The new ebikes are Abit like windsurfing hmmm you can MTB up hill and down like you have a wind pushing you hmm I want one
Just come back from ride at Woodhill Forest in Auckland, New Zealand. Needed lights for last uphill and trail to carpark.
As much as i like water sports, mtb is a sport to schedule into the week. Meet up with few mates ride, get adrenaline going and two beers and great time to catch up with mates that don't live close.
E mtb is growing and they have improved massively but more to go. Riding normal bike you can get passed on flat terrain only to be stuck behind on a downhill 
Personally its a great exercise and don't do too much riding in hot summer holidays and after daylight saving end get into more riding to compensate for less water sports.
I got a new bike last year and its awesome, thinking e bike when I'm 60
I ride my MTB mainly for exercise so don't see the point in an E bike. But with my current level of fitness a E boost would have been welcome while struggling up some knarly hills. 
i ride with a bunch of guys that also windsurf. or should that be the other way round.
a couple are on ebikes. it really is a lot of fun and perfect compliment to windsurfing.
some days we do both...... Send it!!!!!!
E bikers give me the s****. The Strava app doesn't separate an e bike with a normal pushie.
Edit: I will get an ebike in the next 20 years....
Got an eMTB, reckon I am just as rooted as I use to be after a normal mtb ride. You just get to do more downhill runs
I reckon E bikes are for the physically impaired and it's great for them. I'm 68 and really enjoy my 3 bike outings a week (road and MTB) with a group of older guys. I see it keeps them fit and something for me to aim for. One is 82 and still windsurfs very regularly!!
Select to expand quoteRelapse said..
Got an eMTB, reckon I am just as rooted as I use to be after a normal mtb ride. You just get to do more downhill runs
some friends put this idea to the test after a year and a bit on the ebikes and were certain they'd lost fitness when back on non e bikes.
I'm up for an ebike when the prices come down.
there are areas i just cant access on my normal bike. i'd like to start doing back country rides and ebikes seem perfect for that.
I ride road bike for exercise.
Want e MTN Bike but too many toys - thinking seriously about e road bike and attaching to an Aluminium trailer (yet to be built ) for Sup and windsurf as parking next to water is difficult leave
I ride road bike for exercise.
Want e MTN Bike but too many toys - thinking seriously about e road bike and attaching to an Aluminium trailer (yet to be built ) for Sup and windsurf as parking next to water is difficult leave
With e bikes you find you work just as hard and get the same exercise you just go quicker.
Select to expand quoteBen1973 said..
With e bikes you find you work just as hard and get the same exercise you just go quicker.
i'd doubt on an ebike you get the same stamina and endurance training.
whilst things seem fairly even on the descents, uphill on an ebike is over much faster and so requires less stamina and endurance.
Select to expand quoteGestalt said..Ben1973 said..
With e bikes you find you work just as hard and get the same exercise you just go quicker.
i'd doubt on an ebike you get the same stamina and endurance training.
whilst things seem fairly even on the descents, uphill on an ebike is over much faster and so requires less stamina and endurance.
Friends that have them say they just go further - instead of a 10 mile ride they'll do 20.... so who knows. Have another friend that uses it to commute to work where a normal bike would just take too long to be practical so in his case it's replaced some driving - can't be bad.
Select to expand quotegorgesailor said..Gestalt said..Ben1973 said..
With e bikes you find you work just as hard and get the same exercise you just go quicker.
i'd doubt on an ebike you get the same stamina and endurance training.
whilst things seem fairly even on the descents, uphill on an ebike is over much faster and so requires less stamina and endurance.
Friends that have them say they just go further - instead of a 10 mile ride they'll do 20.... so who knows. Have another friend that uses it to commute to work where a normal bike would just take too long to be practical so in his case it's replaced some driving - can't be bad.
as i posted above i was posting from first hand experience.
whilst its different for everyone people who i ride with noted that after a season on the ebike those that jumped back on their trad mtb found they had lost their stamina and couldnt keep the pace.
these were the same riders who used to say they kept their fitness because they ride twice as far.
i would hazzard a guess it comes down to duration of exersion which on a trad mtb is significantly longer on the climbs.
My wife loves her e-roadie. She has a 44km round trip commute with about 600 m of climbing, so it takes her a while even on a carbon roadie, then she has to have a shower to wash off the sweat. That's not really practical to do every day as it just consumes too much time compared to driving, since we live in the country and there is little traffic.
On the e-roadie she rides both ways, every day, and is getting fitter and faster. She absolutely loves it.
Her ride is an Orbea Gain. Looks almost exactly the same as a normal roadie and weighs in at about 12kg. At that weight it's easy to move around and ride without using any battery, so you won't get stuck if you run flat. The battery lives in the downtube but a supplementary one that lives in the bottle cage is being developed - that's important since it cannot be flown with the battery fitted so you have to send batteries by ship if you go touring overseas like we do.
I rode her bike home the other day and enjoyed it. I've had a lot of niggling injuries so haven't raced bikes in about three years. On the e-bike it felt like I had gone back to being 10 years younger and playing with A Grade!
Select to expand quoteGestalt said..Ben1973 said..
With e bikes you find you work just as hard and get the same exercise you just go quicker.
i'd doubt on an ebike you get the same stamina and endurance training.
whilst things seem fairly even on the descents, uphill on an ebike is over much faster and so requires less stamina and endurance.
The amount of a workout you get on one is up to you. Someone who does it for fitness is just going to go faster, someone who's looking for a easy ride can now have one.
Select to expand quoteUnderoath said..
E bikers give me the s****. The Strava app doesn't separate an e bike with a normal pushie.
It does...
I've been on one since last November, I quit riding my 'acoustic' mtn. bike due to the hill I live on, it's a cardiac trying to go up it straight (too narrow and busy for zig-zagging), and 15 gears wasn't enough.
That was about 10 years ago, and have been missing riding, so I bit the bullet an bought the ebike, and now I'm addicted to riding it, 1000% better than not riding at all, and that cardiac hill is cake now. I didn't want to spend a fortune, and I knew I'd be riding about 85% on the street, but I wanted to have what it took for that 15% dirt riding. I opted for a 750 watt, rear drive, 4" x 26" fatty, 5 power assist levels, 7 gears, 24 mph max., 45 miles ave. per charge, but I can get closer to 70 because I use very little power assist, with the exception of that bitch of a hill to get back up to my house. It's a Rad Power Bike 'Rover', out of Seattle Washington, I have no idea if they are showing up down under, but many are showing up in Hawaii. Mine cost $1600 USD, w/o extras (fenders, rack, bag, rear view mirror). Best $1600 I've ever spent, racking up some serious miles when the wind isn't blowing.
Yes, that's an Ezzy sail key ring.
Select to expand quoteMastbender said..
I've been on one since last November, I quit riding my 'acoustic' mtn. bike due to the hill I live on, it's a cardiac trying to go up it straight (too narrow and busy for zig-zagging), and 15 gears wasn't enough.
That was about 10 years ago, and have been missing riding, so I bit the bullet an bought the ebike, and now I'm addicted to riding it, 1000% better than not riding at all, and that cardiac hill is cake now. I didn't want to spend a fortune, and I knew I'd be riding about 85% on the street, but I wanted to have what it took for that 15% dirt riding. I opted for a 750 watt, rear drive, 4" x 26" fatty, 5 power assist levels, 7 gears, 24 mph max., 45 miles ave. per charge, but I can get closer to 70 because I use very little power assist, with the exception of that bitch of a hill to get back up to my house. It's a Rad Power Bike 'Rover', out of Seattle Washington, I have no idea if they are showing up down under, but many are showing up in Hawaii. Mine cost $1600 USD, w/o extras (fenders, rack, bag, rear view mirror). Best $1600 I've ever spent, racking up some serious miles when the wind isn't blowing.
Yes, that's an Ezzy sail key ring.
that seat is at a weird angle, are you short?
I rode an EMTB in Switzerland and I was well and truly stuffed when going up even with max assist. ETrek dualie was fun coming down.
If they get people who would otherwise be inactive out then they are good. Although it's scary seeing inexperienced cyclists going full throttle in crowded places
5' 9" what ever that is in metric. With that seat design, if I have it level, it feels like I want to slide forward, it's a pretty soft seat, and I've got a seat post shock under it, so it's actually set pretty high.
Wide open spaces where I ride, no crowds, little traffic, up and down the coast.
Did you end up getting an e-bike MrWindy? My wifes thinking of getting one soon and interested to hear your story. Everyone I've talked to raves about them. Can go further with the same or less effort.
I have an ebike, it runs on petrol, and goes up hills really well, its made by Yamaha.
Select to expand quoteUnderoath said..
E bikers give me the s****. The Strava app doesn't separate an e bike with a normal pushie.
Edit: I will get an ebike in the next 20 years....
I don't have an MTB at the moment, but do have a touring roadie - and a fixed-gear. Strava doesn't separate a roadie from a fixie, either.
It is my intention to get an ebike in 20 years time, too.
Love my EMTB, it's more exercise than shuttling or taking a chairlift and yes I do ride significantly further.
Currently DIY on a rather heavy downhill frame but the next will be on a 150mm 27.5 and a much lighter drive system. Hoping for sub 40#.
Was tempted - but decided to stick to a good fast and very capable all mountain 27.5 full suspension. Tested a few , great assist, but decided for me the 2-3 hours max I have at a time I felt traditional would be a better workout. There are literally hundreds of trails close to home for me (Sydney Northern Beaches) many are still above my skill so plenty of challenges locally. Hills are a pain in the ass but also awesome for fitness and fun going down!
What's the point of an electric bike when the rider is still doing half the work?
Select to expand quoteP.C_simpson said..
I have an ebike, it runs on petrol, and goes up hills really well, its made by Yamaha.
This is new to me, thought all emtb are only electric.
