Is my E-bike making me weak & lazy like everyone said it would? Let's test with data!
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
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Ever since I got an E-bike, I've been told my random internet commenters that I am going to get weak and lose all my fitness, and, well, rather than just believe them I figured I would run my own little experiment to look into this claim with actual data!
Hope you all enjoy this one, lots of fun and some pretty interesting results!
LFRHGS
Alexander
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0:00 The Experiment
1:45 Acoustic bike Ride
6:33 What E-bike am I riding and why does it matter?
9:27 E-bike ride, let's go!
19:09 Run the numbers! - Розваги
9 months ago I was depressed and anxious, and only left the house when I absolutely needed to. I would never do anything close to exercise. But one day I hopped on a Lime e-bike and had a lot of fun, so I thought why not just buy an e-bike and give it a go. I loved riding MTBs as a kid. So I got myself a Cube Reaction Hybrid Pro, and absolutely love it. Now I ride my bike 3 days a week at minimum, and am feeling so much better physically and mentally. No medication ever really helped me, but the natural endorphins and dopamine from riding my bike has changed me for the better. I have tons more energy, I feel much better, and I’m a better person to be around. So honestly, the e-bike has genuinely changed my life for the better. I get out on the trails, rip some berms, do some jumps, and get home feeling better than I’ve ever felt in years. I can’t do the massive jumps that you guys can, but I know I’m improving every time. You’re a good bloke Alex. Your enthusiasm is infectious.
Way to go dude! 🎉 What a great story. Keep up riding and enjoying life to the fullest.
The amount of extra enjoyment I’ve gotten out of mountain biking since getting an e-bike is absolutely insane. I used to be a total jerk during the climbs since I could never keep up but now I feel like I can actually hang. Also, getting more laps has led me to feeling better on the bike than ever before. E-bikes are definitely the way to go for me!
imagine how it feels like for someone like me who could actually keep up on climbs and train hard with the muscular. Not only I can now do way more multiple laps downhill and finish my rides faster, but when I go uphill, specially through tech, I can go hard and fast just as if I were going down it is just extremely fun, this is something that no one who hasn't ridden an ebike will ever understand.....
I've been riding mountain bikes in Western N.C. for about 30 years. I'll be 71 this week and have put almost 7000 miles on my Levo SL in 3 years. I can honestly say that I've had more fun riding my Levo SL in those 3 years than you can imagine. Longer rides, usually 25 to 30 miles, more climbing, more exploring, more calories burned and a great workout (average heart rate actually slightly higher). It is just an absolute blast, and I've probably extended my mountain biking lifespan by 10 years! Thanks for a great video....the numbers don't lie.
I love my Levo SL!
Just ordered a Levo SL!!!! Can't wait.
I'm 68 and have just ordered my first emtb. twenty five years on mtbs for my. Looking forward to having that same experience as you. All the best.
68 got an orbea rise and ride way more now. Days when I wouldn't go out on my regular bike cause it seemed like too much work have disappeared and the fun is back.
If not for Ebikes, I wouldn't have recovered from my heart attack so quickly (I was 28)
Now I'm 31 ripping up downhill parks including Kanuga, Snowshoe and Bryce.
Even with an Ebike you still have to pedal. Your heart still climbs, you still sweat.
The only real difference is the bike is 10 to 12lbs more and you can go longer, increasing how much fun you can have in a day.
You had a heart attack at 28? You must have gotten the covid shot.
I think e-bikes just showcase how deep rooted the fatphobia is in people. And also how insecure so many of them are.
Because if someone thinks that e-bike is cheating, they are thinking that everything is a competition.
@@positiivi_teme fat phobia isn't a thing. Thus ain't no where near that deep
@positiivi_teme e bikes have nothing to do with fat phobia. You still get a lot of workout on the ebike, you just can go further and enjoy yourself more. Also, I workout a lot and still want an e mtb just to go faster on the trails.
@@kevinburke1325 = exactly my experience riding trails with an e bike. It's just more fun pure and simple. Will I toss my pedal bikes aside forever, shoot no, but e bike is a great way to increase the fun here and there, even build some new skills cornering at higher speeds and such (while being safe for other of course)
I've been mountain biking since the mid 1980s and am now 69 years old. I just bought a Specialized Carbon Comp Levo in addition to my honest Specialized Carbon Stumpjumper. I usually go out on my Stumpjumper for an hour or two until I get tired then switch to the Levo and find I can ride longer and climb steeper trails, so I usually end up burning more calories on the Levo. No matter how hard you workout or try, age eventually catches up with you. Love both bikes and enjoy riding both.
The workout I get on my Levo SL is still pretty solid. It feels more like I'm going out for a jog than doing sprints with rests on a normal bike. On my ebike I can do the climbs and immediately hit the downhill, so it feels more of a sustained cardio workout vs hard spikes in heart rate and having required rest at the top.
Ditto. I've got a full fat Levo and have detuned the eco from 30 to 20%. I keep it in eco except for any technical stuff. My fitness has been absolutely transformed by my Levo and, as I said in my comment on this thread, the fact that I love it so much means I'm doing so much more exercise than I otherwise would.
I have a levo comp alloy,, and with my knee injury and the onset of COPD it has helped me get back into mountain biking. I loved it as a kid and get to enjoy it again,, I wish I had the skills I had back then, but just getting outside and in the woods is fun enough for me, I do get ragged on some but most the people I kno have seen its not cheating and most thebpeople I ride with want to get one now
My wife is 69 and didn't start mtn biking until she was 64. If she goes on long 3 hour group rides it takes her days to recover due to a sore knee or hip. Planning to get her an ebike. She is 5'3" and 120 lbs, any suggestions?
@@IthacaDon I’ve only ridden my specialized Levo SL and it’s been amazing. Doesn’t have the same battery or motor as a full fat e-bike but for my riding it’s perfect. I’ve been able to go 20 miles without running out of battery so range isn’t an issue. It’s also lighter than the full fats so it rides more like a traditional bike.
@@IthacaDon agree with Cory, for your wife's size, weight and age, I would suggest you test an SL first, for lightness mainly. Either Specialized Levo SL, Santa Cruz, or Orbea Rise or Trek fuel EXe would be my first choices.
If she needs better range or assistance, then you'll need full fat like the Levo, Trek Rail, Heckler, and many others. I'm assuming you want full suss of course.
My 900wh Norco Sight VLT C1 ebike allowed me to ride 3x more than my analog bike. 3x distance, 3x elevation gain and most of all 3x the fun. You are 100% right, there is nothing wrong with ebikes....lets all support one another because at the end of the day, WE are all mountain bikers..Peace🙏
E bikes are amazing they have allsorts of benefits, im a gravel bike rider mainly but do have an ebike and for the haters of e bikes? I say fck em 😂😂😂😂
That’s exactly how I see it. I tell people I get a better workout as long as I have the time to get in a longer ride. If I only have an hour or so and not a ton of climbing my analog bike is what I ride. Or I can ride the ebike for a couple of hours and then get a short ride in on my analog bike. Any other time I’m on the ebike. E-bikes are simply more fun to ride.
My "small" ebike has allowed me to ride with people faster and more capable than me. I still work my a@@ off keeping up with them but I've learned a lot from them. And this is coming from someone that is nowhere close to being a beginner rider.
My guess is that you back off more now than before when people aren't riding as fast. That recovery is a huge factor in maintaining/gaining fitness. Getting on a non-ebike would settle this though. Not knocking you, I just think it's natural and expected.
@@veganpottertheveganor just dropping the assistance or turning it off.. It's still a compromise for less downhill. So it really depends on what matters to you more or how much time you have.
@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ most people meter their use to ensure the battery survives the entire ride. With unlimited battery capacity, people will generally go as fast as they can at all times within their bike handling capacity.
@@veganpotterthevegan Everyone uses a meter to determine that. What is your point? They have 900wh batteries available that can be ridden for 5 hours on boost. That has nothing to do with what we are talking about. Personal responsibility. You can always get off and walk or hike a bike if your not dedicated to getting a great workout. For every left turn you're going to try to take and detrail this converstation, remember that the only actual logical solution falls on the operator. If someone wants to get a really really good work out.. They will. If they don't it's becaus they don't want one. That is on them and them alone.
@home2roost walking up a climb can easily be a harder workout than "climbing" with full assist😅 *I'm not blaming anyone for anything. I'm just talking about human nature.
I bought an e-bike for my father earlier this month because he is 58 and it is a great way to get him on the trails. I’ve loved this sport for 7 years, so I support anything that makes it more accessible. They need to be separated from acoustic bikes in races for very obvious reasons that you proved in the video.
"acoustic" bike... a hilarious word that was invented by e bikers to describe a BIKE.
@@jeffrogers2180an E- biker called my regular MTB a analog I had never heard that and was a little annoyed by it. 👍
They are separated already. I mean, having a motor helping you is clearly an advantage in climbing, as we have seen in the video :D You can do double the distance with an ebike. Thus, it is already a different category. In fact, there are quite cool emtb festival, such as the "E-MTB World Tour by Bosch" and whatnot. Really cool stuff!!
@@jeffrogers2180 It was first used by a bike brand when comparing the two bikes years ago.
I'm an old school "mechanical" mountain biker, I'm in my late 50's and I ride semi-regularly (Denver, CO. area). I used to hate on e-bikes for no other reason than being left in their dust on some of our cruelest climbs out here (Belcher Hill @ White Ranch, among other Front Range ball-busters). Now I no longer care, I consider e-bikes another sport. Watching this video, I'm wondering a couple things. Obviously there's no "lying" about the heart rates (that was in fact surprising), what I'm not sold on though is the algo behind the calorie burning. Is it based on heart-rate x avg speed (or other speed data) x time x distance? Something doesn't sound right to me but I could be wrong.
Both my road bike and my mountain bike are equipped with the same computer model that includes a calorie burn counter (I don't use a heart rate monitor anymore). If I go on a 2-hr road ride with an avg speed of say, 17 mph (even including a grueling climb, I'd still probably be doing 6-7 mph at the steepest, and could easily reach 38, 40 mph on the downhills), it will show something like 600-700 calories (iirc, don't quote me on this). If I go on a 2-hr mtb around my neck of the woods with all the above mentioned suffering (so climbing speed of 2-maybe 3 mph and downhill not exceeding 18mph), I'll end up with half that calorie count, possibly even less, for a miserable avg speed of 8 mph... that just makes me laugh because I know it's baloney. Again, when I see how much I suffer up a climb and some dude on his e-bike blows by me, even if he does laps around me all day, my perception (I know...) is that I will have burned a bunch more, but what do I know... Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things. Love the channel btw, so no hate from this guy.
This is 100% what I expected. I also expect that haters are gonna hate. Ride on!
Ebikes allow you to turn a sprint into a marathon without having to pace yourself, so the results aren't too surprising - it keeps you going at the moderate, sustainable effort much more of the time, allows for the harder pushes to go really hard, and supports an active recovery between those pushes.The ability to dial in the effort needed regardless of what the terrain throws at you is absolutely phenomenal for zone 1/zone 2 training as well, which is what really builds endurance.
For me the big thing with the ebikes is getting trail etiquette to catch up. Don't ride fast on the ups that are downhills for most people to avoid serious collisions and give the amish bikes some space on the flowy trails. I will let you pass when I can.
I can definitely see this, but I think it's actually quite important to acknowledge this is a person 'problem' not an E-bike 'problem' ya know? A person on a reg mtb can be just as impolite as a person on an ebike.
Don’t assume that just because a person is on an e-bike going up they are going any faster than a person on an acoustic. I’ve ridden past folks on an up hill and they are somehow offended because I’m on an e-bike. But they were also pasted by an even faster regular bike rider and had no complaint.. Haters gonna hate.
After knee surgery I’m no longer able to ride normally aspirated like i used to. I’ve done loads on a bike including podiums as a pair in 24 hour mtb races. It took me a year to realise I need a new way of enjoying cycling again. I got a full fat Trek Rail and love it. I’ve got a smile on my face and anyone who says I’m cheating I don’t give a shit, because in my eyes I’m winning once again as I’m able to ride like I want to.
I have purchased an ebike this year and my takeaway is you get more out of every ride. It keeps you moving Instead of exerting most of your energy climbing. You'll find yourself taking more laps, taking less breaks and most of all, having tons of fun. The things are heavy AF so you'll also get an upper body workout lifting the bike onto the rack :)
Yes, exactly I am experiencing this since 3 years now, and can relate fully. Also I own TL SL 2019. 20kg on a rack is not that of a big deal.
After lots of time was spent on e-bikes that's what the stats are showing. In the beginning when they first came out everybody for the most part was hating on them because it was like cheating when before that we worked really hard to get up the hill to go back down. There's no disputing the fact that e-bikes make it easier going uphill and make the whole experience a little easier. I'm not an e-bike hater anymore I'm sure I will get one at some point. The truth is I really enjoy riding my normal bike without a motor and put in the work in for the reward. I know with e-bikes you still put some work in but it's just not the same. Good video. I will probably end up getting an SL at some point because I like the idea of a lighter bike that gives you just a little bit of assist
Man! I’m so happy you make videos. This was informative, fun, and interesting. Thank you for keeping it clean and with no profanity. I like your style. 🙂
I'm not against ebikes per se, they are great for people who wouldn't be able to get out on a bike otherwise. I think the main reason they get so much hate is because they are prohibitly expensive and you are basically buying your fitness. At the end of the day I still have a higher regard for the person without the ebike, just for the fact thatbthey put the hard work in.
I think it depends on what a person wants to use a bike for if it’s solely for fitness or just enjoyment. I stopped riding my regular bike for awhile now because I spent my fitness doing other fitness activities such as lifting weight , Spartan races, gym, rock climbing, etc. I do have a ebike now and it has allowed me to add cycling back into rotation and still able to do all my other activities as well. I loved biking more for the views scenery and my “me time” so to speak. So I guess all in all it’s good also for anyone who still wants to ride a bike whilst still maintaining and having time for their other activities as well. Cheers 🎉
As always great video! I just got an e-bike and as a dad it allows me to be the weekend warrior on the trails. That ride that use to take 2 hours only takes an hour. It has allowed me to ride more often in less time which helps with the work/family life. Now just need more parks to allow class 1 e-bikes!
I love this. The numbers are what they are!! I did a similar video a while back and got a similar result! I was so surprised when we captured that we also burned more calories on the E. Less rest times, more activity, elevation, miles ect. I also love my classic bike. Both are so fun! Love having the options and love being outside
We definitely ride our ebikes differently, I rarely put it in turbo and spent most of my time in eco mode even if I would have enough battery to be in trail or turbo, it just feels better to me. I have a full power Levo so that is a big difference in power for sure. I do like the eMTB mode that my buddy's Trek has which adaptes to his input effort. I wish the cat 1 mountain ebikes were not lumped with those throttle controled quasi-motorcycle types by so many people.
It depends on who I'm riding with to what mode I ride in. If it's by myself and I am out for a big ride, it's trail or eco. If it is with a group of Ebikes, especially full powered bikes, (I'm on a first gen Levo SL) then it's quite often turbo most of the time.
Wholehearted approval of your comments re e-bike users and inclusivity. Big tick from me (aged 64, 20 years a mountain biker) now an out and proud e-bike rider since buying one this Summer. It has given me back my love for this great sport.
The outro was perfect!!!!🤘 I was against them at first, mostly due to all the trail access we had been loosing…but now I see have seen the light! I did a very similar test…first trip to Bentonville this spring, two days on “Amish” 😂 and two days on e-bikes. At the end of the day, we came back just as tired on the e-bikes….we just went 2+X as far! I will say I was able spend more time “fun riding” and was a great way to see Bentonville and all that it has to offer!!! Great vid.
You lost access to trails, because of ebikes? Because you were riding them and you were not allowed on those trails? Otherwise that wording makes no sense.
@@LimPu sorry no…I don’t have an e-bike yet. Montana and Idaho had been loosing trail access to even regular bikes (hundreds of miles of trails that had always been ok for biking closed) and at the time e-bikes were just giving the anti bike people more reasons to close things.
I recently got a Fuel Exe 9.7 and picked up a Liv Embolden + for the GF. We live close enough to Bentonville to go quite frequently. Up until this last trip, the first with the ebikes, I normally had to wait for her on the climbs followed by longer rest periods at the top. This last trip, we were able to stay with each other on the climbs and the rest periods were shorter as well. This allowed us to ride more, see more, do more and to do it together. I'd say it was our best trip ever because of that.
I rode in Eco except for the return climb trails, then I punched it up. The Eco setting provides me with just enough assistance to take some of the sting off the climbs on normal trail riding which was fantastic.
I had the same observation as Sampler, these things pick up speed almost scary fast compared to my normal bikes. You get used to it but it is really noticeable when riding the same trail that you normally do on a normal bike.
Great Vid Alex! Our group is slowly ditching ebikes after 4+ years with them.
They were fun. To get the same workout you gotta push them hard, meaning rides were limited by battery capacity.
Now I feel ebikes are good for short high intensity rides, 1 to 2 hours.
But I do prefer non-e so that 5+ hour rides still happen.
Outstanding production brother , love your insight and outlook , I’m with you just ride whatever you choose , I’ve been riding a turbo levo since October 2022 and have lost 60 pounds , I’m 59 but what inspired me to get an Ebike was a 70+ year old couple just shredding on e-bikes like 10 times up and down the canyon to our 4-5 trips on abikes , it’s double the miles and time spent in the saddle and still ride my Abike as much as possible and love it , thank you for this video
I love this video. Thanks for the time and effort it took to produce this.
Great video Alex and spot on message! I've never been able to relate to feeling any different about someone riding an ebike compared to the Amish. I also love your reference of the Amish living up close to Lancaster county. It's a great tool for those who struggle to ride due to injury and age. I have a buddy that bought one as well to use for pre-riding Enduro stages. Helps him get in about twice the practice runs. I was shocked once though when a fit looking guy passed me at my local trail system at the beginning of a climb and looped the trail I was dropping into before I dropped in. I was surprised by him coming up behind me as I finished my climb, and took me a second to register it was the same guy lol.
The Amish in Berlin OH ride eBikes.
@@shizzlistic I would love to see the Amish ripping trails out here. They play baseball so they can rock the helmets and there's some good trail systems in the area.
I spent a couple of weekends recently cycling thru Amish country and it’s very hilly. It motivated me to push a little harder on the climbs so that a middle aged woman in a dress didn’t pass me…😂😂
I paly both acoustic and electric bikes. Most of the time locally I'm acoustic, but there are days where, if I didn't have an electric option, I might not ride whether do to time constraints or recovering from a hard ride the day before, etc. In these cases, I get a work out that I wouldn't otherwise have gotten. Having said that, the primary reason I got the electric was to be able to self-shuttle in places like Bentonville, which means more smiles per mile.
Kudos , Alex. Have seen many of these comparison videos but yours is really good. I ride a lot nut my wife had pretty much given up. Now she has an e bike, we ride together most days and she loves it. Game changer!
My eMTB is the perfect recovery bike when I blew up days before on my single speed.
I also love using it for commuting. All about the mantra of “one less car”.
Exactly! Plus most ebikes can be adapted to be that recovery thing or still a training tool or just a commute vehicle. I love both types of biking, but ebikes have re-enabled me to ride more often.
I don't ride ebikes because i'm in it for the suffering. I want it to be hard, like the 10 endurance race I just did yesterday. But that's simply not for everyone. I get so sick of these people that have to denigrate ebikers to make themselves feel better. If you're not participating in a race and you still care that someone is on and ebike... you have a character defect yourself.
Not to mention I feel bad for the people that want to come out and enjoy these places but don't have the fitness to do so. ebikes will absolutely help them build that first level of fitness they need and let them enjoy the ride so they don't give up on the first try like some do when they start with an Amish bike.
It's true. Many of us have such easy modern lives that we need a little recreational suffering.
Same goes for me, and I enjoy riding with my friend on the ebike because not many people can or want to join me for a 30km, 3h ride.
It's not a character defect to dislike something. Everyone has a right to an opinion and this idea that you're required to like what other people like is pure silliness. Everyone cares what other people do, this is normal and good.
At 62 I'm in excellent shape and ride my ebike four or more times per week! My heart rate on my analogue was telling me that I was in an unproductive state- zone 5, i.e. too high, for too long. Dangerous! Everywhere in my area requires steep climbs. On my ebike i am in a productive zone 4 most of the time, zone 5 occasionally. My heart is happy, My knees are happy. I go farther, higher and the downhill is definitely more physically demanding. Higher cals burned is because you go longer, higher, and downhill is more demanding.
Ditto! 62 living on the front range. In Z5 taking too many breaks on the acoustic bike. Got a eMTB and now I am in Z3-4 sustained with zero breaks. I am able to charge the techy chunky downhills with more energy. Win/win in my book!
I used to ride my ebike a lot more than I do now. I realized I just don't get nearly as much enjoyment from the ebike as I do from my regular bike. I feel much more accomplished and happy after a 2k ft day on the regular bike than a 4k ft day on the ebike
.... and everyone respect (myself included) your chice, just remember to 'give' choice to others.
bravo!!! As an old cyclist who has embraced this amazing ebike riding revolution, I have certainly experienced what you have since acquiring your ebike. Even before ebikes hit the scene I experienced these negative reactions from some individuals about my ride. I've never been able to afford the spendy bikes, even now I ride a cheap home built ebike, but that doesn't diminish my experience of just being out enjoying the ride. I can also overwhelmingly testify, that I have met some of the most amazing, friendly and considerate people who were cyclists. whether ebike or amish, Ride on Sampler!!!!
Appreciate the time and research on this. I upgraded from a pedal bike to ebike a few years ago. Noticed I am taking longer rides, able to ride in hotter conditions because of the cooling effects with the added speed (95-105 degrees F in SW during summer), I can ride in windy conditions that would slow down or sideline a pedal bike, and I purchased an ebike for my spouse and we can ride together at the same exact speed with a simple adjustment of PAS levels. I can see myself riding an ebike into my 70s/80s (mid-50s now).
Dude great study, it was like a science project!! Would love to have an ebike one day. You get to ride longer and enjoy the ride!! You are so real and an awesome person!!
I love it! Great video. As a rider of a regular MTB, and an eMTB, I can validate getting the same workout on either one. And a lot of the time I’ll ride longer on the eMTB because there’s this fun factor that pushes you to ride even more.
Never lost the simple joy of riding thru the woods with buddies. 72 and love my e-bike.
Nice video, love'm both! Hammered 4 climbs at Kanuga in turbo my last time up there. Had to take some time to catch my breath at the top, but I was grinning from ear to ear!
Great video, Alex! I think it is one of your best! I do not have an e-bike (I’m so happy with my custom Propain Hugene - have you ever ridden one?!) but my wife got one and I am so happy! As we live in Germany we went to northern Italy this summer, to the Dolomites, and did epic bike and hike tours as well as a Mountainbike tour that took us through two passes and two stunning valleys - and no way would she have done this without the e-bike. So sad for both of us if she could/would not have joined me! So I think different people need different bikes. Next I think that no matter what bike you have, you can ride in very different ways: you can bumble along or you can give everything you have, depending on what kind of rider you are. Of course this will always be reflected in the calories you burn or how fit you are. The idea kind of like about the e-bike is that you can just get more riding into the tight gaps you have for riding as a working father/husband. What I would miss (I think) is that nearly meditative state of mind when you find your rythm on a climb. And I am not to sure if riding ever more is really a desirable goal (like with everything else in life…). But great video and I think one day … 😉
Love this video and your message. Thanks for sharing.
This sport is about having fun and enjoying the flow.....regardless of our levels or gear. I started as a road rider and recently got into the mountain bike scene more seriously and absolutely love it....before I knew anything about the different gear the vibe on the trails was always inclusive and there was a sense from other riders that we there was an understanding that a trail could take any of us out at any moment.....this past weekend we were riding and came up to a bigger rock slab drop and paused to think about it...then a dude flew by and nailed it...and it said "I've done this 100s of times and just keep up the reps and you can do it!" Like any sport riding with more experienced peeps helps overcome the mental challenges....and e-bikes just help us ride more....and I have never felt any stigma or flex on the gear anyone has been riding....honestly the road riding community doesn't feel as inclusive and ego-less....hence why i ride alone mostly
Hey, thanks for doing all this work and getting all these numbers.Great side to side comparison. You have proved what I have found in my 4 years of
E mountain biking. On my E bike, I get my heart rate and calorie count higher than I did when I road my old fashioned "analog" bike. Now when someone questions my fitness, I can send them to this video. I'm 72 and without my E bike I'd be riding roads right now.
With all due respect, if you're riding at a higher hr and burn more calories on an e-bike than on a "analog/acoustic" (cringe - a bike is neither a clock nor a guitar lol), why would you be stuck to riding the road if you did not have an e-bike? Reading your comment makes it look like it's harder to ride an e-bike than a mechanical bike??!!.
After 10 rides on the ebike, when I got back on the regular bike, I stopped 3 times to check if my tire was flat... No power in my legs... so it's definitely not the same work... and I rarely used the turbo, on trail settings 90% of the time I was.
I love the way you handle this, shows what kind of person you are. Keep up the great work
Just want to say thank you to both you and Seth. I am overweight and looking to do something fun to lose the weight and I came across both of your UA-cam channels. Just got my first mountain bike last month and like riding the bike. My friend took me to a mountain bike park for the first time and it was a lot of fun even thought I’m not in shape. I hoping to get into better shape and upgrade my bike along my journey.
I've ran into a mix of people on ebikes in bent creek and Dupont. My only issue with Ebikes is they open up the doors for any user regardless of their experience. With out experience, there is a lesser degree of trail etiquette; this could degrade the experience for regular recreational users. Example is when I witnessed a kid riding a rigid throttle ebike in flipflops down ingles with out yielding or when I was in dupont when some older folks were riding their ebikes unprepared (little water, no tools, and lost).
i was in Stowe, VT this past weekend and rented my 16 y/o son a Turbo levo and I had my heckler. We did 20 miles and 2K fleet of climbing in 2.5 hours. It was rad and we had SO much fun. And when it was done, we still had enough energy to go play a round of disc golf. I'm a total ebike convert.
I don't have any desire to ride an e-bike, and can't afford one, even if I did. However, I anticipate a day when my age no longer permits me to ride without some assistance, and hope I can get one in order to stay on the trails.
Great video Alex, I don't own an E- Bike but, I've been on rides where I wished that I did own one. I agree 100 % with your views on this. This was a fair and perfectly worded opinion & hopefully no one was offended. Free World 💯👍
Rad video and interesting data :). More laps is more laps. Glad to see you out there!
Amazing video! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I'm thinking about getting an e-bike now. You've really inspired me! ❤
WOW! OMG! i was not expecting that ending. SO good to know. Thanks!!
Love your channel and videos. Well done and well said about the hate towards e-bikers. I just purchased Turbo Levo SL and have been riding it for 2 weeks and the stoke is palpable. I'm getting 3X's the amount of riding in 1/2 the time. Total game changer. Keep up the great work.
Great video. Love the E-MTB 's and actually like the heavyness of it over the lighter standard bike
Alex, Sawadee krap from Bangkok. Wow, you rode an e-bike and truly appreciated the video for ALL riders!!! As far as stats...you got it; MIKE DROP! Thank you for educating the uneducated. Homeward bound to PHX next week to ride this Fall Hawes Alliance Trails. Blue skies my friend, Jg
Great work mate, despite the numbers ppl still wont believe it. I have always thought that I get just as good a work out on the ebike - but I have to option to really coast if I am just not feeling it sometimes. Keep up the good work!
Personally I wouldn’t get an e-bike, however when I was riding in Alaska (highly recommend) I rode one, the guy demoing them, said even with the assist you will get stronger and ride longer rides. He was like early sixties, looked great and did a casual 9 mile loop in the morning, in Anchorage. So I’m shook on them
The e-bike hate was a lot worse when they 1st came out around 8-9 years ago. These days I dont see it at all on the trails. I love mine and will always have one of each.
Well said - as long as your out riding !!! It’s all good in the woods !!
I’ve only had two experiences with E assisted enduro bikes. I was given a turbo levo for a day when my mtb was unexpectedly not ready upon agreed pick up and I rented a Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay at Sun Peaks BC. I was inexperienced with the Levo so I didn’t control the power on the tech climbs, but by the time I rented the Rocky Mountain I was competent. I climbed to Lake Tod from the rental shop and still had energy to ride bike park. The previous time I climbed Tod from base was on my Giant Anthem X Advanced(billy goat), I rode two laps of park after that and was cooked for the day. Has been clear to me since why E assist makes sense, have not made the plunge but its in the works!
Im from Europe and terain here is verry steap where i live. I stoped MTB in year 2005 and this year begun to MTB again. I tested 10k$ amish MTB and i didnt like it. As i tested E-MTB for 8k$ i fell in love i finaly could ride like i wanted.. i make 50km in 2-3h a day riding trails and hillclimbing and its insanly satisfing. Some days i fill up my battery when i come home and go for more riding in the evening...I would regret buying amish bike and wouldnt ride as much. ITS MORE FUN uphill with E-MTB. i got my stamina back i only need upgrade my fittnes.
I bought my E-bike in May of 2022 and have ridden it just over 8,200 miles. No experience with bicycling other than years ago as a kid. It was an impulsive buy but it turned out that I absolutely loved it and started daily riding. I haven't given it up yet, I've stopped driving a car. My health has improved massively. I had a terrible cigarette smoking habit that I quit quite promptly after knowing that I wanted to improve my riding ability. Just shows how much I really wanted to improve on the bike. Now I'm interested in non motorized bicycles but that would not have happened if I hadn't had an E-bike to get me started. I like to watch roadie content now and some MTB stuff on occasion. I have two batteries for my commuter style E-bike and I went on a backpacking trip with it a few times this summer. Stayed at campground tent sites that had electricity. The last trip I stayed at a State Park and when I rode in I found that it was a hotspot for MTB riders. A few came over to my site and wanted to chat about my bike and it's setup. They were actually very nice to me and seemed to be of the crowd that loves seeing everyone on a bike regardless of whether it was motorized or not. They showed me some of their bikes and they blew my mind. Absolute beautiful! I was scared to ask the cost of some of them though. It will take some time but I would like to own a Specialized road bike one day. It's amusing to hear you refer to that bike as an "Amish bike" because I live smack dab in the middle of Amish country and the population here has been electrifying their scooters for nearly 10 years. They are now getting into E-bikes as well. I see some of their youth riding E-MTBs.
If one just sits there and pushes the throttle and nothing else then yea....it's not going to do anything for fitness. That's not how I am doing it though. Pedal always and pedal hard, turn off assist on flat or downhill terrain and low PAS levels on inclines. Regardless, there will always be those who are bothered by E-bikes. I have asked a couple riders in the past if they want to swap bikes and compete then but haven’t gotten any takers.
I actually tried an EBike a few weeks ago, and no joke, it was so much fun, and surprisingly just as hard. Those that have never done it, don't get it twisted, it is actually just as tiring even with some assist...
The cool thing is : it doesn't "have" to be as tiring if you don't want it to. At the end of a long 3 or 4 day weekend ride having a little extra assist available means that last day ride can still be fun and not the sufferfest it might have been with no assist! You make it what you want for the specific ride. Pretty cool options.
I have been riding a Vitus esommet emtb, and I have to say it makes me ride way more then I could a regular mtb. I have not received grief for my ebike, but I've seen a lot of hate. Thank you for your video and test 🎉
My wife and I are Long time mountain bikers. Many years spent in great shape being pedal machines.
We purchased turbo Levo’s two seasons ago and absolutely love them. Riding more back to back to back days than ever before.
That said, if we spend too many days a week just on the Levo the leg strength, or maybe the will to push the legs suffers. Probably different with the lower output motor SL bikes, but frankly the time reduction or number of laps increase is such a game changer for running in Turbo on the climbs we can’t help ourselves.
Awesome vid!!! Loved the numbers 🤙🤙🤙 Sending it more times = even better.
I totally agree with these results. I take less breaks on the ebike and get a lot more miles in. I am soaked with sweat when I end so I definitely am putting out plenty of energy. I just enjoy the whole ride more and have better energy for jumps and technical trails. Lots of my trails require a 3 mile climb just to get to the trails I want to ride. I agree that it doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you get outside and get that exercise.
This is exactly why I have an e-bike in my stable, you can get a ride in with same distance or longer for 1/2 the time, with a family and working full time you can really maximize your riding time and if you do same time then you get twice the trail distances!!! win win win! Great video and opinions, you are spot on! thanks for being a mountain biker advocate!
Excellent video and great message Alex. Especially at a bike park style trail system I don't see why anyone would ride a regular bike if you have the option to ride an e-bike. More laps = More fun. More people riding bikes > Less people riding bikes.
I have been on the EB for 4 yrs. Was one of the 1st group of 3 in our area ( Northern Indiana) to ride one. Now we have plenty.
I will agree if your riding trail or boost setting all the time you will lose leg strength, while gaining upper body strength ( full power bikes..not SL) . We started out recording all the numbers like U did here and can ride an E bike in the Red HR zone if your pushing max effort.
Now days if I sweat, work had and have a fun ride with no injuries...thats a win and I'm good to go. To each their own, ride what you like and everyone have fun, because unless your getting paid $$ to win you should be having fun
As an early adopter of e-bikes, I did this years ago and still do it before analog XC races. It’s fun to compare “e & non-e” while staying fit! AND, fyi: this test has been done by every UA-camr with an ebike. Welcome to the dark (way more fun) side!👍😉
I ride an amish bike purely because I dont have the funds to purchase an Ebike. I think whatever the rider finds fun and fits in their budget is the right bike for them. Eventually I'll get onto an ebike i am sure as costs for batteries and come down. I will say it is funny when an ebike passes me on a climb because they sound like little Tie Fighters from starwars. Great video Alexander!
Super interesting - I'm a data scientist by trade so combining geeky #'s and bikes is always amazing. Was def surprised about the heart rate stats, especially your max on the e-bike being higher and the fact that your zones were so similar was crazy 🤯 great idea for a video 🤙🏼
This is super interesting and an experiment I've always wanted to do myself. Really surprised how similar the hr breakdown was! I want an ebike now!
Great video. First time viewer and now a subscriber. Recently got into e mtb's and I've never had more fun on a bike. My new (ebike) motto is "more smiles per mile"
I am glad to see you on a SL instead of a full weight ebike. I ride a Orbea Rise which is also a mid power emtb and honestly it is all I could ever need with much less weigh than a full size emtb
The rise has an ep801 motor though which is the same weight as the ep8 just purposely de powered , you could do that with software on an ep8 and retain full power for quick bursts with exactly the same bike weight, I'm still scratching my head why they didn't run a stock ep8
I find I ride more laps on local trail system on my eMTB than my MTB and have the same results similar to Alex’s. This also includes riding to the trailhead from my home on trails nearby. + not mentioned is recovery. @ 53 years young, I normally exhausted after every ride and pretty much done for the rest of the day with my mtb. My EMTB I’m good to go a 2nd ride with the afternoon group. I do still ride my mtb, on rotation, a lot skills I learn riding it which probably why I ride my bike in ECO/Trail settings.
love your work buddy - thanks for the video
I am really enjoying my e-bike. Because i am riding longer distances with it, i feel that i am still getting a lot of good exercise. Appreciate your video.
Well said Alex. Just get out on our bikes and enjoy the time!!!
Great job! Love the way you presented this, amazing!!
Just came across your vid , like what you are saying it’s an outdoor enjoyment for all I will be subscribing 👍keep on keeping on !
I have so many of your videos to catch up on but I love this. Only difference I would do is take a 3-4 break then go out on the eebs. Just to really solidify it in. Also, I think Seth said it best in his rock crawler course at the Ranger Station, it's a recreational activity, therefore there's no right or wrong way of doing it. Just go out and do it. Hell yeah Alex. Hopefully you make you way our to NH and Ic an run into you once.
Just got a Levo Expert and LOVE it. My Levo rides compared to my Hightower are nearly twice as long and on the Levo… I really enjoy the climbs.
Sweet looking Fezzari! I have their hardtail, the Solitude, and love it.
I ride 4 days a week normal bike, one or twice a week gym and weekend i ride ebike. If you do only ebike you definitely will loose strength as long as you dont ride only in lowest mode but then i question owning an ebike. but its good to use to train your cardio as if you would ride flat on a roadbike. For me personally this bike (rm altitude powerplay) is just a fun toy i use when i feel a bit burned out riding . I must say i ride a lot and an ebike is just to have a side of the sport that is pure fun like a bike park.
I guess my dislike for E-bikes comes from the idea that people are finding ways to avoid putting in the effort. It's a reflection on society. People wanting something for nothing. That and I have come across a couple assholes who basically push you off the trail... Riding up a single track trail, I had a E-bike come flying by me. No warning, no call out, just came up behind me and basically pushed me off the trail going by..
That’s just someone being rude. I’ve witnessed a fit XC rider push past a group because he was on a Strava segment. No different. If people are going to be lazy, they are going to be lazy on anything. The benefit of the Ebike is being able to do more than you would on a normal bike. The whole point of a bicycle is to be able to go further and faster than on foot, an Ebike just extends this. If you really were concerned about putting in all the effort, you should sell your bike and run.
The Orbea Rise I have had for a couple of years has helped me stay way more motivated about riding in the hilly west, which has helped me get my health in check.
I've found that my sl-emtb allows or encourages me to ride more often or further than I normally would have with my acoustic bike. No more excuses: "I'm too tired's" or "not enough time" etc. The dreaded climbs are gone, and the downhills are more fun because I didn't exhaust myself during the climb. I'm now game to ride anytime and almost anywhere (still have to consider my charge and range. But after further understanding - no problems). With less OVEREXERTION I have less injuries and better recovery times and my legs are actually pretty strong because your pedal stroke torque throughout the rides is different than the analogue bike. And you have stronger handling from managing the ebike heft. It also has improved my desire to ride my analogue bikes more because I appreciate their weight more. E bikes are just a perfect compliment to your cycling-period.
Great video, I bet the shorter recovery times from the climb was a big part of this. Another thing is, more fun/laps obtained, for your buck at Kanuga, with the EMTB
I’ve been mountain biking for almost 40 years. When I got ill and need chemotherapy some 5 years ago,my mountain biking would have been finished. However my e-bike gets me out in the woods and on our moorland where the smell of the trees,heather and bracken make me smile and feel alive again. So thanks for the technology it’s giving me a sense of being independent again and can ride with my friends again.
I love all my bikes and I found the same results with the emtb's. You get what you put in.
Nothing beats an e-bike for self shuttled DH laps… more laps equals more smiles! Just ride damn it! 🤘🍻
Funny, I just found this video because I do mtb and just got a fat tire ebike. Though, it's not an mtb bike. I got it to cruise around town and actually fish with it. and you know Google is always listening /watching. Anyway, I enjoyed this video immensely. You're a cool cat! New subscriber here.
i got an emtb so I could keep riding after a car accident left me with post concussion symptoms and headaches. I'm riding more than ever now and loving this sport again.
As someone with Type 1 Diabetes, the number one thing stopping me from enjoying rides more is my blood sugar going too low after hard climbs and having to consume carbs/sugar while all my friends had to wait for me along with the terrible feeling of having low blood sugar while doing cardio intensive workouts. I still ride my hardtail on shorter/milder rides, but my Orbea Rise has allowed me to enjoy trails, friends, and rides so much more.
If an ebike allows anyone at all to enjoy mountain biking, i consider it a good thing.
young legs get old and healthy people can get sick...
The other thing I would like to note is I may only ride 2-3h on the regular bike, but 4-5h on the emtb. I find i get a better full body workout on the emtb.
The big difference i do notice is I get winded more on the regular bike. I just don't have great lungs, never have. And on the regular bike I run out of air, long before my muscles tire. On the emtb while that can happen, I can more actively manage this, and keep going harder for longer.
As you said so much more riding and laps even in the same time window, which means your skills go up. And there is nothing stopping you from training on the emtb and then going out on the analog bike. I mostly keep the acoustic bike for shuttle days/lift days, or when my emtb is getting a service/broken.
I have a full size merida e160 (2020 model), which has the e8000 motor, and smaller 504wh battery. I run my modes fairly low and detuned, so I still do most of the work, and get really good range. Eco at 30nm torque, 40% (out of a max 300%) assistance. Trail at 50nm torque, 90% assistance. Boost at 150%, 70nm torque (max torque, but still only 50% of the max assistance the bike can supply). If I ride with acoustic bikes, generally use eco or sometimes off. When ride with other emtbs, generally stick to trail. Boost is only for insane fire road climbs or 'shortcuts'. Even in tech features, my trail setting is ideal.
I treat my modes like gears, and switch them up and down as needed, and try to conserve. But ideally for me that nice middle Trail mode setup is awesome. On a downhill run, there is only so fast you can go/corner. It more realistically comes down to rider skill. On a tech climb, much the same. It is only really on open, flat climbs or fire roads that running much more assist really makes a big difference.
In Australia we are limited to 26km/h (15m/h), where as I believe it is 20m/h (32km/h) that you guys have in the US. I have my emtb set to US mode even though I am not meant to, because it's the sweet spot for most of my riding. Yes I still hit the limiter and have to work hard over it, but not as often, and it lets me get that bit more power in again when I need it between features on the trail.
When people argue and say emtbs are lazy, they really have no clue. Plus so many of them do shuttle/lift days, and don't think that is lazy....
TL:DR - if 8hrs on an e-bike feels like 5hrs on a conventional bike - you can ride longer and still get the same workout. Big W.
I haven’t watched through the end of the video yet (it’s playing as I type), but I imagine you’d have less energy exerted over the same time (2hrs vs 2hrs) however, when you can put in the same exact effort and get 1/3 to 1/2 more distance or time with the Ebike and have the same effort it’s definitely worth it. When you can ride 10 hours in a day and feel the same exertion as if you rode 6-7hrs on a regular bike, that’s awesome.