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Before talking a shit on all e-bikes let me establish my support of bikes with electric assisted motors (also called pedelec) I have ridden many of these and really enjoy what they offer for public transportation, health, fitness and general mobility with less environmental impacts than any car will ever have.
Now that I have said how much of a supporter I am, let me take a step back and be a dick about a certain segment of these bikes which is called the e-MTB bike. I have been an advocate of pedal assisted e-MTB in the past and yes, I got paid a couple of hundred bucks for this. (I needed the money) Actually if you look deeper into who advocates for e-MTBs you can pretty much say that 99% of them are making money doing so. I haven't met many that are just doing it for the cause. The problem with e-MTBs is that they are fun, yes, they are amazing. I remember that while riding them I retained a stupid smile on my face while transitioning from descents to climbs. Oh yes, climbing is fun. You still have to pedal, but electric assistance makes you feel like you have super human strength. So what's wrong with that you ask? Nothing I guess, the same way that there is nothing wrong with cruise ships bringing masses of people to remote destinations that only very few humans under difficult conditions used to get to. You can take cruises to Alaska, Antarctica and many remote islands and the impact on those environments is definitely leaving a mark (Destination ruined by cruise ships, Billions of gallons of sewage released by cruise ships) , but apparently people enjoy cruises.
Is it Ok because it's fun and people like it?
So here we are with both, the eMTB brings people to highest mountain peaks and remote destinations just like the cruise ship opens the door to far away beaches and natural wonders. Is it really necessary to bring the masses to these places, I would say no, but there is money to be made, bikes to be sold, cruises to be booked. Most likely it is already too late to stop the madness of an overpopulated adventure seeking generation.
So will I ever own an ebike? Most likely yes.
Will it be a Mountain Bike? Most likely not.
The conclusion for me is that I really like e-bikes and what the technology enables you to do as far as transportation goes. Does this mean everything needs to be electrified? Definitely not. Do I think certain places should be off limits for e-MTBs? Unfortunately yes, but good luck enforcing this.
Cheers
Jurgen Beneke
(please stop reading ASAP if you don't have a sense of humor)
Silver lining in case of a purge :)
Maybe there is a silver lining in all of this, but I don't dare try to explain this. The comedian Bill Burr is much more qualified than me for this since he came up with a solution of how he would solve overpopulation and purge the planet of certain people. Maybe e-MTBs and cruise ships are the solution after all. :) Please watch the video before complaining and ripping into me. (links below)
https://www.vulture.com/2017/01/bill-burr-knows-how-to-save-the-environment.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBWw68AjweA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=WKbBDKsSEic
