eMTBs Are My Future | 40+ Mountain Biker Neil Donoghue

Neil Donoghue has officially joined EMBN full time! Neil is an ex-pro downhill racer, Enduro racer, skills coach, and original Global Mountain Bike Network presenter. He shares why he’s moving from GMBN to EMBN, reflects on some crazy injuries, and explains how the advantages of e-bikes, and their impact on mountain biking has got him really excited for the future!

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Is EMTB your future? Have you fully committed to them? Share your story below 👇

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Is EMTB your future? Have you fully committed to them? Share your story below 👇

[pinthesky]

Neil, I have been following you for quite a while…and truly have enjoyed and learned a lot through all your videos.
And I’m sympathetic with what you’re going through with your injuries that have accumulated all those years and wish you a quick recovery.
I’m 74 and my wife 67 yrs old, and we have been riding mtbs all our life, yes it is an addiction…..
Only now recently, four months back before the end of 2024, we together purchased our first e-MTB, both hardtails.
It was time, a combination of approaching “old”age and health issues made us take the plunge…. in summary it has made a huge difference to both of us…we truly enjoy our new e bikes, we ride longer, have more confidence in our abilities to conquer challenging trails, and at the end of the day we are ready, rested and fit for the next day to another ride.
It’s amazing the transformation that those e-mtb bikes have given to us.
It’s like starting all over again from the very beginning.
Wish you happy days w/ EMBN….god bless and take care. Cheers

[Dalbymtb]

This guy has experience definitely a great addition to the EMBN team for the future

[andrewterker]

I started mountain biking 3 years ago at age 71 after 50 solid years of road and gravel cycling. My first MTB was a Specialized Levo SL, and I loved it! My wife and I live in Switzerland and are both passionate EMTB riders...in the season I do big rides in the Alps almost daily. (My wife is much younger and still works 4 days a week....but 3 days a week and on holiday we are on our bikes together as much as the weather permits. In June I got the new Rise SL with the 630 wh battery. This bike has opened up a new kind of riding for me with long, very steep ascents (and descents back to home.) I feel my EMTB's have given me a new lease on life; they have massively increased my enjoyment of everyday life. Enjoy this phase in your life. March is nearly around the corner...

[PaulSchofield-yr]

Cracking vid dude, you're articulating exactly how I feel for sure. (48 years young). PLEASE do the adventure rides. 🙏 We are well aware of our local trails and the famous bikeparks that we all get funneled into however eeb's now give the opportunity to go back to our teenage adventure days.
I don't think we realise the capability of opening this kind of riding that eeb's offer us and there certainly isn't enough media on it for sure.
Single day and multi day adventure rides are amazing and I for one would like to do more.

[chrislynch]

Good luck with your recovery Neil. 62 here and into my fifth year on my emtb which I absolutely love(when it's working !) Me and a couple of similar old duffers enjoy big days out on the trails in our native North Wales. You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing. Age is just a number. Enjoy

[stevemendelson]

I come from a surfing background .We always said that the person having the most fun! is all that matters !!

[TheTree]

Pleasantly surprised to see my comment mentioned. Cheers Neil

Another great video on your road to recovery and why we love eMTB.. therapy for body (especially aging ones) and mind.

Keep up the great work embn 👍🏼👍🏼

[paulmaag]

I've been riding mtb since 1983. I moved to mtb from motocross back in the 1970's. Mostly changed to mtb for fitness and reduced injury potential. Over the years, I crashed hard many times and have pain syndromes. At 72, I still absolutely love riding single track, especially the gnarly steeps. I ride about 4 days a week year round.
I really can't thank the bicycle industry enough for these amaxingly wonderful e-bikes. I clearly remeber how fast I could climb in earlier years, making analog, traditional mountain bikes just plain slow for me at my age. E-mtb's bring it all back!
I have saved my money to have two of them, one a super endurro and one a mid power light weight. What a wonderful opportunity to ride into my 80's and maybe my 90's!

[JB]

I gave up playing soccer after not being able to mentally get back into it post ACL surgery. A couple years later for my 50th bday I bought an ebike. Two years after that I'm back to analog bike. Too easy to abuse the power and get lazy on ebike for me. Lol It did help me get back into biking though. I may keep it just for extended rides in nice weather when I can ride to local trails. Best wishes Neal!! ✌🏼🇨🇦

[MartinEdgell]

Hi Neil Great to have you and your experience on bikes, and coming back from injury working with Steve. After years of rugby and cycling my left shoulder has always been a weak point. This year I tore a tendon in the shoulder making driving, cycling and household chores a big issue. Please pass on recovery options in your work. I went to a Chiropractor who has become a friend dealing with my shoulder over many years and this time he used Shockwave treatment. Almost there but had to change my bike front end to make it more comfortable. So raised the stem and shortened it. Not my preferred position but it does help at the moment. Having just turned 70 I need lots of advice to keep me riding for another 10 years. 😮
PS please tell Steve we stayed at Briez Marmora after meeting him at Roc d’Azur in 2023 and hopefully will stay there again this year. BW’s Martin and Tina

[reconaerialdroneservices]

Neil, welcome brother! You and of course many many others have taken the same path to get to e-bikes, injury, time crunch, more Trail in the same amount of time etc., and principally the domain of the 40 plus. What I think is missing from the conversation is the exponential progression of skills. After a 15-year stint in whitewater kayaking I got back into mountain biking in at about age 44. I rode for about 5 years and sort of flattened out at black diamonds with very little jumping.

I got an e-bike and haven't looked back since. I'm riding double blacks with prolines mostly not even scouting and clearing 30 footers with style.

There's no way I should be getting better at this into my 50s, the only thing I can attribute this to is the e-bike.

I was at a local park riding along some regular riders. At the end of the day we compared notes. I rode 15 laps they rode 6. Of course more laps equals more training that's obvious. What's not obvious is the e-bike allows you to do thoughtful, less tired repetition of specific features to correct and work on different skills. IMHO herein lies the true and hidden value of the e-bike.

So it's not just for aging lunatics. It's a tool for anyone who wants to get better faster! 🔥

Add Quebec Canada to your list, E47 and Sentier de Moulin have some of the best trails in the eastern United States and Canada.

Open invitation will give you the guided tour! (That is once my achilles tendon rupture heels!)

Keep up the amazing work, speedy recovery 💪💪

[rgmtb]

You're not alone my friend! I still love my traditional mtb but my life (and body) is changing. E-bikes have become more and more part of my ride.

[johnbeedham]

Neil, you’ll be just like me when you’re 69yo! A couple of hours riding in the hills once or twice a week is the best thing for great physical and mental health! After ‘getting back on the bike’ at 51 yo and near ten years on roadies and mtbs along came e-mtbs …. What a great time to be riding!

[andy-MTB]

About to be 63YO and I recently bought two EMTB's (one for the wife also). I had lots of guilt about it because we're both healthy enough. Fast forward 4 months and the guilt is gone😁 We can ride farther with more ascent and still get plenty of exercise. Best part is that after we get to the top of a long climb, instead of my wife giving me a "death stare" she has a smile on her face 🤣

[Ruffest]

On another note. The honesty of the don is just what embn needed to recover.

[frankmiller]

Hi Neil, Great video about staying in the sport. Never give in. These sports we enjoy keep us engaged and current in what life has to offer. I have a brand new E to ride this spring I'm fitting it with all the best upgrades I can figure out it needs after a hafe dozen rides last fall. Hell, I'm only 71 yrs old in April, the e-bike just makes that much more fun. LOL ( Husqvarna Mountain Cross ) Cheers Keep On !

[danielsimmonds]

Good update video Neil. I had a full rupture of my quadriceps tendon 3 years ago (age 61) and my surgeon said no more cycling! He relented and said ok, granny ring everywhere and No hills! I then borrowed an e-bike and I haven't looked back, not on the power half as much now. It's there when I need it and I now really enjoy the technical climbing an emtb offers.
Stick in and keep spinning 👍🏻🙂
P.S. I live 40 mins from Glentress... No hills!!!😮😁

[gerrywarren]

"It's just about being out there.." That comment, Neil sums up how we should all feel about MTB or eMTB. That's what keeps me doing it on my Haibike Lyke. XC rides can be just as much fun as hardcore downhill, and less risk of serious injury. At my age, 68, I don't want an injury which stops me riding.

[tcrex]

48 year old ex dirt bike rider now emtb, compound femur fracture, multiple shoulder surgeries with half a collar bone on my right shoulder and a cadaver tendon. I’m not fat and I’m not out of shape, emtb is a life saver for me I ride a trek rail emtb the climbs are super technical with power and the weight of the bike is fast downhill. When I ride the trails in Northern California people act like I’m cheating, but in my mind I’m lucky to be alive and still riding. Thanks for the older guy video it lets me know I’m not alone.