Are you 'over' riding non-ebikes?

[Gary]

Watching this weeks EMBN show on youtube Steve Jones said he thought he was over riding non-Ebikes.
This made me kinda sad. He's a few years older than me and BITD I shared many uplift trailers/trucks with Jonesy (and others) and rode behind him a fair few times in practice. He was a really fast descender (especially in the wet) but has always had shit style on a bike and is a poor jumper. I've seen a hungover Jones win a national DH race while taking the chicken line rather than hit the biggest jump on the track. As he gets older and gives up on normal bikes his style on a bike is only going to get worse. A lot of the time I actually find watching him ride and share skills/tips on the show frustratingly cringeworthy.

Thinking about the whole being 'over' non-Ebikes bikes thing for myself I've actually come to the conclusion I'm kinda over Ebikes. Having 4 months and 1000+ miles on mine now I can honestly say the novelty has now worn off and I'm more and more riding my non-Ebikes again. I won't be getting rid of the Ebike anytime soon but I now think of it as a tool for when I'm feeling tired or want to ride a lot of descents in a short period of time. I much prefer my non-Ebikes in almost every situation. Especially just messing around. I spend loads of time just rolling around on my hardtail, playing around with skills. Especially when I'm tired. The weight of the Ebike gets old really quickly for that sort of riding. At first I thought the Ebike was making my local tame XC rides more fun. But actually it isn't, the suspension and motor mean you have not a lot to do and the ride's over quicker but I'm left feeling disconnected and unfulfilled, it's fun hitting stuff flat out in boost at first but the lack of having to choose lines, cadence, gearing takes away a lot of what I love about riding bikes. You may be thinking a 170mm bike is too much for that sort of riding but give me my 31lb 170mm carbon Capra and suddenly I'm able to ride more playfully again, even when I'm tired.

What's everyone else think? Over non-Ebikes or still enjoying them?

 

[Al Boneta]

No, and quite honestly I hope I never am.
I still love to hit the skatepark on my BMX or hit the jumps with my DJ bike. I just got a new road bike so I can work on my fitness level and I also bought this yesterday

I have had more fun with this bike just riding it on my lunch break around town than any other bike I can think of in recent memory.
And I have ridden one on dirt and it’s a screamer!

 

[Krisj]

That is an excellent right up dude
But for me the buzz is still there ?
I’m a lazy biker who only hunts out the decent
That’s why I took up downhill racing back in the 90 , then switched to mx , adrenaline junky totally.
But I totally agree there are certain bikes for different skills and types of riding
Imagine hitting the dirt jumps on an Ebike ?
Like you say it’s what ever you prefer but for me I can’t see me ever changing back to a normal bike , unless I have some crazy idea to get back into dirt jumping but at 47 I can’t see that happing any time soon. ??

 

[Gary]

Imagine hitting the dirt jumps on an Ebike ?

I actually did this last week and it made me sad!
Same age(ish) as you, similar 2 wheel history but switch MX for DJ/BMX

 

[jwrx]

I have a 2018 levo and a Yeti Sb5c, will never ride my local trails with my manual over the ebike ever again. In my country, there are no uplifts, no shuttles...its all grueling climbs to the top....in the 3 months since i got my Levo, i have ridden more km than the whole of 2017 on my manual (i log all rides with strava)

The only reason i keep my manual is because we travel quite alot every quarter to nearby downhill locations in SE Asia, and cant bring my levo.

The moment the 2020 bikes come out that are around 16-17kg without the battery, is the day i will sell my manual for good...and use my ebike for everything.

The 2019 levo already comes close...around 17.5kg without the battery, with a enclosed downtube.

The best part about ebikes...it makes the uphills as fun as the downhills...it literally doubles the fun you have in the same amount of limited riding time you have.

 

[Bongofish]

I'm still new to e bikes (6 weeks in) but I think I could happily not own an (acoustic) again. I just enjoy riding and adventuring. And there's one thing about e bikes, they get me to places I never would have on a normal bike. I'm not really into big jumps or flying down a rock garden at 35mph. I like doing trials but I also like getting to the top of a beautiful mountain or hill and seeing the landscape and not being bent over out if breath dieing. Haha

 

[R120]

For me its a horses for courses situation - EMTB's have revolutionised what i can access locally and maximising the available time i have to do so. For most of the MTB'ing i do i wouldn't go back - i kind of agree with Gary about the steamrolling element, like him i have a Vitus Sommett which just flatten everything, but as my jumping skills are not once they once where, i actually quite like this a i find i can go faster down technical terrain. However i also have a hardtail EMTB which is a lot more fun, and where you have to pay a lot more attention to the trails you are riding.

The more and more i ride the more i think something like a La Pierre Zesty might be in my future, as i think these might be the seetspot between assistance and feel. Very tempted to try the 19 Levo to see how that feels too.

If i am riding on the road, i cant see myself getting an e-bike, though i am tempted for one as pub bike!

 

[Pottsy]

I'm still new to e bikes (6 weeks in) but I think I could happily not own an (acoustic) again. I just enjoy riding and adventuring. And there's one thing about e bikes, they get me to places I never would have on a normal bike. I'm not really into big jumps or flying down a rock garden at 35mph. I like doing trials but I also like getting to the top of a beautiful mountain or hill and seeing the landscape and not being bent over out if breath dieing. Haha

Agree totally with you.

 

[HeatproofGenie]

I don't own one yet but will soon.

For me ebikes offer four great things.
1. You can do rides and focus on descents. Lots of descents. Especially when time crunched. It can be the difference of 1 main descent to 3 or 4 in the same amount of time. As a dad with two young kids and limited time but as an enduro racer this is a game changer.
2. You can do big adventure rides and not have to worry so much about energy levels and all the other stuff you might need to do and be fresh for. Just ride and follow your nose.
3. For me it balances the time between climbing and descending in a much better way. I don't mind a good climb but I like to descend. On an ebike you still have to pedal and get your ascent but it's such a better balance.
4. You can ride so much more since you are not so fatigued from all the energy sapping climbs. Here in CO, any good ride has at least 2k ft of continuous climbing. It just zaps you. Unfortunately at 42 with limited time to ride my recovery is not as amazing as it once was.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

That is an excellent right up dude
But for me the buzz is still there ?
I’m a lazy biker who only hunts out the decent
That’s why I took up downhill racing back in the 90 , then switched to mx , adrenaline junky totally.
But I totally agree there are certain bikes for different skills and types of riding
Imagine hitting the dirt jumps on an Ebike ?
Like you say it’s what ever you prefer but for me I can’t see me ever changing back to a normal bike , unless I have some crazy idea to get back into dirt jumping but at 47 I can’t see that happing any time soon. ??

I am with Krisj on this one Due to where I live, my lifestyle and time constraints I too hunt descents.

I have also got into something completely different due to what an ebikes power output allows me to do. I have created a number of steep, rooty, lumpy, technical, very tight single track trails in my forest that can be ridden at a low, medium or fast pace. The faster the pace the more technical, interesting and physically demanding it gets. In some places it is very steep with the addition of 20-30 years of pine needles sucking at your energy levels. For me, these trails are building up a completely new skillset which I am loving. You can ride sections of these trails on an acoustic but only if you are mega fit, which I am not. Some sections on these trails for me on an acoustic are unrideable.

For me, 8 months into ebiking and still absolutely loving it, I can't see it ending any time soon either. Last year I rode less than 800 kilometers on my acoustics. 8 months in and I am just below 3000 kilometers. That alone tells me I am enjoying what I am doing.

I can still see me using an acoustic on maybe an occasional ride but not much more than that to be honest. I will keep my carbon Nomad and ElevenSix but everything else is going to make room for possibly another emtb or two.

Have fun out there on your ebike, I am

 

[Krisj]

@Gary haha it does seem like we’ve had the same background , dude I only sold and stopped riding my bmx at 44.
I was also a qualified snowboard instructor
Owt daft I’ve tried
On the plus side the mrs loves that I can’t stand football and I’ve always been into extreme sports
I’ve just got back in now from trail building in the local woods with the mrs and the dog ?
Been down there since 1.30 today
I will never grow up ??

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

That is an excellent right up dude
But for me the buzz is still there ?
I’m a lazy biker who only hunts out the decent
That’s why I took up downhill racing back in the 90 , then switched to mx , adrenaline junky totally.
But I totally agree there are certain bikes for different skills and types of riding
Imagine hitting the dirt jumps on an Ebike ?
Like you say it’s what ever you prefer but for me I can’t see me ever changing back to a normal bike , unless I have some crazy idea to get back into dirt jumping but at 47 I can’t see that happing any time soon. ??

Here you go, hitting some jumps on an ebike

 

[Gary]

I don't think you get what Kris meant

 

[Interpaul]

That is an excellent right up dude
But for me the buzz is still there ?
I’m a lazy biker who only hunts out the decent
That’s why I took up downhill racing back in the 90 , then switched to mx , adrenaline junky totally.
But I totally agree there are certain bikes for different skills and types of riding
Imagine hitting the dirt jumps on an Ebike ?
Like you say it’s what ever you prefer but for me I can’t see me ever changing back to a normal bike , unless I have some crazy idea to get back into dirt jumping but at 47 I can’t see that happing any time soon. ??

Same for me, I took a similar path to you, MTB/DH then moved to Motos. EMtbs brought me back to the sport.

If lived in the Alps with lift served riding I would have a standard DH bike and an eMTB for longer rides in the high alpine linking hut to hut trips.

In Scotland, eMTB only for me

 

[Gary]

i am tempted for one as pub bike!

Since getting it my Vitus has become my my pub bike. I reckon I could win 14pint no lights world champs on it. I often used to wobble up the road on my 4X bike stood up the whole way on the mile long climb to my house.

 

[Interpaul]

[QUOTE="Krisj,
I was also a qualified snowboard instructor
[/QUOTE]

Wasn't an instructor, but used to run guided off piste trips for predominantly british punters, skiing is still my number one favourite sport, still manage to spend a lot of time in the Alps each season, was out 5 times last season as the snow as so epic.

 

[Krisj]

Check this out what Steve peats built up at the old sky village in sheffield
I would love to see if I’d still got the ️?to have a go at these on my ebike ?
Going to check them out though

 

[Stumpy]

@Gary Excellent post! ?

TLDR: I wouldn’t go back.

Long story....

My MO is primarily to ride for exercise but love the thrill and excitement of riding trails.

On my non eMTB I used to get out twice a week and average a 10-12 mile ride in an hour so on each ride. On my eBike, I go out every morning for an average 15-17 mile ride in the same sort of time and a 20 miler at the weekends.

Why the difference? For me, because I enjoy the eMTB experience much more. For the distances I ride, I can, and do use 100% Turbo.

With assistance I’m now enjoy riding up hills and am not blowing out my arse when I get to the top, which in turn makes the downhill (single track through woodland trails) I ride much more enjoyable. Instead of coming home knackered like I used to on the non eMTB I’m now desperatly trying to find more time so I can ride further.

Am I working as hard on my eMTB? Obviously not. However, from an exercise point of view I average over 100 assisted miles a week vs. the 25 “all me” miles previously - I’m trimmer and fitter than I have been for more years than I can remember so it works for me (and I’m having more fun than ever doing it).

TLDR: this the background bit...

Being 49 now, like any other kid of the era I progressed from my grifter to a bmx in the early 80’s and had them until I got into motor bikes in my late teens. Did a bit of MX but nothing serious.

When I was 22 I Iost my lower (below knee) right leg in a motor bike accident - in riding terms this means I can’t get out of the seat and stand on the pedals, that and a bit worse balance and far less power is the worst of it.

Since then, I started riding mountain bikes about 25 years ago, largely as I described above, ever since.

Then in June this year I got my eMTB and now I feel like a (two legged) teenager again! Absolutely loving my riding and challenging myself (especially on the forum group rides ?) and am now really into the whole ‘scene’ again like being on this forum, watching eMTB vids, looking at (and spending all my spare cash on) mods, looking for new places, bigger climbs and more tougher terrain to ride.

No, I won’t be going back to non eMTB and don’t Imiss it!

 

[outerlimits]

If I was able to build the fitness and endurance to enjoy a non assisted bike like so many I know do, I’d be on one enjoying it.
But because of heart issues, that have no cure, I am on a ebike for the rest of my riding years.
If I was fit and healthy, and knew what I know now about ebikes. I would have one in the quiver, for those times I had to train at a target heart rate, had to do a recovery ride, or when I just wanted to have a bit of a care free blast.
I miss the nimbleness of the basic old steed.

When I started out on the ebike, I hated it just a little bit, this feeling very quickly went away, and I got used to it’s bulk, and it was a blast and heaps fun. The feeling lately, is it’s bulk is becoming a bit of a chore, and a little hate is coming back.
The novelty does wear off, and it does not help when you find you are burning through the components quicker and thus the coin.

It’s a love hate relationship, but the love will always win.

 

[HeatproofGenie]

Ride normal bikes hard too and components wear fast. I've gone through five rear tires already this season on my Enduro bike . Pay to play.

I think manufacturers are going to start making emtb specific stuff that will be more robust and last longer. Schwalbe just came out with Emtb tires...

 

[MattyB]

I’m definitely not over riding my conventional bike, but then I don’t own my own ebike yet - I just steal my Dad’s when I get a chance! I suspect when I do though it will probably be a one way trip to the e-side, at least off road (the 25kmh limit makes them pretty frustrating on the road IMO).

 

[Superlukey]

Would never go back. I ride way more than ever before and all the stuff that was a chore is gone now and I look foward to each and every ride. Im also a runner and have noticed that my resting heart rate/average heart rate while running is the lowest it has ever been because I can tailor each ride to a specific workout goal.

I can't wait to get my son a Kenevo so he can also join in the fun

 

[Tim29]

For me, i never rode bmx, i use a mountain bike for cross training for moto. I have raced moto for over 45yrs and at 54yrs old i still can hang with local pro kids in moto.
The ebike has allowed me to go plus size tires and not pay the climb penalty long travel + size bike brings. My trails here are OHV trails and the climbs are steep and chunky, most pro Xc riders on hard tail gravel bikes struggle to make the climbs and still fail to clean 40% time. So for a moto guy with 7 knee surgery’s under his belt the ebike has opened a door that i never got to enjoy before. + size tire bike and it climbs like a mule, i also close the speed gap between moto and mtb and i can work on corner skills going up as well as down. The ebike still feels very light to me compared to my moto so it feels super playful to me.
I do have a Evil enduro bike i ride once in a while but i don’t like it with 2.25 tires and i can’t climb on it with anything bigger.
So i have 2.6 on it and do shuttles or occasionally so lift acc.
But my Fantic is every bit as good of a bulldozer in chunk and it Hucks the biggest hits we have here in northern ca. I ride it in power level 2 or 3 constantly and have never had less than a 145 Av heart rate on it and i ride it 6.5 days a week for last 17 months.
My bulls is clapped out at 3100 miles and my Fantic is 2 months old and has 580 single track miles and mammoth kami on it and it’s showing some wear as well.
In last 15 month i have gone through 7rear tires, 4 chains, 3 front tires
8 rear wheels and one front wheel, 1 set pedals, i rear monarc shock on bulls.
But my moto skills have sharpened and my leg strength is best it’s been in years. For me ebike is Best training tool and keeps me cardio fit doing something That doesn’t feel like taining.
I don’t need a 300lb duel sport motorcycle anymore. I have an ebike!!
The evil will most likely go to the choppin block like the cannondale did and i May replace it with a full DH bike for North Star an mammoth.
But i have a feeling a E-DH bike will be available soon and that be my next. I still have never ridden a unrestricted ebike so may try that.
But why go back?? I can’t do anything on an accustic i can’t do on my ebike exp climb slower.
Last week in Utah i rode the Fantic on Grafton Mesa in Utah, i don’t think you can find much bigger hits then that and other than a broken carbon wheel it sucked it up good.
I do have the lyric rc2 fork with debon air and a pretty hefty valve code in rear.

 

[R120]

For me, i never rode bmx, i use a mountain bike for cross training for moto. I have raced moto for over 45yrs and at 54yrs old i still can hang with local pro kids in moto.
The ebike has allowed me to go plus size tires and not pay the climb penalty long travel + size bike brings. My trails here are OHV trails and the climbs are steep and chunky, most pro Xc riders on hard tail gravel bikes struggle to make the climbs and still fail to clean 40% time. So for a moto guy with 7 knee surgery’s under his belt the ebike has opened a door that i never got to enjoy before. + size tire bike and it climbs like a mule, i also close the speed gap between moto and mtb and i can work on corner skills going up as well as down. The ebike still feels very light to me compared to my moto so it feels super playful to me.
I do have a Evil enduro bike i ride once in a while but i don’t like it with 2.25 tires and i can’t climb on it with anything bigger.
So i have 2.6 on it and do shuttles or occasionally so lift acc.
But my Fantic is every bit as good of a bulldozer in chunk and it Hucks the biggest hits we have here in northern ca. I ride it in power level 2 or 3 constantly and have never had less than a 145 Av heart rate on it and i ride it 6.5 days a week for last 17 months.
My bulls is clapped out at 3100 miles and my Fantic is 2 months old and has 580 single track miles and mammoth kami on it and it’s showing some wear as well.
In last 15 month i have gone through 7rear tires, 4 chains, 3 front tires
8 rear wheels and one front wheel, 1 set pedals, i rear monarc shock on bulls.
But my moto skills have sharpened and my leg strength is best it’s been in years. For me ebike is Best training tool and keeps me cardio fit doing something That doesn’t feel like taining.
I don’t need a 300lb duel sport motorcycle anymore. I have an ebike!!
The evil will most likely go to the choppin block like the cannondale did and i May replace it with a full DH bike for North Star an mammoth.
But i have a feeling a E-DH bike will be available soon and that be my next. I still have never ridden a unrestricted ebike so may try that.
But why go back?? I can’t do anything on an accustic i can’t do on my ebike exp climb slower.
Last week in Utah i rode the Fantic on Grafton Mesa in Utah, i don’t think you can find much bigger hits then that and other than a broken carbon wheel it sucked it up good.
I do have the lyric rc2 fork with debon air and a pretty hefty valve code in rear.

You might like this as a DH option, runs the Brose motor like your Fantic:

Ultra 40

or the new Husky Extreme Cross which runs Shimano Steps, but has the 630wh battery

https://www.husqvarna-bicycles.com/en-INT/news/1

 

[Dax]

Definitely not over the regular bike, there's lots of situations when I still want to ride it. Oddly it's almost the exact opposite of @Gary s usage, riding the ebike solo when I'm short of time or knackered, go and get a bunch of trails in and have some fun, when I wouldn't bother to go out on a regular bike. The ebike opens up a lot of options and gives me confidence to hit stuff that I wouldn't hit normally, partly because it's such a nicely set up bike and partly because I have more energy when I get to a feature. Hit a double in the woods the other week that ive been eyeing up for years

The regular bikes are for group rides with non ebike friends, anything with an uplift, and days when I'm feeling I want something lighter and more nimble.

 

[Tim29]

You might like this as a DH option, runs the Brose motor like your Fantic:

Ultra 40

or the new Husky Extreme Cross which runs Shimano Steps, but has the 630wh battery

https://www.husqvarna-bicycles.com/en-INT/news/1

View attachment 5689

View attachment 5690

hose look sweet, but i won’t buy another ebike with the battery on the bottom side of the down tube that runs full length.
The battery placement of the Fantic makes it the least affected by the battery i ave ridden. My bulls with battery removed Fs3 is considerably more nimble and agile. And the Fantic has very little handling difference with or without the battery.

 

[MartinW148]

Short answer yes...

When I bought my e-bike, I picked what at the time was the bike that gave me the closest feeling to a normal bike that I could. I ride to and from my local trail twice a week and generally rode eco on the flat and trail/turbo for uphill.

So a couple of months into my riding and I pretty much leave the bike in trail and use turbo for steep sections I otherwise would be pushing up (trail on the flats uses no more power than Eco anyway).

E-bikes have transformed the way I ride, I was following a guy on a specialized s-works (non e-bike) up the hill to my local trail, it's winding, fairly steep and gravel all the way. By the time we got to the top he was spent (I could see he was in the lowest gear and at a reasonable cadence), he was pretty fit, but knackered before he even got to the trails. I followed him up in trail, maybe one or two gears higher at a much lower cadence.

Personally I could do that 20 years ago on my old Marin mount vision, but today (and I know I tried) I would be pushing from half way up.

Now I get to focus on my riding style, get much more time in the saddle and spend more time worrying about the fiddly bits of the bike (OK so maybe that's a downside).

I can't imagine going back to non-ebikes (i hate the term normal, what's not normal about an e-bike). I always joke with the missus now when I see a non-e-bike, 'does he know half his bike is missing'.

 

[Gary]

"regular" is definitely a better term for a non-Ebike than "normal" but it's just a little too American for me to use.

 

[GunnyAmp]

For me, i never rode bmx, i use a mountain bike for cross training for moto. I have raced moto for over 45yrs and at 54yrs old i still can hang with local pro kids in moto.
The ebike has allowed me to go plus size tires and not pay the climb penalty long travel + size bike brings. My trails here are OHV trails and the climbs are steep and chunky, most pro Xc riders on hard tail gravel bikes struggle to make the climbs and still fail to clean 40% time. So for a moto guy with 7 knee surgery’s under his belt the ebike has opened a door that i never got to enjoy before. + size tire bike and it climbs like a mule, i also close the speed gap between moto and mtb and i can work on corner skills going up as well as down. The ebike still feels very light to me compared to my moto so it feels super playful to me.
I do have a Evil enduro bike i ride once in a while but i don’t like it with 2.25 tires and i can’t climb on it with anything bigger.
So i have 2.6 on it and do shuttles or occasionally so lift acc.
But my Fantic is every bit as good of a bulldozer in chunk and it Hucks the biggest hits we have here in northern ca. I ride it in power level 2 or 3 constantly and have never had less than a 145 Av heart rate on it and i ride it 6.5 days a week for last 17 months.
My bulls is clapped out at 3100 miles and my Fantic is 2 months old and has 580 single track miles and mammoth kami on it and it’s showing some wear as well.
In last 15 month i have gone through 7rear tires, 4 chains, 3 front tires
8 rear wheels and one front wheel, 1 set pedals, i rear monarc shock on bulls.
But my moto skills have sharpened and my leg strength is best it’s been in years. For me ebike is Best training tool and keeps me cardio fit doing something That doesn’t feel like taining.
I don’t need a 300lb duel sport motorcycle anymore. I have an ebike!!
The evil will most likely go to the choppin block like the cannondale did and i May replace it with a full DH bike for North Star an mammoth.
But i have a feeling a E-DH bike will be available soon and that be my next. I still have never ridden a unrestricted ebike so may try that.
But why go back?? I can’t do anything on an accustic i can’t do on my ebike exp climb slower.
Last week in Utah i rode the Fantic on Grafton Mesa in Utah, i don’t think you can find much bigger hits then that and other than a broken carbon wheel it sucked it up good.
I do have the lyric rc2 fork with debon air and a pretty hefty valve code in rear.

Same here, adding an EMTB to my Moto riding and feels light as a feather compared to my KTM’s. Thinking this is the future of off road adventure for me. Doing a Moto ride at Loretta Lynn’s ranch in a few weeks with about 1,000 Moto guys. Have thought about riding my EMTB and flipping the guys out but my Turbo Levo is still on order.

 

[Taiga]

At age 65 I was going to give up on on mtb, at least the climbing part. Knees are in too bad shape. But my new Levo gives me a new life and a big smile.
So, yes, I'm done with with the acoustic..