Jump to content
IGNORED

The first sign of the apocalypse


Recommended Posts

Technology should be a.) seamless and easy as well as b.) indistinguishable from actual magic.

The idea that you can't ride because you have to update firmware is a non-starter.

The bulk of my riding is urban, on a single speed. Not the most fun, but definitely the lowest bar to entry so I do it almost every day.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nothing's better than bashing something you've never tried.

You guys are missing one thing - they're fun as shit.

AB, let me add one more category: 2E. Vacationers who have 3 days to ride 200+ miles of trail, but legs that can only handle a fraction of that. Or same vein, "I have a rare day with no kids or chores, and I want to ride longer than I normally would and not suffer terribly doing it."

I don't own one. I have ridden one on difficult, technical trails. It wouldn't be my only bike, but if I had the means, an eMTB would be the 2nd or 3rd bike in my stable. Why? They are fun as shit.

Edited by notyal
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No one is bashing emtbs. Sure they're fun! Just saying that the demand is probably not going to be as high as manufactures are betting on. I don't think enough people can afford them to justify the race to put so much energy into making so many of them.

Edited by mack_turtle
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

An e-bike would be great to session a trail that doesnt have a shuttle or lift. Closest thing we have to that is cat mountain and how often are any of us riding that? Enough to justify a $7k purchase? Also can't see them being too great for the switchback/ledge MTB gauntlet we have here.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

An e-bike would be great to session a trail that doesnt have a shuttle or lift. Closest thing we have to that is cat mountain and how often are any of us riding that? 

I've been trying to let my wife buy her one. The first reason so she can keep up with me when we bike together. The second reason, that I don't share with her, is so I can ride it. But not at Cat Mountain. There are other local places that they would be fun to ride. I would love one at the Meridian Bowl (even though it's only 70' of drop) and at the Flow Trail at Reimers (140'). I always want to go down a lot more times than I have the energy to go up!

I was going to get a too big for her and too small for me frame. Is that wrong of me? 😄

Unfortunately she rode one at Glorietta that a friend lent her. It did not sell her. The opposite actually. As we all know power does not equate to trail riding ability. She was still just as uncomfortable riding technical (to her) trails as she is on her bike.

"Fun as shit" is right. I've ridden a couple but only on quick 2 minute try-it-out rides. I've watched other people test ride them too. I have yet to see anyone NOT break out with a big smile as soon as they start pedaling.

I forget where it's posted, but someone linked an article about industry people predicting trends. They all said that eMTBs will be a thing. They are hoping that they will get light enough that you will be able to ride them turned off if you want. Giving their usage even more flexibility.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, The Tip said:

I've been trying to let my wife buy her one. The first reason so she can keep up with me when we bike together. The second reason, that I don't share with her, is so I can ride it. But not at Cat Mountain. There are other local places that they would be fun to ride. I would love one at the Meridian Bowl (even though it's only 70' of drop) and at the Flow Trail at Reimers (140'). I always want to go down a lot more times than I have the energy to go up!

I was going to get a too big for her and too small for me frame. Is that wrong of me? 😄

Unfortunately she rode one at Glorietta that a friend lent her. It did not sell her. The opposite actually. As we all know power does not equate to trail riding ability. She was still just as uncomfortable riding technical (to her) trails as she is on her bike.

"Fun as shit" is right. I've ridden a couple but only on quick 2 minute try-it-out rides. I've watched other people test ride them too. I have yet to see anyone NOT break out with a big smile as soon as they start pedaling.

I forget where it's posted, but someone linked an article about industry people predicting trends. They all said that eMTBs will be a thing. They are hoping that they will get light enough that you will be able to ride them turned off if you want. Giving their usage even more flexibility.

I'm similar in that i'd like to buy my wife one so we can stay out longer and go further. She's in her early 40s, fairly fit and IMHO, just needs to keep working on her cardio before making that purchase.

Ask me again when we hit 60 and I'll probably have a different answer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, notyal said:

Nothing's better than bashing something you've never tried.

You guys are missing one thing - they're fun as shit.

AB, let me add one more category: 2E. Vacationers who have 3 days to ride 200+ miles of trail, but legs that can only handle a fraction of that. Or same vein, "I have a rare day with no kids or chores, and I want to ride longer than I normally would and not suffer terribly doing it."

I don't own one. I have ridden one on difficult, technical trails. It wouldn't be my only bike, but if I had the means, an eMTB would be the 2nd or 3rd bike in my stable. Why? They are fun as shit.

That is the point. If everyone had unlimited cash this would not be an issue. We just don't live in that world.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

if you've ever worked in a bike shop and hear how many people walk in for the first time, look at one bike and say loud enough for everyone to hear "one thousand dollars for a bicycle! I'm not rich!" you'd understand how few people most likely won't buy an e-mtb. they might be convinced to buy a e-bike for utilitarian purposes (it's way cheaper than a car and does most of the things that most people do with a car every week.) here in Austin, we have a bit of a skewed sense of what the country looks like. there are a ton of people willing to pay a relatively large sum of money for a hobby, a gizmo, a novelty car, or a mountain bike with a motor on it. in other words: toys. but that's Austin with it's free-wheelin tech bros. it's an anomaly.

no one is saying that an e-mtb is not fun or that it costs more than it should. it will just take a long time, or never happen, to get enough people to jump onboard for manufacturers to get their R&D costs back. to me, it sounds like they're trying to get everyone on board with helicopter-assisted snowboarding or African big game hunting. in the end, those are hobbies for rich people.

I admit my bias, so maybe my assessment is wrong. my perspective is that, while a mountain bike with a motor sounds like fun, it's an expensive novelty to me. I'd ride one if someone gave me one, but I have what I think is an above average salary that I could not use to justify the purchase and maintenance of such a thing. I just want to ride and dealing with a motor does not sound like fun. I can't even bring myself to put a derailer on my bike.

Edited by mack_turtle
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

I feel the same way about AXS and other electronic devices on bikes. If i have to charge it, or bring my god damned phone, it can fuck right off. At this point, im rapidly growing sick of the technology in my life, in our society and I want it gone.

I feel the same way. Electronic anything aside from a way to track miles takes the purity out of cycling. We don't need electronic shifting or electronic suspension or any other electronic device to enhance our riding experience. What enhances our riding experience is having a great day on the bike. Maybe you finally cleared a feature that you never have before, or maybe you rode more miles than you ever have before, or just enjoying a beautiful day not doing the normal day to day things. These are the things that enhance my riding not some electronic device that is supposed to make riding a bike more fun. If I want a motorcycle I'll buy one.

On a side note self driving cars are right around the corner😂

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, AustinBike said:

That is the point. If everyone had unlimited cash this would not be an issue. We just don't live in that world.

There’s a lot of unlimited cash in the cycling world and more in the RV crowd.  You still rolling a 26r…? 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, I switched to a 29er. 

Here's the big difference: I can ride the 29er every single place I could ride the 26er.

That is not the case with e-MTBs. 

Because they are not allowed on the vast majority of the trails, it is not only and expensive bike but it is an expensive bike with limited riding potential. 

If they could be ridden everywhere there would be far more appeal, but who wants to spend $7K on something  that you can ride at only a handful of places?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Nope, I switched to a 29er. 

Here's the big difference: I can ride the 29er every single place I could ride the 26er.

That is not the case with e-MTBs. 

Because they are not allowed on the vast majority of the trails, it is not only and expensive bike but it is an expensive bike with limited riding potential. 

If they could be ridden everywhere there would be far more appeal, but who wants to spend $7K on something  that you can ride at only a handful of places?

Well, realistically speaking they're getting ridden everywhere. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Well, realistically speaking they're getting ridden everywhere. 

And that is my issue. I see them on Brushy, Walnut and BCGB. I don’t know whether they know or not, but there is a good chance that they know and don’t give an F about rules. Which ultimately threatens access for all of us.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/15/2021 at 9:19 AM, ATXZJ said:

I feel the same way about AXS and other electronic devices on bikes. If i have to charge it, or bring my god damned phone, it can fuck right off. At this point, im rapidly growing sick of the technology in my life, in our society and I want it gone.

Agreed... But... I have a suspicious feeling that this sounds a lot like the guy who said that carburetors were always going to be around and a computer on a car is idiotic. 

As an ME I have a low opinion on the thoroughness of software engineering on modem devices. It's way too easy to phone in the design and move in to production with a half baked ideas. I have loss count how many modern devices I've wanted to throw out the window for being absolute junk. 

#getoffmylawn

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, RedRider3141 said:

Agreed... But... I have a suspicious feeling that this sounds a lot like the guy who said that carburetors were always going to be around and a computer on a car is idiotic. 

As an ME I have a low opinion on the thoroughness of software engineering on modem devices. It's way too easy to phone in the design and move in to production with a half baked ideas. I have loss count how many modern devices I've wanted to throw out the window for being absolute junk. 

#getoffmylawn

Possibly, and I was in the auto industry during that transition to efi and it had to happen to meet emissions and MPG requirements. This e-bike situation is not even close.

Totally agree on devices that are supposed to enhance our lives, just ends up in utter frustration instead. We are 7 mos away from being empty nesters and have no desire or the patience to babysit or coddle some underdeveloped, overhyped, plastic piece of shit.  

Hard pass

Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

Possibly, and I was in the auto industry during that transition to efi and it had to happen to meet emissions and MPG requirements. This e-bike situation is not even close.

Totally agree on devices that are supposed to enhance our lives, just ends up in utter frustration instead. We are 7 mos away from being empty nesters and have no desire or the patience to babysit or coddle some underdeveloped, overhyped, plastic piece of shit.  

Hard pass

Yeah....but self driving cars...

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Chief said:

Yeah....but self driving cars...

Don't even get me started on that. I have adaptive cruise control. In some circumstances it is incredible and in others it borders on the zone between annoying and deadly.

Wife's car is a 2021. She has the lane departure feature. Thought It would be great. Once. Never used it again and we've done several 12-20 hour road trips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/15/2021 at 12:55 PM, ATXZJ said:

I'm similar in that i'd like to buy my wife one so we can stay out longer and go further. She's in her early 40s, fairly fit and IMHO, just needs to keep working on her cardio before making that purchase.

Ask me again when we hit 60 and I'll probably have a different answer.

It's an e-bike. Of course it's company policy never to, imply ownership in the event of an e-bike... always use the indefinite article an e-bike, never your e-bike.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Kyle said:

It's an e-bike. Of course it's company policy never to, imply ownership in the event of an e-bike... always use the indefinite article an e-bike, never your e-bike.

Couldn't pull it off since she rides a bike two sizes smaller than I do.

Worth a demo though🤣

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/16/2021 at 5:48 AM, AustinBike said:

Because they are not allowed on the vast majority of the trails, it is not only and expensive bike but it is an expensive bike with limited riding potential. 

If they could be ridden everywhere there would be far more appeal, but who wants to spend $7K on something  that you can ride at only a handful of places?

I know ebikes are still not allowed on federal land, but I feel like "vast majority" is a stretch - especially in a state like TX where many of the trails are on private property. You mentioned Brushy. Are ebikes not allowed on Brushy? I haven't ever seen that posted anywhere, but maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention since I don't have one. 

I totally agree that I wouldn't want an ebike as my only bike. At least not yet. As I get older, the technology improves, the weight penalty decreases, the cost comes down, and more trails get access (may or may not happen) my opinion might change. I probably do 90% of my riding at Spider Mountain, Reveille Peak, Brushy/Suburban Ninja, and Lakeway. I'll take the occassional trip to Flat Creek when it's open and Flat Rock. I usually do 1-2 out of town trips per year. I wouldn't want to take one to Spider for obvious reasons and probably not Brushy/SN because that's where I get my exercise. But for places like RPR, Flat Creek, Flat Rock, and maybe even Lakeway it would be awesome to have an ebike. More laps = More fun!

Based on what I'm seeing in person, it feels like the ebike thing is here to stay. I'm not saying traditional bikes will go away, but the trend in MTB is toward the gravity scene and ebikes open up lots of possibilities there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...