Swinley packed with electric bikes today
Discussion
TwistingMyMelon said:
Does the weight not prove a hinderance on the fast sections?
The bike being linked to is of the "crank drive" type. The motor is built into the bottom bracket, near to the c. of g. of the bike. The battery is just above it. Haibike have been making ebikes for ages and will have equipped the bike with suitable springing/damping to suit the extra weight.It won't be as bad as you might imagine.
I built my own ebike to mitigate the effects of a heart problem. It features a two speed rear hub motor of similar power to the Haibike and a 640wH battery. I tend to set the assistance to 50% and use the throttle for more of a "push" on ascents.
I can do a 40 mile off-road/trail ride at a fair pace, something which I would find impossible without the assist. My fellow riders (unlike some on here, it would seem) think its great as they aren't waiting for me to catch up anymore!
I think its great too!
I took it to Scotland last summer and had some great rides up the Glens. The only problem was cooking the brakes on long steep descents. The extra weight won't have helped. The Haibike looks to have brakes specced to suit the weight.
I'll be taking spare pads to Scotland this year.
I can agree with the OP regarding the Strava issue. I know how serious some cyclists regard the stats.
spyder dryver said:
The bike being linked to is of the "crank drive" type. The motor is built into the bottom bracket, near to the c. of g. of the bike. The battery is just above it. Haibike have been making ebikes for ages and will have equipped the bike with suitable springing/damping to suit the extra weight.
It won't be as bad as you might imagine.
I built my own ebike to mitigate the effects of a heart problem. It features a two speed rear hub motor of similar power to the Haibike and a 640wH battery. I tend to set the assistance to 50% and use the throttle for more of a "push" on ascents.
I can do a 40 mile off-road/trail ride at a fair pace, something which I would find impossible without the assist. My fellow riders (unlike some on here, it would seem) think its great as they aren't waiting for me to catch up anymore!
I think its great too!
I took it to Scotland last summer and had some great rides up the Glens. The only problem was cooking the brakes on long steep descents. The extra weight won't have helped. The Haibike looks to have brakes specced to suit the weight.
I'll be taking spare pads to Scotland this year.
I can agree with the OP regarding the Strava issue. I know how serious some cyclists regard the stats.
You're the sort of person I'd say ebikes are made for though. My problem with the people riding them on Saturday was that with one exception, they were all fit-looking youngish (certainly 40s or younger) blokes who really didn't look as though they had the slightest possible need for them.It won't be as bad as you might imagine.
I built my own ebike to mitigate the effects of a heart problem. It features a two speed rear hub motor of similar power to the Haibike and a 640wH battery. I tend to set the assistance to 50% and use the throttle for more of a "push" on ascents.
I can do a 40 mile off-road/trail ride at a fair pace, something which I would find impossible without the assist. My fellow riders (unlike some on here, it would seem) think its great as they aren't waiting for me to catch up anymore!
I think its great too!
I took it to Scotland last summer and had some great rides up the Glens. The only problem was cooking the brakes on long steep descents. The extra weight won't have helped. The Haibike looks to have brakes specced to suit the weight.
I'll be taking spare pads to Scotland this year.
I can agree with the OP regarding the Strava issue. I know how serious some cyclists regard the stats.
The annoying thing is that it potentially completely changes the way they interact with other riders, as normally, someone who goes past me on the climb will tend to stay ahead of me on the descent as well, so they only have to pass me once, whereas on e-bikes, it's perfectly possible to have someone slow downhill able to power past you uphill.
The closest two parallels that spring to mind for me are...
1. The cyclists on my commute who jump red lights and then pootle along at such a slow pace that everyone has to pull out to overtake them, only for them to then jump the next red light as well and force us all to repeat the process.
2. Tossers who hold you up by driving at 40 on a twisty B-road, only to then drive through 30mph villages still doing 40, so that by the time you get out the other side of the village, you've got to catch them up and sit on their arse again.
Frustrating and annoying as they can be at trail centres, etc, I've not encountered that many 'in person' while riding.
My first sight of one was a guy in an overcoat, suit, etc, shooting past me up a hill as I gurned and sweated in my Lycra. He was an early adopter, but when we chatted, he said it meant he saved a fortune on car parking at the station for his commute to London, and meant he could dress for the office day rather than the journey to get there. Fair one. I used to catch him and blast past on the flats and downhills anyway.
I met a trio of older gentlemen at the Peaslake Village store once. All on e-bikes, and with a combined age of 210 years. They said it was the only way they could keep riding the trails, and without their e-bikes they'd be "rotting in a retirement home" (their words). So again, fair play and exactly who these bikes are ideal for.
Having said all that, it IS at the very least mildly annoying to see someone whose Strava username contains the word "e-bike", or similar, having taken high placings, even KOMs on local MTB segments. The whole point of Strava is (at least WAS) to compare your human-powered efforts against a) your own previous best effort, and b) the best efforts of other riders, on a fair and level playing field. I've heard of people using remote control cars/drones, electric bikes, ICE motorbikes, refusing to crop rides that quite obviously include trips in cars/on trains at the start or end of a ride. It shouldn't really matter, but it does get annoying when it starts to be a regular thing.
Anyway. Enough of Electric Bikes. It's been a while since I've ridden at Swinley, and I feel I owe myself another trip up that way in the near future...
My first sight of one was a guy in an overcoat, suit, etc, shooting past me up a hill as I gurned and sweated in my Lycra. He was an early adopter, but when we chatted, he said it meant he saved a fortune on car parking at the station for his commute to London, and meant he could dress for the office day rather than the journey to get there. Fair one. I used to catch him and blast past on the flats and downhills anyway.
I met a trio of older gentlemen at the Peaslake Village store once. All on e-bikes, and with a combined age of 210 years. They said it was the only way they could keep riding the trails, and without their e-bikes they'd be "rotting in a retirement home" (their words). So again, fair play and exactly who these bikes are ideal for.
Having said all that, it IS at the very least mildly annoying to see someone whose Strava username contains the word "e-bike", or similar, having taken high placings, even KOMs on local MTB segments. The whole point of Strava is (at least WAS) to compare your human-powered efforts against a) your own previous best effort, and b) the best efforts of other riders, on a fair and level playing field. I've heard of people using remote control cars/drones, electric bikes, ICE motorbikes, refusing to crop rides that quite obviously include trips in cars/on trains at the start or end of a ride. It shouldn't really matter, but it does get annoying when it starts to be a regular thing.
Anyway. Enough of Electric Bikes. It's been a while since I've ridden at Swinley, and I feel I owe myself another trip up that way in the near future...
A lot of people who I know who are serious and have had a go have said positive things about them. They're still as knackered at the end of the ride but they've just gone further in that time.
Weight wise theyre no worse than old DH bikes.
I don't think any of us would have one as a primary bike though and as for using it on strava, that's a joke. They know they're cheating
Weight wise theyre no worse than old DH bikes.
I don't think any of us would have one as a primary bike though and as for using it on strava, that's a joke. They know they're cheating
I keep having this argument with a guy at work who say's they're useless and pointless full stop.
I'm a fairly keen cyclist but going out with my missus and daughter means I have to halve my speed - and even then I'm still waiting for them most of the time. With an e-bike, they could keep up with me and we'd all enjoy it more.
As for the Strava thing - to me that's a non-issue - but I think that's because I'm unlikely to ever find myself in the top-ten of any segment and so it makes no difference to me. As it is, I use it to keep track of mileage and little else.
As for the overtaking/holding up issue, that I can agree is frustrating. I have the exact same problem with the red-light jumpers who overtake you when you're stationary and then hold you up when you're moving. I had to have a go at some old bloke the other day because in less than a mile he'd jumped 5 red lights and the last one he went through just as it changed and I was moving off. As I got up to speed pretty quickly, he moved over right in front of me and almost took my front wheel off. I tapped him on the shoulder when we were cycling along and told him to a) watch where he was going and b) stop jumping red lights and he just told me to 'f*ck off'. nice.
It's no wonder people hate cyclists.
I'm a fairly keen cyclist but going out with my missus and daughter means I have to halve my speed - and even then I'm still waiting for them most of the time. With an e-bike, they could keep up with me and we'd all enjoy it more.
As for the Strava thing - to me that's a non-issue - but I think that's because I'm unlikely to ever find myself in the top-ten of any segment and so it makes no difference to me. As it is, I use it to keep track of mileage and little else.
As for the overtaking/holding up issue, that I can agree is frustrating. I have the exact same problem with the red-light jumpers who overtake you when you're stationary and then hold you up when you're moving. I had to have a go at some old bloke the other day because in less than a mile he'd jumped 5 red lights and the last one he went through just as it changed and I was moving off. As I got up to speed pretty quickly, he moved over right in front of me and almost took my front wheel off. I tapped him on the shoulder when we were cycling along and told him to a) watch where he was going and b) stop jumping red lights and he just told me to 'f*ck off'. nice.
It's no wonder people hate cyclists.
yellowjack said:
Having said all that, it IS at the very least mildly annoying to see someone whose Strava username contains the word "e-bike", or similar, having taken high placings, even KOMs on local MTB segments. The whole point of Strava is (at least WAS) to compare your human-powered efforts against a) your own previous best effort, and b) the best efforts of other riders, on a fair and level playing field. I've heard of people using remote control cars/drones, electric bikes, ICE motorbikes, refusing to crop rides that quite obviously include trips in cars/on trains at the start or end of a ride. It shouldn't really matter, but it does get annoying when it starts to be a regular thing.
Come off it, Strava is just a bit of harmless willy waving, there are no rules, no podiums and no prizes. If you want to compare your efforts with other riders pin a number on your back and do it where it matters.Razor O Rourke said:
yellowjack said:
Having said all that, it IS at the very least mildly annoying to see someone whose Strava username contains the word "e-bike", or similar, having taken high placings, even KOMs on local MTB segments. The whole point of Strava is (at least WAS) to compare your human-powered efforts against a) your own previous best effort, and b) the best efforts of other riders, on a fair and level playing field. I've heard of people using remote control cars/drones, electric bikes, ICE motorbikes, refusing to crop rides that quite obviously include trips in cars/on trains at the start or end of a ride. It shouldn't really matter, but it does get annoying when it starts to be a regular thing.
Come off it, Strava is just a bit of harmless willy waving, there are no rules, no podiums and no prizes. If you want to compare your efforts with other riders pin a number on your back and do it where it matters.paul789 said:
Swinley just ALWAYS seems to absolutely *rammed*. Amazed you get any opportunity to enjoy it there.
I've seldom found Swinley even 'busy'. The only time I can recall was a PH group ride but that was on a weekend, so hardly surprising.Some of my trips up I've barely seen a single soul the whole way around the trails. It's glorious when it's like that too. Peace, tranquility, solitude, and great trails. You could probably put three hundred people into a forest that size and only actually see or meet a handful of them. I usually ride up too, and join Red Trail direct from the Devil's Highway. If I do that, and don't bother going up to The Lookout, then it can feel like I have the entire place to myself for hours. I'd go more often, but there's a lot of good single-track (natural, rooty stuff) closer to home. It sometimes feels as though the 8 miles or so of riding to get there is wasted if I set out wanting a 'proper' MTB ride. The last three times I've schlepped up there have been to meet other riders, and once I got a lift because a riding partner insisted on driving me up.
The key for me is to ride during the week, during 'normal' working hours. It's OK for me as I don't have a job, working folks would need to take a day off in the week. But it's worth it for some clear runs at the trails, and the thinking space that isolation in the woods can bring with it.
A lot of the 'gnarly dudes' seem to spend most of their time sat on their behinds at the top of climbs too. They talk about "sessioning" and chomp on energy bars, but seem to do little actual riding, preferring to form little groups to talk about riding...
I've no problem with people riding electric bikes (I'd never want one myself mind) but if they're using them to beat people on Strava then that's just not on.
Whatever you think of Strava there are goodness knows how many thousands of people who enjoy it and I would be mega pissed off if someone on an electric bike took one of my KOMs.
Whatever you think of Strava there are goodness knows how many thousands of people who enjoy it and I would be mega pissed off if someone on an electric bike took one of my KOMs.
yellowjack said:
paul789 said:
Swinley just ALWAYS seems to absolutely *rammed*. Amazed you get any opportunity to enjoy it there.
I've seldom found Swinley even 'busy'. The only time I can recall was a PH group ride but that was on a weekend, so hardly surprising.Some of my trips up I've barely seen a single soul the whole way around the trails. It's glorious when it's like that too. Peace, tranquility, solitude, and great trails. You could probably put three hundred people into a forest that size and only actually see or meet a handful of them. I usually ride up too, and join Red Trail direct from the Devil's Highway. If I do that, and don't bother going up to The Lookout, then it can feel like I have the entire place to myself for hours. I'd go more often, but there's a lot of good single-track (natural, rooty stuff) closer to home. It sometimes feels as though the 8 miles or so of riding to get there is wasted if I set out wanting a 'proper' MTB ride. The last three times I've schlepped up there have been to meet other riders, and once I got a lift because a riding partner insisted on driving me up.
The key for me is to ride during the week, during 'normal' working hours. It's OK for me as I don't have a job, working folks would need to take a day off in the week. But it's worth it for some clear runs at the trails, and the thinking space that isolation in the woods can bring with it.
A lot of the 'gnarly dudes' seem to spend most of their time sat on their behinds at the top of climbs too. They talk about "sessioning" and chomp on energy bars, but seem to do little actual riding, preferring to form little groups to talk about riding...
The only exception to this is the Labyrinth, which I really didn't like the first time I rode it, but which is now probably my favourite trail there, unless I get stuck behind people slower than me!
Kermit power said:
On the occasions where I get time to ride on my own, I tend to head to Swinley rather than the Surrey Hills specifically because I know if I stack it, someone will be along much sooner that I can ask for help. Having said that, even on a Saturday morning, I've never found it to be too busy to enjoy, as I know it well enough to know where to hang back and let a slower rider get some space in front of me.
The only exception to this is the Labyrinth, which I really didn't like the first time I rode it, but which is now probably my favourite trail there, unless I get stuck behind people slower than me!
I know what you mean about the relative security of knowing that "someone will be along in a minute" when you ride Swinley. The options for dealing with slower riders are pretty much 'close up and blast past at the next section of fire road' or 'hang back and let them get further ahead'. I don't like to 'tailgate' less confident riders, though, as they're inclined to try to let you through where it isn't really appropriate, and I'd hate to cause someone to fall off/over because I was crowding them too much.The only exception to this is the Labyrinth, which I really didn't like the first time I rode it, but which is now probably my favourite trail there, unless I get stuck behind people slower than me!
The Labyrinth? It's a hellish torture device. It's gotten steadily worse with pot-holes and braking bumps over the years, and I still don't "know" it's twists and turns. I come out of there sometimes feeling seasick, and not knowing which way is up, as it's quite disorientating with all of it's changes of direction. Great fun when you get it right, but yes, I can imagine it's especially frustrating to get stuck behind someone through there.
yellowjack said:
The Labyrinth? It's a hellish torture device. It's gotten steadily worse with pot-holes and braking bumps over the years, and I still don't "know" it's twists and turns. I come out of there sometimes feeling seasick, and not knowing which way is up, as it's quite disorientating with all of it's changes of direction. Great fun when you get it right, but yes, I can imagine it's especially frustrating to get stuck behind someone through there.
At the moment, most of the time I'm stuck behind my 9yr old! 
Any impact on my enjoyment of my own riding is more than outweighed by getting to be a proud dad when he clears the whole thing without putting a foot down! 
OK, head above the parapet time here & probably not the right forum for this type of discussion given you're all hard core
I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday) and I totally LOVE IT!
The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday
) and I totally LOVE IT!The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
piecost76 said:
OK, head above the parapet time here & probably not the right forum for this type of discussion given you're all hard core
I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday) and I totally LOVE IT!
The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
You ride 29ers????I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday
) and I totally LOVE IT!The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
You absolute bloody pervert!!!
piecost76 said:
OK, head above the parapet time here & probably not the right forum for this type of discussion given you're all hard core
I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday) and I totally LOVE IT!
The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
I don't give a monkeys what anyone rides as long as they aren't using it to cheat others (Which you aren't) I have 2 bikes, a Canondae 29er hardtail AND a Scott 29er FS ebike!
Being totally honest, the Canondale gets used most regularly but that's just me & the kids. I do try to get out as much as possible on the ebike (was in Peaslake on Sunday
) and I totally LOVE IT!The ebike makes cycling just even more fun and therefore I do it most weekends. When was the last time I took the Canondale out on my own - can't remember and I only bought the ebike in February.
For the record, I'm 43, in OK shape and enjoy MTB trails (Bedgebury, Peaslake, Swinley etc) but I don't do Strava at all, not even on the hardtail. The ebike just makes it more enjoyable and yes I do go further on it.
Let the abuse roll in!
There was a very interesting post about a local "fun" race "Runners vs Riders" where a guy was riding an E Bike. A proper "Sit back and get the popcorn out" jobbie!
The problem will come when people start riding them on the pavement and mowing down people with them. There is already enough hatred aimed at responsible bikers for the red light jumping, pavement riding idiots you get in London and no doubt other cities. Imagine getting hit by a big heavy electric bike at 20mph on the pavement? Not good.
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