#!markdown
Just a couple of observations I've made and some opinions to go with them.
1) A lot of people who volunteer a lot of time maintaining bike trails are
really, really, against e-bikes on said trails.
I'm not saying there's science behind that other than the obvious more laps =
more erosion with any activity : hike / horse / bike / etc. Yes, I recognize
that trails on public lands do not 'belong' to the trail builders.
I do think trail building is the 'soul' of the sport and when the soul of your
sport is decrying something on mass it bears consideration beyond what's
scientifically provable.
2) From the article. I think it's interesting that Sam/Specialized mentions
all the efforts being made to educate customers/dealers on their E-Bikes and
then states that having land owners slap up signage noting existing bans on
motorized traffic isn't a solution because the people buying E-MTBs don't
think of them as motorized.
I don't understand how that's a grey area I guess?
For example, I would take it that on trail networks that currently ban
motorized traffic bikes using an electric motor to assist pedalling would be
banned - but Specialized is saying their customers don't understand that to be
the case?
3) Also from the article, I was very disappointed that only the negative -
stick - was mentioned regarding trail maintenance and advocacy. I.E.
Specialized did not pull funding from IMBA over their stance on E-MTBs.
I would have liked to have seen something positive - carrot - and proactive.
Such as a dollar amount from every E-Bike sold being donated to community
where the bikes will be ridden.
Dec. 22, 2016, 8:26 a.m. - DrewM
#!markdown Just a couple of observations I've made and some opinions to go with them. 1) A lot of people who volunteer a lot of time maintaining bike trails are really, really, against e-bikes on said trails. I'm not saying there's science behind that other than the obvious more laps = more erosion with any activity : hike / horse / bike / etc. Yes, I recognize that trails on public lands do not 'belong' to the trail builders. I do think trail building is the 'soul' of the sport and when the soul of your sport is decrying something on mass it bears consideration beyond what's scientifically provable. 2) From the article. I think it's interesting that Sam/Specialized mentions all the efforts being made to educate customers/dealers on their E-Bikes and then states that having land owners slap up signage noting existing bans on motorized traffic isn't a solution because the people buying E-MTBs don't think of them as motorized. I don't understand how that's a grey area I guess? For example, I would take it that on trail networks that currently ban motorized traffic bikes using an electric motor to assist pedalling would be banned - but Specialized is saying their customers don't understand that to be the case? 3) Also from the article, I was very disappointed that only the negative - stick - was mentioned regarding trail maintenance and advocacy. I.E. Specialized did not pull funding from IMBA over their stance on E-MTBs. I would have liked to have seen something positive - carrot - and proactive. Such as a dollar amount from every E-Bike sold being donated to community where the bikes will be ridden.