eBikes - what's the current perspective

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Pete J

loves his dog
I've been working as a Postie here in Finland for the past 9 months and in that time have ridden 3 or 4 different models of bikes with different motor manufacturers. The Shimano Steps motor has been the best one so far but I regularly ride a bike with a very basic Panasonic setup. Fully loaded up, my postie bike can have over 40kg's of mail/ads, yet once you get going you can barely notice the extra weight. In this purpose these kinds of bikes are brilliant and help get the work done much faster. In winter time they are even better as the conditions make riding these heavy bikes very challenging to say the least. Edit: the extra torque helps you get moving again after stopping on snowy footpaths.
However, one thing that makes them safe around pedestrians is that they make so much noise (from the centrestand thingy) that you can hear them coming a mile away. Combine that with terrible braking power plus poor handling and you have a bike that is hard to surprise people with. You have to kind of plan ahead and think about your next move.
The problem that I have encountered with ebikes otherwise is that they are extremely quiet and so freaking fast that they scare the bejesus out of you when they go past. They have become very popular over here and seeing as we shared footpaths, these kinds of scares and close calls are becoming more common everyday. I can forsee the day when 3rd insurance becomes compulsory for ebikes, much like it has been for all other offroad powered vehicles here as well.
Personally, I like the idea and wouldn't mind riding one out in the forest but at the same time it would feel like cheating. Most of the fun in mtbing comes from the fact that your own muscle power got you where you were going and back.
 
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pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Canberra did have a pretty bad junk problem in the 80/90s and you can still see that legacy today. Not many junkies about (only seen one in 5 years) but a lot of deros that were clearly on that bus in a previous life. But I might suggest that it could be a reflection on where you had travelled given that Canberra has the highest average level of education and the highest average income in the country. Not the kind of stats you would fine in a place full of junkies.
If it was cocaine and dealers declared their income maybe...
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
And that is so true, this place used to be overrun by the 15 year old Pepsi Max crew circa 2006. Not sure if they pissed off elsewhere or just aged but our mean demographic has certainly gone up by a decade or two!
you don't say

Fuck the haters.
Yeah, seriously, throw rocks at those cunts.
What a bunch of fuckheads, I'd push them over if I saw that shit going on.
I think I missed the part where that little issue of inconsistent categorising e-bikers as non-motorised/motorised transport, being inappropriate and all in sometimes fragile areas and even at odds with some mtb'ers sense of what mtbing is, or was, and the vibe, has now been clarified, resolved and we should all welcome e-bikers with open arms and shout down those who disagree. WTF is going on.

FWIW I don't give a FF about what people ride on bike paths and am happy elderley folk can get out on 2 wheels. This issue, given we are on RB, principally concerns ebikes on the trails. I'm yet to see any coherent narrative by anyone about how this is supposed to work without fcking it up for people who don't have or sell ebikes. Although the Finnish e-postie account was pretty interesting.
 

Ideate

Senior Member
This issue, given we are on RB, principally concerns ebikes on the trails. I'm yet to see any coherent narrative by anyone about how this is supposed to work without fcking it up for people who don't have or sell ebikes...
Finally we've got one on the hook!

What concerns do you have exactly? And how will they fuck things up for people that don't have one?
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Finally we've got one on the hook!

What concerns do you have exactly? And how will they fuck things up for people that don't have one?
Well...for me specifically, on a specific set of trails in my local area, based on all the bullshit that has gone on there in the past...

I used to have a lovely collection of off the record trails. Some people used to ride horses in the area. Some people used to walk in the area. Those people had enough trouble distinguishing between a DH bike amd a motorcycle that complaints and reports were lodged about motorcyclists using the area. As a result trails were destroyed.

This area is now more popular with alternative users and I'd rather not go through more of the same shit and tighter scrutiny. Which will happen because people are stupid. Amusingly I've seen a few riders on sight with their mighty new pedal assist bikes. The place is practically flat so fucked of I know why they bother! My main gripe against these guys is the same as most other users in the area - stop skidding all the time!!!

I've been pulled up by rangers (national and state) on my various dh bikes over the years because they thought I was on a motorcycle.
 

Ideate

Senior Member
...I've been pulled up by rangers (national and state) on my various dh bikes over the years because they thought I was on a motorcycle.
M8. This is has nothing to do with ebikes and everything to do with dumb entitled people.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of skiddies either :first:
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
M8. This is has nothing to do with ebikes and everything to do with dumb entitled people.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of skiddies either :first:
A lot to do with dumb people, not too much to do with entitlement though. Ignorance is bliss...so much bliss.

I save my skids for the snow. My local trails are mostly over poor quality dry dirt and the place is a dust bowl.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
I have not read this thread end to end, only a few snippets here and there since it started.

I was talking to some Bicycle industry blokes (not just sales either) at the weekend it we had a lengthy chat about e-bikes.

Very interesting views indeed and quite exciting if their projection of "ass on saddles" is correct.

It opens up a whole new world of cyclists (are they called cyclists?) who may commute on which is currently the biggest bike sector on the planet.

The bicycle tour companies are chomping at the bit to grab a fleet of them as their customer base is going to go crazy.

While I think they are a great thing and would like to see more cycling infrastructure because of them... my thoughts are about the MTB side, how land/property owners view them on their land, also the additional speed on public trail networks and the issue with shared use.

Nearly all the recent trail networks in SA have been marketed as shared with bike/walker/dog/pram ect.

Maybe similar to the walking community sharing their trails with us, us moving faster ect, but its all 100% human powered.

I'm all for them getting more people out and about, just would hate to ruin all the years of trail advocacy here in SA.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Nearly all the recent trail networks in SA have been marketed as shared with bike/walker/dog/pram ect.
With no intention of sounding like a snob, those sorts of trails aren't mountain biking trails. There is a need for that kind of stuff but it ain't mountain biking.
 

Shinigami

Likes Dirt
With no intention of sounding like a snob, those sorts of trails aren't mountain biking trails. There is a need for that kind of stuff but it ain't mountain biking.
While a bit different to those ones, I'd argue that the shared trails the kowalski Bros make are proper mountain biking trails
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
With no intention of sounding like a snob, those sorts of trails aren't mountain biking trails. There is a need for that kind of stuff but it ain't mountain biking.
Built by Trailscapes, Trail Solutions, Destination Trails ect, all Mountain bikers.

You can Google or Youtube - Craigburn Farm MTB, Sturt Gorge MTB, Shepherds Hill MTB, Cobblers Creek MTB and Ansteys Hill MTB, all shared use.

Soon to be another bike park at O'Halloran Hill.

[video=youtube;AK2ekQJRWBs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK2ekQJRWBs[/video]
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
My idea of mountain biking isn't to roll along covering my brakes in fear of running into someone pushing a pram. A shared trail is just that, shared and should be ridden or walked or whatever at a very casual safe pace. To me, a mountain biking trail is not a safe enough place to share with people who aren't doing exactly the same thing.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
My idea of mountain biking isn't to roll along covering my brakes in fear of running into someone pushing a pram. A shared trail is just that, shared and should be ridden or walked or whatever at a very casual safe pace. To me, a mountain biking trail is not a safe enough place to share with people who aren't doing exactly the same thing.
Indeed! A shared trail is to be shared and as such ridden in a polite manner, respectful of other users. Mountain biking is about shredding the gnar!!!!
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
My idea of mountain biking isn't to roll along covering my brakes in fear of running into someone pushing a pram. A shared trail is just that, shared and should be ridden or walked or whatever at a very casual safe pace. To me, a mountain biking trail is not a safe enough place to share with people who aren't doing exactly the same thing.
Indeed! A shared trail is to be shared and as such ridden in a polite manner, respectful of other users. Mountain biking is about shredding the gnar!!!!
Well gnar shredders, do you shred gnar riding uphill too ? Or only shuttle for your Gnar, ahh downhillers. You's blokes must have an abundance or trail where you live where you can turn your nose up at flowy trails that are shared with others.

SA has about 200km of trail on the hill's face 10 min ride from the City Centre, but hey that's not even MTBing to you's hardcore riders.
 

hungrytiger

Likes Dirt
Well gnar shredders, do you shred gnar riding uphill too ? Or only shuttle for your Gnar, ahh downhillers. You's blokes must have an abundance or trail where you live where you can turn your nose up at flowy trails that are shared with others.

SA has about 200km of trail on the hill's face 10 min ride from the City Centre, but hey that's not even MTBing to you's hardcore riders.
I hate myself for paying Adelaide a compliment, but it really is one of the most progressive cities when it comes to providing mtb facilities close to where people actually live.
 
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