Last year we started asking Singletracks readers if they were interested in articles about electric mountain bikes, and found that in 2016 about 82% of you said no. We asked the same question this year, and fewer–77%–said no this time around. This seems to indicate that consumer resistance to electric bikes is slowly wearing off.
Frankly, this decline isn’t surprising. Almost every new technology faces early resistance and uncertainty, only to become more accepted as the technology improves and consumers become educated. But today, consumers are getting much of their information about electric bikes from manufacturers who tend to talk up the benefits without completely addressing the downsides.
Not that anyone should blame them; corporations are in the business of selling things, not necessarily educating consumers. If I’m trying to sell you a pencil, I’ll talk about how lightweight it is and how you can erase whatever you write. But I probably won’t mention the fact that it doesn’t draw lines as dark as a pen. It’s sorta like whenever a mountain bike is updated with a slacker head tube angle and a brand touts the “improved descending performance.” The flip side to that is the bike probably doesn’t climb quite as well as it used to, but everybody knows that, right?
Call me old-fashioned, but I believe it is the media’s job to educate the public by presenting both sides of every story. The media doesn’t always get this right, but it is still an important goal for most good publications, including Singletracks.
Motorized or non-motorized?
For many reasons, electric mountain bikes are an emotionally-charged topic among our readers. Electric mountain bikes are still a new concept, at least here in the USA, and they exist in a gray area between motorized and non-motorized vehicles. Depending on which side you’re on, this may not seem to be a gray area–hence all the heated arguments–but legally speaking, there is no consensus on whether electric mountain bikes are even motorized or not.
For example, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, both US Federal agencies, have decided that electric bicycles are indeed motorized, and therefore are not allowed on trails that have been designated for non-motorized use. Generally, state and local governments follow federal guidance, but local governments have and will continue to come up with their own interpretations.
I recently spoke with representatives of the Tarheel Trailblazers at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte where electric mountain bikes are currently allowed on the trails, but motorized vehicles are not. I was told the state of North Carolina doesn’t have a legal definition for motorized vehicles that covers electric bikes, nor does the county or city, so land managers for the Whitewater Center came up with their own interpretation. Will e-bike haters stop riding at the Whitewater Center in protest? Perhaps.
Ignoring the e-bike in the room
The passion around this debate has led some to say they never want to read a single article about e-bikes, and that’s okay. But to think that e-bikes won’t impact the sport of mountain biking at all is naive, and so as invested, passionate mountain bikers ourselves, it’s our duty to occasionally talk about e-bikes, good or bad.
Look, we get the argument from the anti e-bike crowd that even talking about electric mountain bikes legitimizes them, potentially putting e-bikes in the same category as human-powered bicycles. But at the end of the day, we believe it’s up to land managers and ultimately the public to make that call–not e-bike owners, not brands, and certainly not the media. We honestly don’t have a dog in this fight–we’re merely observers and chroniclers of this crazy sport called mountain biking. Will e-bikes one day be accepted into our tribe just like fat bikes, or will they find their place in the motorsports community instead? No one knows for sure, which makes it all the more interesting to follow.
So we’ll continue to note that electric mountain bikes are heavy, but they’re easier to pedal. That electric bikes don’t handle as well as regular mountain bikes, but that riders can see more sights in less time. And that there are many trail systems where electric mountain bikes are banned, but others where they are allowed.
If the media is silent on e-bikes, consumers will have no choice but to get their information from manufacturers. Not that the e-bike manufacturers are bad folks–it’s just not their job to present a truly balanced perspective on the products they are selling.
For readers who may be wondering, this isn’t meant to be an announcement or anything–it’s just a reminder that we’ll continue to cover industry news, share our experiences with relevant products, and give voice to the people, like trail builders and riders, who make our sport great.
33 Comments
Nov 2, 2017
Jan 11, 2021
Nov 4, 2017
I personally am very enthusiastic about electric bikes. I ride in the city every day (sadly, my bike is lucky to spend 1% of its ride time on a trail), & would love to have a second bike (or a decent bolt on solution) with an electric motor. Having test ridden quite a few, I will state unequivocally that current mainstream offerings are unsuitable for intense long duration rides & frankly, *none* of them are well made for large riders over 200lbs. (I am 6'10", 240lbs, & most products simply are not built for that. Custom is often the *only* practical choice, not that I can afford it. Lighter riders almost always seem to think a given product will hold up fine & are almost always wrong. In general I find that the extreme focus on light weight, & sizable budget of serious mountain bikers has led to products which perform well, but lack true durability. If it needs to be replaced in one year, it is worthless to me.)
On a brief trail ride, or a longer leisurely ride, I have no doubt that many people who are not physically able to sustain a hill climb could have very positive & safe experiences on an electric-assist bike. If I could afford one powerful enough to drag me up a long hill without overheating, I would buy one immediately. I have yet to ride such a monster e-bike, as the more powerful models are far beyond my price range & no amount of engineering can yet make a 250w system sufficient to move someone of my size.
The real problem here is the classic "tragedy of the unregulated commons", where providing fair access to all requires more than simply throwing open the gates; Careful consideration will be required, not just on trails, but in all environments, in order to safely & fairly accommodate non-motorized, high-power motorized, & mobility assistance vehicles, as we move into the future.
"No motorized vehicles" was a catch-all term that made sense 50 years ago, when small motor-bikes were loud gas powered contraptions. Today, we must consider pedestrians, bicyclists, helper animals, off-road electric wheelchairs, & even reasonably sized electric-assist bicycles, when planning which routes will be open to which vehicles.
Here in Colorado we have many technical trails which under *no* circumstances should be attempted by anyone not capable of carrying everything with them on their back if necessary. Not all areas are safe or sane to access for people with (even moderate) physical disability. Some trails absolutely should be open to *all* visitors, whether they require assistance or not. Others are simply too far removed from emergency & commercial services to be suitable for usage by short-range electric platforms.
Bottom line: e-bikes *are* motorized vehicles, as are mobility scooters. If it has a motor, it is motorized, by definition. Trails posted as "no motorized vehicles" mean just that. If they wish to allow electric bikes or any other form of mobility assistance, they'll need to specify the limitations: No motor assistance above 25mph, 60lb vehicular weight limit, "no engines", 55db noise limit, no motor without handicapped badge, et cetera. Otherwise we *will* end up with 400lb 2.5kw 70mph electric motorbikes tearing around the bends in what are currently quiet, motor-free zones. Alternatively, many people who could be enjoying our country's many fine public resources are limited unnecessarily by regulations written without consideration for the mobility impaired, much less for the wide variety of mobility aids now available. Most of our current laws & rules on this subject are so outdated as to be both unfair & insensible. It's time to update the language. Get specific, folks.
Oct 30, 2017
Nov 1, 2017
Mar 25, 2019
Don't let these things scare you guys, they are not going away and we will eventually coexist. I am very grateful for the purists and people that build and maintain our colorado trails. Remember the great fear the snowboarders brought? I was doing a trail last week. seems a couple bikers called the ranger on me. She was waiting for me at trail head. We had a nice long conversation. Seems she didn't know a lot about these bikes, just that they were illegal on her trail.I asked her what was the real concern and danger,, seems no one has a real answer, hence the great controversy . Anyway she had never been on one. I let her ride mine. In fairness she only rode it around the parking lot, I asked her to take it on the trail to really appreciate it but she stayed on the pavement. After her ride she said she got the feel she needed, and really didn't see the big deal, but she had a job to do, so she gave me a kind warning. I see things changing soon. No need to hate... you are drinking the poison that is intended for people like me that just wanting to have fun
Nov 3, 2017
When I find I don't have the horsepower to ride our trails, I WILL be on a full suspension peddle assist E-bike, on our trails, and reaping the benefits of all of the above, rather than wasting away on the couch thinking "I used to be able to go for Mt. Bike rides" :(
Get off your high horse Bobby Pena, and learn to share the trails! I think we're all out there for the same reason, "the pure and simple joy of propelling oneself on a bicycle as a kid."
Oct 30, 2017
Oct 30, 2017
Nov 3, 2017
For Orinda8, the studies I've read regarding high intensity exercise are being misinterpreted by the masses. In the absence of a heart condition, high intensity exercise is highly beneficial to your health. The following is excerpted from a meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Paul Thompson. "There is no evidence that there is a level of exercise that is dangerous or too much for a normal, healthy person. The exception to that is if you have a heart condition. FREQUENT exercise training at HIGH INTENSITY causes 'profound changes in cardiac physiology and structure'. But in the process, the heart adapts and changes. Its left and right ventricles enlarge. It begins to look quite different than a non-athlete’s heart. For most people, these changes are beneficial and also necessary for successful athletic performance. But in athletes with atheroschlerosis or inherited heart abnormalities these changes can be harmful". And for most people who MTB, I'd be hard pressed to say that that they are working their heart any where near their max heart rate (even on climbs) and certainly not for any extended periods.
Nov 2, 2017
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Nov 4, 2017
Oct 30, 2017
E-mtb's are really fun. I really enjoy them personally but I've only rode them in demo situations and do not plan on buying one in the near future. However there may be a dangerous perception growing that e-mtb's gives a license to anyone to trail ride in situations where you need a great deal of skill, awareness, technique, and mindfulness in order to have a safe ride. We might be looking at a perilous situation growing here...and I'm not sure what the answer to this is.
Jan 11, 2021
Jan 11, 2021
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Oct 30, 2017
I believe that there will be issues. We have issues now with other user groups and faster speeds will only make that much worse.
When you come around a corner and meet Mrs Mom and her kids, you have a chance to stop or slow. And still get that death look from the Mom. Coming across a family at a higher rate of speed will make that worse. Same holds true for the horse rider or dog walker.
While there may be some 65 year old guys who can handle a bike, I believe some will not be able to just jump on a bike and be able to handle mountain biking.
Nov 1, 2017
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