I do ride a proper class 1 bike on trails regularly (a Sight VLT) and I haven't had any trail conflicts or other issues. That doesn't mean there won't be issues of course, but with responsible use, as with any mountain bike, I personally think they can coexist without major problems. Once we start talking about higher power, more speed and throttles, I think we have an issue.
At the same time, bikes like the EXe fit in much better, both because of the absence of noise and the limitations of the smaller battery and less powerful motor.
There were expectations that problems would ramp up as the number of eMTBs on the trails increased but I haven't seen or heard much of that thus far. Obviously this is anecdotal but people who are wronged by dudes (mostly dudes!) on eMTBs aren't likely to be quiet.
Singletrack climbs keep the speeds down generally and while I'm faster up the local climber on my Sight VLT than the EXe, the difference isn't massive. I have to slow down in the switchbacks and where it's rough. I also avoid singletrack climbs when I expect the trails to be busy because I don't like passing people with a motor.
June 22, 2023, 12:31 p.m. - Cam McRae
I do ride a proper class 1 bike on trails regularly (a Sight VLT) and I haven't had any trail conflicts or other issues. That doesn't mean there won't be issues of course, but with responsible use, as with any mountain bike, I personally think they can coexist without major problems. Once we start talking about higher power, more speed and throttles, I think we have an issue. At the same time, bikes like the EXe fit in much better, both because of the absence of noise and the limitations of the smaller battery and less powerful motor. There were expectations that problems would ramp up as the number of eMTBs on the trails increased but I haven't seen or heard much of that thus far. Obviously this is anecdotal but people who are wronged by dudes (mostly dudes!) on eMTBs aren't likely to be quiet. Singletrack climbs keep the speeds down generally and while I'm faster up the local climber on my Sight VLT than the EXe, the difference isn't massive. I have to slow down in the switchbacks and where it's rough. I also avoid singletrack climbs when I expect the trails to be busy because I don't like passing people with a motor.