The first e-bikes of the season riding up Mountain Highway

A couple wearing full face helmets and pads, bikes had no stickers or logos but I saw carbon weave - looked expensive. Will this be the start of a trend for the north shore? They were moving fast up that grade.

At some point there has to be a consensus from the nsmba and the land managers on the state of the union for e-bike usage. It's a big issue. I'm very much behind trails for all, but will increased use of e-bikes mean more traffic meaning more erosion and a huge backlog of trail maintenance? It is a good thing to have more people out on the mountains and enjoying this incredible heritage that the north shore contains, but will e-bikes take more then they can give? I've already seen swift knee-jerk reactions from land managers - the CMHC last year on Mt Seymour for example. That broad brush affected all trail users.

I'm not interested in hearing polemic, but I'd really like to know where this will go or what the 'roadmap' is going to be.

I can see the potential money in the e-mtb sector, but it's very hard to define usage without empirical data as well, so I'd really like to hear from anyone who has experience with other parts of the world where e-mtb usage is becoming more widespread.

Obviously there's not going to be any stopping of production, so responsible usage is the concern whilst remembering that one bad apple does not define the barrel.

I'm not a fan. If someone's fitness level isn't high enough or they are too lazy to put the effort in. It will only make their decending shit too. I think they won't catch on here. I have only seen a couple in the last year or so. The last time the guy was coming down crinkum and he was far outside his comfort zone. He probably never came back.

That is one of the pro/con arguments I hear about, but if your body can't make the climb, will it be able to make the descent? But again, that's not something I have experienced.

Do riders with poor health or fitness suffer at Whistler? Definitely. I've ridden with very out of shape friends who sit it out after 3 laps of Crank it up, but they've also had a blast. Will that have a maintenance knock-on, yes. But a lift serviced bike park also has paid trail staff to mitigate some of this as much as they can.

Ya Dan, def agree with you. I really think  the ebike thing really is for noobs. I think it may be popular in a place like Bend Oregon where the trails are super smooth. Have rode a bunch of locations this spring summer in BC and have yet to see a one. I think the shame involved keeps the numbers down. We will only see I guess.

I definitely thought "that's just not cricket" when I saw them fly up mountain highway, that's for sure. But there has to be an endgame for the north shore trails too. At least I hope so.

I dunno I rode with my buddy last week who rented one for fun. Sure he slayed me on the climbs but we had a blast together on the descents as he is a very skilled rider. His logic is that in his 100hr work week it would be nice to ride more than the same lower trails around his house when he has an hour to kill. That day we managed 2 laps and he was stoked. If it works for some people then who cares. The root of peoples resistance to them is that it invalidates their hard work on the climbs imo.

Too Funny,
Went for a ride late afternoon yesterday. Pretty quiet on Fromme, came across a guy riding one of the sorcery bikes.
He was wearing a full spandex kit like an xc racer which doesn't make sense. Somehow he fell down on the end section of Leapard,
Heard him say to his friend " well you know this bike is extremely heavy" How much fun decending are these things?  They weigh a ton.

Here in Whistler/WORCA we're working on the appropriate in/on designated trails only route, it's a work in progress with our partners and other stakeholders in the area. We continue to have serious concerns regarding their increased use on heavily used multi-use, non-motorized networks. They might have a place on some designated trails, but in our opinion that does not equate to unfettered access on all non-motorized trails. We've also had uptake from other regional clubs and groups in regards to our position as being advocates and proponents of non-motorized recreation and hopefully we'll be coming together more collectively in this regard in the coming months.

Hopefully the NSMBA will take a similar approach.

I can see limiting access on Fromme, but you can shuttle Seymour to your heart's content as is, so better the battery power over petrol in a shuttle rig.

Posted by: fun-house

I can see limiting access on Fromme, but you can shuttle Seymour to your heart's content as is, so better the battery power over petrol in a shuttle rig.

I tend to ascribe to that theory too these days. Shuttle areas, have at 'er, they're generally high impact downhill oriented trails with generally fewer other user groups...but that doesn't mean we should turn non-shuttle trail systems into them by allowing that different use type (ie. e-shuttling).

I defintely wouldn't want to see ascent trails like No Quarter or Penny Lane / GSM become e-shuttle routes.

I think one of those puppies waiting at the first switchback of Cypress with about 5 ropes off the back of it would make for an entertaining tow up to the top of Blind Skier on the pavement. Hell, with the recent work on BLT you might even be able to get air on the way up it its such a highway now. Of course I do not want to see these electric bikes in the woods.

Posted by: PaulB

I defintely wouldn't want to see ascent trails like No Quarter or Penny Lane / GSM become e-shuttle routes.

This was more my thinking. Old buck is wide enough and developed enough to likely accommodate in most sections but I am not sure the other climbing trails are. There isn't exactly a lot of space to pass either. Saw a guy with one getting ready to ride Seymour on Sunday as I was getting to leave.