Electric mountain bike

[Voyager EMH]

I know you're joking, but you still have to pedal for the motor to work and, if it gets you enjoying a physical activity you'd otherwise avoid, it's great for fitness.
When Dad was in his mid-80s and still using his mountain bike, he expressed an interest in e-bikes, just for a bit of help on inclines. He asked me to test a few, so I did.
I've always ridden "manly" road bikes and hardtail mountain bikes, so I was really surprised when my favourite was this ugly European style step-through thing...
View attachment 49847

OMEGA Dutch style electric bike - BATRIBIKE

Electric Bikes For Sale | Folding Electric Bikes | Battery Powered Bikes | Lincolnshire, UK

batribike.com

It was great fun, but probably not very suitable for rough trails.

I see nothing ugly about that bike - it looks very elegant and most definitely "manly" rather than "boy's bike".

"Dutch Style" seems appropriate for the land with such a high proportion of population on bikes. Little call for mountain bikes in Holland.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Nope. Don't pedal they don't assist. Over 15mph they don't assist either.

As has been said you can ride with varying degrees of assistance, or none at all.

They are obviously very easy to “chip” then. I see electric bikes every day with the rider sat with no leg action often doing anything up to 30mph ( have followed them).

The Ragley is a very good shout, the head angle is quite relaxed which makes for a confidence boosting ride when off road.
My brother has one.

 

[road2ruin]

They are obviously very easy to “chip” then. I see electric bikes every day with the rider sat with no leg action often doing anything up to 30mph ( have followed them).

Yep, very, for a couple of hundred ££'s you can install a device in the motor that bypasses the speed limiter. It takes no practical skills as long as you can use a screwdriver, probably a 5 minute job at most.

In terms of the argument about eMTBs and whether it's just cheating I would disagree. I live in Surrey and do a fair bit of mountain biking as we have a huge amount of trails. I've noticed a huge increase in the numbers of eMTB's and whilst there are a fair few younger riders the vast majority are older people who live the sport but through age and/or injury cannot do it as much as they used to. The eMTB has allowed them to ride for longer, go further so actually it keeps them fitter otherwise they'd probably not be doing it at all.

 

[RichA]

They are obviously very easy to “chip” then. I see electric bikes every day with the rider sat with no leg action often doing anything up to 30mph ( have followed them).

The Ragley is a very good shout, the head angle is quite relaxed which makes for a confidence boosting ride when off road.
My brother has one.

Imported conversion kits usually come with a "dead man's handle" type button that overrides the necessity to pedal. The same kits often have an option to up the power to silly speeds.
These are probably the kind of kits that are burning down the homes of their owners with the dodgy batteries.

 

[AmandaJR]

Yep, very, for a couple of hundred ££'s you can install a device in the motor that bypasses the speed limiter. It takes no practical skills as long as you can use a screwdriver, probably a 5 minute job at most.

In terms of the argument about eMTBs and whether it's just cheating I would disagree. I live in Surrey and do a fair bit of mountain biking as we have a huge amount of trails. I've noticed a huge increase in the numbers of eMTB's and whilst there are a fair few younger riders the vast majority are older people who live the sport but through age and/or injury cannot do it as much as they used to. The eMTB has allowed them to ride for longer, go further so actually it keeps them fitter otherwise they'd probably not be doing it at all.

This exactly. It also enables riders of different fitness abilities to ride together.

 

[Backache]

Personal opinion is that as far as rear suspension goes your bum goes you will get used to it and not feel it when you ride regularly decent padded shorts help as much for a lot of cycling. You also learn to use your legs a bit for suspension raising yourself out of the saddle for bumps. I have just returned from a cycling holiday and my bum is fine with no rear suspension, though the holiday was purely on paths and roads

If you are doing ordinary path like trails you don't really heed rear suspension either. If you are doing technical downhill stuff it comes in very useful but if you are returning to cycling early 60's it maybe isn't the stuff you want to be doing falling off on technical downhill routes is for young limbs not us older codgers.

Rear suspension bikes are also quite a bit more expensive if the suspension is of decent quality rather than just cosmetic.

If you are on a lot of bridleways than having front suspension can make things a bit more comfortable and does not add hugely to the cost if you are largely on roads and good quality paths then suspension is unnecessary.

I have an e bike which I bought largely for commuting but having retired I am not using it as much as I should and go out on one of my other bikes more often but ebikes are great and I intend to use it more going forward.

 

[srixon 1]

Nope. Don't pedal they don't assist. Over 15mph they don't assist either.

As has been said you can ride with varying degrees of assistance, or none at all.

Used one for the first time last week when on holiday. Until then I didn’t realise that you still had to pedal. The ones we had were Yamaha. Using a switch on the handlebar gave you varying levels of assistance when pedalling. Off, eco, normal and turbo. Combined with the normal rear gear arrangement I found that going up the steepest of inclines a great help.

 

[Beezerk]

Used one for the first time last week when on holiday. Until then I didn’t realise that you still had to pedal. The ones we had were Yamaha. Using a switch on the handlebar gave you varying levels of assistance when pedalling. Off, eco, normal and turbo. Combined with the normal rear gear arrangement I found that going up the steepest of inclines a great help.

Hills don’t exist with an e bike

 

[road2ruin]

Hills don’t exist with an e bike

If I'm out at the weekend I have to do a bit of road riding to get to the woods etc, there is a particularly steep hill where I take great glee in overtaking the peleton with the minimum of fuss.....granted on the downhill sections I don't see them for dust.....

 

[Piece]

My mate had a lovely modern ebike a few months ago. Until he was relieved of it by some unpleasant humans, breaking into his house and bolting cutting an expensive lock. Luckily insurance paid out...

 

[Tashyboy]

Personal opinion is that as far as rear suspension goes your bum goes you will get used to it and not feel it when you ride regularly decent padded shorts help as much for a lot of cycling. You also learn to use your legs a bit for suspension raising yourself out of the saddle for bumps. I have just returned from a cycling holiday and my bum is fine with no rear suspension, though the holiday was purely on paths and roads

If you are doing ordinary path like trails you don't really heed rear suspension either. If you are doing technical downhill stuff it comes in very useful but if you are returning to cycling early 60's it maybe isn't the stuff you want to be doing falling off on technical downhill routes is for young limbs not us older codgers.

Rear suspension bikes are also quite a bit more expensive if the suspension is of decent quality rather than just cosmetic.

If you are on a lot of bridleways than having front suspension can make things a bit more comfortable and does not add hugely to the cost if you are largely on roads and good quality paths then suspension is unnecessary.

I have an e bike which I bought largely for commuting but having retired I am not using it as much as I should and go out on one of my other bikes more often but ebikes are great and I intend to use it more going forward.

Cheers backache. One of the lads in our fuddle offered me a Canyon E-gravel bike today. Although it looked lovely it’s not quite what I was after. Re having rear suspension. You have said what my PP said yesterday that you would get used to not having it.

Food for thought

 

[Neilds]

Tashy, before you go any further with this cycling idea, you need to think about two important factors:

1. Can you fit your crocs in the toe clips?
2. Can you get padded speedos for cycling?

Need to get these sorted before you consider buying a bike

 

[Tashyboy]

Tashy, before you go any further with this cycling idea, you need to think about two important factors:

1. Can you fit your crocs in the toe clips?
2. Can you get padded speedos for cycling?

Need to get these sorted before you consider buying a bike

Had a natter about toe clips, it’s not happening. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
Re padded speedos, Ave not thought of that, thanks for the heads up. Am on it.

 

[AmandaJR]

Had a natter about toe clips, it’s not happening. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
Re padded speedos, Ave not thought of that, thanks for the heads up. Am on it.

100% but it's usually at low speed as you forget to unclip when coming to a stop. Actually I feel safer in clipless as my feet can't slip on the pedals.

You could consider dual sided so you can progress to clipless SPDs if you get brave enough!

 

[Tashyboy]

100% but it's usually at low speed as you forget to unclip when coming to a stop. Actually I feel safer in clipless as my feet can't slip on the pedals.

You could consider dual sided so you can progress to clipless SPDs if you get brave enough!

I fell off the bike around 6 times. Either coming to a stop or trying to set off in the wrong gear. Having clips on would be trouble for me

 

[Backache]

Clipless is not really that useful on an e bike as you don't need the extra help the 'up pedal' gives you, you get your assistance from the battery .
Padded kecks are definitely more comfortable though.

 

[AmandaJR]

Clipless is not really that useful on an e bike as you don't need the extra help the 'up pedal' gives you, you get your assistance from the battery .
Padded kecks are definitely more comfortable though.

Can't say I agree with this. Above 15mph no assistance and I usually ride with either none or level 1 at most so clipless very appropriate (road bike though not mtb).

 

[Backache]

Can't say I agree with this. Above 15mph no assistance and I usually ride with either none or level 1 at most so clipless very appropriate (road bike though not mtb).

Fair enough, though I use clipless on my road bike it has never occurred to me that I would do it on my e bike.

 

[Jimaroid]

You can get clipless Crocs by the way…

 

[Bunkermagnet]

As much as I loved my clipless pedals, I would suggest a good pair of flatties would be better for someone in Tash's position.
Full suspension needs a different riding approach over hardtail (I have both). A full susser needs you to stay sat when climbing and grind away. A hardtail allows you to attack by standing when climbing.
However, the downhills are so much more fun with a full susser.
I also think eMTB's are too heavy to use without having them switched on, so for that reason I would go for normal power bikes.
Also, electric bikes are very attractive to the wrong side of the street, and have heard of many being removed from their owners, and often quite physically too.