eBike Things I've learned quickly as a noob eMTBer

[Dakine]

I really like the convergence of ebiking and gas biking.
Ebikers are now learning something that only us dirt diggers know.
Pedal bikers never had to deal with too much torque on the uphill parts.
I don't know if ebikes have the torque to pull an extended wheelie going uphill but I'm sure they will.
Looping out is a whole other way to crash.
It's not the speed, it's the sudden stops.

 

[martyg]

I really like the convergence of ebiking and gas biking.
Ebikers are now learning something that only us dirt diggers know.
Pedal bikers never had to deal with too much torque on the uphill parts.
I don't know if ebikes have the torque to pull an extended wheelie going uphill but I'm sure they will.
Looping out is a whole other way to crash.
It's not the speed, it's the sudden stops.

Analog bikes certainly do. It depends on the engine.

 

[Tony S]

Pedal bikers never had to deal with too much torque on the uphill parts.

Au contraire.

With perfect traction, too much torque is a non-issue, unless body position is wrong. But how often do we have perfect traction? I often shift into a bigger gear on a second attempt at a pitch because I spun out the first time due to excess torque.

 

[Dakine]

Au contraire.

With perfect traction, too much torque is a non-issue, unless body position is wrong. But how often do we have perfect traction? I often shift into a bigger gear on a second attempt at a pitch because I spun out the first time due to excess torque.

Au Contraire, Indeed!
There is no such thing as too much torque.
Most ebikes barely make one horsepower.
Things get interesting when you have over 100 and a four foot swingarm.

 

[wooglin]

With this talk of torque I’m suddenly reminded of the dreaded, but thankfully infrequent, uphill endo.

 

[scott43]

Au Contraire, Indeed!
There is no such thing as too much torque.
Most ebikes barely make one horsepower.
Things get interesting when you have over 100 and a four foot swingarm.

But how much torque does the bicycle have compared to the motorcycle..hmmm...

 

[Tricia]

I learned that years ago while riding motorcycles. It's amazing how much better things go when you do that instead of looking at what you want to miss.

Works in skiing too.

 

[Andy Mink]

Yesterday I learned to trust the bike. @Philpug and I asked a couple of guys about how to get down to Sky Tavern ski area. They basically said "follow us, it'll be fun!". So we did. And it was. A dual slalom section with some table tops that dropped into some heavier tree cover with shade. And rocks. Lots of rocks. Basically, we were committed. Look ahead, use the suspension, don't use the brakes too much. Fun!

 

[Philpug]

Works in life too.

FIFY.

Don't trip over shit thats behind you.

 

[scott43]

Speed can be your friend..just keep rolling...

 

[Tom K.]

Speed is ALWAYS your friend.....until it becomes your enemy!

I came SO close to that point once today....yikes.

 

[Philpug]

I am not sure speed being a friend but definitely momentum.

 

[Tony S]

I am not sure speed being a friend but definitely momentum.

They go together. The less mass you have, the more speed you need to get momentum.

 

[Tom K.]

I am not sure speed being a friend but definitely momentum.

It sure is if you're racing!

Also, more speed = more fun, at least for me.

 

[Andy Mink]

More lessons:
-pedal strikes happen. HARD pedal strikes will cause you to explore gravity. In my case, gravity won. Rocks hurt.
-it's easier to change a tube with two people.

Thanks @Philpug for the help and coming back to check on me!

 

[Tricia]

More lessons:
-pedal strikes happen. HARD pedal strikes will cause you to explore gravity. In my case, gravity won. Rocks hurt.
-it's easier to change a tube with two people.

Thanks @Philpug for the help and coming back to check on me!

How did that momentum work out for you?

 

[Andy Mink]

How did that momentum work out for you?

It's the stop after momentum that hurts the most.

 

[AmyPJ]

More lessons:
-pedal strikes happen. HARD pedal strikes will cause you to explore gravity. In my case, gravity won. Rocks hurt.
-it's easier to change a tube with two people.

Thanks @Philpug for the help and coming back to check on me!

Yes, pedal strikes can take you down in a hurry!!

@utskier slid out on a corner two weeks ago, and has a sprained thumb, sprained AC joint, and a hematoma on his waist the size of a baseball. Nevermind the "road rash" on his arm.

Rocks definitely hurt.

 

[Tony S]

More lessons:
-pedal strikes happen. HARD pedal strikes will cause you to explore gravity. In my case, gravity won. Rocks hurt.
-it's easier to change a tube with two people.

Thanks @Philpug for the help and coming back to check on me!

Yes, pedal strikes can take you down in a hurry!!

@utskier slid out on a corner two weeks ago, and has a sprained thumb, sprained AC joint, and a hematoma on his waist the size of a baseball. Nevermind the "road rash" on his arm.

Rocks definitely hurt.

My worst MTB injury so far involved a pedal strike AND a hematoma. A little stump jumped out of tall grass next to a very fast and otherwise unobstructed section of trail. Bike stopped instantaneously. If I had kept going it might have been okay but somehow I stayed attached to the bike. Got slapped to the ground like a lump of pizza dough.

After a while I rode away. About a half hour later a friend's eyes get really big and he says, "What the HELL is that THING on your arm?" At the ER they were pretty concerned about ... whatever that bad thing is that can happen with hematomas. Obviously it all worked out okay.

 

[Tom K.]

Pedal strikes -- argh, the bane of mtb riding IMO!

In my old "backyard" I used to ride a trail that I dubbed the "karmic roulette wheel of pedal strike death".

Stumps and rocks hidden 4 inches off the trail behind bear grass tufts, but such a great trail.

Aptly named The Terminator!