One for the solo riders.
I’ve had an ebike for two weeks now, and it feels like in writing this I am admitting to some shameful secret. ebikes divide opinion but repel purists, and there are ebike racists everywhere.
An ebike became an earworm for me when I saw Haibike were producing a downhill rig, and against my better judgment I purchased a 180mm N’duro labeled monster from the German brand at what seemed like a discount befitting a machine no one needed.
I needed it.
It must first be said that they are a bit of a ball ache. Hundreds of wires and remotes and a battery that weighs more or less the same as the rider, but a one minute test drive at a country show seemed enough to convince me it was the future. Straight to the top, enjoy the down, recharge.
So to the meat and veg. This is a Lyrik adjourned Monarch plus linkage system that looks exactly like every other mountain bike now made, except it has an engine in it’s crank. It’s a sealed unit, I’ve no idea how it works, it looks to me like magic. It has a massive battery on the downtube which weigh’s a ton, but I couldn’t give a monkeys as that’s what make’s it go, and it is a hoot.
It’s lumpish nature is indeed quickly forgotten, and in the higher settings it actually feels quite lithe. It doesn’t turbo up vertical climbs at 15.4mph, but it makes climbing quick, and eventless. At the top of each climb I was surprised to find I was still out of breath, but I’d achieved the climb in a fraction of the time it would normally take, and this meant that in the 2.5hrs I am awarded each week to myself I was able to climb Lattrigg (including the ‘secret’ downhill track, Grisedale Pike and complete a loop of Whinlatter, which is quite a maiden voyage.
Which brings us on to the massive advantage it has over a normal rig, and that is the ability to tackle steep, technical climbs that would be nigh on impossible on a human powered bike. Even with the slack head angle you are able to lean into the climb whilst seated retaining 300% power in the pedals. On the Haibike website they show a German pedalling up a ski jump on their downhill model, although they do tie a rope to him to stop him falling to his death, which seems quite impractical for the average weekend warrior.
From a purists point of view, it opens up the mountain quite a bit, enabling you to explore without the worry of a horrible climb followed by an impossible descent. The climbs are almost irrelevant, so that you end up simply backtracking if necessary whilst avoiding the frustration of feeling you’ve wasted you’re energy on a failed reconnaissance.
Where it really seemed to come alive however, was on a blue trail. The blue on Whinlatter is slow paced, up down territory that only gains flow at mach 3. The ebike’s incredible acceleration from slow speeds meant it could be launched off lips and pinged out of berms like a crosser. At one point I inadvertently wheelied out of a berm as there was so much power going into the back wheel. The flow and excitement resulting meant this trail was infinitely more enjoyable, and it got me thinking what other average trails this could breathe new life into.
The cons are fairly obvious. The battery eventually runs out, your bike has a massive computer on it, what on earth do you do if it breaks, can it handle my pressure washer and some would say you look a bit of a tit on it. Other riders attitudes are largely negative and I witnessed a few passive aggressive jokes which reminded me of the walkers on the fells that say ‘I though you are meant to ride them’ when they see you pushing your bike. Riding with anyone else that isn’t on one is also impossible as they couldn’t keep up, unless you go anywhere which requires a carry. Shouldering the bastard is right out, and that prohibits you from many a Lakeland treat.
Unless legislation clamps them down in the next couple of years I reckon they are here to stay, which is why I wanted to get on early. I can’t (yet) see the point of derestricting it, it voids the warranty and I want it primarily for climbing so 15mph suits me fine. If you were on any kind of road bike however I imagine it’s pretty useless as your cruising speed would be faster than that and the engine would be therefore disengaged most of the time. Enduro and downhill seem to be the disciplines where the engine can be exploited the most but I’m sure other opinions are available.