afe66:

 

Gatekeeping ?

 

If a little electric assistance get some people out into the great outdoors how does that impact you?

 

Seems a little mean spirited.

 

Friends of mine love going riding with their parents.

 

Perhaps a little. My objections are relatively minor. I think it will evolve the way trails are built. There's no need for gentle gradient climbs for examples and in my experience it's the climbs that have the pressure points. So split the two where you can.

The bike industry has encouraged their adoption but they simply aren't the same thing. I have no affinity with someone who has a 750W motor to help, we just aren't doing the same activity. I ride a lot in the North Island, a lot at Woodhill, there are some spots where riders often pull over after a climb and get their breath back. When someone goes past on a bike without stopping I'm in awe or determined next time not to take that break, when someone goes past on a e-bike I don't feel anything. 

We are going off topic but where it will get interesting is how trails are managed, for years difficult descents or trails were either hidden, or at the end of hard to reach places, so you either had to be fit or determined to get to them. Now with an e-bike almost everyone regardless of skill or fitness can get to some of these trails. And often they don't have an easier option. They've never needed to. So it will need a rethink of how trails are built. 

I get it, mountainbiking is hard, take a few weeks off riding and you can absolutely suffer when you join back with your regular group. The ones in my group that have started using e-bikes have split off, there is no point them riding slowly for 30kms when they can do a 60km ride. 

Who knows, the way my hip is going and various other bits and pieces, I may be tempted. But I also rather like the look of KTM's Freeride. Now when someone turns up at Woodhill and claims, e-bike, look pedals!