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I am in the process of selling my eeb and back to riding actual bikes exclusively, so decided to share a rant without any goal or much reason. Context: young dad, mid 30s, 25 years riding (first and bigger part of them on BMX street/dirt). Moved closer to Alps last year, got jealous of people passing me on the ups and doing triple of my downs. I patiently test-rode on trails literally dozen of eebs, decided on a mid-power option because it still provided a rather slow climbing speed, so the brain could switch off, get bored and enjoy nature...

I've been to Primoz' neck of the woods and would like to add that: You should absolutely go to that neck of the woods to ride if you get a chance. Primoz raced cross country for years before switching to longer travel bikes, and was fitter than me when we rode together. He's a great host and I cannot recommend Bled Cream Cake enough. However, I would not recommend eating it right before a 87 F/31 C mountain bike ride with Primoz. Primoz, I'm still right about heavier tire casings and softer compound. Fight me. Most power-based training plans emphasize...

So basically, the M2S puts out almost as much power at 43w of rider power as the CX5 puts out with 150w. That's lunacy. Foot throttle, as you said.

I get the sentiment of what you're saying... but I would contend that the avinox motors have throttles... you just operate them by moving your feet. 460w of output with 25w of input, 800w of output with 100w of input and max power being delivered at 160w of rider input, is not pedal assist. It is pedal driven throttle assist.

it's almost as much as your megatower.

I clicked that video for a laugh and a trip down memory lane, but yo Laurie is straight up destroying on that old bike and flat pedals. Super impressive and entertaining riding on any bike. RIPPING.

Surron had a prominent presence at Sea Otter, and a number of kids were riding these e-motos (along with pit bikes) throughout the expo in ways that were disruptive and inconsiderate. I’m still developing my perspective on high-powered eMTBs (which I consider a separate thing), but it’s hard to ignore how often these machines seem to encourage poor behavior — or at least attract it. I often hear the argument that it’s better for kids to be outside on bikes (of any sort) than indoors glued to their phones. In principle, I agree. But increasingly, it feels as though the...

Having ridden bikes from several major brands, my SC Megatower has easily been the best I’ve owned when it comes to product support, parts availability, and clear, reliable customer service. I used to make fun of people who had an SC, but after dealing with repeated warranty issues on other bikes, I get it now. The Mega is a sick bike, the VPP suspension rides great, but honestly, it’s the overall ownership experience that really sets Santa Cruz apart. I'm in the market for a shorter travel ripper, and SC is at the top of the list, even if it's...

It the Bosch vs Avinox regulatory/sustainability approach simply a matter of regional company culture? Bosch being German is used to dealing with the EU environmental and product regulation. I imagine they have some consideration for sustainability of the product category and the perception of the regulatory bodies. Avinox/DGI is Chinese and operating in their "regulatory" environment. The Chinese tech approach seems push out product with the highest possible specs with the lowest cost, leveraging the huge production capabilities and leaving the consumer to figure out if it's legal, sustainable or ethical in their region. If the product saturates the market...

@jeff.brines, heres a bit of feedback/ encouragement. I believe the story on the clash of an escalating e-bike power war, the rise of the e-moto, the battle for land access, and how governments might seek to regulate it all has the potential to reach well beyond the our small niche here and into the broader media landscape. I believe you're the perfect person to tell the story. I think the topic influences everyone. I believe it's a story that extends well beyond the interest of mountain bikers and would engage a large swath of the thinking public. Particularly the topic...

I half wrote an essay before realising it was more of a rant; essentially I think the power wars risk breaking the social contract of responsible land use, where I live we have very small woods and they’re intensively used for recreation. The tacit agreement is that you’re allowed to do you there under your own power, no dirt bikes, no quads etc. If this is perceived to be broken because you can razz around on fire road climbs at 20mph then I reckon land managers will just ban bikes altogether because it would be too difficult to only ban...

I got ~30 minutes each with Avinox and Bosch and am still figuring out what to do with the content (podcast or writing). Unsurprisingly, Bosch is a bit "disappointed" (I'm paraphrasing) in the direction Avinox is pushing the industry. They leaned heavily into trail access and stewardship, and suggested the current crop of high-output motors doesn't jive with the effort they've put into balancing stakeholders and leading the powertrain side responsibly. For fun, I looked back to see if Bosch has ever pushed power or torque limits on their own accord, and from what I can tell the answer is...

I agree with both points (mandatory licensing with training classes and banning "in-between" mobility devices), and I think your arguments are well-reasoned and practical. However, I have zero confidence that your wonderful and simple solutions will be will implemented, and instead I predict an insane hodgepodge of jurisdictions, conflicting standards, and varying degrees of enforcement.

I'm a fan of most of these policies. My only disagreement is over the mandatory online training courses, because mandatory online training courses have never taught anyone anything in the history of the world. But the rest of the rules make a lot of sense. This e-bike/motorcycle/scooter/vespa space has been the absolute wild west, and has been steadily marching toward regulatory oversight for a while. It will be interesting to see how these regulations continue to play out. For instance, New Jersey's recent e-bike regulations to the effect that "everything with a battery needs to be licensed and insured like...

On the one hand, yes, and also no. Yes, totally, optimal stiffness for any bicycle chassis component is highly contingent on rider weight, riding style, and terrain. So I imagine a bike that's "too stiff" on average will suit some riders at the margins and a bike that's "too flexy" on average will suit others. This is actually a huge gripe I have with the bike industry in general, because products are almost always advertised as a one-size-fits-all solution, and they aren't/don't/can't. On the other hand, I don't tend to think Kiran is bullshitting me, because I've known him for...

Buying a Santa Cruz usually costs a bit more, but there are some legitimate reasons other than VPP to buy one. Kinematics / ride dynamics are well engineered regardless of linkage used SC geo is usually solid, nothing weird Build quality Ability to purchase replacement parts for many years (try buying parts for a 5 year old frame from any other bike company) Lifetime warranty (one that you can actually count on).

I always saw VPP as Santa Cruz's USP. If it's Yet Another Plain Old Horst Link, what am I getting other than the name that makes it exceptional?

Spot on Costs more than a YZ250, but a YZ250 I can take it in the woods or on the track and thrash it to within an inch of its life. Maybe even blow it up. But if that happens Sunday I can have the parts on the way to my front door that Monday and rebuild it myself or take it to any number of shops. And those parts should be available for five years. Long enough for a reasonable amortization of the original cost. Until e-bikes have similar I’m not interested.

I’ve said it a couple times so apologies if it’s a broken record . The problem for me isn’t 150nm, or 1500watts. It’s 800% assist . Humans fundamentally make different choices when things are easy vs. hard . I can maybe go 20mph uphill on a trail on my meat bike , but only for an instant, then I’m gassed . So I never do that . When there’s suddenly no disincentive (it being exhausting) the total time spent of people going 20mph on blind single track is going to be much higher, thus the probability of isssue increases. At...

Curmudgeon moment incoming, my apologies: This is exactly the reason I don't give a shit about motocross or cars or a million other things. I 100% don't give a shit about numbers. "Oh, but this one can do 150nm of power!" Cool. I don't care. I don't ride a bike looking for the easiest way to do anything. Does it do 150nm of making my will to live stronger? Will it do a 30-second boost mode of shutting my brain off? Is it 1300W of power that'll die in a year and completely brick the bike for two months while...