Hi from Atherton, Queensland.

[The Good Bike Doctor]

Hey all.

I'm a huge advocate for eMTBking. I previously owned Cog Bike Cafe in Warburton, but recently sold it and moved up to Far North Queensland to be "Head Tool" (mechanic) at Northern Bikes.

This is my sweet girl.

She's a Merida eOneSixty 900e. She's a mental bike and goes anywhere and rides anything!!

I'm in my late 30's and the main reason for my purchase was that I was very time poor. Owning a shop and having a family, does not leave much time for riding and training. My fitness was suffering and I was always towards the back, struggling to keep up. My skill level was still there, just fitness. Now, I'm all over the group, socialising and having a great time with my mates. They don't wait for me anymore and I now have no excuse not to go riding!!

I'm also a trail builder. Previously, I'd have to organise to shuttle materials and tools to the top of trails. Now, I just strap on that 50kg bag full of equipment, set the bike into Boost, and power to the top.

I'm a huge advocate for EBikes. In the bike shop, there was a lot of scepticism and negativeness around EBikes. I mostly found that that came from people that were ill informed or who have never ridden one. It was my aim to try to get as many people who came into the shop to at least sit on one and ride it a few hundred meters down the path. This would instantly change their perception and get them thinking about positive applications for an EBike.

I'm really looking forward to the future of EBiking, dispite all the sceptics out there. Remember, disk brakes and 29rs were laughed at when they first came out!!!

Happy EBiking!!!

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Hi @The Good Bike Doctor what an intro! Thank you for joining us all. Great to see you putting your ebike to good work to help you with your trail building too

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Hey @The Good Bike Doctor - saw your pic featured on EMBN today ?

 

[Tucker]

I'm a huge advocate for EBikes. In the bike shop, there was a lot of scepticism and negativeness around EBikes. I mostly found that that came from people that were ill informed or who have never ridden one. It was my aim to try to get as many people who came into the shop to at least sit on one and ride it a few hundred meters down the path. This would instantly change their perception and get them thinking about positive applications for an EBike.

I'm really looking forward to the future of EBiking, dispite all the sceptics out there. Remember, disk brakes and 29rs were laughed at when they first came out!!!

Happy EBiking!!!

alright dude, top bike!

totally agree with your experience of negativity and scepticism, I am experiencing the same thing from people around me, and to be honest, i was a little sceptic, i was a believer that E-bikes were good for one thing, and that was climbing which isnt an issue but i need a bike that can descend and handle the steep rutted stuff, but after trying one out at a bike show last year (and crashing it) i quickly realised the potential and got on a hunt for something that can not only climb but descend with the best of them, it was a toss up between the Merida and the Ken in the end, both brillant bikes!

like you i see E-biking as a natural forward progression of Mountain bikes, like the Short Stem and Wide Bars, Dropper posts, Tubeless and 1XGroupsets, people laughed when i first did all of these things to my bikes back in the day. Everyone will catch up at some point, normal bikes will become the 26ers of today lol

 

[Tori]

Welcome, Good Doctor!!! I reckon we might have met - I'm a friend of Damo's - the guy you would have bought the Cog Bike Cafe from. I actually own one of the Cog bikes - a single speed 96'er called 'If 6 were 9'; (it was built for Steve Chapman) and I'm the 2nd owner :

I've been riding this beautiful creation for the past four months and have got quite fit riding it. However, and I haven't admitted this to Damian yet, I just picked up a 2018 Turbo Levo yesterday . . . Hopefully he won't think any less of me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your Merida looks amazing. Such a wonderful bike, and at a superb price. I actually had one on order, but supply issues meant that my bike wouldn't arrive until late May (at best) and with a substantial deposit put down in January, I just couldn't wait. I'm very happy with my Levo however, and I think I'd be happy on any of the quality offerings from eMTB companies.

I also think the greatest strength of the eMTB is that it allows people to ride together. I rode Blue-Tier / Atlas in Derby in February, and did so on a Merida e120-500'. I met a few riders that were extremely fit and I rode with these blokes all day, the assist allowed this to happen, and the experience was very social and fun.

Cheers and happy riding!

 

[Tori]

How is the riding up that way compared to Victoria?

 

[The Good Bike Doctor]

Hey @The Good Bike Doctor - saw your pic featured on EMBN today ?

Yep. That was me. It's a good lil show. Great to see some positivness and enthusiasm towards ebikes!!

 

[The Good Bike Doctor]

Welcome, Good Doctor!!! I reckon we might have met - I'm a friend of Damo's - the guy you would have bought the Cog Bike Cafe from. I actually own one of the Cog bikes - a single speed 96'er called 'If 6 were 9'; (it was built for Steve Chapman) and I'm the 2nd owner : View attachment 1025
I've been riding this beautiful creation for the past four months and have got quite fit riding it. However, and I haven't admitted this to Damian yet, I just picked up a 2018 Turbo Levo yesterday . . . Hopefully he won't think any less of me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your Merida looks amazing. Such a wonderful bike, and at a superb price. I actually had one on order, but supply issues meant that my bike wouldn't arrive until late May (at best) and with a substantial deposit put down in January, I just couldn't wait. I'm very happy with my Levo however, and I think I'd be happy on any of the quality offerings from eMTB companies.

I also think the greatest strength of the eMTB is that it allows people to ride together. I rode Blue-Tier / Atlas in Derby in February, and did so on a Merida e120-500'. I met a few riders that were extremely fit and I rode with these blokes all day, the assist allowed this to happen, and the experience was very social and fun.

Cheers and happy riding!

Hey Tori!! I'm pretty sure I've met you, however that helmet you've got on means I cannot see your face!! Does your surname start with a T? If so, I totally know who you are!!

I was lucky enough and got my 900e in the first drop back in July 2017. As you know the next 3 shipments were sold out well in advanced. I had a customer at Cog that had one on order for 5 months!!

It's an amazing bike. So capable and fun to ride.

So you've stepped over to the EBike side!! Welcome!! What made your final decisions to go an ebike?

We're located up in far north Queensland now. Atherton. Riding is pretty good up here, however nothing compared to the quality of the Silvan and Warby trails. It's rained heaps up here this last month, so most of the MTB trails have been closed.

At the end of the year (August) there is an 8hr XC race in the MTB park here. I'm trying to create an EBike category to race. If you feel like escaping the Winter blues of Victoria in August, come spend some time up here!!

Happy riding!!!!

 

[ChrisP]

Hi Bike Doctor! I do love that Merida of yours! I drooled over one for some time and I can honestly say that if it wasn't so damned expensive here in the UK then its what I would have ended up with.

 

[Tori]

Hey Tori!! I'm pretty sure I've met you, however that helmet you've got on means I cannot see your face!! Does your surname start with a T? If so, I totally know who you are!!

I was lucky enough and got my 900e in the first drop back in July 2017. As you know the next 3 shipments were sold out well in advanced. I had a customer at Cog that had one on order for 5 months!!

It's an amazing bike. So capable and fun to ride.

So you've stepped over to the EBike side!! Welcome!! What made your final decisions to go an ebike?

We're located up in far north Queensland now. Atherton. Riding is pretty good up here, however nothing compared to the quality of the Silvan and Warby trails. It's rained heaps up here this last month, so most of the MTB trails have been closed.

At the end of the year (August) there is an 8hr XC race in the MTB park here. I'm trying to create an EBike category to race. If you feel like escaping the Winter blues of Victoria in August, come spend some time up here!!

Happy riding!!!!

Hey Doctor I'm a rock-climber and know Damo from that world, though I did a bit of MTB riding with him when he lived in the Grampians. I have to get my bike down to Warby/Silvan and check it all out. I can't wait - I'll have to see if Damo will put me up for a night and show me around.

I've been riding dirt-bikes the past few years; and didn't know about ebikes until this year . . . and riding one I thought they would be a perfect way to enjoy the climbs and also ride with some of my fitter friends who have been riding MTB consistently. The real strength of the eMTB is that more people can now ride together, I reckon.

I might be up for the XC ride in August! Not sure how battery management will come into it though . . . 8 hours might be too much for the eMTB to cope with?