Why I STILL do not own an E-MTB (Despite having everything else)

A lot of you have asked why I do not own an e-mtb, and so in this video I'm going to break it down. Doing this was actually an interesting exercise in examining my own fleet, and why it looks the way it does.

With the bike industry pushing E-MTB hard, I get offered ebikes left and right, but always decline. This isn't due to hate or resistance, it's just a lack of interest on my part and an urge to do other things.

My trip was sponsored by Visit Bentonville
@visitbentonville
@OzTrailsNWA

Berm Peak Hoodies, Beanies, Jerseys, Shirts

Music in this video is from

#mountainbiking
#mtb

[patmarlin]

As a disabled veteran my e-bike has opened the door for me. I can get out more and not have as much of the knee pain that I had ridding my regular mountain bike. I have lost over 50 lbs since upgrading to an e-bike this year. I seriouly think the e-bike has changed my life for the good.

[LongPeter]

My brother and his family just took my mum to New Zealand and put her on an eMTB all around Rotorua. She absolutely loved it. She turns 70 next month.

[hariwhitportal]

I ride my E- mtb 17 miles daily weather permitting. I started riding e bikes when I was 68. I am now 79. The older I get the lesser I am; but my e bike has kept me on the trail. It has been a game changer for me.

[themostlymikeshow]

You said it better than anyone else that I seen. Yes, the E bikes are great, but there's still many of us that want to be naturally aspirated until these bikes are an absolute necessity. Great video!

[SethsBikeHacks]

This video wasn’t supposed to go live until next week, but I made a scheduling
mistake perhaps? 😅 Enjoy. The emtb I rode had a smaller motor and lighter build than a “full ebike”, and so keeping up with Evan and Dan actually took quite an effort once we started covering ground. It’s a great amount of assist for
someome dipping their toe in, and handles more or less like an analog.

[beezerdoodle]

I'm 72 years old, started riding a mountain bike in 1986, raced through the 90's. I find that it is not possible for me to attain the aerobic fitness that I could when I was younger so I bought a Turbo Levo in 2022 and I love it. If I want a workout I turn it down to the lowest assist level and that does it. Worst thing about it is loading and unloading it from the van. Best thing about it is railing uphill switchbacks like I used to on my motocross motorcycle. You make a great point, when people get outside they get happier, more happier people=better world. Great video!

[redbomberr]

I'm a trail builder and decided a few months ago to get an e-mtb (a 2023 Rail) because I thought it would be easier to lug the gear around. It does this very well. However, on testing a couple of features I discovered something unexpected, these bloody things are a hoot ascending trails that aren't built for ascending. A lot of times to test features in steep gravity sections we have to walk up either pushing or carrying our bikes, but now I ride up them, rocks, roots, small drops, jumps and logs. It's damn fun, I'm now building an ascent trail section with an A-Line (e-mtb focused) and B-Line called Reload which takes riders back up to the top of the trails.

[markRUshredding]

Great video and thanks for sharing your thoughts on e-bikes. I just purchased my first e-bike (Trek Fuel EXe 9.8XT) because I had to face reality. I just turned 60 and I am one year cancer free. Time and illness has diminished my fitness and I found riding up long hills this summer just took too much out of me. Bike parks are ok but I hate sitting on the chair lifts. I am hoping the e-bike allows me to have fun again and ride till the battery or daylight runs out.

[morganjones]

Had an awesome ride with my best mate and his wife on her new e-bike today. We were on our trail bikes, she’s technically capable, but slow climbing so used to hate riding with us (despite the fact we didn’t care about climbing slower to accommodate her) because she always felt she had to try and keep up. Now on her e-bike we had an awesome day all riding together and yes she did smoke us up some sections! E-bikes can be a great equaliser, and I’m all for it.

[trulsdirio]

I'm chronically ill, I basically have an built in limiter that makes me feel horrible if I exceed it. E-Bikes are enabling me to do somewhat normal days on the trails without being out of order for days afterwards. They are amazing for me and many others. But I can totally see why a healthy person wouldn't think twice about them, if you don't need one they just don't add much for you. But if you do, damn the can be life-changing!

[ryanpeters]

I had a huge knee reconstruction done years ago that took me off of the bike for many years. Having my trance e+ I now can get back on the trails. My problem on an acoustic is that I would be out enjoying a trail ride and after so much climbing my knee would hit a brick wall and I would lose all strength. I now don't have that problem and can get out and enjoy like I used to. It's been amazing to get back into biking and still be able to go to my job each day. I'm back to riding almost daily and that's a big deal for me.

[mikemcdonald]

I'm 52 years old. Until this year, I was fairly fit on the bike (100+ mile MTB rides and 4000+ miles a year). Last year I had a crash that required surgeries, and I had to spend a year not riding. I got very out of shape and put on 45 pounds. I had never considered e-bikes for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. I didn't want it to ruin me for my other bikes, and a large part of why I ride is to stay fit. That being said, now that I am back to riding, I realized I could actually have fun while getting back in shape on an e-bike. I live in Southern California where the climbs are brutal. I picked up a new YT decoy on sale for $3500, and have been having a blast while steadily getting back in shape. The key to this are the e-bike modes! When I need the workout, I force myself to stay in eco mode. This mode just helps a little (50-60 watts of help). When I feel I have earned some fun, or I need a recovery ride, I'll go for a ride in trail mode. I am steadily dropping weight and getting more fit while having a blast and doing rides I'd never be able to do otherwise. Great tool if you have a little mode discipline. My son finds it impossible to keep it in eco mode when he rides it, but I do it no problem. I also ride my other bikes more than the e-bike now that I am getting more fit. My biggest fear of the e-bike making my other bikes less appealing has not proved to be the case at all. This has been my experience. Hopefully this helps other in similar situation.

[BahWeepGranahWeepNiniBong]

They are a saviour for those of us with chronic health issues. I generally dislike the extra weight except when charging through rough, chunky trail where the weight helps keep it more composed & settled.
Overall, I love it.

[markjaye]

I've been a hardcore MTB-er for 40 yrs now. I got a Trek Rail 7 emtb two years ago and have never looked back. I ride all the same trails I rode in my regular mtb days, but I just go faster and further in the same ride time. The big difference is that I'm ALWAYS, ALWAYS up for a ride... any ride. Because there's no such thing as an off day on an emtb. Like many, I also track my heart rate and workouts on each ride. My heart rate (similar to my regular mtb days) is typically 150 - 190 bpm, with the occasional mid 120's bpm. But here's the awesome part, I ride all the time now because it's just so darn much fun. In this past two yrs, I've lost almost 15 lbs. That was weight I didn't drop for whatever reason while riding my regular mtb pretty often. Getting an emtb has been all upside from my perspective!

[nicksfishroom]

I'm turning 60 next month and have ridden MTBs and Road bikes for decades. Got a new hip 5 years ago and had stopped riding. Then...I electrified my 29er. It's so awesome. I've put on thousands of kms since. My ebikes brought the joy of riding back. None of the suffering, all of the fun! It's awesome.

[NathanEide]

The "I can do everything but carry more, do more, ride longer, drink less, etc." was why I bought mine and exactly the result I've found. It just adds smiles to the miles and allows me to have WAY more more miles, more often.

[shredbdead]

Great video. At over 50 years of age I went Santa Curz Bullit a few years ago and haven’t looked back.
Electric allows me to go twice as far as before, do two laps instead of one, and keep riding with other people who are usually 5-10 years younger than me. Plus I still squeeze plenty of sweat out of my helmet. Old school acoustic rides not wrong and E-bikes are not wrong. It’s all just mountain biking. ⚡️🤘

[Bob-ewgn]

Thanks seth...I'm 68 and my wife just passed bought an etrike and I ride every chance I love your videos....I got to key west 4 or 5 times a year and think about your ride with alex...thanks Bob

[jcrewguy]

Props Seth for covering the topic of e-mtb's. As a 62 y/o life long biker with 2 knee replacements, I bought my first e-mtb (Specializied Levo) after my surgeries and absolutely loved it. I hadn't had so much fun on a bike since I was 12 years old - not to mention the e-assist enabled me to continue the sport I love. While the full-power e-mtb is heavy, I then added a Trek Fuel e-xe to the stable which looks like it may have been the bike you rented in Bentonville - carbon frame, mid-power (smaller/lighter battery) and nearly silent. An awesome bike with just enough assist for the climbs - and yes, I sweat. You are spot-on as far as how different areas are more/less progressive to allow e-mtbs - there is confusion as to e-assist and a e-dirt bike that can tear up the trails and go far faster, so often they just ban anything "e"

[MarkW-Ztron]

Throughout my life, I've had a deep love for both bicycles and motorcycles. Now at 71 years old, managing osteoarthritis in both knees could have meant giving up cycling altogether if not for my upgraded Trek Marlin 5 gen2. Installing the CYC Photon middrive electric motor has transformed my Marlin into a vehicle of renewed freedom. I can now effortlessly embark on 60-mile rides, feeling as youthful as I did decades ago. This DIY electric enhancement not only circumvented the high costs of factory e-bikes but also revitalized my passion for cycling. Over the past three months, I've logged an impressive 600 miles with the CYC Photon motor, which continues to perform flawlessly since the day of installation. Luckily, Illinois' leniency toward e-bikes means I can explore almost anywhere without restriction. By the way, I thoroughly enjoy your videos—please keep them coming!