seypat

It happens in every sport. Some have tools where you can turn back the hands of time. That could be good or bad depending on the person/group. As for me, it's doubtful I'll go the E-bike route. I only became a cyclist/endurance athlete because I had to give up court sports. Everyone will have to make a decision like that at some point about different things in life.

indyfabz

+1. The last group I led was on our club ride to Brooklyn. Over 70 miles. One woman was on an e-bike. She rode safely. Kept a steady pace and didn’t surge. I actually forgot she was riding an e-bike until she mentioned that she needed to change batteries, which she did during a scheduled bathroom/water stop.

shelbyfv

Again, OP is asking if we ourselves would switch to an ebike in order to continue riding with a group. Not asking how we feel about others doing it or how we think others would/should feel. I tend to be much more forgiving of others than myself, don't expect them to have my insight or standards. I wouldn't use a motor to keep up but I would never embarrass those who do.

big john

Yes, e-bikes were banned from the club and then someone wanted to change the rule. The board meeting got loud and angry and the club president and several members quit the club over the possibility of e-bikes being allowed.

Even after that, the ban was upheld but most of those who quit never came back. Eventually, long time members started showing up on e-bikes, the first due to a-fib.
Since these were experienced riders and friends with other members, nobody objected and there are now 7 or 8 e-riders who come out. There is one woman who has a Turbo Creo and has no idea how to ride in a group. She has been counseled by the president but is still sketchy to be around. I don't like riding near her.

Personally, I've considered an e-bike at times. I don't want to do it yet. I can still do the medium rides without slowing the group too much and often I am not last but sometimes I am. I think it's a big step. It's antithetical to what road riding means to me.

Another thing I think about is if I really want to do fast group rides as I get older. I turned 70 recently and still feel like my reactions and awareness are good but how long do we want to try and stay with younger people? When I'm 80 do I want to haul ass in close quarters with much younger guys as they hammer out the miles? I'm sure there's a machine that would make it possible.

PeteHski

When I'm 80 I think I would ideally be riding with other similar aged guys on low powered e-bikes. Just enough power to get up the hills at my current unassisted pace. I don't really want to end up crawling at less than walking pace or having to push my bike up the steeper climbs.

big john

Yesterday I did a 45ish mile ride with three friends and they were all on e-bikes. They each have different reasons for going e and they encourage me to get one. So far that's a nope.
I also know people who ride e-mountain bikes. I think it's harder to ride with e-mountain bikes compared to e-roadies when I'm making all the power. Steeper, rougher climbs and the speed limiter isn't a factor.

An e-mountain bike might be calling, actually. There are 500 watt models (pedal assist) compared to the 240 watt things my road friends have.

PeteHski

e-MTBs look fun, especially in areas where there are a lot of long tedious fire road climbs to get to the fun stuff. But it’s a close call on my local tight and twisty single track. For now I’m happy with a normal trail bike since the climbs are short and technical where a motor doesn’t really add much value. I’ve come across a few e-MTBs and they were only quicker on the few straight climbs.

WaveyGravey

I'll stay mechanical till the bitter end.

Wildwood 

For those who say never an ebike, be prepared (at some point) to give up the places you may love to ride.



In my 60s years....

....happy to climb, with the low gears of a road triple....

After some years, some cancers, still enjoying what I enjoy. Class1 - assist to 13mph. Pedal hard and never compromise the places you can ride. Just don't ride a heavy, throttled e-moped and call it cycling.

shelbyfv

^^^ Nice, but apparently not a club/group ride.

Wildwood 

Could be, if you have a good annual club ride, not in your hometown. Or take a longer tour group rides regularly.

edit: I'm just a former (summer) wilderness ranger, used to long solo outings.
Had a t-shirt = 'My business office is measured in square miles.'
Nervous in crowds. My bad.

urbanknight

It seems to me that around here e-MTB's are getting popular with downhillers so they don't have to grind up climbs with their heavy long travel bikes and body armor.

slow rollin

Not going to answer the poll since I have too long to go for me to know what will happen when I am "old". If the club is okay with it and you still want to ride with them, and need an e-bike to keep up I see no issue with it. I haven't been in a road club, but when I was in the mtb club the slow group was chill with waiting at the top or some other point.
IMO there is really the point. Competitive fast groups might or might not care, where as slow groups probably won't mind. Since the goal of the ride is different.

Smaug1

I give him a pass because his moral was on-topic: If you refuse to ride an eBike, at SOME point, you will have to give up doing something you love. (whether it's climbing mountains or riding in a faster group)

rsbob 

When I transitioned from road to MTB, on climbs I would blow by the local MTBers and was amazed how out of shape they were. But when I started descending, they would blow by me with their mad bike handling skills. I soon learned that they were conserving energy for the important stuff and racing to the top wasn’t a thing. Doh!

Since most of the climbs near me are about one to 1.5 miles on some steep stuff, pedal assist MTBs are getting more popular - kind of like riding a chair lift to the top of the hill - get in more runs, have more fun.

shelbyfv

Yep but there is a philosophical/ethical difference in doing our own thing riding whatever and using a motor to include ourselves in a group activity for which we would be otherwise unable to qualify. It could be seen as trivializing the efforts of those who are actually putting in the work. I think that's what you were asking in your poll and the results are interesting. High quality thread, thanks for posting.

Maelochs

Actually it has no bearing on what others do. Unless your club ride is all about ego, and not about he club .... I mean, if I am really slow and everyone has to wait for me after I struggle up climbs they ascend with ease ... ... are all the rest "trivializing" my effort, because I worked harder? Is everyone except the fastest, strongest rider unimportant? Is the group ride about proving who is strong and fast, or about riding with a group?

I have done group rides with folks with e-assist and let me tell you, my efforts were neither trivial nor trivialized ..... I rode my ride like I always do. No one can take away from what I do ... and if the guy next to me is 12 or 14 years older and needs a little kick on a few hills to hold the group pace, I don't know or care. Why would I?

The issue comes at the end of the ride .. when the people some others would have excluded are instead included in the group conviviality, share opinions and understandings and comments on the ride and prior and future rides ... if half of them had to pass a performance test to be included, there would just be a few very fast hardcore riders and everyone else would have to stay home. If you think a group ride is a race, okay .... sometimes it sor o f can be .... but even so, how fragile must a rider's ego be if he or she feels "triivialized" by being in a group with e-assisters? If you go to see a concert and see handicapped people in wheelchairs or walkers in the special-access seats, do you feel that your standing up and dancing throughout the show is "trivialized?

I am still struggling to overcome health-and-wellness issues--so far, successfully---but I am starting from zero. I have lost almost all my muscled upper and lower body. I am thrilled as heck to be able to manage three 11-miles rides a week, and I am going back to the gym where I will be using the lightest dumbbells .... and not feeling trivial at all.

If I were not able to build back to a sufficient level to go on some group rides, I would certainly consider e-assist ... in fact, if a group had an issue with that, screw them, they are not good enough people for me ... or they are too competitive, and I am done chasing the wannabe (or off-duty) racers. Their thing is fine, but it is not and never will be my thing.

As others have noted in many threads, riding with a group a little faster than you like is a great way to build speed and strength and stamina. If I needed a little boost to get up a couple hills, or to hold the pace in the last quarter of the ride ... I would still be getting a huge exercise benefit from trying extra-hard until that point. If someone felt threatened by the fact that a weaker rider admitted he was too weak to hang and used an aid ... then that stronger rider is mentally weak and needs to up his psychological game.

shelbyfv

^^^Different strokes. You would do it, I wouldn't. Interesting that the poll shows 2 to 1 would avoid the group if they had to use a motor. I'd have guessed it would be closer.

Reynolds 

At 73, I am older and slower already, and I wouldn't be able to stay with some groups I used to ride with 10 years ago. But I'm still able to ride with some others (at the back most of the time). However, I don't think I'd ever use an e-bike for a group ride, I'd feel like cheating myself - just find a slower group. No problems if other people ride them though, as long as they respect the group.

rsbob 

yup, that is the quandary. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of riding an e-bike, or to take arms against a sea of troubles by resigning thyself to riding with a slower group and by opposing, end them. That is the question. (Bill Spearshaker).

Have to say I am not quite there yet, but would struggle with question. Maybe the answer would be more apparent when I get there.

squirtdad

I put other, when it really means: If I get to a point where the choice is riding or not riding, I will move to an pedal assist bike in a nano second

Meanwhile I will do all I can to stay mechanical as long as i can (losing weight, better shape, ride more, smaller gear) just because I am stubborn that way

I do draw a huge line between pedal assist and what are in reality electric motorcycles, that don't require pedaling......I about feel off my bike the other day when I saw a guy pedaling his super73 I can only think his battery died

the bigger problem would be going to carbon for the steel is real guy, but I think I could survive for something like this

https://www.cervelo.com/en-US/bikes/rouvida

rsbob 

Totally agree. Those are some beautiful e-bikes

Wildwood 

Luckily for some of us - it's not a matter of e-bike or no-bike. Variety is the spice that keeps me coming back to cycling's smorgasbord of enjoyment. Being carless also makes 'e' a good thing.

Drop your car, then criticize 'e'. Hahahaha. Just do it, likely a spouse or s.o. is a cager. Love your only Mother.

prj71

This club thing sounds like a lot of drama!!!

As for e-bikes...I'll quit biking before I ever buy one.

big john

I guess you could say that board meeting had a lot of drama. When you have 400+ people involved and there is an emotionally loaded topic such as this you'll probably get some drama.
Other clubs I have ridden with have also banned e-bikes but gradually they start showing up.