Video: Ratboy & Co Let Loose in Pila on eMTBs

 This is an unforseen existential quandry.

 I have foreseen it few years ago in the moment I saw the video where Matt Hunter rides Spec Turbo Levo through a cut down forest. It was the omen. The symbolism of this picture was so powerful.

 Srsly. How will they express their self shame and insecurity now?

 The Rat has always been all about fun on a bike. Ebikes are fun. Trail bikes are fun. Downhill bikes are fun. Find one (or more) that works for you and enjoy. That's all there is...

 its not a conundrum for them really, ratboy will be thrown under the bus for this sacrilege!

 @slayerdegnar: if only it were that easy

 @cuban-b: it is that easy.

 @tobiusmaximum: They made no bones about throwing Sam Pilgrim under the bus. Between this and riding for Cannondale, he’s losing serious dude-bro cred. Next thing you know he’ll be speaking the Queen’s English, wearing a suit and tie and holding down a 9-5 office job.

 @TheR: all i wanna know is where i can get some of them pants with cannondale down the leg!

 That was a very good video @WAKIdesigns:

 @TheR Booyakasha!

youtu.be/b00lc92lExw

 @tobiusmaximum: If its a proper Cannondale pant, it will only have the logo down the left side

 @tobiusmaximum: I think he Lefty you behind on that comment. I'm sure you saw correctly I the photo though.

 He now goes by Rat-E

 It would interesting to see a survey of E-MBT haters done to see what style of riding /rider most of the hate comes from.
I have my suspicions (riders who worry about Strava times not fun).

 @CasualTEA: never used strava in my life, still don’t want an ebike. Same as I don’t want a go kart. Or a jet ski. I don’t hate them, they’re great for what they are, motorised sport, but it’s a different thing.

 Can we start a “26-4-life” cult where we just ride steel hardtails with 62 head angles, flat pedals and 2005 Mz 66, build a trail wonderland similar to Micheal Jacksons rape residence? Then everyone commits a mass suicide by ingesting drugs and jumping off a 100ft huck into a shredding machine. I am jumping last to endure nobody is cheating... oh maybe no, without these virtuous figures world would be poorer... possibly...

 @WAKIdesigns: ...because you already ingested all the drugs, it seems.

 @tobiusmaximum: you sound like you need some to cheer youup

 @tobiusmaximum: his is an entirely natural state of enlightenment/psychosis.

 @tobiusmaximum:
Why wouldn’t you want a go-kart or a jet-ski?

 @stickysidedown: same reason I don’t want a horse? Bit of an odd question, isn’t it? Why don’t you want the equipment for something you don’t do? We aren’t talking lottery lifestyles here, there are only so many dollars and hours in the day..

 @tobiusmaximum: think he's just being cheeky.

i do want a horse though. sounds awesome.

 @cuban-b: horse? Cuz bikes are not expensive enough?

 @TheR: some of us respect riding skills, and not dude-bro points....

 @dontcoast: Ratboy has unlimited points for skills and dude-bro-ness. The real problem is purists with all the judgment and no skills.

 @WAKIdesigns: exactly

 Haha. This is spot on.

 Would they ride them of they weren't paid and asked to do so?

I have nothing against e-bikes. I'm totally ambivalent. But it's a legitimate question.

 Need....to.......bash.......keyboard........but......CANT...

 @privateer-wheels: I actually ride both, but spend much more time on my Analog bike., this is partially because I don't have many friends that have E bikes.
I prefer the Analog day to day and when riding by myself, but have had some fun days with friends on my E bike. (this is of course just my experience)

 @privateer-wheels: I don’t see why not

 Nobody ever said ebikes are not fun! Can we just stop changing the goal posts of the argument about them for once!!!!!!!!!!!!

 E-bikes can and should be fun. If e-bikes don't cause or exacerbate trail access issues for regular mountain bikes, there's nothing wrong with them.

Some people seem to believe that using a motor makes a rider somehow "lesser", and they're entitled to that opinion, but I think it's more of a personal problem - a prejudice - and less of a legitimate concern. I wish our community would stop conflating legitimate concerns about trail access with other arguments stemming from (what is generally assumed to be) wounded masculinity.

I cringe when I see an e-mtb article on the front page of Pinkbike or any other publication, but it isn't because I'm worried about the normalization of e-bikes. It's because I'm concerned about the tense and unproductive dialogue I usually find in the comment section. There have been a number of incidents between hikers/equestrians and e-mtbers in my area over the past few years, due largely to irresponsible salesmanship and its aggressively entitled customers. It would be easy for the industry to dismiss all e-bike concerns as being part of that "wounded masculinity" category, and to thereby ignore intensifying conflict on American trails. It would be just as easy for other trail groups to lump legal mountain bike users in with illegally-used e-mtbs and try to ban us altogether. I don't think I need to remind anyone of the preemptive Wilderness Area bans we've suffered in the past.

Basically: Either US state and federal agencies need to recategorize e-mtbs and open all regular MTB trails to them, or e-bike manufacturers selling here need to be very clear with their customers about the legal restrictions on e-bike use. There's no reason that something undoubtedly good for the bike industry has to be destructive to mountain biking in general, but I believe that irresponsible enthusiasm is driving us to a reckoning point.

 @H3RESQ: Analog bikes? That's a horrible name. I really hope that doesn't become a thing. I don't really have anything against e-bikers, but I can't support anyone calling bikes analog bikes.

 @Mad-Duck: someone called em acoustic bikes which I thought was clever

 @Mad-Duck: I dunno, I guess next time I'll use "regular bike" instead?

 @H3RESQ: Why not use caffeinated and decaffeinated....

 @cuban-b: Lol I've seen that one as well. It's even worse.

 What is wrong with the terms bike and moped?

 @H3RESQ: How about bikes, or maybe mountain bikes? It's worked well so far. No need to add extra shit to bikes. Calling e-bikes, e-bikes is enough to differentiate between bikes and e-bikes.

 E-bike or 'proper' bike. Whichever they were that was a great display of bike handling.

 @cuban-b: Nah mate, like in the Pop Music Industry, when you get rid of the electricity you call it Un-Plugged.

Same thing and not sure how it would apply to DJ's

 @Mad-Duck: I don't mind it. Analog for life! Lol

 @gnarterrorist: to DJs it’d be beatboxing

 It’s called a bike! @H3RESQ:

 @Bluefire: Well said. It seems like we get so caught up in arguing that we forget what we are arguing about. Reminds me of a George Carlin quote: "America prays to God to destroy our enemies, our enemies pray to God to destroy us. Someone's gonna be disappointed, someone's wasting their f***ing time. Could it be, everyone?"

Regardless of what side of the argument each of us is on I think we all benefit from working together and being willing to compromise.

 @gnarterrorist: Right. Now we call the original music “plugged” eh?

 @IntoTheEverflow: I think this is pretty correct, but because the word Moped is already correlated with gas power it won't take off.

 @Bluefire: Preach it! Well said and well reasoned.

 @Bluefire:

"ncidents between hikers/equestrians and e-mtbers in my area over the past few years, due largely to aggressively entitled customers"

Ok yes and also I've run into more entitled a*sholes without motors than with.

It's about sharing trails and having a good attitude about it, motor is irrelevant.

 I understand that sometimes you have to sacrifice to make money, but this is kind of what killed Josh Bryceland.

 Can we call him Fatboy Slim for now?

 How?

 @micahaalders3: I have to praise you like I should for that comment

 .............and they did skids !

 I think I saw he got Iphone either! What a heretic! haha

 Was the save the planet thing not just the rumour mill going into overdrive in the end?

 @el-nombre: he has stated that it was a bummer for him seeing all the shit they'd run through (tires, pads, etc) on a race weekend but the ultimate reason was he was over racing. It was a side comment and then Claudio said something on a live feed and it blew up lmao

 Surely by the same token getting a chairlift is using electricity? Or shuttlin’ wid yor bros and all that NOX belting out the tail pipe?

And lest we forget the environmentally friendly strip mines we extract Alu ore from?

 I don’t care about Ratboy, whatever makes him happy. But I fear people who get excited without being able to foresee how shallow these actions really are. Because these people tend to shout and moralize very loudly and steer legislation in a quite wrong direction. Like Germany crumbling under the bullshit of anti Nuclear lobby and switching to coal. The only people who win anything on such moralization is leaders of virtue signaling organizations. They gain political leverage, they gain what they really want: power. Pole didn’t stop throwing failed products made of all sorts of materials to the sea, but they surely gained publicity. Look at who gets the laurels, and whether they accept them or not. Today Greta Thundbeeg received Nordic Environmental award and she told countless low lives on fat salaries in Non profit NGOs, politicians, professors to go fk themselves with it, saying she won’t accept it, Scanidnavia os consuming and emitting sht loads per capita. But she can still do it. In few years the life will happen to her. Like it happened to Ratboy

 Nothing we do matters as long as 50,000+ merchant ships continue to circle the globe on heavy fuel oil. A Thanos snap and complete overhaul of the global economy is what's needed.

 @WAKIdesigns: are you saying ratboy is the old Greta?

 @mnorris122: thanos snaps sound like they sting, but if there's no other way, I'll have two please

 also production is a huge problem with loads of pollutants being used! only that this happens far away from human eyes, so nobody seems to care...

 It’s time you realize that most people who say they are going off to save the earth are completely full of shit

 @Camstyn: So true

 @Chilliwacker: that’s sad. That’s same sort of generalization as saying all things with electric motor make world a better place. It’s hard... we all die anyways. If you can, Make sure dying is a good trip. It won’t be if you spend your life throwing diesel smoke at green peace, just like it won’t be good if you call everyone planet killers. It is up to you feel good as synapses are giving up one by one as the system shuts down.

 That was just something that got blown way out proportion. Think he just got bored with racing the same world cup tracks over and over and racing in general

 @Camstyn: I think he’s genuine in his beliefs , all the little things add up !
Who says they’re GOING to save earth ?

 @Matt115lamb:

I meant people in general, wasn’t singling him out. Eco crusaders tend to be the biggest hypocrites on the planet.

 @Camstyn: that’s fine but we need more eco crusaders not less

 Here the thing — all we’ve heard over the last 10-15 years is how wonderful electric cars are for the environment, and now somehow a battery for an e-bike is bad? C’mon y’all.

Even if you want to make the argument that an electric car is a better alternative to a combustible engine, and therefore the trade-off is worth it, I would counter that with what if we can wean people of electric cars onto electric bikes, which have smaller batteries and can be charged with a lot less electricity (or through pedal power)? And if they want to use said bike to shred trails, so what?

For the record, I don’t think anyone’s objections here are REALLY about the environment, now are they? The real issue is someone is doing an activity some people disapprove of, and these people just can’t live and let live.

 ebike is definitely lower impact than a shuttle or a lift though

 We were all young and naive at least once

 @mnorris122: XRP baby.

 @TheR: E-xactly

 @jrocksdh: some are old and naive to

 @WAKIdesigns: germany switched back to coal because of immense lobby work if energy companies. Renewables gained so much momentum that the classic energy fossile and nuke comps faced a fatal blow...
So politics killed renewables some 10 years ago, cutting some 100000 Jobs country wide (jobs that went to china) and now burn fossiles again.

 @xice: and Fukushima was just a convenient cover for this?

 The guy stopped racing WC DH because he hated being under the gun all the time. The carbon footprint excuse was just convenient. It just comes over a whole lot better then: Hey, I just want to ride my bike for fun nowadays, but I would still like to receive a paycheck. And you know what? That's ok! A lot of former pro riders do it, just drop the Greta bullsh*t.

 PRO PRO PRO.... free the eBike

 @taurausmountain: just ordered my yt decoy. That and my dh sled is all i need!

 Pro - biking for 30 to 40km just got easier and probably faster Con- you're not a MTBer anymore, your an E-MTBer Conclusion - do what you want with your life till you can't

 @pargolf8: You are 100% Correct!!!..those are ALL you need.
I have Decoy Base (You will love it!)..and when lifts open up again..I'll buy a DH Rig.

 @bikeblur: hells bells man im pumped. After riding my friends kenevo i was hooked, made up hill not even indifferent, but actually fun! What size? Im 6 feet and went with a L.

 @pargolf8: I'm 5'9" and I went with a large too..will probably be puttimg a Dual Crown fork on..MRP Bartlett..can keep my front wheel.

 @pargolf8: I'm 5'10 (Large bike, Medium E bike personally)and notice I am preferring a slightly shorter reach on my E over my standard bike. I find I like the better maneuverability it has beings you are throwing the bike around a lot more because of how well they climb technical terrain. That along with the extra weight and I think the shorter reach feels better. E bikes generally feel more stable than a an equal sized standard bike due to the extra weight and overall low c.o.g..

 @H3RESQ: sweet thanks! My sentiments exactly. I was most concerned with it being overly tank-ish than a little short in the cockpit. That’s why i didn’t go xl. Im used to a patrol with 475 of reach though. She gets here tomorrow. Like christmas eve!

 I sized down on my Decoy for the same reasons as @H3RESQ . No regrets.

 @pargolf8: I'm scared to try one as I know that will be all it takes...

 @Schbeemb: First ones free, then youre mine

 If you consider how much less efficiently you convert fuel into energy than a power plant, ebikes might actually have a lower carbon footprint if they cause you to burn fewer calories. Especially if you eat meat.

 @bicibicivelo: vegan ebikes? Could this be a thing

 ...Rat would be a fool if he didn't make as much $$$ as he can while he can. Ebikes are fun. Bikes are fun. Party time, excellent!

 What if my electricity comes from 100% renewable sources? Am I still condemned??

 @bicibicivelo:
Pretty sure ebikes are not more efficient than good old human body at converting energy into motion. I mean, we have been practicing it for a really long time.

 @cole-inman: Yep, what are you gonna do with the battery when it's eol?

 @bicibicivelo: pretty sure the energy used to put those non-recyclable heavy metals into that giant battery is far more than the energy used in my breakfast before my ride.

 Environmental impact? I dont give a damn. The world has to last another 30 years or so as far as im concerned. But then again I dont have kids. I havent bred the next generation of lil consumers.
So I feel I can burn through batteries & drive an 8mpg v8 and still have less of an environmental impact compared to those who chose to have children.

 @mcozzy: cool story. We are just pointing out that ebikes are dumb in every way unless you have a physical ailment (being fat doesn’t count).

 @TypicalCanadian: Not gonna comment on the “dumb” thing since these batteries are virtually 100% recyclable. And knowing is half the battle.

 Agree. Cleaning a techy climb under your own power is very rewarding.

 Do we need bicycles at all to survive? No but i makes life alot more fun. Do we need $11,000carbon fibre bikes?no but they sure are fun....

 @d-man: what is this for kind of an argument? are regular bikes harming the environment as much as battery charged ones? hint: no!

 @Stonerz94: You might want to read up on carbon fiber. Spoiler: will ruin your preferred narrative.

 @Stonerz94: You're splitting hairs here dude just to argue. I've had it with all the environmental bs that the world is going to end. If people like you really feel that way then be leaders and stop using the internet, stop using electricity, stop driving cars, stop living in houses and the list goes on. Yes we have an effect on the environment but nature can end all human life with one volcano eruption too. Stop cherry picking items that you don't like and use the environmental argument to back up you're narrow mindedness.

 pretty sure some/ most of the members are from alberta but they met and started making music in ontario?

 @nismo325: yeah thats right. They are decent live

 @nismo325: you sent me down a RAA rabbit hole, from i read, the lead singer (Nils) is from Fort McMurray and the other two are from the GTA

 I read this and was hoping for Tornado 87... I'm convinced it'd be a great soundtrack for a bike video.

 Oh rarboy can still race bud....

 @pargolf8: prove it

 Brosef, what you do with your turds is your business ... but hey, look at you, making comments with your PB account. Guess this place isn't that much of an embarrassment after all?

 Does that look like a moped to you, idiot?

 @pargolf8: yep

 @jase111171: is helen keller your mommy?

 @pargolf8: shhh don't tell everyone.Didnt know blindness hereditary ?Learn summat new every day.

 I wish I could do this on an emtb!

 Everything a regular bike can do minus the 'shite in every way for the environment' battery? Ooh, they get you up the hill faster rather than putting in a bit more effort, sorry, my bad..