Our group has done advocacy for 20 years. I’m 10 years in.
Pedal assist 250W ebikes (eg Levo/Kenevo) seem to be a non-issue once we have had the senior managers from the land owners etc ride them.
Any argument we have presented in the last 20 years for mountain biking applies equally to this class of ebike.
The only issue is the impact of the track and managing user conflict. So far track impacts so far seem less than XC bikes on climbing trails. Descending, the motor etc isn’t a factor. Nor is the extra 10kg. If I wear a pack or not is 5kg difference. Our lightest rider is 30kg less than our heaviest. I’m fit and one 55yo on his ebike weighs less than me without a bike. And ebikes weigh the same as the first DH bike I rode in early 2000s.
The only potential for user conflict is catching slower riders on the way up. Although on techy climbs ebikes are about the same as a quick rider. On steep 4wd tracks climbing at max speed of 25km/h is hardly an issue given the width of the track.
For hikers it’s the same as a mountain bike.
Get your land managers and government policy decision makers out on one ASAP. It will firstly blow their mind as to what riding is all about, and show them an ebike is just a mountain bike that’s easier to ride up hill.
As far as we’re concerned anything that gets more people riding is great for advocacy and applying pressure on government for more access to all.
We previously had to put a lot of effort into stopping XC riders hating on DHers which was fracturing advocacy and giving mixed messages to government. United we have made progress. Fracturing riding again isn’t supported by an evidence on the ground and will only serve to undermine riding for all.
The easy argument being created for those opposing riding in general is to pick up on the evidence that there is no difference between the likes of Levo/Kenevo and a mountain bike. Then use the positions of the anti-ebike riders as evidence they are hypocrites and push to ban all riding. When this happens you will already be in a weaker position from alienating ebikers and limiting the overall recreation of mountain biking.
March 10, 2018, 3:12 p.m. - DrSK
Our group has done advocacy for 20 years. I’m 10 years in. Pedal assist 250W ebikes (eg Levo/Kenevo) seem to be a non-issue once we have had the senior managers from the land owners etc ride them. Any argument we have presented in the last 20 years for mountain biking applies equally to this class of ebike. The only issue is the impact of the track and managing user conflict. So far track impacts so far seem less than XC bikes on climbing trails. Descending, the motor etc isn’t a factor. Nor is the extra 10kg. If I wear a pack or not is 5kg difference. Our lightest rider is 30kg less than our heaviest. I’m fit and one 55yo on his ebike weighs less than me without a bike. And ebikes weigh the same as the first DH bike I rode in early 2000s. The only potential for user conflict is catching slower riders on the way up. Although on techy climbs ebikes are about the same as a quick rider. On steep 4wd tracks climbing at max speed of 25km/h is hardly an issue given the width of the track. For hikers it’s the same as a mountain bike. Get your land managers and government policy decision makers out on one ASAP. It will firstly blow their mind as to what riding is all about, and show them an ebike is just a mountain bike that’s easier to ride up hill. As far as we’re concerned anything that gets more people riding is great for advocacy and applying pressure on government for more access to all. We previously had to put a lot of effort into stopping XC riders hating on DHers which was fracturing advocacy and giving mixed messages to government. United we have made progress. Fracturing riding again isn’t supported by an evidence on the ground and will only serve to undermine riding for all. The easy argument being created for those opposing riding in general is to pick up on the evidence that there is no difference between the likes of Levo/Kenevo and a mountain bike. Then use the positions of the anti-ebike riders as evidence they are hypocrites and push to ban all riding. When this happens you will already be in a weaker position from alienating ebikers and limiting the overall recreation of mountain biking.