Electric DH bike...eh??

neilus

Hiya
Came across this in the catalogue for my local "all the gear no idea" rip off joint before it went in the bin:
https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Haibike-xD ... l-PRO-2016
Help me out here...im assuming a team of designers, developers, sales people at some point would have had a chat about if such a monstrosity had a market, and they obviously think it does. I can understand an electro xc/am bike, even enduro at a stretch...but who the feck would buy (at 7k!) an electro full on 200mm DH bike???? The kind of terrain needing such a bike is really not the place to be climbing - with or without a battery!!
Unless...you cranked it on going down :P

arthur_scrimshaw

I would guess it's to avoid the need for an uplift to the top?

jimothy78

:shock: 25kg! :shock:

neilus

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

I would guess it's to avoid the need for an uplift to the top?

Thats the thing...the kinda trails - as far as i know - than need a DH bike are proper, steep gnarly Alpine (or I guess Scottish/Welsh) mountains. Getting to the top in such places is normally a minimum 200m slog of never-ending steep switchbacks...with 200mm forks, a 25kg bike, even with the battery...Urghh. No thanks.
Why would you rather do this than use the uplift? The battery would negate any sense of accomplishment. Money? Ha, if you can afford 7 grand for a bike, im sure a €30 day ticket isnt gonna be a problem!!
Daftest thing ive ever seen...

kickaxe

Und you want to get up the hill properly without uplift service get an enduro bike, not a weird heavy battery thing

rockmonkeysc

Downhill bikes are going seriously light now, under 35lb isn't unusual. A 25kg / 55lb bike is going to ride like a real tank.
Most places without an uplift are shorter tracks where the push up is 15 - 20 mins. A motor would make it easier but only good if your mates have one as well.

loudog

Lets all just calm down. I mean come on.....it's technically not 7k....I'd call it a bargain

Poitr

You may as well just buy an electric dirtbike. There's plenty of them available now. It's not like the pedals are of much use on that thing. You may as well ditch the drive train to save weight and just run a thumb trigger throttle to make it go up hill and run pegs instead of pedals.

The Rookie

True, but the bike as listed (no mods) it is an E-bike legally, an electric dirtbike to be ridden in a place to which the public have access needs to be registered and insured.

rockmonkeysc

Poitr wrote:

You may as well just buy an electric dirtbike. There's plenty of them available now. It's not like the pedals are of much use on that thing. You may as well ditch the drive train to save weight and just run a thumb trigger throttle to make it go up hill and run pegs instead of pedals.

Handling would be worse with pegs. Plus you want to be sprinting lots on a DH bike. Where's the fun in having an electric motor?

The Rookie

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Where's the fun in having an electric motor?

But isnt that the problem with any e-bike, they are bought by people who don't actually enjoy cycling (like my next door neighbour), they buy it as a cheap mode of transport not as a cycle 'plus'.