I was aware of ebike hate / jealousy but I thought opinions were changing

[outerlimits]

To argue with an idiot only makes two idiots.
I find my life much better now that I ignore those idiots.

 

[HikerDave]

Sounds like a lake in Idaho I once mountain biked to.

Probably. Loon Lake. I really like the trail along the Secesh River. Best part is a post-ride soak in Burgdorf Hot Springs.

 

[Doomanic]

Maybe we could start a cold war between Specialized riders and everyone else?

But we'd be massively outnumbered and they'll have all the dentists.

 

[HikerDave]

But we'd be massively outnumbered and they'll have all the dentists.

Uh-oh. I commuted on my beloved Specialized Tri-Cross, set up with two wheelsets for road and gravel / trail before I bought my eBike. Purchase cost of the bike works out to about ten dollars a month. Cheaper than a car and faster than walking.

I’ll bet there are a lot of Dentists riding eBikes; these things are still way too expensive.

 

[Namrorrim]

I've been called out for cheating a few times while passing someone that's clearly hating grinding up a steep climb, the best response I've found is boosting ahead of them, if possible descend and overtake them again on the same climb just to rub it in.

Someone said “cheater” as I passed him up a hill towing my buddy on his pedal mtb and I asked if he had a charger I could use as I was running low. I would offer to tow him too but it would cheat him of something. I have less patience for the haters too these days.

 

[TheBikePilot]

We got called ‘Cheating B@stards’ by A pissed guy outside a pub as we cycled through Robin Hood bay on the final 300m of the Coast2Coast ride..

People who call you a cheat, to me, are just using an ignorant stock response to seeing someone else have an awesome time and they aren’t..!!

 

[Churchill]

Probably. Loon Lake. I really like the trail along the Secesh River. Best part is a post-ride soak in Burgdorf Hot Springs.

Yep, that's the one. Had a great week vacation there about 5 years ago.

 

[jman657]

I really think that in the US it’s almost a totally different planet when it comes to EMTB’s, my experience in Europe is overwhelmingly positive, and I have certainly never seen, heard of or witnessed any EMTB douchebaggery.

Same here in Australia, I've never had any negativity thrown directly at me. Lots of interested people wanting a look and asking questions about how long the battery lasts etc. There was once on a narrow climb full of switch backs that I got stuck behind a non emtb. I got close enough to get past him but he wasn't having it, didn't say anything to me but I got the feeling there was no way he was letting me past so I dropped right back to not annoy him and rode very slowly for the rest of the climb.

 

[Jamsxr]

At Windhill yesterday, my mate (in good humour) didn’t particularly appreciate I was getting in an extra lap and still coming passed him on the push up.. To be fair, I need the practice more than him! ?

 

[TommyBall]

At Windhill yesterday, my mate (in good humour) didn’t particularly appreciate I was getting in and extra lap and still coming passed him on the push up.. To be fair, I need the practice more than him! ?

That's a great come back. They can be our training wheels!

 

[bobdivot]

So did a 50 mile ride on standard road bikes with a work bud 20 years younger last weekend. He's been laying on me thick the 'cheater' e-bike tag constantly. After dropping him big time on Pacific Coast Highway only thing said was guess it's all them 'cheater' miles I've been racking up.

 

[Rusty]

I'm not sharing my actual chat up lines here.. no way... get your own

Does that mean you have never stopped at a stranger and asked them to check if it was a pimple, a blister or a cold sore on your ass?

 

[P580C]

So does this happen in the UK much it is it a USA thing?

 

[rsilvers]

It’s different in the US. They are banned on most trails. My state just wrote up new regs to specifically ban them by name on trails. I care a lot about what people think as I want people to not support the ban.

 

[HIGHL4NDER]

I've only owned mine 6 weeks, already done more miles cycling than I did all of 2018-2019! In that time I have passed all sorts of folk from dog walkers to other trail riders and never had a negative word said. I have had a LOT of conversations with strangers, stopped for breaks to chat and answered a lot of questions from people just interested to understand them. the thing I hear the most is "I need one of those!".

my e-mtb has given me back something I had lost through injury, my back feels better than it has in 5yrs and it's given me even more to chat about with strangers than before.

Gary is right, talking to folk instead of just blasting past will definitely make a difference. The US will come around, just as they did with snowboarding on ski slopes

 

[P580C]

Oh man that reply makes me want to buy my bike so bad. None for sale in the size I want though. I shall be patient.

 

[steve_sordy]

I nearly always find someone to talk to on the trails. If they show interest, the location is good, and the vibes are right, I'll let them have a ride. The reward is the big grin. I have to be wary of them just riding off on it, so I'm very careful about who I let have a go.

 

[skyfree]

I thought the very first comment in that thread was pretty spot-on: "Is it petty to gatekeep the sport? Probably. But when you change any social group's demographic in a way the existing members can't control there is going to be fear and pushback."

This is the way I see it happening. It takes a very open-minded, curious person to blindly accept change into their lives, and for a lot of hard-core mountain bikers the sport is a big part of their joy equation. They are justifiably protective of it, but when it devolves into hate, it becomes a big problem.

I'm pretty sick of the hate here in the US, directed at me on an eMTB and countless other social group's. We need a cultural shift before it becomes a way of life.

 

[steve_sordy]

Is emtb the new black?

 

[HORSPWR]

I thought the very first comment in that thread was pretty spot-on: "Is it petty to gatekeep the sport? Probably. But when you change any social group's demographic in a way the existing members can't control there is going to be fear and pushback."

This is the way I see it happening. It takes a very open-minded, curious person to blindly accept change into their lives, and for a lot of hard-core mountain bikers the sport is a big part of their joy equation. They are justifiably protective of it, but when it devolves into hate, it becomes a big problem.

I'm pretty sick of the hate here in the US, directed at me on an eMTB and countless other social group's. We need a cultural shift before it becomes a way of life.

Pack up and move to Australia mate, no haters here!

 

[skyfree]

Pack up and move to Australia mate, no haters here!

I wish it was that easy. My daughter lived there for 2 years but couldn't get permanent citizenship. Too bad, because she loved it.

I visited last winter and skied for a few days out of Jindabyne. I was by myself but within 1 hour I always had a ski buddy and guide for the day. Super fun, friendly people!

 

[P580C]

I wish it was that easy. My daughter lived there for 2 years but couldn't get permanent citizenship. Too bad, because she loved it.

I visited last winter and skied for a few days out of Jindabyne. I was by myself but within 1 hour I always had a ski buddy and guide for the day. Super fun, friendly people!

Sounds perfect. Let’s all move out and start an MTB business.

 

[Kentrider]

almost every time i fo out i get the "thats cheating" comment by standard bike riders. i used to get to me and i felt i had to explain.... its just not worth it, i now just say " i get that a lot.... bye"

 

[Eeh (bah gum) biker]

I’m away in Spain at the moment and read this “encouraging” news article over breakfast .
Maybe someone could organise a massive group ride in the Bavarian Alps so we can catch some of those pleasant frowns !!!!

 

[Akiwi]

I’m away in Spain at the moment and read this “encouraging” news article over breakfast .
Maybe someone could organise a massive group ride in the Bavarian Alps so we can catch some of those pleasant frowns !!!! View attachment 18289

I Bike there (Lenggries) occasionally. Nowdays you notice people first look at you and your face, then glance down to see if youare on an E-Bike.

I was a bit pissed off last week in Italy, having just completed a Transalp with my son, 555 km and 12000 Vertical to Lake Garda, I saw a couple of guys arrive at the lake with karge backpacks and proceed to try to take a selfie. I rode up and offered to take their photo for them. I also commented that I had also just completed the transalp. One of the chaps looked at my e-Mtb and told me that I hadn't done a Transalp as with an e-MTB it doesn't count!!!
I asked hi if he wanted me to take the photo or not! I also pointed out I probably had a grin on my face more often than him during the ride.

 

[shawry]

I dont understand the hate, i lnow i havent got my bike, amd that i dont mountain bike either (yet) but me taking up emtb doesnt detract from traditional mtb riders, its not a competition, surely they should be pleased that more are getting to enjoy the trails?

 

[KennyB]

My first mtb had rigid forks, heavy steel frame and bars, 3x5 non indexed, no dropper and so on. Anything else is cheating. PS my first e bike is in the shop.

 

[Clansey]

I dont understand the hate, i lnow i havent got my bike, amd that i dont mountain bike either (yet) but me taking up emtb doesnt detract from traditional mtb riders, its not a competition, surely they should be pleased that more are getting to enjoy the trails?

This was my point 100% but I've discovered that there will always be a vocal minority that find something to shout about.

At the end of the day in my book, if you ride to test yourself up the climbs and for fitness over enjoyment enjoy your mtb, if you want to ride longer, further and have fun doing it jump on an ebike. There are positives and negatives to both but don't hate on people just because they chose the other option!

 

[Eeh (bah gum) biker]

I’m actually Golfing with three mates who are also very ignorant about e-bikes .Despite this they are all very happy riding about the golf course in an electric buggy - wtf is that all about !!??!!

 

[HORSPWR]

I encountered my first staunch emtb hater the other day where I live, they're a misguided irrational bunch. This guy tried to blame all the loose rocks on the track from ebikes, I asked how so, he said because of the speed that they do kicking up rocks onto the track. I said to him that there are a number of guys in town on non ebikes that kill some of my ebike Strava segments by 10 minutes over a 6.5km section, aren't they going faster?

He couldn't explain it so then he said it was because ebikes were heavier than non ebikes and I pointed out that a 100kg guy on a 12kg bike is more weight than a 75kg guy on a 25kg bike, he didn't have an answer apart from to repeat that ebikes are heavier. Then he went back to talk about really big rocks, massive ones that had been dislodged onto the track by ebikes, I said don't you think if someone dislodges a 20kg rock with a pedal strike or a wheel that they would be down looking up wondering WTF just happened. He said the tracks are damaged everywhere, I only know of about 6 emtb bikes in my town and around 300 non ebike mtbs (plus visitors) that ride the tracks in my town, I explained that that doesn't really make sense.

He made it sound like you twist the throttle and spray roost everywhere with an ebike.

I walked away!