sunstoner
Active member
I bought an e-mtb for a few reasons - to get out on my bike again after a long period of absence (and corresponding loss of fitness), to be able to keep up with my husband, to go further and faster and to love mountain biking again! Twice in one day last week I was accused of being a cheat when people realised I was riding an emtb. I tried to explain why I ride electric but just got the “nah nah nah, it’s just cheating!”response. Anyone else get this? How do you respond?
After 8 weeks of ownership and over 300 miles completed I was at Sherwood Pines at the weekend and whilst riding past a family of 4, one of the younger children, possibly 8 or 9, chanted 'Cheat, cheat cheat' as i rode past uphill. I heard his mum telling him to 'shush' seconds later but that was my first experience of it and it did just slightly take the edge of the enjoyment I was getting in that moment as I processed what just happened.
Electric bikes make it easier to cover ground however as you know theres so much more to it than that. I found that as my enjoyment levels are up ive covered more miles in 8 weeks on my emtb than I've done on my (very) old mtb in 18 months, no 24 months!
This whole cheat thing, is a puzzler to me. Im not in a race with anyone, Im not competing against that 9 year old, who I thought was pretty rude and disrespectful tbh. So who am I cheating exactly? cant be myself because I've never covered this many miles in 8 weeks before on a bike and neither have I felt so compelled to get on a bike like I have since getting my emtb.
I guess it something to get used to.