#!markdown
Thanks for that response.
Your article is actually not what got me upset, but unfortunately some pent up
electric mountain moped negativity got the best of me when I saw that video
and what it represents. So my apology for being grumpy and directing it at
NSMB. My bad. 🙁
I plan to give my attention and whatever those clicks are worth to MTB media
that focuses on human powered cycling. I've been a motorcycle rider since I
was 17. I'm not anti-moto, but as soon as you put a motor on something it's
quite a different experience and needs to be managed differently.
Every single trail network I ride on the Island is signed as "non-motorized" I
plan to put as much effort as I can to keep it that way. We need to stop
pretending these are mountain bikes and call them what they are low powered
motorcycles.
Regardless of what Specialized or anyone else trying to make a buck from these
motorcycles says they can and will be hacked to be throttle operated and
faster with more range then what they are spec'd for out of the factory. It's
happened in Europe it will happen here. That's fine. That's normal, but we
need to not pretend some how magic fairy dust will stop that from happening
this time.
It's also important to note that there is no practical way to tell if you are
riding one type of electric motorcycle or another type. There is no budget for
enforcement at that level of refinement. The only practical way to deal with
this is to keep motors and human powered separate.
People with motors should have a place to play and they should be managed as
is appropriate to realities of their activity. I'm all for that.
Finally on the issue of electric motorcycles providing an activity for those
who may not be able to pedal a human powered bicycle. That's great and I
support that, but not on human powered only trails. Getting old or having a
disability is unfortunate, but we have not paved the Grand Canyon nor Mount
Everest to make it so that anyone can use a machine with a motor to travel the
exact same terrain as those without mobility issues.
There are tons of legal places of beauty a motorcycle can legally go that
folks with mobility issues can use them to see fantastic scenery. No it won't
be exactly the same terrain as human powered trails. I can't ride my MTB on
many local hiking trails. Strictly speaking it's not fair, but I understand
that hikers are impacted by mountain bikers and need their places to do their
thing.
I'm coming up on 50 and I know my speed will drop and eventually my ability to
ride local trails will diminish and finally I'll be forced to be a roadie. I
wish that wasn't the case, but I don't see adding a motor to my mountain bike
as a solution to that. I'll accept my limitations and recreate within my
capabilities.
Dec. 18, 2016, 9:15 a.m. - Vik Banerjee
#!markdown Thanks for that response. Your article is actually not what got me upset, but unfortunately some pent up electric mountain moped negativity got the best of me when I saw that video and what it represents. So my apology for being grumpy and directing it at NSMB. My bad. 🙁 I plan to give my attention and whatever those clicks are worth to MTB media that focuses on human powered cycling. I've been a motorcycle rider since I was 17. I'm not anti-moto, but as soon as you put a motor on something it's quite a different experience and needs to be managed differently. Every single trail network I ride on the Island is signed as "non-motorized" I plan to put as much effort as I can to keep it that way. We need to stop pretending these are mountain bikes and call them what they are low powered motorcycles. Regardless of what Specialized or anyone else trying to make a buck from these motorcycles says they can and will be hacked to be throttle operated and faster with more range then what they are spec'd for out of the factory. It's happened in Europe it will happen here. That's fine. That's normal, but we need to not pretend some how magic fairy dust will stop that from happening this time. It's also important to note that there is no practical way to tell if you are riding one type of electric motorcycle or another type. There is no budget for enforcement at that level of refinement. The only practical way to deal with this is to keep motors and human powered separate. People with motors should have a place to play and they should be managed as is appropriate to realities of their activity. I'm all for that. Finally on the issue of electric motorcycles providing an activity for those who may not be able to pedal a human powered bicycle. That's great and I support that, but not on human powered only trails. Getting old or having a disability is unfortunate, but we have not paved the Grand Canyon nor Mount Everest to make it so that anyone can use a machine with a motor to travel the exact same terrain as those without mobility issues. There are tons of legal places of beauty a motorcycle can legally go that folks with mobility issues can use them to see fantastic scenery. No it won't be exactly the same terrain as human powered trails. I can't ride my MTB on many local hiking trails. Strictly speaking it's not fair, but I understand that hikers are impacted by mountain bikers and need their places to do their thing. I'm coming up on 50 and I know my speed will drop and eventually my ability to ride local trails will diminish and finally I'll be forced to be a roadie. I wish that wasn't the case, but I don't see adding a motor to my mountain bike as a solution to that. I'll accept my limitations and recreate within my capabilities.