The devil or?
The following is just my thinking out loud about a controversial topic, that being the coming to market of Electric Assist pedal bikes, both city type and MTB type. In Europe, they are a huge share of cycling, being used for city errands, commuters, etc. Here, they are just a tiny, tiny movement, but one that is growing fast. I am still working out how I feel about this and I reserve the right to correct myself. For now though, here goes. GG
It seems like anything new to the cycling market gets its share of dread and hatred, deserved or not. Disc brakes, suspension even…were either welcomed or feared. The most vocal critics of something new are often the ones who have not experienced first hand the thing at which they are tossing stones.
With E Bikes and I, it had been a bit of a ‘skeptic at a distance’ deal. I have been, at one point or another, amused, curious, uninterested, interested, sounding raspberries, and…well most emotions other than outright poo-flinging or man-bike love. And somehow I never managed to actually ride one of the things at a demo. Whatever. Did not care too much, I mean I am an American! We don’t need facts to have an opinion…we can make up our minds about something with no personal experience whatsoever. I think it is in the Bill Of Rights somewhere….pretty sure. Look it up.
Anyway, then a friend of mine, to whom I had sold an FS 29er, converted his bike to a pedal assist E-Bike system. I was chagrined but it provided me with no end of fodder to use for jokes at his expense. His reason for doing that conversion can be expressed in a simple formula:
And it opened up all kinds of rides for him that he could not have done in the time he had or the conditioning (and body integrity…old knees, etc) that he had to work with. It came at the expense of a very heavy, more complicated bike that was limited by the battery operated tether that comes with every E Bike. You can only go so far until ZZZzzzzzz….pppfffttt!!!. No more free electrons. Yeah, then you have a 40+ pound bike that pedals like a…well, a 40+ pound bike.
But he loves it to death. He is outdoors, still pedaling, still on an MTB, while loving his 29″ wheels and FS and disc brakes and dropper post and all the goodies that technology has brought to the current marketplace, but he has something we ‘normal’ bike riders do not have. He has a hybrid system, where he is one part and the pedal assist E motor is the other part of the equation. I don’t have that on my bike. He has a Prius. I do not.
So I rode one. Finally I rode one. It was a full suspension bike of some kind…actually I do not even recall the brand of bike (I remember now…Felt), but the E part of it, and the key part of this story, was the rather remarkable Bosch unit built into the bike. After a bit of a introduction to what button does what and why, and a tutorial on the Intuvia LCD screen readout, we media folks were off on a gaggle of E Bikes for a bit of a sampler ride…some highway, some bike path, some rocky Jeep road. Now to understand the way this works is really beyond the scope of this article which is more editorial in nature, but this Bosch system only works when you pedal. Stop pedaling and it stops assisting. You can adjust the amount of assist the motor provides, ranging from “ECO” to “TURBO”. In the staging area, and in ECO mode (the lowest setting), the pedaling feels normal at first, then the motor kicks in ever so gently and it feels like someone just came up behind you and lightly pushed on the back of your saddle. Weird.
Out on the highway and the bike path, it makes the flats a cruise and hills are pretty much reduced to a moderate effort. But interestingly enough, I expected it to nearly take away the cycling experience as it relates to budgeting my energy, finding the right gear for the moment, managing cadence, etc. After all, isn’t it just “Mongo wanna’ go faster? Mongo push button. Mongo go zoom”. But the Bosch system still rewards good cycling technique. It works best when you have the right gear, the right cadence, and the right speed and load on the system, so as I pedaled, I still felt ‘involved’ in making my experience better. As a cyclist, that appealed to me. I was not disconnected as a part of the human/machine equation.
But what it also does is make you feel really, really fast; fast in a “good god I am fit today” sort of way. I was pedaling up a paved hill on a grade that would have been maybe…maybe… 8 to 10mph on a good day, working hard, on my ROAD BIKE and I was on a HEAVY full suspension 29er with knobby tires doing 18mph and doing it with a moderate effort and heart rate. How ’bout that? Off road it is still pretty cool. I actually was slightly drifting the rear wheel while going uphill on a loose corner on a wide road in TURBO mode and with a LOT of my own pedaling energy added in.
Downhill and in the techy sections it was like a heavy MTB FS bike. No magic there. It reminded me of riding my 29″er when I have it all packed up for Bikepacking trips.
So it got me thinking and considering how I feel about this E-Bike thing (and I am only referencing the PEDAL ASSIST type here, not a ‘scooter’ approach where you have an E-Throttle). It has been the subject of a few frank discussions and breakfast meetings. Where does this belong and where does it not? Who is this for? Is it a bike or a motorcycle? What type of coverage will I need to buy in-order to insurance it? Is it the devil, just waiting to roll back all the hard-fought land access victories that have been so long in the process? Or is it the bright new tomorrow for a lot of non-cyclists and cyclists alike?
I am not sure I have all those answers and I am not sure anyone really does. I know that the folks behind this want it to succeed as it means profit for them. Surprise! A company wanting to be successful and make money. But at what cost, or, on the flip side, to what benefit? Some random thoughts and counter thoughts and maybe counter-counter thoughts.
- “It is a motorcycle”. Well, not really. I have never seen pedals on a motorcycle and you have to pedal this thing or it just stops ‘helping’ you. However it is, and I don’t see how you can get around this, a motorized vehicle. And that means there are a lot of places that it cannot legally be used, including many paved city bike paths, etc. If it were a motorbike after a while you might wonder how much is your motorbike worth? Worth checking out if you want to know for sure how much your motorbike might be currently worth. Furthermore, if you’re looking to purchase a new motorcycle, but aren’t sure if you can afford one just yet, you might want to read this motorbike financing guide. There are various finance options available to make owning the bike of your dreams a reality, so it’s worthwhile to consider some of the different loans out there.
- “It will cause more trail damage and user conflicts.” Regarding trail damage, I doubt that. It is not a CR250, OK? It’s a bicycle. The other part is more thorny. It is assumed that the potential for increased speeds will result in more folks being scared on trail by E Bike riders, but I am not so sure that reality bears that out. Consider this. On the typical multi-user trail, a fit and skilled rider (or even a not fit and not so skilled rider) can reach a speed that is imprudent, or to say it another way, he or she can go fast enough that it can be an issue for other trail users. You don’t need a motor for that (although now you can climb fast enough to be a bomber uphill too!). So while E Assist might allow that prudent speed to be exceeded more easily and by more riders, as long as people are riding properly and with concern for others, the fact they have a motor is a moot point. Meekness is described as strength deferred. It is not the potential for speed that is the problem here, it is how you use it (and how you use what you have now). However I am sure that the first time a E Bike is involved in a trail incident with another user, the bells will sound out the alarm, even though they stopped ringing long ago for conflicts involving non-E Bikes.
- On paved bike paths, say with a speed limit of 15mph…well most any rider that is reasonably fit can exceed that on most any performance bike and I quite often exceed the 20mph cut-off point of the Bosch system on my road bike on our local paths, but only when I have clear line of site, etc. So that seems to me to be a non-issue as well. An E Rider being a good citizen is no more or less of a threat than a non E Rider being a good citizen…or likewise, being a bad egg. They are just doing it with less effort. Might that be too tempting, that ease of E-Speed, and therefore multiply conflicts? Possibly so, but not necessarily so.
- There are other things I have heard called out from the minuet towers of alarm-dom…such as, it robs the rider from needing to ‘earn his/her stripes’, so to speak, making it too easy I suppose. Smacks of elitism, I think. And I think of lot of the hate sprouts from this root of bitterness…might we ‘real cyclists’ be packing sour grapes in our Camelbaks and in our jersey pockets? Perhaps so. Is it cheating or just another way to do it?
So if this gets more folks on bikes, that seems to me to be a good thing. Will all of them become ‘serious’ cyclists? Maybe some will but who cares if they do not? Is it likely that the potential amount of casual or commuter E Bike riders is much higher as compared to the amount of folks who will turn from E Bikers into serious cycling enthusiasts? Maybe, but how about being both? How about having the normal bike(s) for competitive or hard core efforts and the E Bike for errands and getting to work, etc? It is not a thing for everywhere and for everyone, but what is? Should they be allowed anywhere a normal bike is? I am not sure. But there are places a normal bike does not belong either and we are still battling that one out with often murky waters to wade through.
Is it for me? No, not yet and not for my life situation. I don’t see it as a mountain bike option for me. The E Package includes some weight, complexity, and limitations (battery life for instance) that do not fit the way I enjoy cycling. Light bikes are more fun. Period. But that may change someday. I can almost see myself hauling my E Bike to some desert trail to zip around on Fatty 27.5 tires and full travel suspension for an hour or so of quiet, sort-of motorized fun. If my health or capabilities lessen, then I would consider it. Why not? Why should the outdoors be only for the very fit and very capable? In a way, that situation is self correcting or self governing, if you will. Mountain biking is hard for all kinds of reasons and just giving you extra power at the pedals does not change that enough to blow the sport open to the masses.
But I sure can see having one as an option to a car or even as an addition to the bike stable as a whole. Errands, commuting, shopping, kid hauling…all of that makes a ton of sense for an E Bike. If I have one parked in the garage next to my Trek Emonda or Niner RIP9 or Scott Scale , the others will not burst into flames because of it. And if someone pulls up alongside me on a long dirt climb and passes me with the E-wings of Icarus doing their magic for the rider, I will be OK with that. And if I am not Ok with that, I have to ask myself why.
With electric/battery technology progressing at such a rapid rate, that 20 mph top speed will (in all probability) be history sooner rather than later. With riders of mechanized vehicles (human powered bicycles) rarely having more than a tenuous grip on trail access, I’m not willing to have electric bikes (even if they are only pedal assisted) lumped into the same group.
There are already those that would like nothing more to see the distinction of mechanized vs. motorized go away so that bikes can be banned with far greater ease than is currently possible. I’m not willing to chance losing that access just so a relative handful of companies can cash in on emerging technology at the expense of trail access rights that affect thousands if not millions.
Now, I could see creating a sub-group of motorized vehicles that would apply to some, or all e-bikes, that would allow them access to some land use. Maybe even trails that are currently off limits to motorized transportation. Just don’t throw human powered bicycles and electric bicycles into the same group when legislating access.
This is a dark path. I’ve ridden one (on the road). And while it will make for a great commuting option. It should be banned from the trails (except ORV parks). Why? It’s a motorcycle – because it has two wheels and a motor. The one I tried had 3 options, light assist, medium assist, and full scooter mode. They will be ridden as motorcycles by 99.9999% of the people who buy them. They will only get more powerful/faster. I actually see the biggest market for this type of motorcycle to be coaster-geeks. This way they won’t have to shuttle. They can bomb down the decent, then burn roostertails all the way back up. There is no comparison to suspension or disc brakes, because they equally added more speed AND MORE CONTROL. Thus maintaining a safety ratio. A motor just means anyone can push a button and go faster. And not just on the ups/flats. You know some idiots will turn the motor on for the downhills as well. Hello bike bans… (There’s no way any park ranger is going to make the effort to enforce a ban on one particular type of bike, and they shouldn’t have to). Very disappoint in you ‘open mind’ approach.
@jeffj: the speed limit is NOT due to battery constraints. It is to limit the top speed, as in controlling the speed difference between an eBike and other users. In fact, I find it a very good idea for mixed use to limit potential conflicts. And that is the key word: “potential”. It might, or it might not happen. If it does clash, well, let’s see if it can be solved. If it works out fine from the start, that means more users to pay, lobby and maintain the trails. Win-win.
If you want to join the choir to spell doom on your hard fought and won access rights, be my guest. I understand your concern. It might pan out differently than you expect, as GG has laid out above. Let’s work together for peaceful coexistence on the trail.
To all…yes, the limits of speed are artificially imposed. Current tech allows for more zip. Will we see ‘chipped’ E Bikes?
As far as trail access, I am not aware of a multi-user trail network that would be open to them at this point. They would be considered motorized vehicles. Or am I mistaken? I am not so sure that should change. But there are thousands of miles of dirt roads and two tracks…we call them fire roads in So Cal…that would be open unless otherwise posted. Some might be closed to motorized vehicles as well, but I would be very surprised to find a USFS person who saw a E Bike as a problem on a dirt road. Could happen I suppose.
Sorry…still do not see it as a motorcycle.
But this is not going to be easy, although it could be. “We have seen the enemy and he is us.”
GG
Mountain bikes started to be less fun with the advent of front suspension(ride rigid or go home!), what level of sag, more air, lighter oil, etcall became too important. Technology begins to take away the do everything aspect about bikes. E-bikes are less evil that front suspension and should be embraced as a way to get more people on 2 wheels however that happens.
To be continued……
P.S. Since the demise of the thumb shifter all the “advances” have been a step backward.
@Yogi…Luddite! Just kidding. For me, if I had to ride rigid, I could not ride much at all. My shoulders hurt for days after a Fat Bike trail ride if I ride hard. Just too much wear and tear.
It’s all good though. Technology is a blessing and a curse for sure.
gg
“if I had to ride rigid, I could not ride much at all. ” ,yea just like your friend.
E-bikes are the future! Get on board or be left at the starting line…
@Simenf: If I put a $50 bill on the sidewalk all day, someone might not take it ;~)
E-bikes of the sort referenced in this article are an example of emerging technology. Sometimes things like this are best dealt with by establishing a new designation because they are unlike anything before them.
Once we see how they are viewed and dealt with by land managers and legislators, the conversation can always be revisited. But for the time being, my tolerance for risk on this issue is pretty low when the stakes are so high.
There is no getting around the fact that they are motorized, which is not the same as being merely mechanized. The amount of power or how it is applied is immaterial. Just like you can’t be slightly pregnant.
If the powers that be want to grant access to this unique segment, so be it. Having separate designations doesn’t mean we can’t all work together on trails and/or access issues. It just means that if there are situations where one group needs to be restricted due to the unique impact that group has, it can be done more thoughtfully and with less collateral damage.
@Jeffj: I’m completely with you.
I thought I’d give you a different angle: in Norway we have a total ban on motorized vehicles on trails. But we have a universal access right, meaning that no land owner can stop you from passing through his land as long as you do no damage. Pretty cool, and it works well.
Motorbikes are confined to roads and race courses. However, an eBike is still classed as a bicycle here, and thus it is allowed on the trails for now. The debate is hot, but most people have a pretty relaxed attitute towards it: if eBikes become a problem, we’ll deal with it. I understand that the debate is completely different in the US with hard won rights, this is just to say something about how things are dealt with here.
And some more opinion on the whole deal, much more in depth. http://dirtragmag.com/elephant-in-the-room-the-great-e-bike-controversy/
RC weighs in….I heard him state, after coming back from an E Bike trail ride, “That is not a bicycle.” http://www.pinkbike.com/news/opinion-a-secret-trail-and-the-argument-against-e-bikes-2014.html
gg
And more…http://www.singletracks.com/blog/uncategorized/opinion-electric-mountain-bikes-belong-on-mtb-trails/
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/uncategorized/opinion-electric-mountain-bikes-dont-belong-on-mtb-trails/
gg
@Simenf: Aha, good to hear it’s working out so far in Norway. The so-called ‘land of the free’ is not as free here as we’d like to think that it is.
I live in Los Angeles County, California where we have 10,000,000 people @ around 2,100/per square mile (packed into 4,058 sq. miles total). Norway is about the size of California (which has 38,000,000 people @ 246/per square mile) with Norway having about half the population of the County of Los Angeles, and 35/per square mile by comparison.
Sounds wonderful to be have so much elbow room so to speak. Sadly, I think the saying that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ is a bit at play when it comes to trail usage here in the states, especially in and around more populated urban areas. I live very close to the boundary of a National Forest, but 10,000,000 others live less than an hour’s drive away too.
BTW: I’m part Norwegian,and LOVE me some lefsa :~D
Off the trail = awesomness!
On the trail = watch out, it will get ugly.
@Jeffj: great 🙂
The difference in population density is pretty staggering. And yes, of course it plays a big role, but even here the debate is pretty much the same, even at a smaller scale.
Just to be clear: to me, any eBike that DOESN’T require you to pedal for electric assist should be banned, no doubt. That is more or less the definition of a motorbike.
These things are not bicycles, they are motor bikes (they have a motor, see). They are a great idea and all good in the right place but they don’t belong on websites dedicated to bicycles, nor do they belong on trails designated for bicycles.
I gave up my motocycle when i took up the mtb in’08. I’m 70 and almost blind, ride only my own trails in central TX, hilly and rocky. I pedal because i want to, gave up a motor to pedal.
My assist is get in better shape.
Got bad knees, broke my neck at 40, shattered C 5, and i’m old and blind and have no use for pedal assist or a motor.
’09 Pivot 429 9 speed.
A short ride is better than no ride.
The bicycle is a human powered machine.
E bike is an e bike, not a bicycle.
Don’t want to ride one or with one, but i ride alone anyway.
I will go slower, not faster.
Currently e-bikes are compromised, not unlike front suspension of the early 90’s and disc brakes of the late 90’s.
E-bikes can generate some power, but like the suspension and disc brake example, give them 20 years of development and e-bike motors and batteries will be near invisible and the power much higher and accessible.
Look at how capable our mountain bikes are compared to the early 90’s.
So the problem is not what e-bikes are now, the problem is what they will become in 20 years: more like a moto, not unlike our current AM, Enduro, and DH bikes, except they will be able to pin it on the up hills as well as go faster down.
In addition, e-bikes of the future will be indistinguishable to the hiker who will complain to the land managers about being scared off the trails. The complaint will be lodged against a bicyclist. (And yes, the e-bikes that will look the same as a mountain bike will be using MTB trails – some already are)
Roads – ok, sure, why not.
Trails – Hell no! No no no no NO.
I have encountered an e-bike on my local trails in Brown County State Park (Indiana). The rider was handicapped and couldn’t ride otherwise. The issue I found to be very frustrating was that the E-bike has a very different pace on the trail- it’s faster uphill and slower downhill than an experienced rider on a ‘regular’ bike.
This led to a problem similar to driving with semi trucks on a hilly highway. There is a constant back and forth as the e-bike wants to pass on the uphill and the more experienced rider on the lighter and more nimble bike can overtake the heavier e-bike (likely piloted by a less experienced rider) on the descents.
On singletrack passing is generally reserved for racing, or for when a more fit rider asks to pass a less fit rider. When fitness is the only equalizer, a rider who passes generally proceeds at a higher average speed on both climbs and descents. The motor plays heck with that equation.
The e-bike is misnamed. It should be called an e-moped or an e-motorcycle. Something called a bike or bicycle implies it is 100% human powered. Where motorized vehicles are allowed e-mopeds are fine. Most of the places I prefer to ride (bike paths, single track trails) do not allow motorized vehicles and e-mopeds should keep out. Get the name right first and understanding the e-mopeds appropriate use gets easy. Bicycle publications should stop using the term e-bike and start using the term e-moped. Once something has a motor it is no longer a bike and its use should be limited to places where “motors” are allowed.
@Mark…I disagree. First off…
bi·cy·cle
?b?s?k(?)l/
noun
1.
a vehicle composed of two wheels held in a frame one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel.
No mention of how it is powered, although perhaps there are other definitions.
But regardless of that, when you stop pedaling it stops helping, hence no throttle, and that seems to clearly mean it is not a motorcycle or a moped.
It is a motorized bicycle.
gg
How about this? First off, i think we can all agree that an E-bike is a motorized vehicle. we have to work with that fact. The only problem is trails marked “non motorized vehicles only”. we cant change that either ..fair enough. I propose a solution..how about a law that allows anyone over 65 or with a serious injury, handicap or disability, “Doctors note”, automobile handicap tag etc .. to ride an e-bike on regular trails. Problem solved.