ebikes on the Shore

To me this all sounds a lot like "Stop liking what I don't like,".

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: Brocklanders

This is exactly my point. If I go out for a 2 hour ride and cover "x" amount of distance. Who gives a toss that you can get more laps/ distance in on a motorized bike in that two hours? Like that's not good enough?  Just enjoy the moment, enjoy the ride.

Who gives a toss? Maybe the person getting the extra lap in? It's a bit strange that you feel you can decide how other people can choose what's good enough or how to enjoy themselves. Would you raise the same concerns over someone who did a shuttle run? Have you ever ridden Cypress? Did you pedal up or shuttle?

I'm not the decider, its just an opinion. What this thread is all about. 

For the record pedaled up Cypress from home last time. Have shuttled it time to time. Don't have an issue with shuttling although I feel throwing this into the conversation is pointless.

Posted by: Brocklanders

I'm not the decider, its just an opinion. What this thread is all about.

For the record pedaled up Cypress from home last time. Have shuttled it time to time. Don't have an issue with shuttling although I feel throwing this into the conversation is pointless.

Ok, but that makes me even more confused then about your dislike of ebikes. Why does it matter how someone else spends their time?

In all honesty I think it’s bizarre to see this much grief over ebikes compared to  the relatively total lack of outcry over not enough people doing their fair share when it comes donating time and money to trail maintenance and trail advocacy. Not saying that’s you, but I think as a community we have far greater things to worry about.

I pedal up the BLT all the time.

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: skooks

"I don't have enough time" is a weak argument to justify anything. We all have exactly 24 hours in a day. People choose how they want to use/prioritize that time. I don't hate motorized bikers, but that argument is pretty hard to respect.

You should feel lucky that you have a life that affords you the ability to choose how you use your time. Not everyone is so fortunate even though we all have the same 24hrs.

Oh I fully appreciate how lucky I am. I expect most people who can afford a high-end motorized biker are lucky too and have the ability to prioritize their time.

Posted by: skooks

Oh I fully appreciate how lucky I am. I expect most people who can afford a high-end motorized biker are lucky too and have the ability to prioritize their time.

Expectations can be a funny thing, especially when one’s situation is different from others. I know a few good people who got ebikes simply because their free time was stretched so thin that their opportunities to ride were few and far between. Your experience is not the same as others and there are a slew of reasons why someone might not have time to get out and ride as much as they’d like. Ebikes provide a solution that works for them. There’s nothing that says you have to like them, but there also really no reason for disliking them either.

I live in East Van and loved the idea of not driving to the Shore to ride. But the current generation of ebikes don't have enough juice to get my 240lbs to the trailhead, up and down the mountain and home again on a single charge. So I'd still end up having to haul the damn thing on my car to what, save me from the climb? The climb is an important part of the experience for me. I don't like not having a hard climb.

you *can* put down a similar level of climbing exertion on an ebike, it just gets borderline irresponsible (albeit fun). borrowed one to do a seymour shuttle retrieval, bouncing off the speed limiter up old buck; first time i've ridden UP corkscrew, too. good times. seems most people i see climbing these things are barely breathing; probably a good thing, i guess. i think i'd be a dick if i had one.

Some interesting perspectives, thanks for the input.

There are three main reasons I'm considering an eMTB; specifically my age (now 61), two ACL's in poor condition and too many competing interests to allow me to become mountain fit.   I used to ride Fromme a fair bit and know how much effort is involved, particularly if wanting to hit up 7th and then do another trail.  Although I'm not yet fully decided,  I suspect that an eMTB will provide me with the easiest route back into the sport and the ability to keep biking for longer.  I'm also considering getting back into trail maintenance, however, that is a very slippery slope which I am not sure I want to get sucked back into quite yet.

Considering I would do most of my riding on Fromme and Seymour, I have been wondering as to the likelihood that these trails could be closed to eMTB's in the future? 

I'm also not really clear as to the arguments or perceptions why eMTB's need to be banned from trails, as long as they are assisted rather than throttle based?

Is it due to the perception that they do more  damage to the trails because of the heavier weight and increased numbers of laps? 

Do eMTB riders tend to exhibit a relatively higher degree of poor trail etiquette ?

Posted by: knnn

Some interesting perspectives, thanks for the input.

There are three main reasons I'm considering an eMTB; specifically my age (now 61), two ACL's in poor condition and too many competing interests to allow me to become mountain fit. I used to ride Fromme a fair bit and know how much effort is involved, particularly if wanting to hit up 7th and then do another trail. Although I'm not yet fully decided, I suspect that an eMTB will provide me with the easiest route back into the sport and the ability to keep biking for longer. I'm also considering getting back into trail maintenance, however, that is a very slippery slope which I am not sure I want to get sucked back into quite yet.

Considering I would do most of my riding on Fromme and Seymour, I have been wondering as to the likelihood that these trails could be closed to eMTB's in the future?

I'm also not really clear as to the arguments or perceptions why eMTB's need to be banned from trails, as long as they are assisted rather than throttle based?

Is it due to the perception that they do more damage to the trails because of the heavier weight and increased numbers of laps?

Do eMTB riders tend to exhibit a relatively higher degree of poor trail etiquette ?

Good on you for staying in the game (age is just a number right?)  but are you sure you need a motorized bike? I don't know how bad your knees are, but if you can still pedal you might get stronger and fitter faster on a mountain bike.

Posted by: skooks

Posted by: knnn

Some interesting perspectives, thanks for the input.

There are three main reasons I'm considering an eMTB; specifically my age (now 61), two ACL's in poor condition and too many competing interests to allow me to become mountain fit. I used to ride Fromme a fair bit and know how much effort is involved, particularly if wanting to hit up 7th and then do another trail. Although I'm not yet fully decided, I suspect that an eMTB will provide me with the easiest route back into the sport and the ability to keep biking for longer. I'm also considering getting back into trail maintenance, however, that is a very slippery slope which I am not sure I want to get sucked back into quite yet.

Considering I would do most of my riding on Fromme and Seymour, I have been wondering as to the likelihood that these trails could be closed to eMTB's in the future?

I'm also not really clear as to the arguments or perceptions why eMTB's need to be banned from trails, as long as they are assisted rather than throttle based?

Is it due to the perception that they do more damage to the trails because of the heavier weight and increased numbers of laps?

Do eMTB riders tend to exhibit a relatively higher degree of poor trail etiquette ?

Good on you for staying in the game (age is just a number right?)  but are you sure you need a motorized bike? I don't know how bad your knees are, but if you can still pedal you might get stronger and fitter faster on a mountain bike.

I know I have a predilection to dislike ebikes but what I find disheartening about them is that people these days can't be content with their actual life/capabilities. Do 20 year olds really need to do an extra lap? Why can't you call it a day biking up to espresso rather than all the way up to 7th if that is where your fitness is at? Is it the constant barrage of images of what a mountain bike ride is supposed to be? We don't all have to shred double blacks, kick up rooster tails and drift through corners. Will a motor on your bike really make you more happy? Maybe it will? Can't remember where I read it but one ebike owner admitted that he didn't really like riding his ebike as much as a traditional bike as he didn't have the same sense of accomplishment. Sure he could climb the unclimbable climb - but it wasn't him, it was just the motor. I like the solitude, quiet and challenge of biking. Adding a motor would actually take away from all these aspects of my riding.

Like Shooks said, good on you for keeping at it. If a motorized bicycle will help you get the most out of your riding I am happy for you. On the other hand I bike with a bunch of guys 55-65 and sure they don't have the same edge they used to but are the best riding partners you could ask for and can still get lots of enjoyment out of a regular bike.

Posted by: xy9ine

first time i've ridden UP corkscrew, too. 

WHAT!!! even the 3 features closest to the top?  I am down to a 5 and two 1 dabs, but with a manual bike.

Posted by: xy9ine
  i think i'd be a dick if i had one.

yeah, me too ;-)

This thread reminds me of high school honestly.

Posted by: thaaad

This thread reminds me of high school honestly.

Yup