We showed you Alex's prototype carbon rims from last year's Interbike show, and the rim giant is still working towards a number of production offerings, including a burly 27.5'' hoop that won't break the bank. Pricing is yet to be decided, but I was told last year that a complete wheelset should ring in around $1,100 USD. At the center will their new Bear Paws hubs that are all about reliability and easy maintenance - no tools are required to take them apart or swap to different axle configurations, and there's also an aluminum freehub option that sees a thin steel sleeve slid over top to prevent gouging.
Carbon fiber BMX rims? Sure, why not. Alex is bringing the black magic to 20'' wheels with their prototype AXC1 carbon rim that weighs a claimed 370-grams, a very competitive number for a rim that's designed to brush off an immense amount of abuse. Unidirectional carbon construction is used to create a rim that's 24mm tall and with an internal width of 26mm (35.4mm external), but Alex hasn't completely forsaken aluminum for the AXC1. Each spoke hole also sees a small ring of aluminum where the nipple nests into the rim for added reinforcement. The AXC1 is still in the prototype stage so there's no pricing yet, but don't expect it to be inexpensive.
Talk about contradictions; this titanium hardtail frame was designed to fit Shimano's E8000 direct-drive e-bike motor and 500Wh battery. That's the polar opposite of most e-bikes we've seen at the show that resemble freeride rigs from the early 2000s but in uglier colors and with a motor. In contrast, this sleek looking setup is far from being an eyesore, even with the 70 Nm helper attached to it.
Miranda's new XMOD crankset is all about extreme modularity and compatibility, hence the setup's name. The idea is to have only three main components - bottom bracket spindle, crank arms, and spider - that can be fit to pretty much any and every bike by only having to do a simple parts swap. Miranda says that the XMOD system can be put on everything from road to cross-country to downhill to trekking bikes, with more options to come.
The titanium spindles will fit all sorts of bottom bracket interfaces, including all of the major options out there and a few more obscure ones, and they'll be available in a load of different lengths as well. Same goes for the interchangeable spider, and there's even a direct-mount chainring, too. Depending on the setup, a total weight of well under 600-grams is said to be possible.
u serious ?? some places forbid e bikes ??? 4 real ??? why ?? (it doesnot disturb anyone, its still and "nature friendly" )
If I build a gas powered pedal assist bike, is that a bike or a motor cycle?
What if I make an ebike that goes faster the louder you go braaaaaaap? A vocal assist bike? Is that a motor cycle or a bike?
Now to be clear, I'm fine with ebikes. Well I think they are kinda stupid, and I sort of look down on the people who ride them, but I'm ok with them on trails. As long as those trails are motorized access.
Also, as an aside, I ride a lot of trails that are motor cycle legal. Actually my favorite trails are motor cycle legal. I have no problem with motorized bikes on trails. Just not all trails.
Anyway, like I said, probably not rational.
f*ck the lazy bastards saying "it's here to stay" like yourself. It's not here. It's trying to attach itself to our sport and most Mtb ers don't want it anywhere near them. Add to this the fact these self confessed time poor riders will never do one bit of trail building and your "can't we all get along" argument looks pathetic. Go and create your own trails, with your own issue, and stop being a fu king cling on on the arse of mountain biking.
Your "ebikes are here to stay" argument is an insult. It's assumption that because you're not bothered no one else is. By far the majority of comments are negative. Take the hint.
2. You know people with ebikes. Yes, birds of a feather. You can all be fan boys together, and compare battery life and digital read outs.
3. It. Mainly old farts, yes.
4.Big business....not Mtb. Commute maybe, but Mtb is not as keen to accept this as existing experienced Mtb riders have all had trail access issues and treat this matter seriously.
5. Legal now.
Youre like a politician, arguing the case for a product slow to be adopted, not being spoken of in a great light by its so called target audi nice, and the people who have them already are not really making others buy them. Your sounding a bit like a bloke with a C5 (if you can remember what that gimmick was).
By the way, pretending it's easier to pedal a power assist bike with a disability than a normal lightweight Mtb is disengenious. If you can't pedal unassisted, the last thing you should do is go in the middle of somewhere you've already accepted is beyond you (hence the ebike) in case you have a mechanical and get stuck. Unless you're one of those idiot who go boating off the Cornish coast in an inflatable dinghy - it's literally no different.
So, respond as you see fit. I think you're missing the point about ebikes and the reluctance here to accept them.
If you want to create a safe space for ebikers then create a website and hang with people who are like minded.
I am getting annoyed with ebike lovers trying to recruit from a Mtb website. Or even bothering to argue when told you're not welcome. Who will maintain the trails for people who can't pedal uphill without a ebike? Seriously, you're a lazy lad aren't you, and you got no consideration for the trails you ride and the people who fight for their use and maintain them. Your arrogance and attiatude that "they're legal so who's to argue" is not what people on this site want to hear.
I think you're fighting a losing battle.
You know why they created eBikes? For the elderly and disabled in other countries... So it's cool all you hip people are alienating a sector of people from our sport simply because you don't like them...I'll be sure to let Martyn Ashton know he's not welcome in the MTB scene because he has an ebike.
there is gonna be lots of stranded people with no means of getting home, silly idea.
And it's not STRICTLY electric....you can pedal them. It's not an electric scooter, it's an electric BICYCLE.
It's funny to watch the outcry on here when very few of you has ever really been exposed to one. I don't own one, never will, and loathe the day I have to regularly work on them, but I realize it's income for my shop, it's getting people otherwise not interested in cycling on bikes. It's getting disabled people back on bikes. It's doing a lot more than the complaining people on this thread are. If you keep shunning people away from your sport it won't grow. Be happy more and more people are getting into it...the avenue of which may not be your cup of tea, but that wasn't your decision to make in the first place.
It's this very mentality that skiers/snowboarders have towards skibikes and why many resorts don't allow them on the slopes. Be happy people are getting on the slopes...not the venue of which brings them there. Then you'll realize that it's better for the community as a whole to have the diversity...
I also work in the trade. And I know bike shops have been coerced into stocking these bikes in traditional Mtb stores. Not the rider owned stores generally, but the high street bike shops who want to sell to everyone. In some cases, I also know that the owners wouldn't have them in there if they were paying for them. Most are on SOR or long invoices.
If there's such a demand, why aren't we seeing as many on the trails in EU as you state. My passport comment was because of this. Maybe when you're wrenching for pros, who sit in their motor homes (paid for by the sponsor) and ride their race bikes (paid for by the sponsor) they also have an ebike for whizzing round the pits (paid for by the sponsor). I think it's the environment that's making you think they're popular and being held back back a false wave of propaganda. I'd love a motor home for lounging around between laps of the local parkland. Totally impractical and unnecessary.
So make this about a small, tiny minority with disability that you claim are queuing up to be Mtb ers (which I don't believe exists) or be more rational and accept that the general reluctance from most on PB is not born of hatred for those less able, but more a hatred for something they see as represents most of what's wrong with the sport at the moment.
When I tried a few trails in a local park the bike was fun but felt a bit janky in low speed technical sections. When the motor engaged with a pedal stroke, the bike would lurch forward and knock me off balance.
I can't see myself buying an ebike for trail specific use. However, I'd rather be commuting through the city on an ebike than sitting in gridlock traffic or searching for expensive parking with a car or motorcycle any day.
Also, with all of these hoverboard and cell phone lithium batteries catching fire, I'd be afraid to leave one unattended in my home!
You're absolutely right that the eMTB market is a small segment of that, but the ebike market is flourishing and growing. Put it this way, there's more ebike sales than there are observed trials bikes. There are more ebike sales than high end BMX bikes (at the greater than $1000 pricepoint.) Global ebikes sales are nearly $16 BILLION...that's larger than DH bike sales. All markets you are all familiar with. They don't import more if they're not selling.
Yes, the fallback argument IS for the disabled. LOTS of people NOT disabled use the urban/roadbike versions, and that's where most of them are. just like lots of NON disable use recumbents. A projected $24 billion industry by 2025 doesn't mean it's dying...it's flourishing....just because you guys are too blind to see it (you don't want to see it) doesn't mean it's not there...
How will an ebiker get home with a dead battery? Easy, they pedal...if they can't pedal over the hill, just like every other cyclist on the road who has a flat with no spare tube...they call somebody. That should be pretty obvious. The people buying them are getting assisted pedaling, they're not inebriated.
The way you imbeciles crap on e bikes only shows your ignornace, envy, or both.
Its a matter of perspective as to which laws are a mess. Keep em on the Moto trails.
Its not a mountain bike.
These things are the mc.muffin in the health food store. I think thats half the hatred. Mountain biking isn't all enduro and chairlifts.
Other than that you will like a lazy tit riding one.
Its like the devil saw people switching to greener motivations and decided to play on humans lazy nature.
Also how many very cool hand cranked bikes have we seen built for disabled riders. Shame we dont see those being mass produced, always one off builds. And those guys are fit as fk. Two years of use and the body will just be starting to severely lose strength. And pedalling an ebike home just wont be an option.j
The scenarios you guys are creating are just getting silly now.
Can we all just agree they are a diverse subdivision of MTB and just get on with life without the hate?
thats a lot of batteries to get rid of when they need replacing, where they gonna go? this is gonna end badly, give it a few years and you'll see.
And what do you think the ebikes are for? The unfit....that's who it's marketed towards...this gets people into cycling...
As for the hand bikes...those are definitely not one off...LOTS of companies make them and they're all over the place...it just shows your ignorance and bias.
But yes, Pink-E-bike or Pe-E-bike, why not. Oh I know, only Plus members can hide E-bike content.
I'm sure world-class athletes of all stature and Allsports that come to Florida to train all winter no absolutely nothing. When the best of the best show up here to do winter training they must be really ignorant. Please inform us of where to go in the winter. I'm sure it's much better to sit at high altitude and look out the window at the snow then it is to actually ride. You are such a genius maybe you should come to the USA and run for president.
In your opinion, which of the following MTBers is the most lazy?
a) Ebike rider pedaling up a fire road
b) Conventional bike MTBer pedaling up a fire road
c) MTBer sitting in a shuttle truck with his bike in the back driving up a fire road
My main concern with ebikes is that trail access will be compromised.
I'm not against Ebikes as long as they're on a commuter bike and following traffic laws. However I am fully against them on my local trails.
For instance I genuinely hate SUVs, I think they are the dumbest sort of vehicle ever invented. They have just as much interior and loading space as Combi, but their center of mass is higher, they are heavier and waste at least 20% more fuel. They are often less comfortable than combis since suspension must be stiffer. They are arguably safer since the risk of roll over is higher. Their 4x drive is often worthless, ride height is barely increased. I am fully against SUVs. Their tyres are huge and expensive, pseudo 4x drive causes increased service costs and lower reliability. I drove a few and they are as exciting to drive as a mini bus or having sex with dead drunk girl, and wearing 2 condoms without a lubricant. Therefore I truly believe that people who buy these as "child wagons" are fecking dumb. And there's only more and more of them.
Oh well, I can do as much against poliferation of SUVs as you can do against poliferation of E-bikes. That is NOTHING.
Yes you may like whatever you like, it doesn't make your arguments any more rational. As to the care for environment citizens of US of A have no right to any say in that matter. Maybe Elon Musk and NASA can provide you some redemption.
As for the environment and being a US citizen... I was unaware that because half the population here voted for a moron, we are all the same. I thought folks from Sweden were a little more open than that. Thankfully even as a eco-hating American I know better than to think you represent all Swedes. Enjoy your E-bike and E-go.
Ok I guess I got a bit Swedish after 10 years, I enjoy shitting on absolutely everybody hahaha
But I don't school people on environmental impact of E-bikes
A gallery of these please
All sports change, it happened in kitesurfing, with bridled tube kites.... hate, then they took over as everyone realised after trying them you could do more with them.
Probably the same will happen with Ebikes, once you have ridden them for a long time, firstly you understand they are not motorbikes in any way at all. Then you realise that they themselves are technologically going to change over time and get better, then when you ride next to normal bikes with normal bikers, swap, have fun explore go here go there, everyone is having a good time.
In my experience I would say downhill Ebikes are a tiny 1-2km/h bit slower than normal enduro machines downhil, in my hands. Uphill they are about 10-5km/h faster, so the overall average speed on a complete ride is about 3-8 mph (5-12km/h) faster. What happens is the range you can ride is massively expanded, like 2 x - 4x depending on the altitude climbed, and the type of trail you can ride is better, motorised trails actually become fun.
I can tell you this, nearly every single mtb journalist out there including the ones who say they "don't like them" has ridden them, had fun on them and knows they are going to disrupt everything. I've met them on press camps, seen them ride them and everyone is actually respectful of them, although inexperienced in how they ride etc.
All the pro riders have used them at some point, some even prefer them, more fun.
If you want you can come and hang out with me in one of the best ride locations in the world and play with them, no one is going to shout at you about it or kick you off the trails.
Every non bike rider who has tried one immediately thinks they are great, often these are the people that "hate" mtb riders/trails, they actually open minds in my experience.
I have seen in many sports things change, new technology takes over, fun goes up. cant say it more clearly.
Try one, a good one, and you will understand every bias you ever had is basically pointless. I would finish on one final point, I was riding once with Rene WIldhaber me on an ebike him on a normal bike. We were always riding together the same speed. In no way did the ebike damage the trails at all. Rene did more damage than me that day, if you call ripping corners the way he does as damage, (he is an amazing rider).
If you want a bit of conspiracy, then maybe he haters on here are provoking you to hate them, so they can generate more comments and interactions, to get more hits = more advertising, so remember it is in the interest of everyone to have something to talk about to make traffic, even if that is ebikes, in fact they will maybe make more traffic rather than less with ebikes.
have fun and enjoy whatever you ride.
If this one had, he would have more sympathy for the access and issues that will be exacerbated by more people riding more quickly, for further distances. The only way for a pro ebike stance is to ignore these things. I am surprised a journalist doesn't understand the background of our sport.
Suggesting that anyone not pro ebike is missing the point is what every person not getting their way says.....just accept that on this forum, to this audience, it's a general non starter. People here like normal pedal bikes. Accept it.
You've got the skills to create a forum or website specifically for EMtb. If it's so great, go and do it. If you build it they will come. If you're right, and we are all so wrong and one ride will convince us of our error, you'll be breaking ground and the first. But I don't think you actually believe that. The smoke and mirrors you suggest, are actually the ones being used by people like you, close to the industry, to perpetuate your myths around the sport of mountain biking, the vehicle chosen to be the fall guy for electric bikes. Youre trying to legitimise something off the back of a group that is vocally ambivalent to your product. And your getting desperate, because the language is becoming condescending and arrorgant.....yeah, I am sure you believe we're all missing out because you like these bikes. Toss, as the majority don't feel that way, and you can clearly see it as you're making comments that reflect you're surprise. Again, surely your wise enough to see what going on here? An existing sport is being told, by you and people,e like you that it's time to change. Lol, the arrogance.
I've ridden one, on a road (kept up with traffic, felt safer) and off road. I also have a MX background. It's a f*cking joke to compare the two. If you scale fun as ^ for electric, then it's not possible to fit the ^^^^ for a proper powered bike like a motocross bike. But until the police clamped down, yobs everywhere used to ride around local woods on motorbikes, being louts and causing trouble. An ebike is a scaled down motorbike more than a bicycle. The yobs will buy them, guaranteed. And be yobs on them.
Surrey Hills gets more new riders every year (thanks Strava). It doesn't need increased speed, distance and further numbers to add to the pressure. An industry person pulling your strings about these things is just what it appears to be......
im still hung up on getting a flat battery miles from anywhere...thats a big deal to me (ignoring ALL of the other pitfalls), or submerging the thing and getting an electric shock! (and a shorted out battery!)
I love how you state e-bikes are 10-15km/h faster up a hill, but somehow cause no more damage than a human-powered bike. And then attempt to justify it by saying 'well Rene roosts every corner anyway, so clearly the e-bike isn't the problem here'. Two separate issues, one biased opinion.
wasting electricity that ruins the planet making it,
Check my page and then appologize, or come over and I'll show you a real beating!
Joking aside, with the involvement of Shimano, it's official that ebikes are here to stay. I think they are great for the city and offroad riding where motors are permitted. I can only hope that hatred towards ebikes and jackass usage will not lead to serious future trail access issues. Plenty of trails in North America have already been banned/not opened due to user conflicts that had nothing to do with ebikes.. Hopefully, all trail users will be able to figure out how to get along together. For all the haters, the only way ebikes will go extinct is for people to not buy them.
Luckily the US is not the whole world. The EU regulations are going with the time and 250W/25KPH pedelecs are bicycles you can ride them everywhere where bicycles are allowed. Sucks for you guys with all the restrictions...
I don't know pretty much anything about the state by state regulations in the US but I found the EU regulations absolutely sensible as the 250W/25KPH pedelec bikes don't have any negative impact on the trails compare to regular bikes. In the EU they are not motorbikes but regular bikes as they should be.
For me personally, spending minimum $6K for either of those characteristics is out of the question.
Fk carbon fiber theres about to be done massive weight savings. With the nano and even biomechanical sciences taking form expect some really weird advances. Gearboxes 6-7x smaller and lighter at the very least. Hell we may even be using machines with intelligence and artificial blood powering artificial muscles that will turn your wheels before long.
Which reminds me of a great argument I had as a stoned teenager ..you could in theory grow a skeletal frame and have it powered by artificial ostrich legs.
'Humorous' example :p but I feel justified recently reading the science blogs
m.pinkbike.com/news/pinkbike-poll-is-it-still-a-mountain-bike-if-it-has-a-motor-2016.html
There was this one for starters
Science still says they need 14% more input to accelerate so I'll dry my tears with that for a bit.
Besides I've got big feet, long crankarms for my long legs and my hiking boots on..cos nature.
I tried a 29r with a standard 170 and my toes kept clipping the front wheel and it felt too flexy. Big turnoff.
This is a marketing masterpiece, lots of people are being paid lots of money to talk this rubbish up, some are falling for it but real mountain bikers can see right through it all! The bike makers have run out of ideas to make us spend our cash