All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Interesting. Seems like a nice application for a roof top tent setup - get some of that bed space back

 

Im in the same boat as BroID. Ebikes are stupid fun. Bunch of local shop guys have em, all of them are pretty fit and just go out for a good time. While I dont have much of a desire to own one, I dont turn down the chance to take a rental out with them

Its been awhile since I took the Chameleon out. The Box stuff rides nice, feels like Shimano - the shift levers are a little far apart but you dont notice it while riding. Took me awhile to feel normal on the hardtail again. Going back and forth between full suspension and hardtail has its challenges. Definitely shy away from some of the bigger drops.

 

ya, that’s true I didn’t even think about that. For me it’s all about the ease of use. It literally takes 10 seconds to put on and take off.

 

Saw one in the wild a week ago. Looked pretty cool, my only concern would be tailgate road rash from driving around on dirt roads with the tailgate down. A quick wrap would take care of that. **In one of the pics (with a softopper) it looks like they're using a traditional tailgate pad underneath to wrap around the tailgate. That would also work...
Either way, I'm always game to give new things a shot. Especially if they're free

 

In case anyone's interested; new women's TLD Rukus shorts.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...e-parts-for-sale.539769/page-16#post-22727594

And a couple of pairs of women's Scarpa climbing shoes, Helix size 40, and Techno-X size 40.5.

 

I get what you're saying and would like to agree with you. History and experience with human nature, however; colors my perspective. Like many; I see e-bikes as not inherently a bad thing. As commuting alternatives, transportation alternatives, and paved or even gravel road riding; they make tons of sense and I will endorse them for those use cases. The HUGE brontosaurus in the room is their impact on off-pavement riding and the inevitability for a few bad apples to really screw it up for everyone.

Those few bad apples are the tinkering, DIY types that cannot leave well enough alone and cannot help but modify their e-MTB to have more power, instantaneous power, and longer durations of that power. Like it or not; it's human nature to want to go fast(er) on just about any surface with whatever device is propelling you (just browse through this forum to see it happening in real time). Be that from the rider in a garage messing with the motor, battery, etc... most likely with purely benign intentions but completely oblivious to the consequences of ripping singletrack with an electric motor that's driving driving knobby tires to the aftermarket accessory sellers marketing governor bypass circuits and safety overrides to the programmed code. Truck and car drivers have been doing it for decades by hacking their ECUs... what's to stop e-MTB riders from following the same path?

Then you have the e-MTB manufacturers that do not feel any ethical sense of responsibility to not manufacture bikes that continually blur the lines between bicycle and motocross. One of them just announced a new "trail" bike with the capability to go 28mph from the electric motor alone. Now, I know what you're about to type... but those are pedal-assist only, and should be limited to Class I e-MTB... all fine and good if there is a legitimate and trustworthy arm of enforcement that would prevent those trail abusers from wreaking havoc... except there's not. There's almost no one out there to check if an e-MTB is a class I only and, even if it wasn't what the hell are they going to do far out on a trail, confiscate it?

The danger is in the delicate and tenuous agreements between private landowners and trail users. As seen in the kerfuffle of the private landowners shutting down access to the Kingdom Mountain trails up in the NE and the Lake Calavera Trails in CA. It only takes a few rogue trail users to shut it down for everyone and e-MTB users are often completely unaware of their own impact. With a pedal-only MTB, there comes an investment of time, effort, and patience to build the skill level, endurance, and fitness to ride trails. E-MTB wipes all of that away for anyone with a credit card and desire. Yeah, anyone can go buy a standard MTB as well... but how many of them have the fitness to actually pedal it up a significant climb to then bomb the descent vs pressing the easy button on an e-MTB?

Want proof, look at the damage inflicted earlier this year by the California Super Bloom and all the lazy humans attracted to it that could not be bothered to stay on trail as the signs declared, then blazed their own trails through sensitive environments that will take years, if not decades, to recover.

I'm all for more butts on bikes... but only so long as the brains connected to those butts fully understand the consequences of their actions and can ride within the limitations of etiquette, courtesy, and respect to other trail users and the expectations of landowners.

 

Wish I could double like that post @ridge So many good observations.

Couldn’t agree more that the onus is on the e-bikers to figure out the proper etiquette. Not the other way around.

I’ve yet to encounter an ebike owner/rider in the wild that I’d place in the same sentence with etiquette. Admittedly there are bad apples in every segment of life, but my sampling of the mini-motocross demographic has been a soured and spoiled bunch.

 

Time to add my small piece to this thread.

Used to ride regularly (once per week) back in college, but got rid of my hardtail (Hardrock 29er) and DH (2006 Big Hit) when I graduated and buddies moved away.

Last place I rode was out in Whistler BC. Was an epic experience. Although I didn't really know what I was doing at the time. Just bombed and bastardized my way down hills.

Going to attempt to be more technical and sophisticated this time around.

Anyways, picked up a used 2016 Pivot Mach 6 - Carbon from a bike shop employee last Friday. Fairly modified. Thompson dropper, Fox front and rear, tubeless, 1x11 drivetrain. Even came with a brand new front Fox shock as well.

Touching up my bunny hop game while getting more seat time around the house before I venture out on more difficult trails.

2016 Mach 6 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

 

Beautiful!! Very valid points. Like you mentioned, trail etiquette is a must to adopt e bikes into the mountain bike world. I don’t have much of a response because those people will always be there. I might be one of them. Love to tinker and tune things to perform better then when I bought them. But regardless why let a small minority ruin it for the majority. You really do have me wondering if I would be that person hacking the electronics just so I could show a buddy up. I would hope I would do it responsibly?
Have you rode one? They really do still take effort and not just anyone with a credit card can ride one in the way that would destroy trails or cause bodily harm. I guess everyone has that potential though. The best police force on the trail is you and I and everyone else that has a respect for it.
Thanks for the reply. I love conversation about this kind of stuff. Talking about a solution.

 

I have a classmate in the engineering department of my school trying to see the impacts of E-bikes over regular bikes. Tire slippage while climbing and rider ability may be difficult to account for in a study but I'll throw it his way. He is most concerned about the added weight of E-bikes because no one has studied those effects. My department did a study on the impacts of walkers, runners and mountain bikers here in Colorado Springs. The runners had the lowest overall impact, with walkers/hikers and mountain bikers having the highest. Now keep in mind, this study is good for our area and soil type, but it probably will not mean much for the rest of the nation. However, his methods may be good for other concerned parties to follow.

 

Period, end of story.

 

I'm looking at adding some bed bars or a short rack to allow me to add bike racks over the bed. Wondering what folks are using for bike carrying in this capacity AND how they attach to the cross bars. I'm looking at a set of KB Voodoo bars to use with my tonneau cover.

 

The added weight of the ebike is a bullshit argument. The trail know no different from a 200lbs rider on a 30lbs regular MTB than a 160lbs rider on a 50lbs ebike. If that’s the argument than I gues heavy people cant ride? Also what about horses? Have you seen the damage they cause at there weight?

 

That’s really the point of conducting scientific inquiry, so there can be no argument. He controls for rider weight on both bikes. He just trying to determine the difference between a 30lb mountain bike vs a 46lb ebike. The difference may be negligible but at least it will be backed by empirical data.
Yes I agree, horses mess up the trails way more than any other user group unless we are talking motos.

 

I think we have the same bike? 2016 Stumpjumper in the Navy Blue and White? Modded mine up significantly, but looks like the same frame. Love the swat door on it. Got mine down to 29lbs with pedals. Fun bike.

 

I have a feeling this is going to be my new fav thread.
here’s my hardtail salsa timberjack 27.5+ and my 17’ sr5
Raced bmx from 7 years old to 13ish. Didn’t pick up a bike until About 15 years later (June of 19’)
Forgot how fun two wheels is. Will be keeping this sport for a good long while.

 

Yesterday on the Air Force Academy. Finished in time to tailgate the AFA vs Colorado College hockey game.

 

Nice! Theres handful of TW guys from the Tampa area in here.

Tacoma looks good too.

 

Ladies and Gents,
Got a great request for the group. Looking to plan a trip with some friends that are into 4wd trails but are also mildly interested in biking. With that being said, they are no physical specimens on a mountain bike and the trip will probably be the few times they get on a bike in one year. I am looking for an area that has some great shuttle routes and some good 4wd trails. I am probably the limiting factor with my truck (2019 TRDOR DCLB w/ 2inch lift) for the trails. Leading destination so far is Moab area 4wd trails and doing the Whole Enchilada (never ridden) one day. Was thinking of Hermosa creek (ridden once) outside of Durango but it was scorched in the 416 fire. Sedona would be a good destination but may be too much pedaling for my friends. I'm down to travel anywhere in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico or Arizona. Let me know your thoughts and ideas. Thanks in advance!