I think (hope?) nearly all of us understand how motor assisted vehicles improve quality of life (ride with friends!) for those with various physical limitations. The challenge comes in defining ‘what’ level of limitation qualifies, and how to implement the distinction.
However what sticks with me is the ‘privileged behavior’ argument some deeper thinkers have made. If I get older & my knees get creaky, I can afford a nice Emtb to get me to the alpine lakes. Should I automatically have that motor-assist access? Or maybe just to some alpine lakes, but other zones should be reserved for actual human powered access?
And what does friendship mean in this context? I have many friends who can’t do the long backcountry ski tours and mtb rides I prefer but can happily do a shorter tour or ride at a slower pace. Naturally there’s a part of me that (selfishly) would enjoy doing a fast paced ‘real’ trip with them if they have a motor to assist them, but I have and will continue to get stoked by intentionally choosing the shorter / slower tour or ride as a demonstration of friendship. Otherwise my friendship is implying a request that they buy an Emtb to keep up.
No easy answers. I’m not an Emtb hater but I’m also interested in thoughtful conversations on the limits that apply. Sometimes I feel people haven’t really thought through the broader implications as our entire society finds technology solutions to injuries and, well, aging.
Jan. 6, 2025, 6:25 a.m. - Frorider
I think (hope?) nearly all of us understand how motor assisted vehicles improve quality of life (ride with friends!) for those with various physical limitations. The challenge comes in defining ‘what’ level of limitation qualifies, and how to implement the distinction. However what sticks with me is the ‘privileged behavior’ argument some deeper thinkers have made. If I get older & my knees get creaky, I can afford a nice Emtb to get me to the alpine lakes. Should I automatically have that motor-assist access? Or maybe just to some alpine lakes, but other zones should be reserved for actual human powered access? And what does friendship mean in this context? I have many friends who can’t do the long backcountry ski tours and mtb rides I prefer but can happily do a shorter tour or ride at a slower pace. Naturally there’s a part of me that (selfishly) would enjoy doing a fast paced ‘real’ trip with them if they have a motor to assist them, but I have and will continue to get stoked by intentionally choosing the shorter / slower tour or ride as a demonstration of friendship. Otherwise my friendship is implying a request that they buy an Emtb to keep up. No easy answers. I’m not an Emtb hater but I’m also interested in thoughtful conversations on the limits that apply. Sometimes I feel people haven’t really thought through the broader implications as our entire society finds technology solutions to injuries and, well, aging.