash, and if you dont know they're there you cant warn them of potholes, debris, changes of speed/direction, etc, resulting in a crash.
But if you do know they are there, but they haven't had the decency to say they are there. it's ok to try and make them crash by obscuring pot holes? Crazy.