Should E-bikes Be A Part Of Mountain Biking ?

 I'm gonna start things off by saying that I do believe E-bikes have a use in the mountain biking community. However, their intended use is often times misunderstood and thus creating a lot of controversy and debate on the whole subject of E-bikes.

  Ever since the day that E-bikes capable of handling more rough terrain were introduced into the world of mountain biking, everyone has been actively discussing it and I thought I should give my opinion on the matter as well. To begin with, I do firmly believe that the technology involved in their creating has come a long way since their inception and I have to give all the engineering teams out there props for that.

The Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie is a prime example of the evolution of E-bikes

  However, some people saw this new market trend as something they could replace their actual mountain bike with. This is where the problem lies. Mountain biking in it's core, is all about pushing yourself and your limits and seeing just how far you can go. It's about that sense of accomplishment when your legs are burning and your entire body is sweating after that huge climb.

 Now, with the introduction of E-bikes people have started to let go of the entire "push yourself" mentality especially when it comes to endurance. The use of this new technology has made it possible for them to completely overcome those possibly unwanted "struggles" and pretend like they were never there in the first place. You may think to yourself or even ask me "but how is that a bad thing?".

  What many people don't realize is how the essence and meaning of mountain biking is to push your limits and at some point even extend them. While E-bikes are a great option for people with health issues, I see absolutely no other use for them. More people picking up on this trend will result in the loss of meaning when it comes to mountain biking since they will end up slowly but surely drifting away from it.

Don't end up like this after 3 minutes of riding and go out looking for an E- Bike

  Major biking companies have already picked up on the ever so increasing demand for such products. They have started to release videos of pro mountain bike riders trying to showcase just how "cool" and "rad" E-bikes are. While I myself am open to change, this type of change is different. It's a reshape of mountain biking as a whole and as I see it, a desperate attempt to make more money. Don't get me wrong; there are people out there that can benefit greatly from this new market trend and
E-bikes can definitely have a positive impact, as long as they are properly utilized.


 Before everyone starts hating on E-bikes even more, go out to a local bike shop or to an event and take one for a test ride. You should at least first experience riding on one after going out on an E- Bike witch hunt.


                         Let them be used by the people who really are in need of them.



I rest my case.