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Out for a ride this morning on my local south Dorset trails and my route home took me thru Puddletown Forest, the local mecca for MTB's. I am well used to seeing e-bikes there, they are becoming the dominant bike for people not fit enough to ride the hills or who just don't want to peddle uphill and just do the downhills with the least amount of effort on their part. No problem with that, my wife has an e-bike and couldn't cycle without one due to knee problems. However as I coasted down a shallow incline 3 monster bikes came towards me, I am guessing 29'ners with tyres just short of being classed as fattie and the guys riding them weren't peddling, but were going uphill faster than I was going down it. Clearly these weren't peddle assisted e-bikes but to mind "electric motorbikes". As they passed I just shook my head, eliciting the following response ....
1st rider "what are you shaking your f*** head for?"
2nd rider "what's that about xxxx" (I didn't catch the name)
1st rider "c was shaking his f****** head as we went past"
They then slowed down clearly looking for a full on argument or more. The aggressive tone and language used told me all I needed to know about them and their attitude to other trail users. I cycled on, but did stop and talk to a couple walking their dog who were equally concerned.
Well the reason I was shaking my head was that these trails are not suitable for these type of bikes. There were many walkers there, a lot with small children and these type of bikes with the speeds they can go just are not just unnecessary in this environment.
The local MTB'ers had a long fight to get the right to ride and create the trails there and one accident involving these bikes or complaints about these type of bikes and it could return to bikes being effectively being banned again.
Am I just being a grumpy old man or is this a genuine concern?
Are these type of bikes allowed at "trail centres"?
Are these type of bikes allowed on the roads without Tax/Insurance?
Is this the future of MTB'ing? If so I for one want no part of it.
Am I just being a grumpy old man or is this a genuine concern?
Are these type of bikes allowed at “trail centres”?
Are these type of bikes allowed on the roads without Tax/Insurance?
Is this the future of MTB’ing?
No, Yes.
No.
No.
No. They are motorbikes.
What he said
" yeah but it's electric" seems to be some catchphrase that excuses any wrong doing by anyone ever.
My dad has just told me one of his mates has an ebike that’s been deresticted to 30mph, and asked me if it’s now a motorbike.
Yes. Yes it is. And if he hits someone/something, his mate will be deeply in the dwang for riding something he has neither a license nor insurance for.
There's folk on here who have de-restricted e-bikes.
still haven't seen an e-bike being pedaled.
Maybe you're not looking hard enough to notice what is, and isn't, an e-bike?
There’s folk on here who have de-restricted e-bikes.
Anyone from Edinburgh you had in mind?.... 😂
still haven’t seen an e-bike being pedaled.
Que?
“still haven’t seen an e-bike being pedaled.”
I don’t know where you live but in the past few years I’ve noticed less than 10 ebikes under motor power without pedalling but hundreds of pedal assist ones.
These electric motorbikes with pedals are a nightmare for legal MTBing, e or not. Guy Martin rode one on his most recent programme with no clarification that it wasn’t legal anywhere but private land.
still haven’t seen an e-bike being pedaled.
Saw an ebike being peddled in LeisureLakes the other day. Bastards wanted a fortune for it. 🙂
Scrotes' weapon of choice, the sole preserve of an anti social element that have no interest in, or empathy for, other's point of view and the environment through which they're passing. It's a pity for responsible ebike riders, like my sister, who use their bike as a car replacement and fitness/recreational tool, but legislation is coming at her/them, whether she/they like it or not. See: guns, devil dogs, etc.
What Scotroutes said up top.
There are people on actual motorbikes on my trails. It's shit, but it's nothing new, not really an e-bike issue as such. I think many of the MXers are now on actual electric motorbikes as they can't be heard from a mile away like they can on their two-strokes.
I've seen motorbikes on the trails at Staunton many times. They tape over their number plates so they know they shouldn't be there. Their only saving grace is that recently they've been getting out of the way of MTBers rather than ploughing through us.
Anyone from Edinburgh you had in mind?…
mines back in legal trim now I no longer have a commute 🙂 I had it turned up to 20 mph for an urban commutte as I believe it to be safer on 20 mph limit roads - well thats my excuse. I don't have that excuse any more so I turned it back down.
Just like driving cars is safer above the speed limit...
motorbikes maybe. need that power to get you out of trouble 🙂
mines back in legal trim now I no longer have a commute 🙂 I had it turned up to 20 mph for an urban commutte as I believe it to be safer on 20 mph limit roads
Oh, well, as long as you are doing what you believe in I'm sure it's fine.
Suron ****ers probably. You only have to check out the public Facebook page to get an insight into their intelligence levels.
It's going to be an issue. It's turning into the jetski of the hills
The only true electric off-road motorbikes that I know about are the KTM freerides they are over 10K each never seen one of them greenlaing they have footrests what are these other ones!!
Just google them see what you mean there is one called a Stag that has footrests.
The only true electric off-road motorbikes that I know about are the KTM freerides they are over 10K each never seen one of them greenlaing they have footrests what are these other ones!!
Bargain then compared to ebikes then !
Ar people confusing this kind of thing with an ebike?
https://ridecake.com/en/shop/bikes/kalk/kalk-or-race/
I think Surons and the like are getting more common. 3 lads with balaclavas on (no helmets) to hide their faces came whipping out of a cycle track near me onto the road (without looking) and then wheelied off down the main road - just narrowly missing a parked car. I think their life expectancy if they keep riding like that is limited.
These can in no way be confused with pedalacs- in terms of what they do or what they look like.
@woodlikesbikes. And eventually they banned jet skis at most beaches in the UK as they were annoying AF and a lot of douchbags caused a problem with theIr behaviour. So we can hope
Those SURONS are starting to rear their ugly heads down here in Bristol now. I also have seen 3 scrotes blasting them around the roads in our area (Stoke Gifford) to get to Stoke/Hermitage Woods and Park. Probably the same ****s depending on where you live @JoeBristol.
I would suggest that their hostility and eagerness to engage in aggressive conversation is because they know full well they are taking a liberty riding motorcycles in the woods and already steeling themselves for conflict. W******
Are these type of bikes allowed on the roads without Tax/Insurance?
No, you get the book thrown at you if you hit someone
And eventually they banned jet skis at most beaches in the UK as they were annoying AF and a lot of douchbags caused a problem with theIr behaviour. So we can hope
They are already banned
Help me out here, in Scotland there's no green-laning but south of the border there is, do you need to be taxed/insured if you were green-laning (ie, MOT/number plate etc)
Yes
I’m in Hanham but these things are fast and have quite a range so could be the same ones. Plenty of scrotes in Kingswood though - normally it’s mopeds but these are probably faster than 30mph and more capable with downhill mtb style
Suspension - plus really quiet
Yep green lanes (BOAT's and UCR's) are classed as roads, so you need to be taxed and tested same as on the road (which they are)
Most of the people I know who go green laning play by the rules and you still get people shaking their head at you. Sometimes I feel like saying to walkers "You can literally walk anywhere, I am limited to about 0.00000001% of the tracks and trails around here, so stop bloody shaking your head"
Its crazy situation because due to the limited places people can ride, you get people riding trails that really are not sustainable being ridden in the wet and winter because they have no alternative. Where there is a another trail near by that would be able to sustain the traffic.
To be honest most mountain bikers are fine as they generally know how to read a map and know where they should or should not be.
I hope the OP has never ridden a cheeky footpath or he could be a victim of a serious head shaking himself 🙂
Where I live, and where our caravan is, the eMX bikes are generally ridden by the chavs, where previously thay'd be stolen MX bikes. Pain in the ass TBH. Had two lads on our caravan site and parents were threttened with eviction if they were used on here again - the two I've seen are usually riding up and down a local bridleway that's heavily used by pedestrians, either smoking week, or with two little kids balanced on the bars. Nearly hit them on my road bike once, then had to wake them both up yesterday when I was on my trail bike. Off their heads.
With OP shaking his head, there are three of them, and you aren't going to get away from them easily - they are ridden be folk who don't give a fark, loke most teens on MX bikes. Bumped in to a gang on real MX bikes near Parrs Wood (Sth Manchester) on Thursday on the Trans Pennine.
If there are more of you, then you've got a chance.
Is this the future of MTB’ing?
More likely to be the demise of mtbing as we know it. A lad I know recently had an electric motor bolted onto an old halfords hardtail, no need to pedal and completely unrestricted, and decided to join a few of us for a ride. He assured us he would have no problems keeping up as he'd watched a few go pro vids a mate had put on Instagram. After around 10 mins we decided to put him to the test on some of the steeper trails in the local, which he'd previously told us looked a doddle and would be no problem for a man of his skill level. He hasn't been back out with us and can't work out why he hasn't lost any weight since he got back into 'mountain biking'. People are going to start having/causing serious accidents on these bikes and eventually I can see landowners restricting or denying access to well established trails due to the same idiots putting claims in when they end up spannered
I guess an ebike definition can range from a legal 250w 15mph bicycle to a 7kw Surron with throttle and footrests depending who you speak to.
I think emtb is a better term for the former.
To be honest I have less hassle on by KTM than I do on a MTB in general but only use the KTM down in Wiltshire where there are less people and loads of Byways even the other month on Hols up in the peaks had no hassle and Three shires head was so busy it was nuts.