Are E-Bikes the scourge of Mountain biking as we know it?

E-bikes; its easier for Americans to debate the merits of Trump vs Sanders without falling out than mountain bikers to discuss whether E-Bikes have a place in todays mountain bike culture without a shoot-out at high-noon.

“They’re glorified mopeds” or “they’re for old people”(we’re not sure how old is old) are typical quotes from the naysayers, “you still get a work-out, you just go further!” shout the the E-bikers.

Our thoughts? After a season with the 2019 Specialized Turbo Kenovo and fleet of its traditionally powered counterpart, the 2019 Specialized Enduro, we feel like we have a little more insight than we did last year and those who have yet to swing a leg over the high voltage steeds.

2019 Specialized Turbo Kenevo Comp 27.5 and 2019 Specialized Enduro Elite 29

The main purpose for Terra Riders e-bike was to assist in shuttle runs at Montana Mountain in Carcross and at Grey Mountain and Mt Mac in Whitehorse. We had the benefit of driving clients to the top of the hill, riding down with them and letting them catch some r n’ r at the nearest coffee shop while one of us rides the e-bike back up the mountain to retrieve the shuttle vehicle. It cuts our climb times by at least a third which means our customers and campers get a lot more time riding down the fun sections than climbing the gruelling bits.

But we’ve found a lot more to love than expediting our customers uphill in the shuttle vehicle…

Be honest, you love going down hill!

With the rise of bike parks around the world, north shore racks and truck tail pads, slack head angles and low bottom brackets, its clear that the majority of mountain bikers are in it for the thrills of ripping down hill, the up hills are how we “earn our turns” but given the option of a free ride up it seems most of us would take it. So why is there so much hatred for e-bikes that make climbs faster and/or easier?

The actual E-Bike experience

I’ve just dropped the clients off at their vehicle at the end of another epic lap of Blown Away to Kid Vicious and now its my job to ride the 2500 vertical ft back to the top of Mt. Mac. At 100% power, the Kenevo gets me there in 23 minutes, on my Enduro it would take me over an hour. My heart rate on both is averaging around 160bpm. Obviously I get a longer workout on the Enduro but I was still putting in the same effort on the E-assist Kenevo.

It seems a common misconception about E-bikes is that you don’t need to put the work in to ride them but if you don’t pedal, they don’t go anywhere. How much you rely on the motor to help you is pretty your choice. The Turbo Kenevo has three factory power settings, selected by the push of a button. 20%, 50% and 100%. That doesn’t mean it does 100% of the work for you, it means it is working at 100% of its (legal) capacity.

You can tune the power options through the Specialized Mission Control app, our lowest custom tune is set at 15% which I think just about makes up for the weight penalty of an E-bike. A typical Enduro sized E-bike weighs in at around 55lbs (25kg) and with all that coil sprung travel with no lockout, I think 15% assist levels the field with a regular mountain bike. 50% gives you a solid advantage on the climbs while retaining a long battery life. 100% keeps the momentum high on the climbs and gets you to the top in no time but don’t expect to stay riding all day on one charge.

#dadlife

I’ve got 2 little kids and I run a business which doesn’t leave me with a whole lot of time to ride for pleasure. From my house I can get a decent ride on local low level trails within an hour or two on my regular bike. On the E-bike I can do an epic high alpine ride from my house in 2 hours or do the lower level trails in 20 mins to an hour. I get a work out still but I get to ride so much more terrain within my time constraints - #dadwin

Handling

Pro’s

Stability; The additional weight can be an advantage,. With the weight of the motor and batter low and central in the frame, point this thing straight downhill and it stays on track with whatever the terrain throws at it. You may wonder how it performs in the air? It gains downhill momentum quickly, even without pedalling due to extra mass so you may need to check your speed upon approach. While in the air its stable and predictable.

Con’s

There’s a reason gravity oriented bikes are getting lighter all the time, “flickability”. Throw your leg over a modern enduro bike and it changes direction a fast as a hare. The same is not quite true for an enduro e-bike. The additional mass is certainly noticeable while pushing hard downhill and sometimes you fell the front end wanting to push on through the corners. This said though, its not entirely unenjoyable, you just have to adjust your riding style but it will never be as flickable as a bike 28lbs lighter. The same can be said in the air, although stable and predictable, an e-bike isn’t going to be winning the Crankworx Whip-Off anytime in the near future.

Try an e-bike tour with Terra Riders

If you’d like to put one of these steeds for the digital age to the test on the epic trails around Whitehorse and Carcross in 2020, get in touch with us! Whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned single track slayer, we think you will come away from your ride on a Specialized Turbo Kenevo with a Terra Riders bike guide with a huge grin!

High above Fish Lake on Mt. Mac