Electric Bike Action - August 2016

6 www.electricbikeaction.com { FULLY CHARGED } tonyd@hi-torque.com

One of the things I love about my job is the sheer number of different bikes I get to ride—every manufacturer’s bike, at least if it’s sold in the U.S., in every price range, and sometimes many in the same place under the same conditions. Though I’ve only been the editor of Electric Bike Action for a couple of months, I spent a year and a half before that as a contributor, and in that short amount of time I’ve already seen a big evolution in e-bike technology.

The big companies and the small startups are all contributing, each one finding ways to make every aspect of the genre better. Sometimes just a little tweak on an existing part makes it better in a revolutionary way, and sometimes it’s a trend that keeps building. Some things are just different for the sake of being different, and that’s okay too. Riders eventually voice their opinions, either directly at events, via social media or with their wallets.

It’s an exciting time for the electric bike industry. It’s growing, and more people are trying out electric bikes, which leads to sales and ultimately more people on two wheels. That’s a great thing for everyone. We’re building more bicycle infrastructure, because more people than ever are commuting to work on bikes. Here in Southern California there are more bike paths being built, and some communities even have bike-share programs.

In this issue we feature the Sea Otter Classic, a massive event held each spring in Monterey, California, that kicks off the mountain bike racing season and gets tens of thousands of bicycle enthusiasts together for a four-day weekend of fun. You can see the latest from many bike companies, take bikes for a test ride and watch some racing. But, this year something even more significant happened: Sea Otter Classic held the first electric mountain bike race in North America. Best of all, 105 people raced on electric mountain bikes, many for the first time. It was a chance for electric bikes to shine, and shine they did!

In a segment of the industry with a very wary eye on
electric bikes, many new people discovered that the bikes
don’t tear up the trails, and a race on one is no easier than a
race on a traditional bike. You get help going up the hills, but
there’s still a lot of your own input, especially since the rest of
your class is powering up with the same amount of power. It’s
a race, after all!

Some of the guys who work here at Hi-Torque Publications raced in the Industry Challenge—avid, fit guys who ride often. They were surprised by the experience, remarking how it was different and harder than they expected. Neil Shirley, editor at Road Bike Action, wrote a first-person account of the race (page 32).

I think that race is an amazing first step and conversation starter. Electric mountain bikes may not be the biggest segment of the electric bicycle industry, but they’re growing. With Specialized bringing their Turbo Levo to the U.S., new offerings from SR Suntour, companies like Bosch and Yamaha making great mid-drives, and now our first e-bike race, if you ask me, pedal assist mountain bikes are here to stay!

The limits of all bikes are being pushed, like Susanne Brüsch’s trip on a Haibike across the Western U.S., riding 2200 miles from Palo Alto, California, to Denver, traveling through Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Arches National Park and up the Rocky Mountains, all in less than two months. This kind of trip will undoubtedly teach the industry about extreme distances and conditions.

Also in this issue we find out how much fun there is to have in Moab, Utah, as we test some really fun new city bikes, including one with a fully automatic transmission, and we visit some cool bike shops.

I have to say that I’m truly excited about where the industry is going. There are still some bumps in the road, but what worthwhile thing doesn’t have those?