Electric mountain bikes remain as divisive today as they were when the first mainstream models graced our trails and mountains just under 15 years ago.
While ebike tech has moved forwards in leaps and bounds – which has made them both more affordable and better-performing – it seems the binary love or hate has persisted.
Whether you feel electric mountain bikes are perfect for going on long, epic rides and providing Superman-like climbing prowess, or that they increase traffic on unsanctioned trails and create conflict, one thing's for sure; ebikes are here to stay.
Although our tech team remains unwaveringly unbiased when testing the performance of bikes and kit, we’ve all got opinions on whether ebikes are good or bad.
In this instalment of Spoke Tension, Alex, Rob and Luke share their thoughts on a hot topic: are eMTBs ruining our trails?
Alex Evans: Don't listen to the doomsayers
While out on the trails or chatting to riding buddies, I frequently hear the words “ebikes are quite literally ruining our trails”.
The extra traffic created by ebike riders effortlessly and repetitively lapping the same trail is said to dramatically speed up trail erosion, causing tracks to become worn-out quicker.
Another often-heard argument is the added weight of an ebike means descents get chewed up way faster. Therefore, riders have to brake harder and for longer, digging soft dirt away, and creating braking bumps and ruts.
You also hear about wheel spin on the climbs, where tyres chew and burrow their way through delicate terrain.
According to the doomsayers, all the above increases the burden on trail-maintenance volunteers or crews, who strive to keep everything shipshape, otherwise riding spots fall into disrepair.
Now, I’m not saying none of the above is true. There are definitely some spots and trails that erode and degrade much quicker than others; particularly freshly cut loam-ridden runs hidden away in the darkest depths of a forest.
But for the most part, it’s total nonsense.
Sensitive tracks – like the ones above – are likely kept well off the radar. Unless you know their whereabouts (which is information the trail builder will have shared with you), you aren’t going to find them, whether you’re riding an ebike or not.
If trail builders are constructing new lines in places for all to see, in my eyes they’re fair game no matter how much motor assistance your bike has. I have some authority on this matter because, in a previous life, I was one of France’s Bike Park Chatel’s trail builders, and a significant contributor to the off-piste trails around the mountains of Morzine.
I can’t deny ebikes weigh more than regular bikes, but as a system weight increase, there’s not a great deal between them.
An average adult rider with kit weighs around 85kg. An average enduro bike weighs around 16kg and an average enduro-style ebike weighs around 25kg.
The system weight for a rider and bike is roughly 101kg, and the system weight for a rider and ebike is roughly 110kg; a mere 8.9 per cent, or 9kg, increase.
That difference is unlikely to have a significant effect on the wear rate of trails, especially ones that are well made in the first place, and well maintained from therein.
And what about repeating laps on the same trail? At 75kg kitted up, I can squeeze out 2,000m of ascent from a Shimano 630Wh battery and slightly more from a Bosch 750Wh unit. Given I weigh less than your average rider, you can expect to see those ascending figures nosedive for your average Joe.
On a good day, an 85kg mountain biker will do well to get over 1,500m of ascent from a single ebike battery charge.
While the amount of effort they put in, or time it takes to get to the top, will be dramatically less than a regular bike rider, the amount of ascent isn’t significantly more than a human-powered counterpart can achieve over the course of a day.
So the issue of trail traffic isn’t related to ebikes specifically, but is more likely an indication of increased rider numbers overall.
We’ve seen a boom in people taking up mountain biking, which is resoundingly positive, it just so happens a lot of them are riding ebikes rather than non-assisted bikes, which falsely attributes the blame of trail erosion to the bike type.
Ebikes, therefore, clearly aren’t ruining our trails.
By far and away the biggest issue I’ve encountered with ebikers is one Rob touches on below. Keep reading to find out how to avoid it.
Robin Weaver: Trail manners are more important than ever when riding an eMTB
I’m going to start by declaring my love for electric mountain bikes. They bring something new to the sport I love and offer everyone something a little different. Whether that’s more off-road laps in your lunch break or accessing trails you never thought you’d have the fitness to pedal to, they’ve firmly cemented their place in mountain biking – and I’m a big fan.
Another thing eMTBs do is open up the trails to even more people. More people riding bikes is a tremendous thing, and it means increased numbers slithering down your favourite trails come the weekend. But why does that matter?
With the trails becoming more crowded, how we interact with one another is now more important than ever, especially when some of those people have the ability to rip past you on a climb thanks to the motor and battery hidden within their frame.
As Spider Man’s uncle once said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” No, I’m not suggesting for a minute eMTBers have crime-fighting superpowers, but how they navigate others with their additional power/assistance is critical.
I’ve witnessed some things first-hand that have made me think about this, but fortunately these have been few and far between.
Yes, everyone wants to get the climbing over and done with, but squeezing through non-existent gaps and knocking off riders just because you have the motor assistance to climb that bit quicker isn’t cool. In fact, even just sitting on the wheel of a less experienced rider without saying a word is really intimidating and totally unnecessary.
And don’t even get me started on the de-restricted bikes that quite simply shouldn’t be on the same trails as the ones we ride.
Anyway, my point here is that everyone is entitled to use the trails, but when you’re on them, being polite, kind and respectful should be at the forefront of your mind.
Manners don’t cost a thing and help to make an already great experience even better. We’re all in it for the same reason, so it’s better that we look out for one another rather than scaring each other senseless with acts of stupidity just to save a few seconds.
Making sure we respect one another while out ripping the trails will make our sport better, more welcoming and attractive to outsiders – which can only be a good thing.
Ultimately, be kind and have fun, no matter what type of bike you’re riding.
Luke Marshall: Straight-lining corners isn't cool
Yes, eMTB riders are ruining our trails. Well, maybe 'ruining' isn’t quite the right word and straightening them would be more accurate.
I’m lucky to have a plethora of hand-built, natural trails that I ride regularly. These trails are narrow and boast unsupported corners, apart from those ruts and small berms that form naturally. In my opinion, they're more challenging, but fun, compared to machine-made, high-speed motorway, bike-park trails.
If you didn’t know, ebikes are like rockets in a straight line. The motor helps them blast off quickly out of slow corners and the frame weight adds heaps of stability. Plus, the extra motor and battery weight increase the bike’s sprung mass. This makes the suspension feel even more supple and capable.
A higher sprung mass relative to the unsprung mass allows for better suspension dynamics and overall bike handling.
Now, the issue with easily going fast in a straight line is you’ve got to slow down for corners. This seems to be a bit of a challenge for ebikes, which weigh more and travel faster.
The number of 'new' straighter trails becoming the main line is on the rise. Corners are overshot, tracks are shortcut, and what was once a brilliant trail of flowing turns becomes a mildly meandering toboggan run, blasting directly down the hill.
This isn't the direction I want trails to take. I think we should all heed the old motocross proverb: "jumps for show, corners for dough". If we want to be good mountain bikers, ebikes or not, we need to get our cornering dialled. At least then we can all follow the trail.
I know mountain biking should be a laugh with your mates, but with the accessibility ebikes provide to rad downhill tracks, it would be grand if most of those rattling their way down the hill had the ability to look ahead, read the terrain and brake early enough to stay on the intended trail.
I promise 90 per cent of the time, the original track is better than these straight-line shambles that are becoming the norm.
That said, I love ebikes and all they enable riders to do. The more bikers, the merrier. But let's please get around the corners.
