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1. Age?
2. Profession?
3. Work hours/days per week?
4. How many mortgages do you have?
5. How many serious hobbies do you have?
6. How often do you travel?
7. Single or Married?
8. How many kids and grand kids do you have?
Most likely, the answer lies above.
If you happen to be over 40, work 6 days a week, run your own business, have multiple properties, have other serious hobbies besides riding, married with kids, and you still are a purist of traditional non-assist bikes then good on you, you sound like superman.
But as far as racing them... It's like having a lifting competition on the assist machine. I mean look, the assist machine is awesome, I'm a weak and feeble cyclist with no upper body strength, I appreciate the help. But what's the point if we are competing? Or running a marathon where everyone starts at the 10 mile mark. Why don't we just call it at 16.2 mile race?
I get it, these aren't perfect analogies, as there's a little more to it than just the conditioning aspect in a MTB race, but you get the point.
I think my opinion is perhaps influenced after I saw that one E-Bike race that they ran at some GP track last year. It looked pretty damn ridiculous. The guy with the most powerful E-bike just waxed everyone. There was very little skill involved also, because a moto track is not the place to race a MTB.
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With limited time to ride and limited time to train, I can't go ride the trails I used to ride 10-15 years ago without nearly throwing up and killing myself for the day. On an e-bike I could get out, ride the same trails, have fun, get up the hills, bomb down the hills, get exercise, and still be home at a decent time to be productive the rest of the day.
As for "electric" vs. "acoustic," that is classic. Lots of the trails at my local area are named for electric guitar stuff: Overdrive, Reverb, Distortion, feedback.... I guess the builders are OK with e-bikes. 😁
I just picked up a fat bike. Super light. Can shred in the sand. Just wish it had a motor 😂
The X1 is not a polished as the Turbo Levo, but is close to 1/2 the price. If cost is an issue purchasing an ebike, the X1 is a super solid bike. It has a carbon frame and fairly high end components. Our only complaint has been some very loose torqued fasteners from the factory. But for $2500, I am happy to check torques on the bike before I ride it hard.
Here is my take on ebike racing:
I'm a 45 yo father of three boys (currently 12, 13, 15). We have racing moto off and on for the past 5-7 years or so. Enough to make about 3-5 local races per year and quite a few track days. I believe that ebike riding/racing will be more popular than moto within 5 years or so. Here are my reasons:
1. The current bikes are almost silent. They will be completely silent in a few more years. This opens up so much more area's to ride/race. I believe Europe has already passed the tipping point of selling more ebikes than analog bikes. The US is trailing Europe about 3-5 years in ebike adoption.
2. They don't erode the trails any more than a MTB. I believe they cause less erosion then a MTB because the motor allows you to carry some speed on the steep uphills, causing less wheel spin.
3. MTBs are more popular than dirt bikes, especially with the millennial generation.
4. I feel it's only a matter of time before about 75-80% of MTBers convert to eMTBs. Our current rides are 15-25 miles with 3k-ish of elevation gain. We will run that ride in less then 2 hours, swing by my sisters house to throw them on the chargers while we eat lunch, and hit a similar sized ride again after lunch. A similar ride on an analogue bike is 4-6 hours and the 3k uphill is grueling. We get just as good as a workout, by going further faster.
5. Ebikes are great to ride with varying skill/fitness levels. The less experienced/fit riders simply turn up the assist to keep up. The only waiting is on technical downhills, and it's a short wait.
6. Ebike maintenance is much simpler than dirt bikes. While our family enjoys working on dirt bikes, most families don't want to do any maintenance.
Before you flame me to death, I would recommend trying one out for yourself.
I think they’re plenty rad, I just don’t think I have a place for one. Honestly, I’m really hoping you guys are able to swing me the other way. I always need more toys haha. But for me, if I’m trying to ride trails and have the most fun, it’s going to be on my husky’s. The cross country or enduro pedal bikes are my “close to home convenient option”
Pit Row
The shimano is more reliable than the brose in the specialized and for Spesh you’re paying for the name. I’ve had two Spesh as I got a deal but I’ve had heaps of warranty issues on the first. Second has been fine to be fair.
Either way, pick one with dealer support. Likely need it.
In a sense, it’s already not a totally even playing field. Specialized currently have the most torque - but the motor wasn’t designed that way by Brose, they’ve turned it up via software and amps apparently.
They’re also experiencing a pretty high failure rate, hard to tell if it’s more than shimano, Bosch it Yamaha tho as they’re more in the marketplace so of course you hear more. My next will be a shimano powered bike, just don’t know which yet.
Currently I ride a Trek 8500 26 inches in a L size and I feel it fits me quite OK.... I am not an expert but I think that sizing in a non electric bike is more critical?
Would you guys consider a Knevo or Superfly in M size being 6' tall?
Thanks
Check the warranty situation too.
I’d say you’re a good candidate for a Large but a medium is not unheard of. New bikes have longer reach (seat to bars) so It will feel different than an older geometry mtb. The sizing charts are usually pretty accurate but many people need to take their body proportions into account, whether you have a shorter inseam or longer torso etc. ultimately if you ride it and are comfortable that’s all that matters, usually haha.
Post a reply to: Input on Mtn. E-bike racing please.