Video: Hans Rey Looks Back at the Evolution of Mountain Bikes

Jan 3, 2022
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesIn nature, evolution is a process that takes hundreds of years, whereas the entire evolution of mountain biking fits within a lifetime. Or Hans Rey’s shed, as it happens!— Shimano


Posted In:
Videos eMTB Shimano Hans Rey


Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,063 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
63432 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
63377 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
43001 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
42481 views
Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
40354 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37794 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
37501 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
37341 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

101 Comments
  • 110 9
 This is a sneaky e-bike advert.
  • 18 42
flag brajal FL (Jan 3, 2022 at 2:41) (Below Threshold)
 I'm done with Hans Ray ebike thang... unless that 100% of the ebike sales goes to World Bicycle Relief program...
  • 79 31
 Sure is. Hans says " I can do climbs now I never could do" and "this is what doping must be like." Yep, having a motor sure makes pedaling a lot easier which is exactly what motors are supposed to do. Call them e bike if you like, just stop pretending they are not motor bikes.
  • 13 1
 Btw, the donkey at the end was an analog one. No trail or boost mode.
  • 25 38
flag BikesNRussets (Jan 3, 2022 at 9:02) (Below Threshold)
 @brajal: You hate people having fun, because you are a miserable human being.
  • 23 7
 true. and for anyone else curious, Hans is 55 now... I think he's e-eligible...
  • 16 0
 @shredddr: a true e-vangelist
  • 10 6
 @shredddr: @shredddr: Yeah I think you officially qualify when you start receiving AARP magazine. Let the man ride an ebike.
  • 1 0
 @shredddr:
  • 3 0
 @shredddr: only 55? I swore he was older. He was in every issue of mtba in the 90's
  • 34 12
 @shredddr: 63 years old here. 14 knee surgeries, artificial knee, hip problems, 6 shoulder surgeries, and what do you know? Still pedaling. Why? Because pedaling is the only thing that's going to help me get through my health issues.

I've got no problem with motorcycle's, I'm going to buy one and ride it to Alaska if I can. But I'm going to keep pedaling no matter what. And when I'm riding my motorcycle I won't be under the illusion that I'm riding a bicycle.

I'm not equating my accomplishments on a bike with Hans Rey's, he was, and I'm sure still is a marvelous bike handler . But giving up on pedaling to rely on a motor takes it out of the realm of bicycling, something we should all be clear on.

Most people who ride these mopeds are always spouting off about how they can still go fast. But, get real, the motor is going fast. They're just along for the ride.
  • 8 5
 @danger13: I don't own one but you still pedal E-bikes. Not the same way but it's not a moped or a motorcycle.
  • 7 4
 @danger13: please post up a video of you trying to ride an e-bike uphill or on the flat without pedalling
  • 2 0
 It certainly is. Made by Shimano after all. But you know what? I kinda like it. I don't have a lot of love for e-bikes for normal, healthy, people, but I totally get it, if your riding partner is much fitter, if you've got a health problem, or if you're getting older. I don't even think Hans is old enough to justify /needing/ one. I mean, Ned Overend became 4th in a wold-cup on the day of his 50th birthday, and Hans is 'only' 55. But you could say he might be nearing the category.

But what makes this video nicer than other e-bike 'sneak' promos is that it actually is about technological innovation. Hans really was ahead of his time with his riding and tech innovations and this video shows the bikes and videos and pictures to prove it. Hans really was very early in adapting the e-bike. He really did like it for what it was before it was the hip thing to do. Right now, many influencers and pros are making e-bike video's and you never know if they really like it, or just doing it for the sponsor.

This is a video about somebody who has proven that he really was ahead of the curve sometimes, that he liked e-bikes before they were cool and mainstream and money, and it claims that e-bikes are nice "as an entirely different new thing" and are here stay. Despite being an e-bike skeptic ... I dig that!
  • 8 0
 @danger13: you have no idea how pedal assist mountain bikes work. They amplify your effort. 300% of nothing is nothing
  • 1 0
 @danger13: nope its still as hard of a workout as you make it and with your past injuries you'd appreciate one
  • 75 8
 I got my First GT Team Trials bike in 1996....Hans Changed the way alot of people rode bikes, and what was possible on a bike. Im now 51 and my WIfe, who is 48 is new to MTB ( 2 years ). I put her on a trials bike for back yard practice. It has improved her skill level dramatically. I have had almost every bike style, stem style and suspension format, since 1990. Going from a Diamond Backs first incarnation, to a new Trek Slash, we are living in the Fantastic time for Bikes.

All of you haters who need to post negative things about Hans Rey and how Fast you think you are on your 7 speed " what ever bike, This man has stayed in the bike industry for his whole life, and getting paid to do so. You have not.

Thanks Hans.
  • 37 8
 I’m sure I ticked the no ebikes in the settings @edspratt
  • 3 6
 ahaha
  • 25 0
 MTB legend. Thanks Hans
  • 20 0
 Stopping to put your seat down & back up i don't miss
  • 2 0
 Why was it called putting your seat down then and now it's dropping your post?? Things that make you go Hmmm!

What fits best?Raise your saddle/ Drop your post? Drop your saddle/ raise your post? drop your post / raise your post?Drop your saddle / raise your saddle?..... Its all so confusing!!!!!
  • 9 1
 Why is this the only article today? I thought the Outside sale was going to "have more resources and capabilities to take on even bigger and better projects.".
Just being grumpy cuz im back at work and this is all you're giving me to entertain myself with.
  • 9 3
 Here is the thing, currently, in the PNW, most trails do not allow E bikes. Sure some folks ignore the rules and ride them anyawy. I will not, until they are legal on my local trails. Currently I ride a Tallboy for cross country stuff and a Transition Patrol for downhill rides I fully suspect that my next MTB will be electric. However, by then I will be in my late 60s and then it's OK
  • 9 6
 100% of non motorized singletrack in Moab is also illegal to ebikes. Ya know, cuz motors.
  • 9 0
 Impossible climbs are fun. So much that they have some stages with them at the electric EWS.
  • 12 5
 If e-bike users are a*sholes then shuttle truck people are punk ass bitches (extra points if a cliché Tacoma is used).
Bet Hans is faster no matter the bike than the vast majority of Pink Bike users.
  • 7 0
 whoops! overrrr the bar Big Grin
but man, does he have a fun job and his skills are still amazing. the guy IS mountain biking. legend
  • 9 0
 Hans is a true Legend ! Big Grin
  • 10 4
 Meanwhile, we now have people thinking they're being innovative by making "gravel bikes", which are really just the original mountain bikes.
  • 8 0
 Legend
  • 5 3
 I love it, Hans has always pushed the envelope when it comes to bike tech. Without the evolution of mtn. bikes, we would still be riding a hopped up old 10 speed frame with some fat tires that we could squeeze in the frame. By the way, that was the first change that started the whole dam thing. I'm sure there were plenty of idiots out there saying, only weak pussies need fat tires... I hope you're on the train, because it has left the station, no turning back..
  • 5 24
flag brajal FL (Jan 3, 2022 at 3:02) (Below Threshold)
 I ride a 7spd bike and can downhill to the station faster than you or Hans! Smile
  • 6 2
 @brajal: but is it more than once? Big Grin Big Grin
  • 3 1
 Even going back 10 years, there's a big difference. I was speaking to some younger riders and they could almost not belive we rode without dropper posts, not even that long ago in the grand scheme of things. The evolution of bikes and the kind of riding we do is what keeps the sport moving forward.
  • 5 2
 The dropper and disk brakes are the biggest advancement we have seen in mountain biking. Geometry is an evolving thing which is just as important but will continue to change, not create anything new.
  • 3 0
 @Dlakusta: Add tubeless, indexed shifting, and suspension forks for the complete list.
  • 2 0
 @Geochemistry: good call - both earlier advancements but would be crazy to try a modern bike/trail without indexed shifting.
  • 4 0
 @Geochemistry: ...threadless steerer tubes sure were a bonus as well.
  • 3 0
 Post were being dropped long before 10 yrs ago. First Quick release then the on the fly post lever did the trick. Unless you were full on XC with no visor of course. LOL
  • 1 0
 For all of the posts on this branch: Instead of which advancement was the most important (we wouldn’t be where we are today without all of them) which advancement would you be willing to give up, keeping all else constant?
  • 1 0
 @st-lupo: Index shifting
  • 1 0
 @likeittacky: 1989 - mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Interloc.html
  • 2 0
 In 1997 in Vail village I saw my first Ebike. I was 13 renting Rockhoppers and seeing the chonky beast zip through the lil botique village just blew my mind, along with all the other funky dayglo experiments people were putting on the mountain back then. Achieved my first pumptrack followed by my first dead sailor, seconds after
  • 14 8
 BTW: No one cares that you don't like ebikes. Just saying...lol
  • 4 2
 Go to the E-Bike forums, they get more action then the dh forums.
  • 3 1
 E-bike thing... So my background, I've mountain biked for like 30 years, so I have a fair amount of experience. Tried an ebike a few years ago and didn't really like it, except the ease of the fireroad climbs - we were in boost mode the whole time which turns out is why I didn't like the technical climbs on it.

However I tried again last year and bought my own ebike in November. It has made such a positive impact on my riding and fitness levels, I'm getting 4 times as many runs on the DH, I'm peddling all the time (as opposed to walking back up) and the upper body work out is something I wasn't expecting - I guess the ebike is a pretty heavy bike compared to my lightish trail bike so the extra lifting is building upper strength, or maybe just the extra DH laps.

Yeah, I can't wait to ride my trail bike again as it's just more fun, but the ebike is such a bonus for maintaining fitness levels and progressing, when I've gone back to my trail bike, I'm riding it faster and longer than before. I totally get what Hans means in the video about the climbs he would never have done before, it's not just to do with fitness, the climbs he's meaning are a whole different aspect to riding. Ebikes should be treated as a training tool or as a way to enable some riders, they are certainly not motorbikes or cheating.
  • 6 0
 no way!
  • 7 4
 I get that he's legend, but man, he has got to be double jointed in the shoulders to be able to pat himself on the back as much as he did in this vid.
  • 4 0
 So very true. But he has always been this way. Amazing and outwardly sure of himself.
  • 4 0
 What trail was he riding in SoCal that had a wood drop?
  • 5 0
 San Clemente dog park trails, legal for Class 1 e-bikes. There are a ton of fun jumps and features out there for bikes of all types!
  • 1 0
 @a-mc: I've ridden that trail numerous times but I prefer G8. Dirt in great condition right now
  • 1 0
 @jbh65 @a-mc - spot discussion buried in a random post. Love it. Where is G8? I'm down there a few times a year so I typically ride the known spots.
  • 8 4
 He’s definitely a legend but sure comes across a bit arrogant.
  • 6 2
 100% Based on the vid, he's either the innovator or the first to use any advancements in the industry.
  • 18 16
 ya maybe its time to get a ebike, what do you guys think of Enduro BMW G450x? or any suggestions?
  • 1 0
 Yup - A Gen 3 Levo - just a tad better executed than the Beemer. The Don Valley doesn't really justify a Mulleted Kenevo, the next suggestion if you had steeps and gnar avail. So great watching that Vid - probably still have an MBA mag kicking around with Hans on the cover...
  • 4 0
 Gotta love a bit of hans
  • 3 1
 He sure loves himself.
  • 2 0
 “If the old school didn’t pave the way, we wouldn’t be here today.”
-TuPac
Thanks Insane no hands Ray!
  • 2 1
 Shouldn't this be post as advertorial?

(GT throughout).

Or doesn't advertorial rules apply to PB?
  • 1 0
 Hans has never lost his love for mountain biking. His enthusiasm is awesome. He just seems like a big kid out there.
  • 1 0
 Anyone else notice he was on one flat and one clipped pedal on the ebike? 3:29
  • 1 0
 Legend! Knows the importance of a good cockpit
  • 1 0
 55 ya right looks more like 102
  • 2 0
 See ya at the top!
  • 8 8
 Ebikes are badass and make adventuring out further and sessioning dh runs possible when in a time crunch
  • 2 1
 Poaching Laguna must be part of the evolution.
  • 1 0
 Quality! Thanks Hans, that was a great watch.
  • 25 26
 E-bikes for people with health issues is a good thing E-bikes for people that are healthy just turns you into a lazy A-hole
  • 3 0
 But the market for ebikes for people with health problems might not be big enough to be sustainable so the ebikes wouldn't exist without healthy people using them.
  • 21 7
 its possible to be lazy on an E-bike but its not the only way. I get a much better full body workout on my eMTB than i ever did on a regular bike. Your legs dont burn out as fast so you can stay in the cardio zone for longer and your upper body gets a workout when you descend. Of course you can just sit back and have the motor tow you up, but its not the E-bike that makes you lazy, its your attitude.
  • 7 1
 You might want to revisit this. You just called Hans Rey a lazy a-hole (as well as @mikekazimer). But it's more calling the enduring 40 year legend of cycling off-road a lazy a-hole that might need another look.
  • 9 2
 Then what does that make healthy people who whine about ebikes all day?
  • 12 0
 what do shuttle trucks say about a person?
  • 1 2
 Half of those here can't handle the truth.
  • 2 4
 @RadBartTaylor: That they are smart because the route to get to the DH run has miles of grueling, arduous, torture; where multiple runs are only practical if using an XC bike, not a 37 lb rig. Nor desire a 50+lb bike with a battery and motor that limit the agility riders want during their DH sessions, with a possibility of a mechanical occurring that would render the 50+ lb bike dead, left trail side until it can be recovered with a huge effort and shit ton of energy, depending how deep into the wilderness the overachiever went. HA
  • 1 0
 No Way.
  • 1 1
 eating in boost!! that's very funny!
  • 12 14
 I LOVE E BIKES
  • 3 3
 To offensive for people who can’t let other people do what they want.
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.055206
Mobile Version of Website