Mountain Biking for the lazy....

paul.skibum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0umaCioQ1o&feature=player_embedded

I'll ride up or go to a bike park thanks.

MountainMonster

One of my riding buddies was talking about these bikes, and I want a go sometime just to see how weird it feels not having to give it gas going up a hill. Looks like could be quite fun.

RevellRider

That's only one step away from putting a trailer on the back and trying to haul enough spare parts to rebuild 5 bikes across Austrailia.

Joey1986

Dont like the idea of this. If you want a bike with a motor get a motorbike!

Stiff_Orange

Looking at the video, it would appear that the riders of these types of bikes are also the ones that destroy tracks by skidding and causing breaking bumps.

Perhaps they should just learn to ride up and down hills.

bike-a-swan

The noise! I'm quite capable of making annoying whining sounds on steep climbs myself thanks very much.

guy72277

I'm a bit worried that these motorised MTBs are going to cause us-leg powered riders some big problems.

Are they classed as motorised vehicles? I'm guessing so. In which case, I fear that local authorities will have difficulty distinguishing between leg and motor powered MTBs and so put a blanket ban on mountain bikes in certain areas. In the UK, riding areas are already pretty restricted, this is not going to help.....

chedabob

Guys, guys, guys, I've got a brilliant idea: Why don't we strap several hundred £s of equipment to the most exposed part of the bike, and not protect it? Surely that can't go horribly wrong, right?

MountainMonster

LOL oh man you boys are some whingeboxes.

Those are not qualified as motorised vehicles unlesss they go over 45kmh here in Austria, and I highly doubt they are going to classed differently in the UK,

As far as destroying trails, MTBs do that already if ridden at all aggresively, so don't think a small electric motor will change anytime.

RevellRider

Mountain Monster, I believe the speed here is 15mph or approx 24kph before it's classed as a motor vehicle.

MountainMonster

Jesus, that's half what it is here. What's the deal with that?

stubs

Thats going to be great when your at the bottom of a climb thats between you and home and your battery has just died.

NatoED

In college we strapped a 2 stroke engines to the rear wheel . it was great fun but the police didn't find it funny .

Raymondavalon

MountainMonster wrote:

LOL oh man you boys are some whingeboxes.

Aren't they just!

At €2,300 I don't think we'll see any of these things at the trail centres, I think the ideal use for this device is for those who cannot pedal

kinmofo

I like it 8)

Northwind

They'll get people who couldn't otherwise ride, out on their bikes. What's bad about that? You guys don't know anyone who's smashed themselves up and can't wait to get back on 2 wheels, or are dealing with not being able to ride normally ever again?

kinmofo

Northwind wrote:

They'll get people who couldn't otherwise ride, out on their bikes. What's bad about that? You guys don't know anyone who's smashed themselves up and can't wait to get back on 2 wheels, or are dealing with not being able to ride normally ever again?

+1

even for a people like me, i love goin down hills but hate going up them... Perfect!!!
Just dont fancy the price tag.. i might get inventing

jeannot18

Northwind wrote:

They'll get people who couldn't otherwise ride, out on their bikes. What's bad about that? You guys don't know anyone who's smashed themselves up and can't wait to get back on 2 wheels, or are dealing with not being able to ride normally ever again?

+1 agree with that. If people with slight/moderate disability can enjoy cycling again I am all for it

JC

Rigga

Probably weighs a ton! My mate at work has a leccy mtb and it's effing heavy!

MountainMonster

Who cares about the weight when you don't to have the power?

I also love how the OP has now changed his first post, from something positive, to something negative, after reading a few peoples responces. Noob, and no opinion.

bike-a-swan

No problems with the power assist, but a gear rubbing slightly is enough to drive me crazy- I think a motor would drive me round the bend

guy72277

Mountain Monster, If I lived where you lived, I'd definitely consider one. I've mountain biked in loads in South Tirol and and I'm not so keen on the mind-numbing (for me) 3 hour up-hills followed by an hour of downhill. I'm guessing the region you are in is mountainous - haven't checked though. There's just a lot more "space" in Austria. Knowing the UK's reactionary press, bike-hating ramblers (when you're going downhill, but with this, also when you're going up hill) and the already restricted riding areas, an "electric moped with trail-raking tyres which destroys the endangered bird's last natural habitat" is not going to be welcomed. I exaggerated the headline, but so do newspapers.

Oh, and of course, +1 for those who are unable to get to the top of trails for any reason other than laziness.

Is this elec/leg topic a new endless debate à la 26/29, spd/flat, full/hard/ etc?

MountainMonster

guy72277 wrote:

Mountain Monster, If I lived where you lived, I'd definitely consider one. I've mountain biked in loads in South Tirol and and I'm not so keen on the mind-numbing (for me) 3 hour up-hills followed by an hour of downhill. I'm guessing the region you are in is mountainous - haven't checked though. There's just a lot more "space" in Austria. Knowing the UK's reactionary press, bike-hating ramblers (when you're going downhill, but with this, also when you're going up hill) and the already restricted riding areas, an "electric moped with trail-raking tyres which destroys the endangered bird's last natural habitat" is not going to be welcomed. I exaggerated the headline, but so do newspapers.

Oh, and of course, +1 for those who are unable to get to the top of trails for any reason other than laziness.

Is this elec/leg topic a new endless debate à la 26/29, spd/flat, full/hard/ etc?

The town I live in isn't directly in the mountains, but we have the foothills surrounding us. Lots of lovely trails about 10km outside the city, but also lots of climbing. Up one hill, 45 minutes there, then down and up another. Great for fitness though, we do have the Alps just a bit south of us, so we can ride about an hour with the car to get there and have epic rides, lovely riding just at our doorsteps basically. Also lots of lift assist gravity bike parks in the area too.

Sucks about your guy's situation, i'm in a country which as a whole is very sporty, even if it is just going out Nordic walking. Even the people who are quite fat go out for nice long walks up mountains.

junglist_matty

I'm all for electric motors for people that actually need them due to health reasons; for everyone else they should be banned, especially people commuting... Just buy a moped.


The other thought being that yes, they're ok now whilst only a handful of people bother with them, but what about when they become affordable and a whole load more people use them.... I would imagine a hell of a lot more erosion will occur and for the non-motor riders it could well be ruined.... Either that or they build motor specific trails and leg powered specific trails, but in the UK, where's the space to do that?

guy72277

MountainMonster wrote:

[quote="Sucks about your guy's situation, i'm in a country which as a whole is very sporty, even if it is just going out Nordic walking. Even the people who are quite fat go out for nice long walks up mountains.

I don't live in the UK either, but do ride a bit when I visit which is why I'm a bit concerned. I think that the Lake District has a sporty/hiking culture that is similar to the Austrian one. But I know when I had UK friends out to Süd Tirol, the prospect of a 2h hike in the mountains was just too daunting. If you live around that area though, the hills and mountains do inspire you to get out even if you're a bit on the heavy side.

No mountains here in Luxembourg but at the tail end of the Ardennes, it's just miles and miles of rolling green singletrack. Have seen an electric MTB here in a bike shop, so they're coming......

guy72277

junglist_matty wrote:

Ithey're ok now whilst only a handful of people bother with them, but what about when they become affordable and a whole load more people use them.... I would imagine a hell of a lot more erosion will occur and for the non-motor riders it could well be ruined.... Either that or they build motor specific trails and leg powered specific trails, but in the UK, where's the space to do that?

Someone said that the motors are pretty pricey, but when you look at how lights have come down in price (like the ones you have j_m) it can't be long before there are Chinese-made motors that cost less than a couple of hundred quid.

Ramblers already hate you when you're cycling down and with these will hate you when you're powering up hill. I just have the feeling that it's difficult for non-mtb people to "see" the difference between powered and non-powered so it may trigger a blanket ban (for certain areas anyway).

Northwind

junglist_matty wrote:

IThe other thought being that yes, they're ok now whilst only a handful of people bother with them, but what about when they become affordable and a whole load more people use them.... I would imagine a hell of a lot more erosion will occur and for the non-motor riders it could well be ruined....

You know, a lot of people say exactly the same thing but substitute "new riders"...

diy

Surely you can't just bolt an electric motor and bat on your bike without massively screwing how it handles?

We didn't see how that bike came down the hill in the vid :?

Stiff_Orange

Lets just go the whole way:

junglist_matty

Northwind wrote:

junglist_matty wrote:

IThe other thought being that yes, they're ok now whilst only a handful of people bother with them, but what about when they become affordable and a whole load more people use them.... I would imagine a hell of a lot more erosion will occur and for the non-motor riders it could well be ruined....

You know, a lot of people say exactly the same thing but substitute "new riders"...

Indeed, you are correct.... Then again, there is the point that most of the trail centres have been ridden that much that the trails are fairly well packed in and can take a lot of riders... Given that most areas are quite rocky, I guess its those that are not so hilly and rocky that will suffer more... i.e. places like Thetford where its really quite hard to build up speed pedalling through bumpy sections, but motoring through them would be easy enough....

woodytitan

bike-a-swan wrote:

The noise! I'm quite capable of making annoying whining sounds on steep climbs myself thanks very much.

+1