elyhim
Member
What are your EMTB myths? Here are a few of mine.
Using a motor is cheating, it is for fat and lazy people.
Well, sure it has helped me start in a sport where I certainly would not have continued. Being a former smoker and well out of shape the emtb helped me get out there, find friends, have a great time riding and have so much fun it became a new habit. I ride more often and further than anyone in my social group.
The fact is my heart rate monitor on an acoustic bike is full of peaks and valleys mostly tempo but with a small percentage in threshold. On my EMTB when I am giving the same effort I sustain a higher threshold - consistently. No peaks and valleys. I'm confused as to why it happens, am I moving faster and stringing the harder parts together quicker? Am I sustaining effort on the downhill for the heavier bike throwing it around? Am I not tired that I'm attempting more difficult lines? Do I keep higher cadence?
I've got the data for the first month of my heart rate monitor it is plain to see that while I may be breathing harder on an acoustic bike my cardio is being challenged more by my EMTB.
EMTB's are ridden by people with no skill.
There is a learning curve. The motor, weight and geometry of a new bike can take some getting used to but by not being exhausted I find myself trying harder lines. Bunnyhopping logs rather than pushing/pulling. My arms get tired long before my legs do so I pay attention to the ready profile, making sure I bend my elbows in the turns and utilize weight/unweight to find a grip on the trail edge to rail myself down the trail. I find myself riding with individuals who have been riding for years (while I've only ridden for a year) but are not riding as fast or tackling the lines I now find interesting and exciting. It may be that not being exhausted I can try new things. It may be by riding faster uphills I was able to ride with much better riders and learn also how to ride the downhills and features. It may be I'm riding more often than everyone but the 1% and so am gaining experience much quicker. Whatever it is I can clearly improvement and while I don't post segment times to leaderboards I'm catching within top ten all time in downhill segments as well.
Look, when the argument against EMTB's has gotten to the point where it is literally, "there will be too many people outside/in the woods", "there will be people spending too much time in the woods/outside" (too many for trails, too often on the trails) you have to know that it isn't you. It's not the EMTB and you, the problem is with people not accepting of change.
Post your myths and experiences.
Using a motor is cheating, it is for fat and lazy people.
Well, sure it has helped me start in a sport where I certainly would not have continued. Being a former smoker and well out of shape the emtb helped me get out there, find friends, have a great time riding and have so much fun it became a new habit. I ride more often and further than anyone in my social group.
The fact is my heart rate monitor on an acoustic bike is full of peaks and valleys mostly tempo but with a small percentage in threshold. On my EMTB when I am giving the same effort I sustain a higher threshold - consistently. No peaks and valleys. I'm confused as to why it happens, am I moving faster and stringing the harder parts together quicker? Am I sustaining effort on the downhill for the heavier bike throwing it around? Am I not tired that I'm attempting more difficult lines? Do I keep higher cadence?
I've got the data for the first month of my heart rate monitor it is plain to see that while I may be breathing harder on an acoustic bike my cardio is being challenged more by my EMTB.
EMTB's are ridden by people with no skill.
There is a learning curve. The motor, weight and geometry of a new bike can take some getting used to but by not being exhausted I find myself trying harder lines. Bunnyhopping logs rather than pushing/pulling. My arms get tired long before my legs do so I pay attention to the ready profile, making sure I bend my elbows in the turns and utilize weight/unweight to find a grip on the trail edge to rail myself down the trail. I find myself riding with individuals who have been riding for years (while I've only ridden for a year) but are not riding as fast or tackling the lines I now find interesting and exciting. It may be that not being exhausted I can try new things. It may be by riding faster uphills I was able to ride with much better riders and learn also how to ride the downhills and features. It may be I'm riding more often than everyone but the 1% and so am gaining experience much quicker. Whatever it is I can clearly improvement and while I don't post segment times to leaderboards I'm catching within top ten all time in downhill segments as well.
Look, when the argument against EMTB's has gotten to the point where it is literally, "there will be too many people outside/in the woods", "there will be people spending too much time in the woods/outside" (too many for trails, too often on the trails) you have to know that it isn't you. It's not the EMTB and you, the problem is with people not accepting of change.
Post your myths and experiences.
