More Miles of Smiles…
Why I invested in an eMTB
Rich Wilson
MORE Miles of Smiles.
I love riding bikes. Especially in the woods. If I’m on my bike, I’m usually happy.
There are, however, certain types of rides that I used to do, but would always pass on, when I inched closer to my 50s: long rides with lots of climbing.
For context, I’m now 53, 6’1” and weigh 250lbs. When I first started riding I weighed 320lbs, my optimal weight is around 220 lbs.
Unlike my “lighter” friends, climbing doesn’t come quite that easily. So when I got invitations to a destination with tortuous climbing, I usually passed. Some friends would just tell me, “...once you improve your cardio, you should come with us.” Unlikely…
In early 2021 I’d been hearing more and more about e-mountain bikes (eMTBs) and all the advances being made on the platform. Unfortunately most of the eMTBs I’d seen in real life were in the high 4 figure range.
I was not really considering one until a visit to the River’s Edge trails in New Brunswick, MD. I watched a really fit rider do about 2.5 times the number of runs we did in a single day. He was riding a low powered Specialized eMTB that allowed him to zip up the return line and just keep it moving. It was clear that he was getting at least the same, or possibly even more, exercise than we were. Unless we stopped him to ask about his bike, he kept moving. It was an easy formula for me to understand. More riding equals more fun, and more riding gives you more time to improve. That’s easy math. The concept was intriguing but still seemed cost prohibitive.
Later that year I was in Bentonville, AR at the Minority Mountain Bikers 2nd Annual Bike Week. Our larger group of 60+ riders split up by skill level and type of ride we wanted to do. James, our guide during that time, was a fit and excellent rider in his high 40’s. On the second day of our trip James showed up on an eMtb. I was surprised. I figured fit trail guide “hammers” could climb anything anywhere anytime and last forever. I asked him why he decided to get one, and he said that he makes his money guiding people, and that by splitting up his days with an eMtb, it helps him stay fresh and have less impact on his body. I followed him for 15 miles of technical riding and, unlike some things I’d been told, the only difference I noticed was that I could hear a low whirring from his motor when he was climbing or spinning on the flats.
He wasn’t ripping up the trail or pulling away from us. I could hear him breathing heavily after long climbs and I could see him sweating from his efforts. This use case, also, resonated with me. There were lots of times when I chose not to ride, because I was still too sore from a previous ride or a workout. An eMTB for those days seemed logical.
When I got home from Bentonville I started researching and learning more about eMtbs and the various motor choices, how the extra weight affects the ride, how parts don’t last as long, etc. I subscribed to various YouTube channels that focused on eMtbs to soak in more information. Most of the best channels were not based in the US and noticed how much further along Europe was with regards to eMtb acceptance. Locally, either riders were snarky about how eMTBs were cheating, or coming up with excuses why they were not acceptable - “most trails around here don’t allow them,” or “if you’d dedicate yourself to improving your fitness, you wouldn’t need one.” I also heard,“maybe when I get old I’ll consider one,” or “I guess they’re fine for someone who has a physical impairment.”
Despite all the naysayers I kept researching and decided it was time for me to give one a shot. I settled on a Giant Reign e+. I wanted a longer travel bruiser of a bike that was bigger than my big trail bike. I wanted to be able to head out and ride those longer, fun technical rides that I couldn’t really shuttle. Plus, since it’s an eMtb, I could finally not worry as much about the climbs.
It took me over a year, but finally, in December 2022 I found a Giant Reign e+ in my size at Martin’s in Ephrata, PA. I had a bike trip to Ray’s Indoor Bike Park (Cleveland, OH) planned with my son, so we made a detour on the way home and picked up the bike.
It took a half a dozen good rides for me to get used to riding a full powered eMtb. My Reign e+ weighs in the mid-50 lb range, nearly 20 more lbs than my portly full suspension trail bike.
After riding an eMtb for the last 18 months, it’s been everything I’d hoped.
Adjusting to the eMTB took some time, but I learned you don’t want to hit your brakes late. You must set up your corner lines and lean into the corners properly. You also don’t want to shift late on climbs because it’s much easier to damage your chain and cassette if you shift under load. Basically, the bike rewards you for proper technique and disciplines you, sometimes financially, for using poor technique. That discipline has translated to my analog bike rides. I now apply more emphasis on technique that pays dividends, especially with cornering.
After riding an eMtb for the last 18 months, it’s been everything I’d hoped. Unlike predictions from some of my friends, it hasn’t become my primary bike. My hardtail continues to be the bike I ride most (58% in 2023 according to Strava.)
What riding an eMTB has done for me is allow me to ride trails that I usually avoided, like the Bull Run Occoquan Trail (BROT) and the Mainside trails aboard Quantico Marine Corps Base. On my eMtb, those have become two of my favorite places to ride in this area. I’ve also been able to enjoy riding all of Fountainhead without the fear of cramping on the Black loop. Now, any time I know that I’m going to tackle a ride with a decent amount of climbing, and I’m riding it with someone who’s really fast and fit, the eMtb is on the menu.
Since getting the bike I have visited the River’s Edge trails a few times and enjoyed being able to easily ride up the returns without the same residual effects of climbing with my big, analog trail bike. One of my buddies went with me once, watched me zipping up the returns, and decided it was also time for him to hop on the eMTB bandwagon. He bought himself a Santa Cruz Heckler eMtb a few months later. Since then he's also not suffering any negative side effects. More miles of smiles…