Anyone else been ruined by their ebike?

[DCErik]

Back in the Spring of 2020 I needed a project, and built myself a BBSHD hardtail for commuting and rail-trail rides, and the odd bit of the local green and blue singletrack. The bike is fantastic for the first two things, and less fantastic for the third due to the cadence sensing, and open rear dropouts/IGH combo. Plus having a 58lb hardtail on 27.5x3 tires kick you in the butt is not much fun, and isn't the best ride for a new-ish MTBer.

So I bought myself a dirt jump bike on the theory that a light and agile ride would be good for learning skills that I could then bring to the ebike. Didn't get far, though, before an ill-advised kicker build sent me to the ER with a broken collarbone and cost me 4 months of prime riding. I still love the DJ for riding pump track and practicing manuals, but wanted something I could actually ride with confidence on trails.

So I found a gently used Orbea Occam H20 Eagle last winter. Beautiful, beautiful bike, and I feel like I got a decent deal on it, but my first handful of rides made me remember what drove me to build the ebike in the first place; hills. Just hate them! By the time I finish the climb that gets me to the fun, downhill section I'm annoyed and exhausted, and missing my clunky, heavy, rattling old BBSHD bike. Seems like in the best case scenario I'm missing half the fun after investing a little more than I did into my DIY build.

So now I'm determined to ride the Orbea this season and see if my condition improves enough to actually enjoy it, but will most likely sell it off and use what I can get for it to finance part of an eMTB. Anyone else find that they're ruined for burger-powered bikes after going electric?

 

[jimbob]

Yep, had my motor fail while I was over 10miles from home a while ago. What would normally be a gentle ride home was a real slog. Had to check to see if there was an issue with the brakes at one point...

Personally, I wouldn't go back. Ive caught the ebike bug and enjoy it too much. I just don't get pleasure from slogging it out on a manual any more, so why do that when I can enjoy myself on my ebike!?

 

[Zaskar20]

Financially ruined = YES!

 

[jimbob]

Financially ruined = YES!

I made the mistake of recording how much the bike costs. Even knowing the answer, I still ride it

 

[Stihldog]

I made the mistake of recording how much the bike costs. Even knowing the answer, I still ride it

And here I thought I was the only one. .
I slip all the receipts of all the upgrades Into a black box. (FYI, the Shimano XT microspline 12 speed 10-51t empty box works good for this …because it’s black)
I’m afraid that if I add up the upgrade costs I probably could have bought a new eMTB by now.

 

[DCErik]

I’m afraid that if I add up the upgrade costs I probably could have bought a new eMTB by now.

Oh, that one will want upgrades, too!

 

[steve_sordy]

My emtb has saved me, not ruined me!

I am not as fit as I was before arthritis in my knees got to me (7 years ago), but I am a lot fitter than I was before I got the emtb. Back then I was down to 10 miles every three days. Now I can do 20-30 miles any time I want, so of course I am fitter than I was pre emtb.

 

[Gary]

One thing I've notice during the last 4+ years riding Eebs and reading this forum. Ebike owners blaming the bike for their own shortcomings is very very common.

 

[F4Flyer]

Well, it ruined my power on the regular bike for sure. I rode it too much a couple of years ago. I only used Eco and Trail too. Turbo/Boost is not that enjoyable or safe on my trails. So, I had to back to the regular bikes and suffer for a year to build back up. Now, I use it for recovery rides, slower longer scenery rides, etc. None of my usually riding buddies have or even like e-bikes, so I can't lose that much power/strength or I suffer like crazy when I ride with them. I'm selling my full-power Pivot and getting a Levo SL. That will help and I can pedal it if the motor or battery dies. Plus, it handles far better than the heavy e-bikes. I think if I just rode solo a lot or if my buddies just rode e-bikes, I'd do that too.

 

[Andy__C]

Since getting my levo back in 2019 my run rate for attending A&E is broadly once every 7 months. (currently waiting for a scan on my shoulder and spent 6hrs in A&E last Friday)

Nothing to do with the bike capabilities, I just ride it so much more, reach so many more trails that I don't know that I crash a lot more. There is an argument that the ebike has ruined me

 

[DCErik]

One thing I've notice during the last 4+ years riding Eebs and reading this forum. Ebike owners blaming the bike for their own shortcomings is very very common.

Never grow old, or you might develop a shortcoming of your own.

 

[Gary]

I've plenty. I just don't blame them on the bike.

 

[DCErik]

I've plenty. I just don't blame them on the bike.

Well blaming not reading past the title on a bike would be silly.

 

[thebarber]

No, just drink and drugs.
Although I can get to the dealer and boozer quicker so maybe.....

 

[Gary]

Well blaming not reading past the title on a bike would be silly.

Oh. I read past the title.
Reading isn't one of my shortcomings.

 

[Philly G]

I would never go back to riding a steam bike, so in that way, the Eeb has ruined me, but every time I'm out I ride longer, and have more energy for the descents, so as a result I have gained more confidence, and I have a lot more fun. Yes the bike was more expensive to buy, but it's about the same cost to maintain as my accoustic was

 

[rod9301]

Oh, that one will want upgrades, too!

Like what?

 

[PorkPieRider]

I actually feel slightly the opposite - after getting my first emtb (Whyte E150RS) after a nice lightweight carbon Lapierre full susser I do miss the lightness, chuckability and ease of moving it around. That's not to say the Whyte is bad in any respect, it's much more my own preference. I tend to ride it around in Eco most of the time just to cancel out the additional weight I'm carrying around on it compared to analogue, but that defeats the point somewhat I think!!

I didn't realise how much I'd miss getting a bit of a workout actually too and how much that meant to me as part of my riding. Yes I know I can put the Whyte past 15.5mph on the trails but the effort in doesn't seem to translate into the expected amount of extra fun out as it's much heavier than I'm used to!

When I go to London for work and jump on my Brompton I'm always surprised how much of a turn of speed and thrill it can give. BUT that might just be traffic carving and near death experiences of course!!

 

[jimbob]

Serious answer is that if I rode an analogue bike as much as the ebike, I would be fitter. I can put in far less effort on the emtb.

BUT I ride far more often on the ebike, so I recon my fitness is higher. Ultimately, I ride because I enjoy it, and happen to get some fitness at the same time. If the sole purpose was to get fit, I'd go about it a different way.

 

[steve_sordy]

...................... If the sole purpose was to get fit, I'd go about it a different way.

If my sole purpose was to get fit, I'd reduce tyre pressure and never switch on the motor.

However, with my knee problems that is not a viable strategy, so I just have fun and let the motor take the strain.

 

[F4Flyer]

All this e-bike talk has me selling my Pivot Shuttle and getting a Levo SL plus a Creo SL. I do road bike and gravel bike so the Es will supplement all my riding practically. Like yesterday- I was worn out form three days of riding and needed to pick up my car form the mechanic 30 miles away. I had ridding my road bike the day before when I dropped it off. It is only 1,000 ft of climbing but I simply did not have the energy to ride there. My wife gave me a ride but that was a waste of gasoline and time for her. With the Creo, I could have taken bike paths all the way there and it would have been a great recovery ride. Well, I'll have the Levo SL tomorrow and the Creo SL by next weekend!!!

 

[Marksou]

I've been ruined by the seemingly never-ending delays to the delivery of mine!

 

[ggx]

No, only some bruises and wear chains

 

[Juggy1985]

I’ve rode work for a while on a Nukeproof mega AM so not a light trail bike really so pedalling I though I was good at fitness wise, ive only been using a new e bike 1 week which I get to and from work on. I went back to the Nukeproof for 1 day and it destroyed me, i think i was probably trying to keep the same pace as my e bike which was my downfall, i was sweating profusely and legs were burning. I blame the e bike

 

[TankCommander]

Our Aussie Prime Minister (Scott Morrison ) said in 2019 that polices to reduce vehicle emissions would end the Australian Weekend, (if effect Electric Vehicles would 'ruin' the weekend ), well since I got mine, I have been out 'ruining' every weekend, (except when I fell off and broke a rib, that ruined a whole month!! )

 

[Stihldog]

So does “ruined” mean something else now?
Like “bad” means “good”, and “fire” means “cool”.
Ruin; noun, verb or adjective. I guess it can be subjective, or an opportunity.
I “ruined” my Kiox controller yesterday when it snapped off during a crash. Yup it needs replacing, but I used electrical tape and reattached the controller to the bar again. I can think of three lessons I learned from this incident.
Edit; Four lessons.
Edit; Five lessons.
Edit; …

 

[1oldfart]

Back in the Spring of 2020 I needed a project, and built myself a BBSHD hardtail for commuting and rail-trail rides, and the odd bit of the local green and blue singletrack. The bike is fantastic for the first two things, and less fantastic for the third due to the cadence sensing, and open rear dropouts/IGH combo. Plus having a 58lb hardtail on 27.5x3 tires kick you in the butt is not much fun, and isn't the best ride for a new-ish MTBer.

So I bought myself a dirt jump bike on the theory that a light and agile ride would be good for learning skills that I could then bring to the ebike. Didn't get far, though, before an ill-advised kicker build sent me to the ER with a broken collarbone and cost me 4 months of prime riding. I still love the DJ for riding pump track and practicing manuals, but wanted something I could actually ride with confidence on trails.

So I found a gently used Orbea Occam H20 Eagle last winter. Beautiful, beautiful bike, and I feel like I got a decent deal on it, but my first handful of rides made me remember what drove me to build the ebike in the first place; hills. Just hate them! By the time I finish the climb that gets me to the fun, downhill section I'm annoyed and exhausted, and missing my clunky, heavy, rattling old BBSHD bike. Seems like in the best case scenario I'm missing half the fun after investing a little more than I did into my DIY build.

So now I'm determined to ride the Orbea this season and see if my condition improves enough to actually enjoy it, but will most likely sell it off and use what I can get for it to finance part of an eMTB. Anyone else find that they're ruined for burger-powered bikes after going electric?

There is no way to answer. Talk to us and maybe we can help you.
What is your weight? Age? What physical activities were you doing 5 years before?
I am a lightweight, and was riding 5 years regularly before my first Ebike
so i just loved my 2020 Giant Stance E+.
Were you expecting a motorcycle?
Why was that HT so heavy?

 

[emtbPhil]

Agree with this completely.

I think it depends on what you want to do with the bike but for me the downhill fun is a bit of end-of-week stress relief.
If I wanted to really focus on getting fitter I'd probably bin it off for a regular MTB, but I don't enjoy sitting grinding away on climbs for half the day.

My rear shock has failed and gone in for service, I've not had my emtb for 2 weeks. I've been out a couple of times on my gravel bike but it's just not as much fun, spinning away on roads and gravel tracks doesn't come close to chucking it around Dalby for a weekend break.

 

[Kiteboy]

I used to ride acoustic a lot then suffered a motorcycle crash in '15 that nearly took my leg. My back hurts now after 20 minutes of riding on the injured side so I quit mountain biking until recently. The Ebike got me back out there.
I'll be honest though; if I was never injured, now having riding ebikes I would not ride acoustic again. I've been ruined!

 

[avit]

I used to ride acoustic a lot then suffered a motorcycle crash in '15 that nearly took my leg. My back hurts now after 20 minutes of riding on the injured side so I quit mountain biking until recently. The Ebike got me back out there.
I'll be honest though; if I was never injured, now having riding ebikes I would not ride acoustic again. I've been ruined!

Only by now people calling mtb analogue or acoustic......, They are still mountain bikes, emtb are emtbs!