My partner has an ebike.

Over here they are limited to 15.5mph.

For obvious reasons, other than an an tusk race there's no issue with using an ebike.

They are a great invention, allowing so many people into the sport who otherwise would fall away or never join in.

Getting people riding a bike is what's important.

Anyone who looks down on people on ebike or people who are unfit but trying need a realty check.

I encourage anyone to ride, e-bike or otherwise, but issues may arise when an e-bike joins other people on regular bikes.


E bikes have no place in any event with a timed component such as Gran Fondos with timed subsections. They should be banned outright from those events. Over here, e-bikes can reach speeds of 28 mph and there are already versions out there that are indistinguishable from a road bike with a fat, stiff down tube. As with PEDS, you can be assured that as any visual differences between regular and e-bikes disappear, that there will be more and more cheating. Unless organizers can find cheap technology to quickly weed out those bikes, the interest in competitive events is likely to decline even further.

For group rides it is up to the group whether they will tolerate an e-bike or not. If the group accepts them then it is no skin off my back.

For non-competitive century rides and similar, I don't think you'll be able to keep them out, but safety may be compromised if an e-bike rider decides to slot into a much faster group than he/she is otherwise capable of. Rightly or wrongly, I would generalize that an e-bike rider would have reduced bike handling skill compared to those who can go the same speed on their own.

Well said!!!

That's exactly the kind of pish I'm talking about.

That's a load of rubbish.

Did someone steal the only Strava KoM you had with and ebike? Oh poor wee soul. 😂

I do not play on strava and your response to legitimate objections to ebikes in competitive events reflects poorly on your ethics.

I think e bikes are great. If the road versions were more affordable (or if I made more money...LOL) I'd certainly buy one just from the standpoint of being able to cruise around on a bike for 3-5 hours and enjoy being outside without feeling completely wasted by lunchtime. If I end up feeling strong and want the workout...just don't engage the motor/battery...or go farther/faster with the motor/battery in the same amount of time adding in the watts I'm putting into the pedals.

As for group rides...I think they are fine for "casual" group rides where everyone keeps 1 bike length apart and nobody is really trying to tuck into the draft. Just hang in the middle or back and just make sure you are not torturing the rest of the group by going to the front and forcing the pace too high.

For more aggressive group rides, as long as the rider using an e bike has experience with how tight groups works it should be fine. What worries me is when a novice rider who has no experience riding with Cat 1-3 type road racers shows up with an e bike and gets into the action for the first time only because he can now hang with a motor. There is a lot more too riding with that type of group than having enough power...but as long as you know what you're doing, I don't see it as a problem.

As for fondos...I wouldn't mind seeing an e bike division where they are separated from the results and started in a way where they can't get into the mix with those intending to compete. While I do think we should hang onto bike racing events as traditional competitions of fitness, we also have to accept that that market is dying out. If event organizers want maximum participation, they have to get creative on how to be more inclusive of other markets who may be interested in dropping money for their event but can't do so without an e bike.

I don't really see e-bikes as desirable. Some people are happy that more people are on "bikes"; yet, there are trade offs.

Riding a bike still takes bike handling. If you're going faster than you can ride, that might also mean faster than you can handle that bike.

Is going faster on an e-bike going to lead to better judgement? Usually increased speed does not lead to better judgement IMO.

What's wrong with going at a pace and with a group of people on a bike that's appropriate for one's level of health and bike handling ability? Do the A riders really want a C level rider on an ebike in their group ride cornering with them or in a tight pace line, nah.

Obviously I don't get ebikes and why I would spend even more money to have one.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

That much is clear and accurate.

I think e-bikes are great and I think people who ride e-bikes are great.

I don’t know if this is still true but at least at one point I rode with a friend on an enumeration and when he hit the top speed allowed by the bike and the assist cut out he slowed immediately very quickly. Just like braking in a group.

This to me presented a potential problem in a group ride setting because a rider behind him would have maintained the pace.

This was a couple of years ago ... e-bikes may not do this anymore.

It's a legitimate concern. If an event is timed then there's some element of competition, whether it's a KOM section, qualification for World Gran Fondo champs, or just an overall finishing order. You can't have e-bikes competing with regular bikes, at the least they'd need a separate category. Otherwise it would be like turning up to a marathon and having people doing it on scooters....

And I can very easily see there being a safety issue in fast groups. I live in a flat area where speeds can be pretty high - not unusual for long group rides to average >40kph, and road races and crits are anything up to 45-46kph. There is quite a big problem with riders who aren't strong enough to ride those speeds on their own who can do so with the draft, but don't have the group handling skills and experience to do so safely in proximity to others. Holding their line on corners, taking a drink without drifting across the road, getting out of the saddle without throwing the bike backwards, etc. (there are also strong riders who exhibit some of these behaviours but a lot fewer of them and at least they do some turns!). Causes quite a few crashes and as a result quite a few rides are now by invitation only. E-bikes would make this problem worse, plus add in the extra challenge of having a different power profile so that they accelerate/decelerate in different ways to what the group expects.

I think e-bikes are great. I'm seriously considering getting one for my wife so that we can do more cycling together and both get a decent workout. And as and when I hit an age where I can't keep up with the local club rides on the hills then I'll be first in the queue for one. Doesn't mean there aren't legitimate concerns about how and when they're appropriate for riding with regular bikes though. I'm guessing that club rides will take care of themselves, they'll figure out the best way of incorporating them (or not) over time. I think organised events where you're riding with strangers need to take things slowly though, either exclude them or keep them separate for now, let it evolve over time.

My first (and so far, only) experience with e-bikes was in the last 20 miles of a gran fondo last month. The e-bikes we saw all did the less-than-maximum distance routings and we caught up to them with about 20 miles to go, as the routes converged.

We saw about a dozen e-bikes. Of those, all but about three were clearly just out for a social ride. They were singles in their 40's and 50's and it was very much a way to meet other singles. Cool. They traveled at their own pace and they stayed out of the way. I bet they had a blast and they didn't have to worry about embarrassing themselves if they weren't fit enough for the distance on a self-pedaled bike.

But two or three decided they would latch on to the group of fast-moving self-pedaling cyclists. This really wasn't a good idea. First, they clearly weren't experienced cyclists -- or at least, they weren't experienced at riding in a tight group. They didn't hold their lines very well. You had to give them an extra couple feet, just in case. You could never relax because you never knew when they might veer and/or slow suddenly. More problematic was their pacing. They were a little faster than the group going up steep climbs, and they were a little slower than the group on the flats. Whether the fault of the riders or the e-bikes, they didn't seem to show good speed / throttle control. This led to several near-collisions and it was frustrating for the experienced, self-pedaling cyclists. Eventually, the course went relatively flat for a couple miles and the self-pedalers were able to put some distance on the e-bikes. If the e-bikes had been faster on the flats, the tension in the pack would have forced some kind of change. The tension with the e-bikes in the group was not good. (But if the e-bikes had been ridden by cyclists who were experienced at riding in a pack, and if the e-bikes were capable of better speed / throttle control, the situation might have been a lot more tolerable.)

my only experience was with a bigger gentleman on what nearly was a fat bike. He was able to go 18-19mph on the flats in a headwind.. so it was appreciated. We pacelined behind him :)

I purchased an ebike for my wife. She's been an avid road cyclists for years but age is catching up with her knees and she can't enjoy the more mountainous rides like she used to. We were in Europe this summer, and she had an ebike there, and it was a game changer. She could still get a great workout, by adjusting the amount of help with the ebike, but it allowed her to do climbs she previously could not (because of her knees). Also, she was able to keep up with me and this made the experience so much more enjoyable because we were able to ride together, and I did not have to back off on the climbs.

I just got a Trek publication, showcasing different bikes and different riders. One was Bo Jackson, who holds a large fund-raising ride in Alabama to support building tornado shelters in rural areas. There is a metric century and a 30 mile ride, and he rides the 30 miler with a fairly large group.The article says he rides an e-bike, and there is a quote, by Bo, that says "Bo Jackson does not slow down for anything, including father time".

So Bo knows cycling too...

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I'm closer to the feathered end of the spear than the point.

I couldn’t care less if it follows the law/rules. Great for touring, commuting, rehab.

Hammer rides and manual bike competitions they can gtfo. The UCI can take a hike banning some TT tech but turning around and having eMTB stuff. IDK if they’re skilled or not, it’s not the place and it’s the wrong message.

I do say, for the exercise inclusivity component, there’s a lot of self serving misinformation about ebikes and exercise.

They help with inclusivity, speed, and distance. They don’t perform witchcraft and suddenly enable you to burn more kj/hr. But thats what a lot of these articles would lead you to believe with headlines like “emtb rider hr’s within 10bpm!”.

I've only seen one small eMTB race locally. Wasn't sanctioned or official...just a bunch of guys with eMTBs that showed up after an unofficial MTB XC race to do the same course after. They were going full fucking gas. Pedaling just as hard as anyone else without a motor...except instead of going 18 mph before entering a turn...they were going 25 mph, jamming on the brakes and using way more balls and skill than I'll ever have to make the turn without launching themselves off the trail. Full face helmets and full body armor...for an XC course with no jumps. Of course eMTB racing makes more sense because it introduces more handling skills on top of fitness where adding a motor to road bikes doesn't really make a difference unless we're going to incorporate super technical courses.

Like the saying goes...it doesn't get easier...you just go faster.

I agree though that motorized bikes shouldn't intermix in competition with "normal" bikes, but I have absolutely no problem with ebike racing divisions. Just like I don't have a problem with Formula 1 racing.

Just create it's own category and let it go. Embrace the technology, without it - no one would ride aero bars, aero wheels, electronic shifting, etc. It is here to stay and worrying about just isn't worth the time. Heck we might even have 1 gear and wooden wheels!
Life is meant to be fun!

Sure why not? Can we bring -ebikes that do 85 mph? Embrace the technology! Life is meant to be fun! I'm going to smoke that Gran Fondo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM_i08c7TjM

I think some of you need educated.

A grand fondo is not a race.

E bikes are not allowed in an sanctioned race with non ebikes

E bikes in the EU are limited to 15.5mph which to me seems very sensible and is more than enough for most.

E bikes help extend the longevity of people cycling careers.

E bikes with make a huge difference to peoples health and wellbeing if the alternative is to not get out at all.

E bikes are a great commuting tool, and extend the range when a commute by bike is possible. Again this will massively extend the health of a population.

The idea that people are any less of a cyclist because they ride an ebike is just cycling snobbery and twatism.

Remember Triathletes in glass houses should not be throwing stones at other cyclists when I comes to bike handling etc. :D :D :D

I'll add one to the list:

E bikes help you carry tons of stuff and children allowing you to use a bike instead of a car.

I am able to avoid a lot of car journeys with my daughter using my bike. Most journeys would be technically feasible on a normal bike but only if you are fit and ready to put in the effort. The 250 extra watts allows you to get up to speed safety from traffic lights/intersections making journeys much more viable.

Can I ride an electric motorcycle, or even a gas powered one for that matter, in your club ride or a Gran Fondo?

No one previously would have thought that riding a moped in a cycling event was ok, but now we have e-bikes, which look like regular bikes, so that's somehow ok because it looks like a bike. Ridiculous!

I think e-bikes are fine for transportation and personal enjoyment, but cycling events are for bicycles. They should be for human powered bikes only.

This is not a universally true statement. The UCI Gran Fondo World Series is a straight up competitive amateur road race series. With finishing place determining selection for a championship.

In all of the events, except maybe the championship, you can choose to just fun-ride them. Which makes them different than classic road races. But at the pointy end are a good number of full-up amateur racers using full road racing tactics.

Fondos increasingly are races on the timed climbing segments. Lookup almost any GFNS event, timed segments.

Commuting and for exercise for physio and heart patients, heck yeah. Maybe replace some cars in stage racing with safer Ebikes to bring food or bottles. Ebikes for the win there.

Anything else, it’s bullshit. Endurance sport is about the purity of suffering. Which is why there’s such a strong condemnation of dopers.