But you're missing the point. These eBikers are trying to resell you IPA as soda!

Here's also what you said:
As if someone else's choice of bicycle affects you in any way at all, and felt the need to come down hard on them. Did someone on an ebike steal a KOM from you? It is the only rational thing I can think of that would instill such hatred towards something that should affect you in absolutely no way.

I don't have one. They don't interest in me in the least, but then again advances that I am sure many here ride like CF frames, electric shifting, and aero wheels don't interest me either. At the end of the day, I don't go around in life being a giant Richard with what others choose to use, unless I am in direct competition with them and they are breaking established rules. AFAIK, there are no established rules or competition in my touring, hence back to live and let live.

I'm not forcing anyone to adhere to MY standard. I'm calling you out for a ridiculously shortsighted view on what others should call the activities they do, because of a definition you hold.

Wait for it...... YOU PEDAL.

My touring bike has 15 gears, and my other road bikes have 10 and 12. Why do you need so many gears? HTFU, or something like that (or do what you want, and I won't really care, and I'll still talk to you about touring even if you're bikepacking on a race bike or riding a unicycle or on a Huffy beach cruiser, because I am not a pretentious elitist that has to be better than someone)


As with most things in life, I don't get the hatred towards people going about their lives differently than oneself, because they are doing something you wouldn't, when it affects you in no way. Someone just explain to me how someone else touring on an ebike affects your life in ANY WAY. Just one example, no matter how ridiculous, that doesn't have to do with semantics.

Live and let live. Pretentious attitudes ruin this sport far more for me than ebikes.

I would say touring on an e-bike is way more friendly to the environment as well as all the traffic and noise than cars bring. So better to see an e- bike on the Camino trail than a Hummer... Hehe. Although I thought the reason for the Camino is to walk or ride under your own power and reflect ? I would say biking or running immediately puts u in touch again with the scource... What ever that means to you ,,because as you need clean air and energy to move ,,you become aware of where it all comes from.. And it is not from a gas can...

The reality of the ebike world is that I have never seen one that did not require the person to pedal. I've seen gas conversion kits, I'm sure there are electric conversion kits out there somewhere, that operate solely on a throttle, and have mentioned that I agree those fall to the category of a moped (even if I have zero desire to tell them what they can and cannot call their activities on such a device). Maybe there are people with those that don't pedal a single stroke and tell people about their bike tours, I kinda doubt it though.

Maybe an e-bike should not be called a bike. It is a two wheeled electrically assisted vehicle.?

Point taken. Some people call a Mcd's burger, fries and soda dinner too. Not me. And don't get me started on off road e bikes either. Touring here, correct? I don't care what others do, not since like 8th grade. Free country and all. Live and let live? Same thing as one commuter in a 7 person SUV. Can't fix the world? Start with yourself.

If you blow by me on a leg-assisted motor bike as I climb the 15% grade at the end of an epic climb, and snag the last decent the hiker-biker campsite, don't expect me to invite you over for a beer that evening.

OTOH, if you need the motor to haul a cooler up the mountain, we can overlook our differences.

Meh, your loss. Seems like an incredibly specific situation to worry about, but whatever. Can't imagine being so frustrated when I'm supposed to be out having a good time on tour that I resent people because they zipped past me on an ebike. The couple dozen that passed me over a week, not once was I ever upset or annoyed with them, and shockingly enough the couple I talked to were rather nice people.

After an unfortunate accident, I had to agree with the fiancee that I won't carry glass beer bottles in my cargo short pocket anymore, so...

:D

I have invited many a touring bicyclist over to my campsite and gave them a beer, or some water, re-charged their laptops/phones... Never once bragged that I did such and such on my tour. Why? Because I realize/understand that they are doing it their way and my way would not be "approved" off. Invited them to my house when they passed through my town through warmshowers and at the campsites... Whenever the topic of my way of touring came up they all said they wouldn't do it that way (and I understand that), but if it works for me, good for me for doing something, as it's better than nothing, it seems that when talking person to person strong opinions can still seem to accept that others can, and do, do things differently... and hey, it's OK.

I don't think his issue is really with being passed but rather with losing a campsite that is supposed to be for people who arrive solely under their own power, which is understandable.


To me, riding an eBike sounds like riding a moped, and that evokes the comparison between mopeds and large women.

Yeah, but if they got the last campsite, he wouldn't be inviting them around for beer anyhow, he'd be on to the next campground!

And while all the ones I've seen are in no way like riding a moped, I'll give you this anyways: :D

Yeah, that example made me think of stealing someone else's parking spot. They'll be unhappy with you, but the issue isn't the type of vehicle, rather the behavior of the pilot.

There are places I don't want to see e-bikes, such as the park by my house that dis-allows any motorized vehicles. But generally speaking, I'm happy to share the road with e-bikes (or motor-bikes, or whatever).

A friend recently picked up a 90s Specialized Hard Rock with a front hub-motor. It's really cool, but disturbingly heavy when you try to simply pedal it. I hope I get to see the day when we have e-bikes that can rival pedal-only bikes on weight. Oh, and the controls on his bike are poorly engineered: it's hard to use the rear brake lever without inadvertently twisting the throttle.

I like mopeds, too. :-)

Yes it can be, just like some E-Bikes are basically mopeds. My E-Assist bike is ride able just like a normal bike, a bit heavier but no noticeable drag from the motor when not using it, which I don't as often as possible...

While the bike purist may not distinguish an e-bike from a motor bike from a moped, in many places in the US, the law does. E-bikes can basically go anywhere a bike can go, and that may work out for the best. I don't ride an e-bike, but I'm not opposed to them. What I do love is bike infrastructure, like bike parking in my city, or the bike/ped paths around the city, or longer trails like the GAP. If e-bikes make these things more accessible to more people, then more money will be put into them. Seems like a good thing to me.

Of course then you raise the ire of anyone who thinks that their way of riding the only way. On the other hand, I ride my bike daily in a place where almost everyone drives, so I guess if I gave two figs about what other people thought of my transportation choices, I wouldn't ride at all.

Now let's talk about the real posers: those weirdos with 3 wheels. It's called a BI-cycle! What a bunch of cheaters. ;-)

Can you provide a source which backs up your statement?

Here are official trail rules for the GAP Trail:

https://www.gaptrail.org/plan-a-visi...ns/trail-rules

"1. No motorized vehicles except wheelchairs."

I interpret that to mean that E-bikes are not allowed on the GAP Trail.

I regularly ride on a trail which bans all motorized vehicles and which has a posted speed limit. I've been passed more than once by a young woman on an E-bike going in excess of the posted speed limit while she barely pedals.

I totally disagree with these laws... 750 watt is Way to much power for an E-Bike to be considered a bicycle, and a throttle is a no no. IMO http://globalebikes.com/california-e-bike-laws/

This is exactly the what I've been trying to point out. Somehow these eBike fanatics what to believe that because they have to lightly pedal that negates the electric motor and magically converts their motorized vehicles into the equivalent of a bicycle.

It's not that anything happens "magically." It is that in many cases by (state/local) law e-bikes are indeed considered bicycles and NOT a "motorized vehicle." I know that one can say a bike is a vehicle and an e-bike has a motor, therefore it is in violation of said posted sign, but that doesn't mean it actually qualifies as a motor vehicle by law. And in that case, if the e-bike meets the qualifications of the law, that e-bike can indeed be used legally on that path.

This is the BS that I'm talking about! :( :( :( :( :(

The E is for 'Evil'.

I stated something that is factually verifiable. How is it BS? I admit I didn't give a run-down of each state's specific laws, but the point is, in many places, the average e-bike sold from a local e-bike shop is legally allowed on a MUP even if it has a sign that says "No motorized vehicles," because in many places, the law does not define said e-bike as a motorized vehicle.

The law's an ass.

Fanatics... If you are talking about me, I assure you I am NOT an E-Bike fanatic. In fact I have said over and over, that I don't think E-Bikes over 350 watts and have throttles are/should be considered bicycles, not even by the law, to make them legally bicycle allowed to ride where a regular bicycle can be ridden... ;)

Your examples all totally ignore low powered E-Assist bikes with no throttle that you HAVE to pedal to get anywhere, all the E-Bikes you see being ridden like that are not what I am talking about... :rolleyes:

As to the US laws that allow those over powered E-Bikes to pretend they are bicycles I too TOTALY think it is BS. :thumb:

I understand the difference between a bicycle and an E-Assist bicycle and yes you are correct they are not the same, never said they were... :p

Are you trolling in your own thread...? :rolleyes: