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If you do have a physical disability and an e-bike helps gets you mobile and into nature that is a great application; however, something like a special exemption permit should be required by your local association.
In terms of trail maintenance issues, user conflict etc. until these issues are addressed, the only ones who are ignorant will be the industry marketers who push them before due diligence is established.
I also fail to see how trail maintenance will be an issue? If your argument is that the greater torque generated by the wheel is a deciding factor of these bikes causing additional wear and tear, than Im calling BS until you lay down some factual evidence. Im not denying that these have potential to cause more trail abuse, however, i feel pretty confident that it will be a marginal increase.
Are you aware that E-bikes have speed limiters? In Canada this limit is set at a federal level to 32km/h. That means the bike will only assist you up to that speed. If you want to go faster, you get no additional support, and must put in all the energy yourself.
Motor bikes do not have such limiters...
This is good guys vs. the bad guys. Good vs. Evil. Blue vs. Red. Spaghetti vs. Lasagne.
If E-bikes win, we all lose! Dirtbikes are rad, E-bikes suck, etc..
The only way out of this is for PinkBike to start selling "No E Bikes" bumper stickers and T-shirts
Many of my local trails can be hit at a certain maximum speed, and an e-bike does not increase that speed. With all the twists and turns, off-camber sections, attempting to go faster would result in loss of control!
To delimit your bike, you have to reprogram it. I know it can be done, but say goodbye to your warranty!
And I want a feasible example of the additional maintenance. If anything, an E-bike would be a good tool to get trail equipment out to places where trail maintenance is needed, but there is no truck access.
Take a hike E bike!
So far @Xyphota, all you've done is obfuscate and divert attention from the genuine, legitimate concerns regarding this trend. These are basically motorcycles. And there are reasons why motorbikes aren't allowed on multiuse trails.
Mountain bike manufacturers and sales people have a history of creating solutions for problems that never existed.
This is the next trend to sell to people who are sometimrs all too eager to give away their money, or for people who have no desire to experience the true benefits of the sport.
People got annoyed about 29ers and 27.5, but these E-"bikes" have people positively incensed, and for good reason.
So, instead of trying to spin all this to make the level-headed argument against these things look unreasonable, why don't YOU provide some reasons why we NEED them?
But that's about it. :/
Firstly, they are not basically motorcycles. The only thing they share in common is a power source, and a direct drive to the rear wheel. Again, once your past the limiter speed, its just a normal bicycle. I think that is something that everybody is forgetting?
Have you seriously considered what that actually means? Just think about it.
The only real advantage of this bike is that you can now climb way more without getting tired. Thats it.
These bikes get people incensed because there is a lack of understanding about what they actually do, and that is impart due to lack of information. Unless youve actually seen one up close or ridden one, all information regarding these bikes is all from advertisements, or articles from sites such as this.
In response to the last part of your post, I do not think that we NEED them. I am not trying to sell them, I could care less if you have one. But Im not going to get my blood boiling if a rider riding one, passes me whilst riding up hill.
If riding to the top of your trail is an integral part of your ride, great! Good for you! But not everybody who rides bikes is in it for a heart wrenching workout. Not everybody who rides bikes is as fit as you. Some people have disabilities, some people might use it as a means to potentially get in shape. You cant just throw the idea out the window because most die-hard mountain bikers arent going to buy one. Because guess what? They arent marketed towards you. I have yet to hear a legitimate argument about why they should be banned.
Will I personally ever ride one as my main mountain bike? no. I would buy one so any of my friends and family who do not avidly ride bikes as much as I do, can come with me and enjoy nature how I do.
I'm pretty sure you'l be able to see much more after that than if you put acid in your eyes!
I sincerely hope that this is the last ELECTRIC BIKE seen on PinkBike; though I know it won't be. This was a very entertaining advertisement. But apart from having a mountain biker riding the electric motorbike, it really doesn't have a place on a mountain bike website other than entertainment.
Whether it is electric assist or full electric, the use of a motor for propulsion makes it a motor bike. Motor bikes belong on motor bike trails or moto tracks, not on hiking/biking/horse (multi-use trails).
One thing that many people tend to forget is that these are expensive electric bikes. In most cases they are more expensive than mountain bikes. So we aren't going to see loads of them immediately on trails. And to pilot them, to need to have some decent bike/moto handling skills or the rider will be kissing the dirt; another reason these aren't likely to flood the trails.
They are coming / they live among us (electric bikes not Zombies) and we might need to learn to learn to live with them in the future, however finding where each user group fits is the hurdle we all need to get past.
Have you piloted one yourself? The acceleration is simply a multiple of the amount of power you put into the drivetrain. It does accelerate like a vehicle designed to go faster than 32km/h...
Perhaps if you gave one a try, you may understand why they are not actually that bad. Im not saying you have to like it, im just saying that maybe you will realize that some of your arguments are incorrect assumptions.
Cheers.
secondly - please for the love of humanity, stop posting motorcycle content on a mountain biking site...
Have a little backbone when deciding whether or not to take ad money, and if it's good for our sport or not.
"Starting a conversation" is a cop out, not a legitimate reason for this garbage.
Also maybe someone gets injured and still wants to ride with their buddies on 1000m climb trail day, a little help isn't so bad is it?
Nobody ever had a moped in the 80s?
It's like having sex with a fat chick...
Fun untill your friends find out!
What I do NOT like is all that torque going through a half link chain. Whos stupid idea was that?
Funny side note, apparently the fastest bike up Pikes Peak is electric, not petrol. Couldn't believe it myself, but apparently its true...
Then an e-biker coming from a MTB background... such as myself should have more proper trail ettiquette regardless of what they ride on. It all comes down to personal responsibility.. even walkers can ruin trails (adding dangerous booby traps or whatever, it's happened). Change is scary...