electric bikes

[nakman]

I just read this article on the Cake Kalk, you guys seen this one yet? https://ironandair.com/blogs/news/cake


I have been casually looking at electric mountain bikes also, but this one is kinda coming from the other direction- seems like someday I need some sort of e-bike/pedal hybrid. I love solar charging... anyone else intrigued by electricity?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Just remember!

 

[Beachboy]

I am on my 2nd e-bike and I love them. I got interested after 2 knee surgeries that limited my abilities to push uphill. Its unfortunate that e-bikes are not allowed on bike trails, even paved bike paths here in Moab. Just wrote a letter to the editor to the local Moab paper last week wondering - is your cell phone a phone, does it have a rotary dial and a cord. What, it runs on a battery? Should electric cars be allowed on roads, they do not have a combustion engine. More and more items are being run on batteries, but it does not change what they are. As usual it takes the government a while to catch up to current times in regarding to rules with new innovations.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The critical part is the motor. If motorcycles are allowed on recreational bike paths doesn't that make them into roads?

Electric bikes have no place on trails and paths designed for human powered machines. E-bikes are fine, I'm sure they could be fun even, but need to be recognized as what they are and not introduce another variable into the mix.

There's already enough friction between hikers, equestrians and bike users with differences in size and speed but at least there common denominator is they are non-motorized.

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

I've been looking at e-bike conversion kits recently. I didn't even realize they've become so popular until a coworker started commuting to work on his. We got to talking about it and that led me to research online about them. Now I'm really intrigued.

My commute to work is only 11 miles and I could ride bike paths the whole way. However, there are a few hills that would make it prettt tough for me. An electric assist bike would make the hills a non-issue.

Anybody have experience with the conversion kits?

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[rover67]

my brother has an older one of these and it is a blast:

https://osetbikes.com/us/bikes/

I think it's the 20.0

He got it used with worn out lead acid batteries and put in a bunch of lipo's form hobby king and it absolutely rips. I mean like kill yourself fast with it turned up. they have an adjustment for how crazy it can get. It goes longer than you can.

 

[nakman]

Wow hadn't seen those Oset ones before, that's like a electric trials bike kinda, eh?

Dave is your beef with ebikes just accessibility? Like if more people are able to ride more single track, then more people will ride single track? I actually don't think it would change that much... with few exceptions if you couldn't pedal the trail, I don't see you don't it motorized.

 

[DaveInDenver]

My beef is access. I was run into by a jerk on an e-bike on a nonmotorized trail before Larimer county had a policy that they are motorcycles. I have no problem with assisting you but ride them on trails and roads where they are appropriate and let people willing to do the work have places to go too. We're gettting shut out of places due to selfish downhillers and all mountain riders who don't respect traffic and removing the fundamental human-powered element changes the dynamic completely. Like the atvs & side by sides ruining access for 4wd groups.

 

[LARGEONE]

I think I’m with Dave on this one. The last thing I want when I’m grinding up a single track trail on my MTB in the lowest gear, is to have some dude/gal on an e-bike riding up my tail and getting mad because I won’t just pull over and let them by. I’m sure most e-bike riders will be respectable, just like many side by siders are off road, but....

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

I don't agree that they should be considered motorcycles. Most, if not all, are limited to 21mph or less. I took a look at one with a 6k price tag and it had multiple assist modes and you can ride for more than 3hrs on the highest setting. I passed one in my truck going up a 4% grade on my way to the farm. When I got to the top of the mountain and stopped he was barely 5 mins behind me.

Here in Germany where cycling is huge, I'd say 10% are electric assist. Most are ridden by older folks and I can tell you they LOVE them. Get used to seeing them more often. They are the future.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The speed limit is regulated by law but 5 seconds on Google will let you figure out how to defeat the governor. Colorado classes them in one of 3 categories.

Class I and II are the ones limited to 20 MPH assist and Class III can assist up to 28 MPH. The difference in I and II is that a Class II will continue to provide power even if you're not pedaling while a Class I only assists your pedaling. Both will only provide power up to 20 MPH, although they are not limited to that as a top speed per say.

Only Class I & II can be used on bike paths. Class III must only be used on roads and can't be ridden by a person under 16 without a driver's license (e.g. they are essentially mopeds, which is exactly what they are, electric rather than gasoline powered).

Look, I think they are outstanding for commuting and townies. I simply believe eMTBs have no place on non-motorized recreational trails, since that is about as clear and obvious definition. As of right now most land managers agree that electric MTBs are motorcycles and IMBA's stance is they are a form of motorized vehicle, which is primarily because they want to appease the industry and advocate for a new category to cover them.

 

[Beachboy]

Wow, this has gotten more interest that I thought it would. Sooner or later you will see an ADA lawsuit to challenge e-bikes on bike paths.

 

[Corbet]

I’m with Dave on this one. It’s a motorized vehicle plain and simple. If it was a gas engine assist would we even be having this conversation?

Although class I & II seems logical on city bike paths as those are more commute orientated IMO.

 

[ScaldedDog]

This is easily the most contentious topic on mountain bike forums. I can't say I care much about what other folks ride, though I have zero personal interest in riding a 45lb brick, assisted, or not. As I hurtle into old age, my attitude may change, as may those of most haters. For as long as I can, though, I'd rather hammer up hills on my unconscionably expensive 1x. In fact, I passed 3 e-bikes going uphill this morning.

Mark

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[baja1d]

It’s a good thing they don’t allow e-bikes on most of our trails...you bet your a$$ I’d drop $4k if they did!

Curious if those with special needs/combat injuries are exempt?


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[nakman]

Enjoying the discussion here, what I was hoping for. I always found it interesting in Moab that you can ride motorcycles on Slickrock bike trail. And even more interesting that the trail was actually made by motorcycle riders.. then later opened up to MTB's. that's true, right? So Brian can do the Slickrock loop on his eBike, but can't ride from town the trail head.

If I were to get an electric-assist bike my primary use would be on bike paths where I wouldn't dare take my gas-powered bikes. Total commuter thing, on the sidewalks, the dirt path through the open space, not on the side of the paved highway. Literally thinking (probably incorrectly) that because I was still pedaling some, and not making any extra noise, that I was sociologically justified.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Tim, from my extraordinarily unscientific observation of folks I come across riding e-bikes on singletrack, I'd say there are very few e-bike riders today who've spent much recent time in the woods on a real MTB. Most seem to be on the trail because the e-bike enables them to be. That'll change, if for no other reason than my earlier comment about aging.

Mark

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[subzali]

Enjoying the discussion here, what I was hoping for. I always found it interesting in Moab that you can ride motorcycles on Slickrock bike trail. And even more interesting that the trail was actually made by motorcycle riders.. then later opened up to MTB's. that's true, right? So Brian can do the Slickrock loop on his eBike, but can't ride from town the trail head.

If I were to get an electric-assist bike my primary use would be on bike paths where I wouldn't dare take my gas-powered bikes. Total commuter thing, on the sidewalks, the dirt path through the open space, not on the side of the paved highway. Literally thinking (probably incorrectly) that because I was still pedaling some, and not making any extra noise, that I was sociologically justified.

Monarch Crest, Rainbow, and a lot of trails in the Taylor Park/Crested Butte are the same way, multi-use I guess you would say. I would hazard to guess that a lot of those trails started as moto trails first too.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Monarch Crest, Rainbow, and a lot of trails in the Taylor Park/Crested Butte are the same way, multi-use I guess you would say. I would hazard to guess that a lot of those trails started as moto trails first too.

They're simply motorized trails. There's nothing that prevents riding a human powered bike on single track designed for dirt bikes. In fact the problem is more that people try to take ATVs and quads on them trying to stretch the definition of a "motorcycle" to the other extreme.

I think what we're talking about here is trying to distort the definition of a bicycle or MTB and taking what I argue are mopeds or scooters on trails that were never intended for anything with a motor. The argument is that they aren't necessarily helping as much as a true motorcycle but how exactly you define what is or isn't "assist" seems indistinct and therefore I say simply having a motor should make it motorized.

 

[subzali]

They're simply motorized trails. There's nothing that prevents riding a human powered bike on single track designed for dirt bikes. In fact the problem is more that people try to take ATVs and quads on them trying to stretch the definition of a "motorcycle" to the other extreme.

I think what we're talking about here is trying to distort the definition of a bicycle or MTB and taking what I argue are mopeds or scooters on trails that were never intended for anything with a motor. The argument is that they aren't necessarily helping as much as a true motorcycle but how exactly you define what is or isn't "assist" seems indistinct and therefore I say simply having a motor should make it motorized.

Yep totally agree. Man the lines are being blurred in everything it seems. From SUPs to side by sides and electric bikes the blending of different vehicles continues.