Riding with your non EMTB friends, what is the etiquette?

[Philpug]

When riding with your non E-bike friends, how do you adjust your riding style? Do you dial it back or lead the group? Do you find descention in the other riders? Will some not ride with you any more?

 

[BrentD]

In our mixed (electric and acoustic) riding group the e-bikes will typically lead out and sneak in extra laps or trails while the acoustics do the climbs. Seems to work well and keep both parties happy.

 

[lumpy]

I usually ride behind and try not to talk too much!

 

[55plusmxinsanity]

Offer to swap bikes halfway through.

 

[speedkills]

I set my power level so I'm working as hard as they are. Makes it more fun that way to me and I imagine they appreciate it too.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Just kick there arse on the climbs. ?

 

[Sapientiea]

You need etiquette if your friends are a bunch of pussies. Just ride like you want. It is not that riding your e-mtb requires them to donate a kidney or something like that!

 

[Zimmerframe]

When riding with chicks I always am in the back.

But only because they're faster than you ! ..

 

[Zimmerframe]

More kicking your arse ...

 

[MrSimmo]

I dial it back - tune down Eco mode to 10%/35% which is similar sort of to my old traditional bike. Also makes sure I get a workout too.

Also when it comes to steep hills, I whack it in Trail mode and tow them up the hill! Winner all round.

 

[Shane(NZ)]

Best to ride in the middle of cassette on the steep climbs and talk lots

 

[Rusty]

I just turn the motor off and try to blitz them while making vroom vroom noises

 

[MsO]

I don't bother going out with normal bikes now it's just too slow and boring emtb are all about the speed and excitement ?

 

[1981Miked]

I was out Sunday with a couple of mates on normal bikes, I haven’t been out with other people for a while so I am a bit out of practice and lacking bike fitness. Needless to say I assumed I would just leave it in Tour mode and I would be keeping up no problem... wrong! Absolutely smoked them up, along and down, even on a small road section into a headwind I was easily 50m in front. I felt a bit embarrassed at the top of climbs as I was waiting for 2+ mins on relatively easy parts, and not even sweating. I put it in Emtb to see how much quicker I was and it was nearly 3 minutes.
I soon forgave myself though and just started enjoying the ride. Gave them both a shot and they were mega impressed, one is looking at them already.

Can’t seen me riding a normal bike off road again, it’s all the best stuff of cycling without killing yourself on the climbs.

 

[Andrie]

I go up as fast as I can and catch up with them on my second lap. It’s usually work that way. Almost everyone of us has ebike. But only me and another person is pretty much exclusively on ebike. The rest split their times.

 

[Tony.OK]

I don't have any friends on accoustic bikes....I prefer to mix with my own kind ? Am I allowed to say that these days? Is there pc rules or bikism I dont know about ??

 

[Andy__C]

Mostly keep the power modes the same, eco most of the time, but pedal very gently and slowly to keep the same pace and chat loads on the climbs.

Every now and again or for a proper techy ot steep climb they'll get off and push and i'll crack on as usual and wait at the top.

These are mates so its mainly having a laugh. They'll joke about my lack of sweatyness, I'll joke at them gobbling up energy bars , daft banter and then on with the ride.

 

[Banktramp]

Bang it in turbo, laugh and say who’s cheating now.

 

[Supratad]

Match them on the climbs while chatting non-stop about celebrity gossip, then at the steepest part, surge ahead whilst violently and audibly breaking wind.
Get back to the car park first and while waiting, wee on their car door handles.

 

[Varaxis]

I just turn the motor off and try to blitz them while making vroom vroom noises

This. I use the motor for getting to and from trailhead, and for short bursts when I risk stalling out on a climb and dread pushing up. Juice from battery not needed to pace with group usually. I stick to the back of groups on climbs if there are faster riders, esp if I'm dragging up heavy tires. I sometimes do extra credit after they're done, with motor on (and snipe some KOM) if I have sunlight and battery power to spare before riding home.

Been racking up 50 mile rides doing this regularly with a club that meets up weekly. The commute to the trail head is ~20 miles each way.

Added stats if anyone cares to see this kind of stuff.

Other riders think I'm like the ideal kind of ebiker. I did threaten a few of one guy's climbing KOMs though (local XC pro). He made an angry comment on my strava and I didn't try and defend myself, only telling him that I was only in eco mode. I said that it would've flagged me for being on a motor vehicle if I went any harder, and I was just trying to avoid that. That particular friend has changed his mind over time on ebikers, first thinking they were okay, but now seeing too many jerks.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I did threaten a few of one guy's climbing KOMs though (local XC pro). He made an angry comment on my strava and I didn't try and defend myself, only telling him that I was only in eco mode.

So you use Strava, ride an e-bike and purposefully set it as "ride" (normal bike) and not e-bike ???

That particular friend has changed his mind over time on ebikers, first thinking they were okay, but now seeing too many jerks.

And wonder why this happens ?

 

[galaga187]

I usually ride behind and try not to talk too much!

but when you do talk make sure it is about how much better eBikes are especially on >10% inclines or into a headwind

 

[galaga187]

Match them on the climbs while chatting non-stop about celebrity gossip, then at the steepest part, surge ahead whilst violently and audibly breaking wind.
Get back to the car park first and while waiting, wee on their car door handles.

Riding with people in cars? Vans surely and better still with trail dogs

 

[B1rdie]

I move to the back before farting.

 

[Funkeydunk]

I leave them behind, top gear style. They should get an Ebike and stop being pussies. ??‍?

 

[Philpug]

I do use Strava for our group and just to keep track of miles but I have mine set as an Ebike. I have seen some dick-ish replies here, I am sure some are in jest but really, you don't know who is reading the thread. As I say on my site, "When replying in a thread, you are not answering the person asking the question, you are answering the thousands of eyes reading the thread that might have the same question but are afraid to ask." Now have a bunch of people who could be thinking "Boy, those Ebikers ARE a bunch of douches, why would I want to be associated with them?.

 

[Zimmerframe]

If I'm riding with friends on normal bikes then I'll have the bike on Eco in low settings. For etiquette, position normally changes and you talk to each other. Unless everyone's going for it on the climb and someone says "You'll have to excuse me if I don't talk anymore" .. If someones got asthma or is just knackered for some reason, then I'll give them a bit of a push to give them chance to re-charge. If we ever end up on the road between sections, then I'll go in front and everyone else slipstreams for a break. If there's a technical climb which is fun to blat up on the e-bike then they'll normally tell me to go for it and let me past. If you lose someone somehow, then it's the e-bikers job to go find them.

If I'm on my own and catch up a solo biker, I'll normally ride with them up a climb, it's easier for them if they're talking to someone and then I might carry on riding with them depending what they're doing/where they're going. Caught up with one guy going through the forest on a 5 day 1500km race and rode with him for 20km's - he wasn't hanging about despite his bike with all it's gear weighing the same as my e-bike.

Caught up three couples on one climb. They all looked VERY athletic so I felt like a moron to go past them, so dropped in behind and turned the motor off (it was a whiny one). I know who suffered the most on that climb. They were quite surprised at just how knackered and unfit the e-bike rider was at the top. I didn't stop to talk as I couldn't ... but recognised one of the guys as a pro roadie and one of the ladies as a pro enduro rider so was even more pleased I'd not blazed past like a thoughtless disrespectful tw4t.

 

[GrahamPaul]

If you lose someone somehow, then it's the e-bikers job to go find them.

^^^^^^
This!
(and the ebiker is the one carrying the rucksack with the toolkit and pump)

 

[OldBean]

Usually ride in OFF mode if its flat but as soon as the hilly/sticky bits arrive I accidentally switch the motor to eco!
IF they discover my age they are usually appreciative !
Never had any grief though ......."Real Bikers" of any discipline are usually perfectly happy.

 

[Gary]

Caught up three couples on one climb. They all looked VERY athletic so I felt like a moron to go past them, so dropped in behind and turned the motor off (it was a whiny one). I know who suffered the most on that climb. They were quite surprised at just how knackered and unfit the e-bike rider was at the top. I didn't stop to talk as I couldn't ... but recognised one of the guys as a pro roadie and one of the ladies as a pro enduro rider so was even more pleased I'd not blazed past like a thoughtless disrespectful tw4t.

That's really weird.
Why on earth didn't you just politely pass or if the singletrack was too narrow let them know you weren't bothered about getting past?
There are tons of Pro riders round my way. They're just folk who ride bikes like you or me. only difference is it happens to be their day job.