Anyone can chop an onion, but it’s a skill that doesn’t automatically make you a good cook. Right now in the world of E-MTBing, there are lots of new cooks flinging ingredients together to make their own E-MTB soup and establishing new formats of racing – but in the process, they risk dragging the whole kitchen into disrepute.
We’ll be the first to admit that we initially felt a seismic pull towards E-MTB racing; how could you resist a new discipline with brand-new opportunities that brings together fascinating high-tech components that you only previously found in traditional motor sports? But the euphoria was short-lived: even though our editorial team has its roots in competitive cycling – seeing us still race marathon, enduro, and downhill – we’ve had to have a re-think. The more we’ve learned about the topic of E-MTB racing, the more incontestable are its risks and dangers.
Does every sport need a competitive edge?
As the E-MTB world continues to blossom, race organisers and manufacturers are sniffing out opportunities to create new styles of racing. However, this is the wrong approach, and it’s set to harm the sport more than help it – after all, the sport itself is still in its infancy. Unlike athletics, swimming, or even mountain bike marathons where it’s all about the athlete competing in peak condition, the thrill of E-MTBing isn’t enhanced by competition, but by fun. This fun comes from the playful ease with which we flaunt an E-MTB as the tool to exceed our own physical limits and feel like Superman for a brief moment: the e-support essentially suspends our own physical limitations for one precious moment. It’s the same sensation dished up by freestyle sports, which incidentally have all been affected by the creation of a pseudo-competitive edge: snowboarding, surfing, and slopestyle to name just three. Now there are counter-movements led by pros in a bid to refute the commercial pressures from event organisers and sponsors. But the situation for E-MTBs is worse: there isn’t just community and camaraderie at stake, but the discipline’s reputation and any legal foundation it has.
Nine reasons not to race E-MTBs:
Fun over competition: The fundamental principle behind E-MTBs is enjoyment. If you want to race against the clock, then pick a racing-oriented conventional mountain bike.
E-MTB racing is false marketing: E-MTBs aren’t sold based on podium positions or trophies; they sell excitement, the feeling of liberation, and adrenaline. The industry shouldn’t try to sell E-MTBs as high-performance racing machines, but as tools for an unbridled good time.
The warm-up act: If you’re going to copy conventional race formats, then E-MTBing is always going to take second place to the original. Even slotted into the lineup for a mountain biking event, the E-MTBs will be resigned to a role as the supporting act of the festival: fun to watch, but the crowds and the press only really care about the main act. Who has ever enjoyed a cover band more than the original?
E-MTBs are too slow: Even at a mass participation event, E-MTB races have to be kept at the 25 km/h limit, but that’s a nominal speed for well-trained athletes. Most races across the globe will see riders crushing 25 km/h for around 95% of the time.
E-Marathons are essentially anti-advertising: Think about why sports like surfing, skating, and skiing are so popular for the masses: they’re exciting, the locations are awe-inspiring, and as sports there’s a refreshingly casual vibe. Images of skintight lycra-clad riders with the early stages of a paunch are not exactly going to draw in the crowds. Where’s the excitement and adrenaline that’s so present in the world of enduro, and branching out in so many other lifestyle ads?
Motor doping – unfair and gives a bad rep: It’s not uncommon for E-MTB races to see an unfair bit of tweaking and tuning. As soon as the stakes are raised and there are sponsorship deals looming, then the tuning is just going to get worse. Hidden alterations are very hard to control, so how will E-MTB race organisers be able to guarantee a completely even playing field that’s as well regulated and expensively controlled as other motorsport events like F1?
Bad role models & worst case: Elite-level athletes will never be immune from being role models – but how can you eliminate motorized doping from E-MTB racing? There’s already huge controversy surrounding motorized doping that the road and cross cycling world is battling, so promoting E-MTBing as a new competitive discipline will stir up a whole host of issues – and pimping up the motors beyond the 25 kph limit could be its downfall. Worst case: a ban or even official legal proceedings against all (e-)mountain bikers. If any more negative reports about cycling emerge in the media, they might be the tipping point that could destroy the sport for amateurs as well.
Poor business acumen: E-MTB races won’t be sustainable, as there are very few E-MTBers with the drive to compete. Moreover, it doesn’t look likely that participation from E-MTBers in races is even on a upward trend: just 10% of E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine readers show interest in reading news about E-MTB races.
Who has time to race? E-MTBers frequently have less time to train – and racing when you’re not in top condition doesn’t make much sense. Plus, E-MTBers rarely have a free weekend to travel to a far-flung race location, let alone spend enough quality time with their families.
We’ve been there throughout the entire development of E-MTBs, playing a constructive, optimistic, and thought-provoking role, and taking crucial steps to align the sport with the industry. But there are new cooks in the kitchen with a keen eye for a slice of the market. They’re whisking up new dishes in haste and – let’s be honest – not always to the benefit of the riders or the industry. We do not want to create more chaos than clarity; it’s a difficult time for the global E-MTB scene already, especially given America’s trail politics and E-MTBs are a touchy subject for many local authorities.
We’ll never turn a new cook away, but to succeed they’re going to have to demonstrate creativity and not meddle with outdated recipes that have lost favor with conventional mountain biking. Providing that there’s a vision and creativity in the kitchen, E-MTBs offer an unforeseeable amount of potential, and satisfying the palate will make sure that new guests come back to the E-MTB restaurant time and time again for a satisfying helping of pedal-assist.
[/emaillocker]As part of this autumn’s Design & Innovation Award 2017, we will gather with the scene’s most groundbreaking opinion leaders and E-MTB pioneers to discuss, condemn, carve out, and shape the future. Rest assured, the outcome will be worth the wait.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Click here to learn more.
Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: Isac Paddock
