If I were in this cost-no-object price bracket, I'd find it difficult to justify the regular Fuel EX over this. And as this sort of kit trickles down to $5K bikes, I expect we'll start to see a majority opting for electric power. There's no question these bikes are more fun, especially if you're on the once-or-twice-a-week schedule that most of us can manage that doesn't allow for Nino levels of fitness. Why not spend a little more to feel like him?
It's sad, though. I feel I've earned the skill and fitness I do have and I resent getting dropped by people on bikes like this. It's like showing up to an MX5 track day in a Ferrari. We all have an internally ranking relative to everyone else, and when someone jumps the queue without putting in the saddle time, it feels like cheating.
I expect we'll hit an inflection point in six or seven years where most of the serious riders have ebikes, and not having one will mean you're poor or unserious, not that you're occupying a imaginary (but still shared) moral high ground. If you can keep up with legs alone, great. If not, you'll be dropped and will self-sort out of that riding group.
July 13, 2022, 9:10 a.m. - Alex D
If I were in this cost-no-object price bracket, I'd find it difficult to justify the regular Fuel EX over this. And as this sort of kit trickles down to $5K bikes, I expect we'll start to see a majority opting for electric power. There's no question these bikes are more fun, especially if you're on the once-or-twice-a-week schedule that most of us can manage that doesn't allow for Nino levels of fitness. Why not spend a little more to feel like him? It's sad, though. I feel I've earned the skill and fitness I do have and I resent getting dropped by people on bikes like this. It's like showing up to an MX5 track day in a Ferrari. We all have an internally ranking relative to everyone else, and when someone jumps the queue without putting in the saddle time, it feels like cheating. I expect we'll hit an inflection point in six or seven years where most of the serious riders have ebikes, and not having one will mean you're poor or unserious, not that you're occupying a imaginary (but still shared) moral high ground. If you can keep up with legs alone, great. If not, you'll be dropped and will self-sort out of that riding group.