I guess it's just a matter of time

http://http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-fight-to-ride-electric-mountain-bikes-on-the-trail-1411599454

E-bikes are free to ride any trail that motorized vehicles are allowed on.
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I guess they'll want charging stations halfway up Fromme and the sisters? Going to be a whole new rider division at Crankworx and "Rampage" will be quickly replaced by the new "Voltage, Big AmpAir Classic."

Remember, it's not the volts that kill but the amps.

Safe riding.

counter point:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2014/09/30/electric-bikes-gateway-drug-to-bike-commuting/

Also a gateway drug to all mountain?

We have bike parks and shuttles for those that don't want to ride up. If a man becomes too old and infirm to ride up, here in North Van, he ain't a gonna want to come down those trails either. But I do see a person who has say a two hour window to ride, rather than ride up Fromme to Expresso and back up to ladies, that rider on an electric assist can now go up the hill in less than half the time so the rider does twice as many descents. Twice as much impact to trails. Plus how long before we see kits to increase power? On the street we see so called pedal scooters with electric motors where the pedals exist so that the owner does not need any insurance or motorcycle helmet because with pedals, they are considered bicycles. Often enough those cranks are sawed off soon after the sale of the "bike". I foresee if electric assist are allowed that we will be over run with them in short order and that could be followed by bans on all two wheeled vehicles powered or not. Remember, bicycles turned into motorcycles once already many years ago.

I'm with AlanB. Pretty simple.

[Elitist]Some lazy people may even transport their electric assist bikes by vehicle to the start of the trail ride! Imagine that! Or is that just too dumb to contemplate?!?[/Elitist]

Another counterpoint.
What I don't understand is why some riders feel like the presence of e bikes could somehow diminish the experience they are having. Why should we care so much?

http://nsmb.com/loam-ranger-goes-electric/

making it easier for the masses to get to trails, will negatively impact those trails. many trails have been built at the top of hard climbs, and/or remote places to protect them, as the filter is the effort and time it takes to get there, ebikes blow that out of the water and make these trails much more vulnerable to overuse and lesser skilled riders getting in way over their heads. e-assist bikes are still motorized bikes, I don't build trail for motorized use, I haven't, and won't in the future, participate in advocating for motorized bikes on non-motorized trails. we've spent decades convincing the powers that be that we are NOT motorized, and I'll be damned if we throw that all away at this point for these things.

making it easier for the masses to get to trails, will negatively impact those trails. many trails have been built at the top of hard climbs, and/or remote places to protect them, as the filter is the effort and time it takes to get there, ebikes blow that out of the water and make these trails much more vulnerable to overuse and lesser skilled riders getting in way over their heads. e-assist bikes are still motorized bikes, I don't build trail for motorized use, I haven't, and won't in the future, participate in advocating for motorized bikes on non-motorized trails. we've spent decades convincing the powers that be that we are NOT motorized, and I'll be damned if we throw that all away at this point for these things.

Yes.

making it easier for the masses to get to trails, will negatively impact those trails. many trails have been built at the top of hard climbs, and/or remote places to protect them, as the filter is the effort and time it takes to get there, ebikes blow that out of the water and make these trails much more vulnerable to overuse and lesser skilled riders getting in way over their heads. e-assist bikes are still motorized bikes, I don't build trail for motorized use, I haven't, and won't in the future, participate in advocating for motorized bikes on non-motorized trails. we've spent decades convincing the powers that be that we are NOT motorized, and I'll be damned if we throw that all away at this point for these things.

Agreed. Besides, I don't know about other folks but I would be embarrassed to have to use electric assist.

hard climbs, and/or remote places to protect them,

good luck hike-a-biking a 50lb e-bike to the top of my favourite remote places.

good luck hike-a-biking a 50lb e-bike to the top of my favourite remote places.

you know what I mean. there are lots of trails that take effort to get to that aren't full on hike a bikes.

the irony here is delicious.

how many of you have never shuttled, chair lifted or helicoptered your way to the top. if anything it gets more people out riding and enjoying the outdoors which is supposed to be a good thing right? i would guess that most of the people riding these things won't be looking to ride technical trails on the way down and will be clogging up the groomers instead.

maybe it's time to give serious thought to a couple of machine cut gravel paths down the mountains - this would probably benefit the trail network overall in big ways.