Why I don’t want an ebike (but I don’t hate them)

Posted by: Sethimus

how many of the early naysayers in this thread now own one?

I've currently got a long-saved-up wad of money burning a hole in my pocket for a new bike. Went to the Specialized showroom the other day, the e-bikes looked, to my eyes, like the same uninteresting bicycle shaped objects as always.

My curiosity about them peaked, I tried them out, and now I've got less interest than ever. 

If you pulled up at the trailhead with a $25k e-mtb, nobody would care. They're just generally not a source of passion. 

If someone pulled up on a newly released $25,000 normal bicycle they'd be a local celebrity. It would be like kids chasing the ice cream truck. You'd see the bike 5 years later and notice every change in the spec. You'd remember the glorious first time you saw that bike. Summer, the sun warm on your shoulders and flowers in high bloom. The owner would let you heft it to see how heavy it was, and you'd remark at the weight then with a far away look you'd whisper to yourself "one day".

I've definitely never said one day about owning an e-mtb.

Posted by: Sethimus

how many of the early naysayers in this thread now own one?

Not me. I don't care what other people ride, but I have zero interest in an electric MTB.

Posted by: Sethimus

how many of the early naysayers in this thread now own one?

Nope. Adding a motor and battery does nothing I want.

I'm seeing very few e-mtbs on the trails in Cumberland, maybe 1% of riders if not less. I know they are out there so perhaps they don't ride at the same times I ride.

Anyway so far they don't seem to be taking over the trails just yet.

Posted by: [email protected]

I'm seeing very few e-mtbs on the trails in Cumberland, maybe 1% of riders if not less. I know they are out there so perhaps they don't ride at the same times I ride.

Anyway so far they don't seem to be taking over the trails just yet.

From what I have seen at the LBS the e-MTBs are out selling mountain bikes significantly. I rarely had a conversation with anyone about a new bicycle of any variety...folks almost always wanted something with a motor. That said the limited supply of e-MTBs, the higher cost and the large number of legacy mountain bikes out there in the wild means that the ratio on the trail will favour mountain bikes for a while, but the trend is definitely favouring e-MTBs in the medium/longer-term.

When I ride popular trails at peak times on weekends [something I do as little as possible] I see lots of e-MTBs. Off peak times and/or less well used trails I don't see many. That doesn't surprise me too much.

I went on one shop ride so far this spring and the ratio was close to 50/50 for mountain bikes to e-MTBS.

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: Sethimus

how many of the early naysayers in this thread now own one?

I've currently got a long-saved-up wad of money burning a hole in my pocket for a new bike. Went to the Specialized showroom the other day, the e-bikes looked, to my eyes, like the same uninteresting bicycle shaped objects as always.

My curiosity about them peaked, I tried them out, and now I've got less interest than ever. 

If you pulled up at the trailhead with a $25k e-mtb, nobody would care. They're just generally not a source of passion. 

If someone pulled up on a newly released $25,000 normal bicycle they'd be a local celebrity. It would be like kids chasing the ice cream truck. You'd see the bike 5 years later and notice every change in the spec. You'd remember the glorious first time you saw that bike. Summer, the sun warm on your shoulders and flowers in high bloom. The owner would let you heft it to see how heavy it was, and you'd remark at the weight then with a far away look you'd whisper to yourself "one day".

I've definitely never said one day about owning an e-mtb.

i never had as much fun with a bike than i have these days with my full coil 160/140 20kg light ebike with dh tires that i can ride up anywhere i want and take down the most technicals runs switzerland has to offer.

What bike do you have / what brands are more popular over there?

Posted by: Sethimus

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: Sethimus

how many of the early naysayers in this thread now own one?

I've currently got a long-saved-up wad of money burning a hole in my pocket for a new bike. Went to the Specialized showroom the other day, the e-bikes looked, to my eyes, like the same uninteresting bicycle shaped objects as always.

My curiosity about them peaked, I tried them out, and now I've got less interest than ever. 

If you pulled up at the trailhead with a $25k e-mtb, nobody would care. They're just generally not a source of passion. 

If someone pulled up on a newly released $25,000 normal bicycle they'd be a local celebrity. It would be like kids chasing the ice cream truck. You'd see the bike 5 years later and notice every change in the spec. You'd remember the glorious first time you saw that bike. Summer, the sun warm on your shoulders and flowers in high bloom. The owner would let you heft it to see how heavy it was, and you'd remark at the weight then with a far away look you'd whisper to yourself "one day".

I've definitely never said one day about owning an e-mtb.

i never had as much fun with a bike than i have these days with my full coil 160/140 20kg light ebike with dh tires that i can ride up anywhere i want and take down the most technicals runs switzerland has to offer.

Whereabouts in Switzerland are you Seth? That is rad. You need to post a *lot* more pictures. 

Lean a bike up.

Zurich based, last few months i was mostly riding in Ticino, on the southern side of the Alps.

That was early April i think

Posted by: thaaad

What bike do you have / what brands are more popular over there?

Orbea Rise

Here in Switzerland Specialized is quite popular, but you see most brands around.

Some Highlights from my first year living here:

Wouldn’t have gone to most of these places without a motor

We hung out with the coolest old legend of an outdoor guide there on the Italian border of the Alps. Our friends we met there go up specifically to hang out with this dude each year. 

Diego is a 73 year from the Livigno area. Not an ounce of fat, endurance like a cyborg. Hasn't bought new clothes since probably 1970, but stylish enough we all took notes trying to look like him.

We did a bunch of rock climbing and via ferrata with him, and as much just hanging out soaking up his vibe as we could. Areas he took us exploring looked a lot like that/\. Everywhere you turned would just take your breath away. 

Diego really loved to talk about his other passion though, gravel biking lol. Him and I would sit in the front on transfers and talk bicycles the whole way. The routes he described were difficult to fathom.

Epic place you live. I think the Alps just soak into you and something wonderful happens

Nice panorama photos, Sethimus. What's a typical ride like in terms of kms and vertical meters that you can do on that bike without having to worry about your battery charge?

I miss riding in the Alps. I did trips almost every summer 2006-2019 but haven't been since (pandemic etc.). Maybe next year. No e-mtbs but sometimes lift/bus/train assisted to get the most out of the day.