Now Vik, most of the times we're on the same page, but on this I am totally on the other side of the fence, or at least don't appreciate being lumped in with the manufacturers/bike shops/industry looking for any way to make more and more $$$, or people looking to encourage new people to MTB with this BS, "here's everything on a silver plater" attitude, no need for hard work or the modern, lazzy ass, whatever you call them generation who doesn't like being told "NO, you can't just have, you have to work for it".
Most of this modern generation generally get seriously butt hurt when they come on a forum wondering why they can't keep up with their friend who they used to play "X" sport with and were on par with, but now they got an MTB and been riding for 6 months and their friend is smoking them, but has been riding for 2 years and you tell them it has nothing to do with the nice bike they have, that it's them and learn to MTFU and do the work, either on skill or fitness or both.
When I broke my knee cap completely in 1/2 back at the end of June 2019, everyone told me that now I had a "reason" to get an e-bike and in no uncertain terms I told them "Hell no", I will just do as I did when I started out MTBing so many years ago and start back slowly, ride a 1/4 mile, then 1/2 mile, then mile, 2, 3 and so on until I can go/get no further and be happy with that. Since then life hasn't been good with the knee, found out that I had been living with a serious fracture on that same knee for years and they tried to fix it when they did the surgery for the break, but it's never healed and so I've had some serious grief, but at no time did I consider any form of assistance. I rode a grand total of 11 times in 2021, less in 2020 and yet, with 5 rides under my belt in 2022 now, on the last ride with a group, I was the first up the big climb at the end by a good margin over guys riding 2-3 times a week because I didn't puss out, because I gritted my teeth and took the pain and put in the effort, every time I ride, despite the pain.
Just so you know, this is what my knee looks like now.
March 16, 2022, 9:56 a.m. - Lynx .
Now Vik, most of the times we're on the same page, but on this I am totally on the other side of the fence, or at least don't appreciate being lumped in with the manufacturers/bike shops/industry looking for any way to make more and more $$$, or people looking to encourage new people to MTB with this BS, "here's everything on a silver plater" attitude, no need for hard work or the modern, lazzy ass, whatever you call them generation who doesn't like being told "NO, you can't just have, you have to work for it". Most of this modern generation generally get seriously butt hurt when they come on a forum wondering why they can't keep up with their friend who they used to play "X" sport with and were on par with, but now they got an MTB and been riding for 6 months and their friend is smoking them, but has been riding for 2 years and you tell them it has nothing to do with the nice bike they have, that it's them and learn to MTFU and do the work, either on skill or fitness or both. When I broke my knee cap completely in 1/2 back at the end of June 2019, everyone told me that now I had a "reason" to get an e-bike and in no uncertain terms I told them "Hell no", I will just do as I did when I started out MTBing so many years ago and start back slowly, ride a 1/4 mile, then 1/2 mile, then mile, 2, 3 and so on until I can go/get no further and be happy with that. Since then life hasn't been good with the knee, found out that I had been living with a serious fracture on that same knee for years and they tried to fix it when they did the surgery for the break, but it's never healed and so I've had some serious grief, but at no time did I consider any form of assistance. I rode a grand total of 11 times in 2021, less in 2020 and yet, with 5 rides under my belt in 2022 now, on the last ride with a group, I was the first up the big climb at the end by a good margin over guys riding 2-3 times a week because I didn't puss out, because I gritted my teeth and took the pain and put in the effort, every time I ride, despite the pain. Just so you know, this is what my knee looks like now. 