[Closed] I've just lost my odlest, bestest, riding buddy to.....

500W! 😯

e-bikes are ace

The sensible thing to do here is mention this too him so he can reduce the level of assist and join you. Not sack him off completely.

But then people who think e bikes are only for the sick, or no one at all, don't tend to be sensible.

SHame but perhaps you should have explained to him how you dont feel like you are actually riding together anymore and you to miss this aspect of playing in the woods together

Pretty obvious solution. N+1.

Go for a ride where its weight is a disadvantage, somewhere techy / jumpy / pumpy. Oh and take a bungee for the climbs so he can tow you.

... take a bungee for the climbs so he can tow you.

I see a long and happy friendship will continue!

As above, if your climbing is non tech fire road type stuff maybe ask about recractable dog lead towing - works for adventure racers.

Alternatively just tell him that riding off and leaving you is a total nobber move.

Oh well, could be worse. You've lost a friend, but think of him; he's lost his dignity.

My 62 year old dad has just got an e-bike. He can now keep up with me and its brilliant!

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/are-you-afraid-of-losing-friends ]The circle of life, innit[/url]

I have a mate who can climb almost as fast as an ebike (we tried). Just cos he can doesn't mean he does. I've ridden with him for years and he just climbs at the same speed as us. That's what mates do innit?

A mate at work recently had a go on some e-bikes at a demo day and came back converted (having previously been really sceptical about them). He absolutely loved it but one thing he said was that you simply cannot go riding with normal bikes as it's a bit of a dick move to just sod off up every climb.

He had a great time riding with other e-bikers but admitted that the only time e-bikers and "normal" bikers could mix would be if he gave the e-bike to his Dad while he rode a regular MTB.

agree 100% with the DONT GET A EBIKE if you are a able bodied person with good health.

I've got a friend, who's ten years younger than me, who keeps threatening to get one. I just tell him that if I ever feel like that then I'll just go back to motorcycle trials and not pretend that I'm riding a bicycle.
I wouldn't mind but he's only fifty four.

Am I the only one who rides alone? Just love that freedom, man.

On the other hand, I hill-walk (for a week or longer, sometimes) on my own and then quit rock climbing as it requires partners. So I guess [i]something is wrong with me[/i]. As I like taking photos and being in the nature on my own, it just works out better. I also hate planning, both before and during the trip.

It's also time we dropped all the "E" nonsense and just started calling them what they are, which is motorbikes.......

But they're not motorbikes.

It's also time we dropped all the "E" nonsense and just started calling them what they are, which is motorbikes.......

No, they're not.

There was bucket loads of them at the Forest of Dean today.

They look great, they would be awesome for smashing laps out. Genuinely viable alternative to uplifts IMO now.

I want one (something decent like the turbo levo).

Are they not bikes with motors?

You could always turn up on a KTM EXC 250cc enduro bike then who would have the last laugh :lol:mind theres not to many places to ride them now.

But they're not motorbikes.

Maybe not but the consensus here seems to be that you can't ride an Ebike with people riding normal bikes, which makes Ebiking something different to mountain biking, does it not?

They are pedal bikes with assistance. In the same way an electric wheelchair is not a car.

Psycorps, the consensus is you can't ride with a rude person who is on an ebike.

and a electric wheelchair is used by someone disabled or in ill health.

Alright then ton, in the same way a sailing boat decked out with electric winches to make it easier to sail is not a speedboat. I'm sure there are many other sports that use electronics without it having any impact on it being the same sport or not but bikes and boats are the two I know.

I just don't understand where this crossover into mountain biking comes... you wouldn't go riding with a group of roadies on a Santa Cruz V10, you wouldn't do an enduro on a Trek Madone, so why is it that eBikes are lumped in with MTBs? They're a completely different type of bike for a different purpose.

like having a escalator up the side of a mountain?

That's downhill ton.

I thought the reason most of chose this ‘sport’ was for the [u]fitness [/u]and excitement in equal measures.

I'm have issues with my legs and it's getting worse. I fully intend to get a turbo levo and tune the eco mode to be enough to mean my legs don't die which I figure should be low enough to ride with friends but high enough to not kill my legs. I demo'd one and riding with my friends was fine but a bit easy so I figure if I back off the assistance a bit it'll work well. I still want to get a workout when I ride with friends but I can't keep up at all anymore and I can't work my cardio before my legs give so I'm stuck riding any real hills really slowly.

I thought the reason most of chose this ‘sport’ was for the fitness and excitement in equal measures.

I do it for the views

There is 100% an e-bike in my future.

But I'm not done trying yet.

Luke...you got me.

agree with simon.....the views far outweigh the fitness

One of my mates has recently been banging out some fast times on Strava. I suspect he's gone down the ebike route but he's having none of it. Methinks he be fibbing.

I do it because I like to be fit, I like the thrill, I like the views, I like spending time with my friends, I like meeting new friends through it, I like going new places, I like the challenge, I like to explore and I like being in nature. Boiling riding bikes for fun down to just fitness is a bit sad, it offers so much more than that and I think people should be able pick and chose their reasons for riding without having to justify it to anyone else.

I had a ride yesterday and the view is what I'll remember, not my heart rate, even if I consider my fitness enormously important.

yep, im a recent E bike convert

still got other bikes

i do it to get out into the woods, I want fun, want to see trees, wildlife, etc

and to be out in the countryside, nipping out and doing 35 miles on my e bike, instead of going out and doing 20 miles only normal one suits me fine

I didn't see the point in them till i borrowed one for a weekend - 80 miles later it had me convinced - it makes me as fast as I think I am !

And ill tell you now - trying to sell a (non E bike) in a few years will be like trying to sell a camera that takes film !

It's often said that a great way to get faster is to ride with people faster than you. Time to up your game OP 😆

Just sounds like your friend is still excited with his new toy. Perhaps in a little while the novelty will wear off and he'll slow it down a touch as he'll miss riding with you? Speak to him (like friends do) and sort something out. In the meantime get him to tow you up the hills - you can drag the brakes to empty his battery if you like 😀

cozz nipping out and doing 35 miles on my e bike, instead of going out and doing 20 miles only normal one suits me fine

And that, in a nutshell is my issue. It suits YOU fine, but what about the other people you ride with?

I ride for fitness, for fun, for giggles, to feel alive, but also, critically, as a social activity. I don't mind grinding for a hour up a steep fire road climb, with a heart rate in the 150's, and sweat dropping into my eyes as long as, when riding with friends, everyone else is in the same boat. It's really no fun if someone is just breezing along, zooms off up the hills, wihtout getting out of breath.

And an Ebike IS a motorbike. It's a bike, with a motor. Yes it has pedals, but so do some mo-peds, so perhaps it's a moped? It's only some random legal loophole that means it isn't classed as a motorbike.

christ man - I've had plenty of motorbikes - Ii is NOT a motorbike, and suggesting they are it just ridiculous

and I don;t ride with other people - so yes it does suit me - billy no mates with an E bike - suits me just fine

500w and its not an e bike. Its an illegal vehicle that does not meet any category

Meh, I often ride with people less fit than me. I [i]could[/i] do 35 miles to their 20, but I'm going for a ride with them. So I ride at their pace.

Rude people are rude whether they're on an ebike or not. That said, I'm not entirely sure I'd want someone soft pedaling alongside me on an ebike whilst I wheezed up a climb.

Not remotely anti-ebike though, I think they look great!

[i]I thought the reason most of chose this ‘sport’ [/i]

It's a DIFFERENT SPORT!

It suits YOU fine

Probably suits your mate fine too. The only person it doesn't seem to suit is you. Why you think other people's choice of push bikes should suit you rather than them is beyond me.

Have a word with him, mention that you would prefer to ride with him rather than near him and if he's not a dick he'll do something about it. If he is a dick about it he happens to be a dick who owns an ebike, not a dick because he owns an ebike.

For the vast majority of us and for the OP in the way his rides are described it is a pastime not a sport

just for the haters !

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^ that's a rancid mutant looking munter of a bike

Yeah, even I can't defend that 😉

A bit of sabotage for the greater good could be the answer 😆

Welcome to my world, everyone does that to me on climbs even when there's no assist going.

cozz - Member
And ill tell you now - trying to sell a (non E bike) in a few years will be like trying to sell a camera that takes film !

Tongue in cheek? If not... well let's not go there.

As to op.. I am always slowest in group rides. If e bike friend is dropping you tell him to slow down. Else he's not really a mate. He's showing off or just inconsiderate.

Never seen an e.bike - What's they typical range of one if your up in the hills (say lake district) sloggin it out all day ? surely a normal bike will win out after a few hours in the mountains. Also a lot of high mountain riding is push and carry, so these must be heavier and harder then ?

Seeing as most of our electricity still comes from gas, coal and nuclear...these e.bikes are hardly good for the environmment.

trying to sell a (non E bike) in a few years will be like trying to sell a camera that takes film !

an ebike is a MOTOR-bike, and as for the demise of pedal bikes, last time they had a good idea of strapping a motor on a bike the same thing was said. Today, how many petrol motorbikes are sold each year? Not many.

Nothing against E-bikes they have a place, but they aren't bikes and won't replace them.

an ebike is a MOTOR-bike

No it isn't.

Of course they won't replace normal bijes, for exactly the type of riding coconut mentions. My favourite rides involve a good chunk of hike a bike up mountains and trails no amount assistance could get you up and, in answer to coconut's question, an ebike will not be suited to that at all. Certainly not in the near future.

Has he had it chipped or something? Thought they were supposed to be about 250w?

How did he react when you said it was a bit annoying?

Maybe suggest an epic hike a bike in the lakes to get your own back?

''I appreciate you like your new bike, but I come out riding with mates to ride with my mates...'' ?

Exactley! tell him you fancy a day out around the lakes and take him up Helvellyn... Sit at the top having a tea while he struggles up, take a deour home so his battery goes flat and make him cycle a 22kg bike home over hills 😀

I've got a friend who is significantly amazing going uphill - miles ahead of me (I'm very average at best uphill).

He always picks the hilliest routes with nastiest climbs and then just buggers off up them. No social climbing involved. So tempting to hire an e-bike for a ride without pre-warning him. Can't see myself buying one though - I need the fitness.

I have another mate who is nearly as fast as the first one uphill - but he paces himself generally so he doesn't bomb off and you can actually talk to him.

Much less ****ish.

Range varies massively according to terrain.
Flat? 80 miles
Steep enough for even fit people to get a good sweat on? Less than 10 miles.
Variable due to rider weight and assist level too.
I reckon I could flatten mine in 10 miles, if i just sat there and made the battery do all the work.
As noted on several previous threads, they dont ride like a normal bike, not as lively or responsive, they don't ride like motorbikes either though.
Imo, no match for a rider who is actually fit/on a decent bike/is putting an effort in.
Just so we are clear, i have one, and ive ridden half a dozen others too.
And i used to have a 145bhp kawasaki too, so the idea that these things are motorbikes is, frankly, hilarious.

E Bikes are probably great to ride but there's one worrying thing about them. They could increase the popularity of mountain biking immensely. People who never considered the sport might try it now. The complaints towards mountain bikers from dog walkers are already high, think how pissed off they'd be if there were 5X more bikes flying past - mostly E bikes going just as fast uphill as downhill ? It could lead to us all getting banned.

Other problems arise with E Bikes tearing up the trails, damaging 'soft ground' when its wet & muddy - especially in Winter - inevitable as the popularity of mountain biking increases - especially so with MUCH more powerful bikes.

They're not 'much' more powerful though, the assist only takes them up to the level of a good fit rider.

I've lost a couple to road bikes, I'm sure at some point someone's going to turn up with an e-bike. If I was in the business of selling them I'd be looking for a way to make them credible to fully able riders, a plausible excuse to say they're not 'cheating'.

I reckon an F1 style KERS system, some way of charging the batteries when you're coasting or braking so you 'redeploy' on climbs or when you want to go a bit faster rather than just cheat - I think that would be enough for a lot of people to buy one. You don't use electricity, you store otherwise wasted energy to get up hills I can see the forum posts now, thick with denial that's it's as part of MTBings as gears "oh you think using the parts of your bike to make it easier to get up hills do you? Well I suppose you ride a fixie the?!!!!!11?!"

It's all over.

Losing friends to road bikes is far worse. Is somewhere you can't follow. Not without quitting MTB for a life of tarmac, sportives and being miserable to everyone you meet.

😛

Turn up on a Batavus, that'll teach him.
[img] [/img]

agree 100% with the DONT GET A EBIKE if you are a able bodied person with good health.

I want one to commute/visit in hilly coastal areas. I have need at certain times to get places 5-20 miles away in order to photograph/paint these places. I need to carry certain equipment and I need to climb (up to) a combined +9000ft each time. I don't wish to use a car as I'm (usually) fairly able bodied and anyway a car won't get me some places I need to get at (via often overgrown bridleways). Why shouldn't I use a pedelec instead of a car? A regular bike for this schedule would finish off even the most hardy cyclist, I promise. In fact it's not possible within required time frames even given giant thighs and lungs of oxen!

But as for riding with company for leisure:

''I appreciate you like your new bike, but I come out riding with mates to ride with my mates...'' ?

^This!

I feel guilty for going on an uplift day now. 😕

@max I think you should just tell him (over a pint) that you won't be riding with him as its no longer any fun. He needs to find other e-bike buddies.

I've ridden a few now and taken one around parts of the puffer/catsback. Both rides were carting stuff to the hills (camera and stuff) and it made it a piece of piss. I like the idea of one to go for after work jaunts with a sleeping bag,bivi,mat, fishing rod and food. This all weighs quite a bit and the thought of getting into the hills from Coulags etc would be a breeze. Then still fun coming back down. It's just such a slog dragging all that gear and pushing it. The assist/walk modes on E bikes are real handy for this.

You don't slate people for having motorbikes when they're perfectly able to ride a push bike. This is just something different. Fun, not just a walk in the park without breaking a sweat, far from it. Try one.

Anyone who criticises E Bikers must also criticise Motorbikers by 5X more.

So, unless you actually have a medical condition that means an Ebike is the only way you'll be able to ride (which is fine with me) then please, please, don't get one of these dammed things!

5thElefant - Member
Pretty obvious solution. N+1.

They are pedal bikes with assistance.

re. ebikes getting the whole mtb scene into trouble.... in Bavaria there is a hut situated in the hills, always popular with hikers and bikers. easy enough for most regular cyclists to get to with a climb/descent on a gravel path. since ebikes have come along there have been lots of accidents where people have washed out on the gravel, either through inexperience of riding a bike or possibly the extra weight of the bike, who knows... but the mountain rescue people have been called out so many times over the last few years that there are signs saying you have to walk this section. the fear is that bikes will then be banned.

You don't slate people for having motorbikes when they're perfectly able to ride a push bike

to compare a petrol engined motorbike with an ebike is daft. however, what is the battery for if not to power a motor? so technically ebikes are motorised bikes...

for people with some kind of disability, for people commuting long distances (negating the need for a car), on cargo bikes or people towing their kids/photography/fishing gear.... yes, ebikes make sense.

IMO, it is ultimately cheating, against the spirit of riding. i see those with ebikes as having capitulated... as weaker, lesser beings not worthy of my pump or patches.

I'm just waiting for the cheap Chinese e-bikes to hit the market, they then become trendy with chavs who then act like dicks on the trails.

🙄

i see those with ebikes as having capitulated... as weaker, lesser beings not worthy of my pump or patches

That's a very very sad outlook on the world.

I don't know anyone who has one yet, but i certainly wouldn't hold it against someone to buy one.

Its a moped end of.

Every group of fitter-than-thou riders needs an e-biker in tow, who can bomb up the hill and hold open gates for them, then bomb past them all and hold open the next gate, depriving them of the tactical rest they thought they were gonna get halfway up.

That's what Kev, the e-biker who comes out riding with us does. So technically he's improving everybody else's fitness and endurance to the point where we'll all be able to keep up with him. 🙂

Seriously, I don't have a problem with e-bikes. In 10 years' time when all the 40 and 50-something STWers are 50 and 60-something, and the battery technology has improved to the point where they can be secreted away in a seat tube or bottom bracket shell without unduly affecting the aesthetics of the bike, they'll be [i]de rigeur[/i]. Unassisted riding will be regarded as another niche, the way singlespeeding is now.

E Bikes are probably great to ride but there's one worrying thing about them. They could increase the popularity of mountain biking immensely. People who never considered the sport might try it now. The complaints towards mountain bikers from dog walkers are already high, think how pissed off they'd be if there were 5X more bikes flying past - mostly E bikes going just as fast uphill as downhill ? It could lead to us all getting banned.

Other problems arise with E Bikes tearing up the trails, damaging 'soft ground' when its wet & muddy - especially in Winter - inevitable as the popularity of mountain biking increases - especially so with MUCH more powerful bikes.

This is my concern, I can only see the e-bikes getting more powerful, it's human nature to want the best/fastest........

Anyone who criticises E Bikers must also criticise Motorbikers by 5X more.

Why? It's a different thing altogether. Folk get excited about it because some people reckon electric bikes are pumped up mountain bikes and therefore push bikes and other people reckon they're dumbed down motorbikes cleverly trying to exploit a loophole, and therefore something else entirely.

Having just returned from a weeks riding with a very mixed age group of friends 62 to 28 years young
One of the guys had an e mtb he is 60 and openly said he could not have done the rides without it .
I am considering one for myself before next years week away .
And so is the other over 60 mate then we can keep up with the whippets on the climbs .

I have a dodgy knee ( carpet fitter ). So if it keeps me riding and working I see nowt wrong with em .

The OP s issue is one he needs to sort out with his riding buddy

i see those with ebikes as having capitulated... as weaker, lesser beings not worthy of my pump or patches

You won't like it 50 miles down the road in Austria then where maybe 50% of bikes you see now are E-bikes.
A lot of the mountain huts have charging stations.
You see so many families out riding now that probably wouldn't have attempted to ride up the mountains before, and they're still burning at least 50% of the calories you would on a non e-bike.

If the only reason you are into mountain biking is the fitness side you should sell all of your bikes and get an exercise bike in the house.

A lot of professional athletes have them now for training, Guido Tschugg, Paul Bolton the Enduro rider (proper motorbike enduro). They'll be shocked to know they are weaker, lesser beings I'm sure.