E-line the new French-line?

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I still sit on the fence with ebikers. I ride with a few that are great people and cop the abuse with a smile. Seriously though, the abuse is very real and absolutely incessant. If an ebikers appears to have a chip on their shoulder it's probably because your the 473rd person to call them a cheater today.
I wonder what the reaction is like when someone turns up on an ebike for a roadie group ride in the hills? I think the pedal mtbers abuse would pale in comparison..
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
I wonder what the reaction is like when someone turns up on an ebike for a roadie group ride in the hills? I think the pedal mtbers abuse would pale in comparison..
Prompted me to find and read another great article below. I've commuted 2500km on my e-bike in the past, a converted 90's Mongoose. Never copped abuse, had a few roadies draft me, and a couple go past like I was on a normal bike. Always said hi passing, mostly got hi back. I totally agree with this article, and I also will enjoy when my cruiser is built responsibly cruising around. I'm still a very long way off a dirt one but certainly haven't and won't be calling anyone names.

Edit: commuter e kit is going on a cruiser and 90's mtb back to dirt trim.

 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Prompted me to find and read another great article below. I've commuted 2500km on my e-bike in the past, a converted 90's Mongoose. Never copped abuse, had a few roadies draft me, and a couple go past like I was on a normal bike. Always said hi passing, mostly got hi back. I totally agree with this article, and I also will enjoy when my cruiser is built responsibly cruising around. I'm still a very long way off a dirt one but certainly haven't and won't be calling anyone names.

Edit: commuter e kit is going on a cruiser and 90's mtb back to dirt trim.

Great article.

I haven't seen too many e-mtbs on the trails but the riders have been fine. I've honestly noticed a higher correlation of douchey behaviour from people riding the big S.

The article highlighted my big concern and hope with e-bikes. I've seen a lot of e-bike riders going crazy fast on my commute and its pretty obvious they are inexperienced. Australia needs to do a better job of training kids/people to ride bikes.

Even without the dedicated bike lanes of Europe, if there was widespread cycling training in schools I think we would begin to see e-bikes replace cars for commuting. Hopefully with critical mass, the community attitudes and infrastructure would follow.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
...The article highlighted my big concern and hope with e-bikes. I've seen a lot of e-bike riders going crazy fast on my commute and its pretty obvious they are inexperienced...
This is a real problem. Also, many bike paths are not designed around speeds greater than about 25km/h. An unskilled/unfit rider on a normal bike will rarely see about 25km/h on the flat under their own power, but on an ebike its all too easy. A head-on between two bikes doing 40km/h on a bend that one of the bikes can't make it round will be life changing event for everyone involved.

It just reinforces that ebikes are motor bikes and many people injure and kill themselves on motorbikes because any idiot can just twist the throttle.

Having said that, I still think ebikes are great, just not on XC single track. Fireroads, bike paths and roads are where they belong. Maybe on the DH tracks too.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
This is a real problem. Also, many bike paths are not designed around speeds greater than about 25km/h. An unskilled/unfit rider on a normal bike will rarely see about 25km/h on the flat under their own power, but on an ebike its all too easy. A head-on between two bikes doing 40km/h on a bend that one of the bikes can't make it round will be life changing event for everyone involved.

It just reinforces that ebikes are motor bikes and many people injure and kill themselves on motorbikes because any idiot can just twist the throttle.
There is a push for pedelec’s to have higher speed cutoff because the e road bikes aren’t quick enough to keep up with a regular bicycle.. Another good article..


“There is an appetite from the industry to get [the laws] changed, but there’s no appetite from the government to look at it,” said Cameron Burke of Bosch Australia
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
There is a push for pedelec’s to have higher speed cutoff because the e road bikes aren’t quick enough to keep up with a regular bicycle.. Another good article..
Yep I can definitely see this, I must confess my road bike rarely gets a spin, I don't enjoy it really, but there would surely be heaps of times when you are bouncing off the limiter riding around on the bike path that would be incredibly annoying.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I see plenty of people riding throttle driven e-bikes along the cycleway near my house. The sign posts state 10km/h and slow is written everywhere.
 

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
how many of you guys have actually ridden an ebike on single track, they are not at all like riding a motorbike!
they dont have a throttle, and they are limited by australian law to 25kph..and if you aren't pedaling the motor isn't driving.
do yourself a favor and actually go for a ride on one, you may be suprised
and that bullshit comment on having a head on collision on an xc trail, where do you ride, because all the designated xc trails I ride on are one way!
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
how many of you guys have actually ridden an ebike on single track, they are not at all like riding a motorbike!
they dont have a throttle, and they are limited by australian law to 25kph..and if you aren't pedaling the motor isn't driving.
do yourself a favor and actually go for a ride on one, you may be suprised
and that bullshit comment on having a head on collision on an xc trail, where do you ride, because all the designated xc trails I ride on are one way!
I most certainly have, several times. They ride like a low powered motorcycle in the higher assist modes.
Turning your legs in circles with no resistance isn’t pedaling btw.
Yes on the lower powered modes it kinda resembles riding a bike, has a similar feeling to a gym exercise bike with the resistance turned up. It requires effort on behalf of the rider for sure.
But people ain’t buying them to ride around in eco mode.. And most people de-restrict them.
Where I ride is 2 way and yes I have come across ebikers riding up stuff that is only rideable DH by pedal bikes.. Nothing better than cresting a blind chute to find an ebiker climbing up the other side..
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
...and that bullshit comment on having a head on collision on an xc trail, where do you ride, because all the designated xc trails I ride on are one way!
Comment was in reference to having a head on on the cycle path, but if you want to nitpick, where I ride in Canberra, almost all XC single track (outside of Stromlo) is bi-directional.

I have ridden an ebike on single track. For me it was shit. It was all of the shit things of a bike combined with all of the shit things of a motorbike. I've also ridden one on a bike path and for me, that's where they excel. But I really don't care where/when you ride yours as long as you can actually steer the thing around a corner without blowing the trail out, bypassing obstacles or taking short cuts.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
how many of you guys have actually ridden an ebike on single track, they are not at all like riding a motorbike!
they dont have a throttle, and they are limited by australian law to 25kph..and if you aren't pedaling the motor isn't driving.
do yourself a favor and actually go for a ride on one, you may be suprised
and that bullshit comment on having a head on collision on an xc trail, where do you ride, because all the designated xc trails I ride on are one way!
There's actually no legal 'one way trails' in Qld for public land only a recommendation.
 

mas2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Great article. I would prefer to see more bikes and ebikes around than cars, especially in the city. I have more issues with those delivery scooters on the road around Brisbane in the traffic trying to watch their GPS and struggling to hit 40km/hr with a passenger and $80 worth of Indian. Where the problem lies with e-bikes is that it is more accessible which is a good and bad thing and infrastructure and legislation will need to act quick to keep up. People who are inexperienced, have no spacial awareness, and are unaware of their own abilities can just jump on a one just like those electric Lime scooters.
 

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
well the next time I see a non E rider go wide on a corner or take a shortcut, does this reserve me the right to deliver a tirade of abuse that will be verging on apocalyptic to the poor soul?
shortcuts and trail damage has always happened, long before ebikes
dickhead riders have always happened too, long before Ebikes, but there seems to be more of them around now for some reason..is it because im looking for an axe to grind?
 

mas2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
well the next time I see a non E rider go wide on a corner or take a shortcut, does this reserve me the right to deliver a tirade of abuse that will be verging on apocalyptic to the poor soul?
shortcuts and trail damage has always happened, long before ebikes
dickhead riders have always happened too, long before Ebikes, but there seems to be more of them around now for some reason..is it because im looking for an axe to grind?
Again, I am pro e-mtb, but you are coming across really aggressive. No one is saying it is right to abuse other people, everyone knows dickheads are everywhere on all bike types, and the OP even said in the 7th post that he overreacted. Sure it doesn't help that others keep lumping illegal throttle controlled and chipped ebikes all in the same category and making claims to what is/isnt "real" mountain biking but it seems like you are taking it incredibly personal to everything that's said. The only way people will think better of e-mtb users is by having better interaction with them more often.
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
Got passed by two e-bikes on the top of City View today. First guy had skills, took the hard rocky line well, but admitted to my mate leading the ride that it was cheatingchthe thing just powered up the line, and luckily old mate had enough skill to do a small trackstand at the top to correct and ride out. I now now how to hit the line, enough jandal to hit it fast.

Second guy I let past on a corner, my mate was a whole hairpin in front. Fuck knuckle decided to bush bash and cut the entire hairpin to pass my mate, but a long branch about 15cm thick had been laid along the point where he wanted to re enter the track. It kicked up and rolled. My mate had to almost stop to let dickbag re-enter.

I shouted "there's a reason we have a fucking track here". There are many lines forming out at Stromlo that would be super hard without e. Someone needs to teach these cunts that they don't own the trails and it's not ok to make your own trails. Show some fucking respect. So pissed off with this experience. Weak cunt just rode off on his e thing knowing that with a bit of climbing left I'd never catch him and have another stern word. Fucks are treating trails like it's moto-x. I get that none of you weak kneed burners are being fuckwits, but this was shit. This makes me want to petition to ban e-bikes at Stromlo, which was always meant to be a human powered destination.
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
The e-lines and French lines are getting silly at Stromlo. I want to go around in a quad with a trailer of big rocks and fix them all. Saw evidence of uphill powerslides today. E-roost-ers.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
The e-lines and French lines are getting silly at Stromlo. I want to go around in a quad with a trailer of big rocks and fix them all. Saw evidence of uphill powerslides today. E-roost-ers.
get some road spikes, bury in dirt & put up a rider beware sign, stay on trk
 
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