E-MTB - Errosion damage ?

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Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
Like i said….its seems ok for MTBers to damage the landscapes and carve out trails, whether volunteers or not, but no one else is allowed. Just seems double standards at play for me here.

But we can agree to disagree and move on.
Jowwy,
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m the first to go off route when the path gets muddy as hell. It’s the use of artificial assistance to forge trails that no runner / walker / mtb enthusiast would tackle.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Question: If you can't physically turn the pedals under your own power on an uphill section, no motor to assist. What do you do, get off and push the bike up or go wide of where you should be going to get to the top of section?

1. I am not an MTBer

2. i am not a landscape erosion artist of any kind

3. some one already started the erosion, but ones not happy with another group adding to it, just cause they cant themselves, cause they are fit legged people who cant get there. But if they could get there, im damn sure they would……..cause those trails wasnt always there and the fit legged mob, thought it was OK to cut a trail there in the first place.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Jowwy,
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m the first to go off route when the path gets muddy as hell. It’s the use of artificial assistance to forge trails that no runner / walker / mtb enthusiast would tackle.
An MTB is artificial assistance…….to walkers and runners.
 
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fossyant

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
There is an arrogance among many eMTBers that they will damn well go where they want. Jowwy you don't MTB so you haven't a clue what goes on.

Add in idiots on leccy MX bikes too.

The problem with eMTBs is it opens up areas to people that don't normally ride a bike and respect the countryside. As has been said before, more MX riders are using them as you can't ride MX bikes in many places.

The guy charging around in big wellies certainly wasn't a regular cyclist. Most of us abide by sticking to trails that are made for us, not using footpaths etc because we've been cycling years. EMTBs, whilst great for those suffering disability, age etc, its also enabling perfectly able bodied people to charge around these trail centres without any respect for others. Its bloody hard climbing in the forest, but when some tool whizzes past you at 15 mph with no warning, it gets tiresome.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Not artificial at all they are all powered by your own effort. The
They still have mechanical assistance……..theres a reason you dont see single speed mtbs on the mountains, cause they couldnt get there. so artificial assistance was added by the name of gears, more gears and bigger easier gears, to get up the climbs ( therefore destroying eroding the landscape ) in areas they couldnt get to before….

so no better than the Emtber.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Lets dial down the rhetoric and name calling, it doesnt help anyone and just cause more upset and annoyance……
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
They still have mechanical assistance……..theres a reason you dont see single speed mtbs on the mountains, cause they couldnt get there. so artificial assistance was added by the name of gears, more gears and bigger easier gears, to get up the climbs ( therefore destroying eroding the landscape ) in areas they couldnt get to before….

so no better than the Emtber.
OK, I understand the mechanical assistance provided by gearing. That’s been understood for centuries. To deliberately misunderstand the assistance provided by external stored energy to provide power is just trolling.
 
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fossyant

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
They still have mechanical assistance……..theres a reason you dont see single speed mtbs on the mountains
You do - folk do ride them.
 
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fossyant

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
2. i am not a landscape erosion artist of any kind

You do ride bikes on roads and bridleways - they have caused erosion. I stick to bridleways, permitted rights of way and specific cycle trails when riding (road and MTB) - most of us aren't doing cheaky footpath riding, because it hisses everyone off.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
You do ride bikes on roads and bridleways - they have caused erosion. I stick to bridleways, permitted rights of way and specific cycle trails when riding (road and MTB) - most of us aren't doing cheaky footpath riding, because it hisses everyone off.
Roads and bridleways that were built for bikes long before i was born. I didnt go there and decide to cut the trail myself, in an area were there wasnt one before…….like you have already admitted to doing earlier in thread with your group of volunteers and maintainers.

im pretty sure the gisburn mountain trails didnt just appear out of thin air…….
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
But most folk have gears, so they can ride parts of the trails they couldnt ride before……again double standards at play.
Not at all, the gearing only provides mechanical advantage to the input from the human rider, electrical assistance is great for someone such as I who are in their 70’s, but a bit of a cop out for younger people who profess to be fit, but can’t hack the real challenges.
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Not at all, the gearing only provides mechanical advantage to the input from the human rider, electrical assistance is great for someone such as I who are in their 70’s, but a bit of a cop out for younger people who profess to be fit, but can’t hack the real challenges.
So electric bikes have zero human input???
 

classic33

Leg End Member
1. I am not an MTBer

2. i am not a landscape erosion artist of any kind

3. some one already started the erosion, but ones not happy with another group adding to it, just cause they cant themselves, cause they are fit legged people who cant get there. But if they could get there, im damn sure they would……..cause those trails wasnt always there and the fit legged mob, thought it was OK to cut a trail there in the first place.
Is it the fact that the bikes in use were e-assist, not ordinary mountain bikes that got you riled.

I never said you were.

Just because a facility has been put in place, doesn't mean that it's open for abuse by anyone. The limiting factor for a rider assisted only bike will be the amount of power the legs can produce. Reach that limit, going uphill off-road, and you'll be carrying the bike not the other way round. Some of those trails would have been passable only on foot at one stage. But as mentioned by others, off-road motorbikes whose riders felt they could go where they pleased, would have soon opened some of those up. A branch here, a tree there, and from there you're on a slippery slope to losing access entirely.

For a taste of what may happen, read the two reviews on this route.
https://www.sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/trails/east-clare-way

The off-road sections mentioned, went on-road due to misuse by cyclists. The Lough Derg Cycleway, mentioned on this forum, is no longer publicised. Again due to riders not willing to stick to the trail/way. Which was a pity as they took you to some very scenic places. Places you see from afar and wonder what it might look like/what's up there.
The goodwill of the landowners was lost. A minority ruined it for the majority. You can be in the minority that calls for something to be done, or the minority that ruins it for everyone.

The choice is yours.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
But most folk have gears, so they can ride parts of the trails they couldnt ride before……again double standards at play.
Do ebikes come with only the one gear?

I make a distinction between an e-assist bike and an ebike. The latter, in my opinion, relies more on a motor to power it than the rider. Often they are nothing more motorbikes without a petrol engine. With pedals to assist with the look of it being a bicycle. I have neither e-assist or ebike, by choice.
 
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