I bought a Trek Rail in the summer of 2023. I had previously been pretty active in the local riding community, but had been missing a lot of rides due to a hip injury. I bought a new eMTB and started trail riding again. I'm one of the few eMTB riders in my group. I've noticed since buying the Rail that none of the folks that I used to ride with will ride with me anymore. When I do bump into other riders or when I show up for organized group rides I usually get chirped about the eMTB. I don't really care because I'm more than happy to ride by myself. But I do find it a little odd that I'm being ghosted by the folks I used to ride with. Has anyone else had the same experience?
My Old Riding Buddies Won't Ride With me Anymore
- Thread starter BuckSaw
- Start date
they must think you are now "cheating"
I'd look for new emtb buddies. Or convert existing non emtbers by letting them have a go of yours, then pointing them to a shop. If you have bike parks you could visit those and get to know people, then start going to new places with them.
I'd look for new emtb buddies. Or convert existing non emtbers by letting them have a go of yours, then pointing them to a shop. If you have bike parks you could visit those and get to know people, then start going to new places with them.
Times change. Some are ahead on the uptake of new things, some are slow. Tread your own path and move past the slow plodders, they're not your problem. Look for new riding buddies.
Maybe not the biking friends you thought they were. Sad but that how some people are, I guess. It’s a shame that they don’t just accept that through injury, you have moved over to the dark side, but atleast you are now able to get out and enjoy emtb. If you were one of my mates, I’d just be pleased to see you back out on a bike, after injury.
Different reason:
- jealous
- stupid
- want to be always first arrived - hard to compete a full fat in climb
Of course it is nice to ride with mates but I also found that I am most of the time better off and likely prefer crossing people that sometimes tag along for a moment on the trails - and potentially make new connections.
I also had some guy who try to dissuade me to buy one, `It is not our roots bro`, I could not care less, fortunately I can ride an analog bike but there is no way I could do as much DH laps with it.
You should not care, meet new people, go out there.
Remember this, which is I think quite true:
- young people care too much about others
- mid age people don't care about others
- aged people discovered that no one cared about them
- jealous
- stupid
- want to be always first arrived - hard to compete a full fat in climb
Of course it is nice to ride with mates but I also found that I am most of the time better off and likely prefer crossing people that sometimes tag along for a moment on the trails - and potentially make new connections.
I also had some guy who try to dissuade me to buy one, `It is not our roots bro`, I could not care less, fortunately I can ride an analog bike but there is no way I could do as much DH laps with it.
You should not care, meet new people, go out there.
Remember this, which is I think quite true:
- young people care too much about others
- mid age people don't care about others
- aged people discovered that no one cared about them
ipe
Member
The way I look at it is this:
- Just because you have an e-mtb doesn't mean you have to ride your friends into the ground. Ride at whatever their pace is
- For me, I've been on mountain bikes since the commercial dawn of the sport in the early 1980's, so as far as I'm concerned: I've been there, done that, paid my dues, don't need to please anyone. Just have fun and ride my bike, so what that it's got assist
- Do I occasionally need more "gas in the tank (think legs/lungs/ heart)? Sure do. I typically ride with people half my age. I need all the help I can get in that scenario. It just is what it is. Do I ride non-assisted also? Sure do, but not with the kids
Maybe they were never really your friends.
Go out to your trail of choice, feel the all the good reasons why you are their..... confidence will have you back on up into boost!.... soon to be passing the puffin pushy's.... as the trail opens up, your now rolling upon an ebike crew thats gonna be on point of view..... why hold back mate when your going forward......
They were obviously not real friends to start with. 
F—k em, they’re not buddies, they should be made up that you can now join them on the trails again…..move on and ride on
This was initially my own thought .
I was maybe the second rider in our group to go down the ebike route in what was a core group of between 6-8 riders .
On normal bikes we regularly rode every weekend in Northern England ( Pennines / N.Yorks/ Lakes & Borders ) and had at least one trip away every year mainly to the Scottish Highlands ( Torridon/ Skye / Arran / Ballater etc) ..
Being of a certain age ..but with plenty of experience even before we became a group of riders ..then friends and of reasonably equal fitness & ability getting an ebike was like throwing a bomb into the middle of our group ..
I tried to be that bloke who @ipe described above ..but very quickly found that riding at their pace was no fun for either them or me ..even in eco setting I was constantly stopping so that they could catch up..which in summer weather is fine ..but in the latter seasons I couldn't keep warm ..in cold weather.
I found that more & more of my riding was being done solo ..and to be fair to my old mates I didn't buy an ebike to pootle around at my old pace ..this thing was so much more fun ..
Eventually half the group saw the light and are now riding ebikes and it's great to have them back ..but others "aren't ready yet " ..which is fine we are still friends but just don't ride together anymore .
In the meantime by chance meetings & through organising rides on this here forum I've met a terrific bunch of ( e) minded riders across the north of England & Scotland who meet up as & when we can and while we don't live in each other's pockets ..always have a great time when we do ..
We had an excellent N.W.Highland trip last May ..and six of us are heading up to Ballater ( Caingorms) in May '25.
Don't sweat over your old "friends" @BuckSaw ..if they really are your friends then they still will be off the bike ..its time to embrace another chapter of biking and to seek out like minded folks ..good luck & have fun
Always been a bit of a lone rider a lot to do with working away for weeks at a time. Plus most folk I rode with were younger than me and working away too. Mountain biking never been massive in my area till a few years ago. Ebikes big selling in town now we have a Cube dealer. Some younger friends Electric now but derestricted before getting Amflows last week so I wouldn't be going out with them . I would never go out with non Electric nowadays either why would you ???. Too easy to do my own thing as well.
Renton_Yorkshire
Member
I've been MTB'ing north of 30 years on all sorts of bikes - GT LTS 3 anyone?! Those were the days.
Been in races and at events more recently, on my previous bike which was (and still is) a very capable Trek Fuel. I love that bike, and any time I saw someone on an emtb I always thought "that's just cheating, you're hardly gonna keep fit on one of those things!"Like you I got myself a Rail back in September, and yep, I was talking shit. You definitely CAN still keep fit, and it's a whole new way of having to ride a bike. I do still get "nice bike mate!" when flying past others, or walkers etc.
I often wonder these people that think it's cheating, being lazy or that seem to look down for some reason on eMTBs - how many would refuse to swap theirs for an emtb should the offer present itself.
There's a few that will never change and love to tell folk all their bikes are real bikes , bless them. I got a a whats app from a old workmate Tam Ferguson last week , Peebles area originally fit cookie on bike all his life . Just got a ebike its a game changer he said .I've been MTB'ing north of 30 years on all sorts of bikes - GT LTS 3 anyone?! Those were the days.
Like you I got myself a Rail back in September, and yep, I was talking shit. You definitely CAN still keep fit, and it's a whole new way of having to ride a bike. I do still get "nice bike mate!" when flying past others, or walkers etc.
I often wonder these people that think it's cheating, being lazy or that seem to look down for some reason on eMTBs - how many would refuse to swap theirs for an emtb should the offer present itself.
Agree, I wonder if this new Amflow will be a learning curve as well. More power a few folk dialing it back . Haven't spoken to the two lads I know that have just got them in past fortnight.
Life moves on In phases , people move on in phases, bikes move on in phasesF—k em, they’re not buddies, they should be made up that you can now join them on the trails again…..move on and ride on
Just enjoy the UPS and well as the descents
Yes how many old acquaintances do you know you wouldn't cross the road to speak to now .
Regards ,
Grumpy
My old supervisor for a starters 
Just the one ?.My old supervisor for a starters
I've an old business partner who I would love to cross the road to speak to ..just prior to knocking the bastard out ( if I could get away with it )Yes how many old acquaintances do you know you wouldn't cross the road to speak to now .
Regards ,
Grumpy
All been there Neil between that and I wish I had said or done that back then. I was a Deck Foreman for a lot of years my ears burn constantly haha.I've an old business partner who I would love to cross the road to speak to ..just prior to knocking the bastard out ( if I could get away with it )
It took a good few years of taking the knives from my back and even more of a good few thousands of £££'s to put right the damage ..but funnily enough I've never encountered him once since 2008..
jezhumphrey75
Member
as a mtber i hate riding with my only friend whos on an ebike, its agony watching him cruise up any hill whilst im in agony.......still do it though as im not a snowflake lol.
Watch yourself if you only use an analogue bike and are caught speaking shite on this Ebike site haha
bonescro
Member
My riding buddies are delighted that I bought an eMTB. I'm 61, my knees are arthritic, and I'm overweight. Now I can enjoy rides with them, although, for some reason, I never get to lead....Haha. There have been a couple of times where other people have called me a cheater, but then I tell them "When you're my age, with a debilitating disease, and you're still riding analog, you can call me a cheater. Until then.....", then I flip them the bird. Sometimes I just tell them to FO.
I remember, while soul-searching on whether to buy one or not, I told one of my friends that if I bought an eMTB, I'd never lose another pound. That's not entirely accurate. I've lost 25 in the past couple of years. In fact, I actually bought an analog Stumpjumper just for lighter trails. I will never ditch my Kenevo SL, but it's nice to have a choice.
If your buddies are shunning you, get new buddies. There are plenty of deserving folks out there.
I remember, while soul-searching on whether to buy one or not, I told one of my friends that if I bought an eMTB, I'd never lose another pound. That's not entirely accurate. I've lost 25 in the past couple of years. In fact, I actually bought an analog Stumpjumper just for lighter trails. I will never ditch my Kenevo SL, but it's nice to have a choice.
If your buddies are shunning you, get new buddies. There are plenty of deserving folks out there.
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motmcd
Active member
I posted this a few years ago in another forum here and figured I’d reshare it, not because I suspect it’s a matter of cause-and-effect in this case; rather just to add my thinking on the broader topic of e-bike vs. analog cyclists. I still hold to my last-guy-up-the-hill belief.
My previous post:
I did a group mtb ride over the holidays with a demo of the exact Levo I recently purchased. I was the only guy with a motor between my feet, and all the other guys in the group were top-notch cyclists. There wasn't one cyclist in the group that I could ever drop - ever! They buried me on the flats because: 1. speed limited 2. out geared 3. me. When we got back into the climbs I made it a point to be last up the hills. Why? Because I recognize I have a part - a responsibility - in helping non-e-bike cyclists appreciate and accept e-bikes and their owners. At least for the time being, emtb owners must be hyper-aware of how our behavior is setting the stage for the acceptance and integration of emtbs with the traditional cycling community.
My previous post:
I did a group mtb ride over the holidays with a demo of the exact Levo I recently purchased. I was the only guy with a motor between my feet, and all the other guys in the group were top-notch cyclists. There wasn't one cyclist in the group that I could ever drop - ever! They buried me on the flats because: 1. speed limited 2. out geared 3. me. When we got back into the climbs I made it a point to be last up the hills. Why? Because I recognize I have a part - a responsibility - in helping non-e-bike cyclists appreciate and accept e-bikes and their owners. At least for the time being, emtb owners must be hyper-aware of how our behavior is setting the stage for the acceptance and integration of emtbs with the traditional cycling community.
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Appalling attitude, get new friends they're not worth the trouble especially as you are nursing an injury.
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