Where does wisdom come from? Many will say books – we say from riding an eMTB! Absurd, huh? But look, it’s more than one of the world’s best hobbies, more than a sporting activity and more than an adventure holiday. Ride your eMTB attentively, and it’s got a whole bunch of life lessons to teach!
What matters in life? What makes life worth living? And what should you keep in mind when things go wrong? To answer these questions, some swear by the Bible or Koran, others by philosophers, counsellors, or science. And then some turn to social media influencers for guidance… But as I was surprisingly swiftly making my way up a nasty, root-riddled climb, which, at first, I never thought I would make, I realised that if I could just lead my life the way I’m able to ride my eMTB, I would have a pretty good chance of fulfilment, self-determination and happiness! Whether eMTBing will become a new religion is up to everyone to decide for themselves, but here are 7 truths that two wheels can teach us!
– 1 –
Is the best really the best?
Whether in the bike shop, in forums or at the dinner table, we always ask the same questions: How big is the battery? Does it have a Bosch motor? What does the bike weigh? You don’t have to be an expert to recognise that none of these questions provides a satisfactory answer to whether a bike really suits you or not. If you don’t just want to live a life that appears to be great from the outside, full of the supposedly best products – from the biggest battery to the most powerful motor and the most expensive clothes – you should turn your attention to your own needs! Rather than following that which others consider to be good and right, like a lemming without a mind of its own, it’s better to understand things instead of just copying them. The art of life is not to seek the right answers but to honestly ask yourself the right questions: What do you want (and do you want it for the right reasons)? When are you happiest? What do you need to achieve that? What actually defines a good bike? Answering these questions is the only way to find out what’s best for you!
– 2 –
It’s only impossible until someone does it!
This seemingly impossible climb showed me: there is always a way. And sometimes it leads right through the apparent impossibility. Just one or two pedal strokes further – even if you’re about to lose faith in yourself. Of course, you won’t always have pedal assist in every situation, but a coincidence or an unforeseen encounter can make the impossible very possible! Like the fact that you’re even trying. It’s for good reason that people say: “it’s lonely at the top.” But it’s not because the mountain top is unreachable. It’s because hardly anyone dares to try! Most people fail before they even start. Because they’d rather dream their dreams than turn them into reality. There’s nothing to lose – only experience to gain. With that in mind: just do it! Often, you will get further and higher than you could ever have imagined.
– 3 –
False economy or spending more than necessary
It’s almost frightening how many people are willing to spend € 10,000 for a new eMTB and how few of them bother with a bike fitting or perfecting the suspension setup. You must have the carbon rims because you heard that they’re higher quality. You want the Kashima coating at all cost, although you have no idea how to find the correct suspension setup, at which intervals you have to do a fork service or how hard to pump the tires. Yes, there are many ways to waste your money. And for some, that’s okay! The bling can impress those who don’t know any better, but the facade will start to crumble on the trail at the latest. In addition, pure prestige with no function or, rather know-how, is a shame for products that don’t get used as intended. True brilliance isn’t revealed by appearances, but by your own skills and actions. Making the most of what you have and you’re capable of is much more satisfying than constantly chasing superlatives.
Once again, our latest eMTB group test of bikes up to € 6,500 has shown how vital it is to know what really counts. If you do, you’ll find something good regardless of your budget. You don’t need any bling-bling to have fun. Wear parts such as grippy tires are often more important than supposed prestige components – and yet many choose to save on exactly these. Presumably because the value of wear parts can’t be preserved. But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and a tire is as grippy as its rubber compound allows. Therefore, you should always have a coherent and balanced overall concept in mind and not blindly chase after one isolated must-have component and the associated promise of highest performance on the way to happiness. You can draw the parallels to real-life here yourself…
– 4 –
Face your fears
Hands up – who’s ever been afraid of not having enough battery range? We’re sure it’s most of you! But, truly, who’s ever run out of battery during a ride? Has anyone ever not made it home and is now still lost in the wilderness? What? Ah, they wouldn’t be able to let us know, right… Many fears are based on incomplete information or one-sided views, and they don’t protect us, they just make us act irrational. Many eMTB riders are afraid of having too little range, not making it home, so they upgrade and buy ever heavier and larger batteries. As a result, they carry more weight than they need – on the trails and through life – losing the spring in their step due to the additional baggage.
But why are we so scared? Often, it’s because we misjudge a situation or don’t have a clear overview. Maybe you’ve heard some horror stories from a friend of a friend of a friend. Perhaps you’ve allowed yourself to be unsettled by an isolated fact without context. Maybe you took the wrong piece of information at face value. And you didn’t question it. The problem: we often don’t face our fears but flee from them. The solution? Two simple questions: What is the worst that could happen? And what would you do if it did? In the case of range anxiety, the answers are easy: in the worst case, your battery runs out. And then you pedal home anyway. It might be a little harder and take longer – but, all too often, we forget that every eMTB can be ridden without the support of the motor! Face your fear and you will see, it’s ruled your decisions for far too long. As soon as you confront it head-on, it will usually shrink. Or disappear entirely.
– 5 –
Charge the battery, lube the chain!
Whether you’ve fought your way through ankle-deep mud, surfed dusty trails in perfect sunshine or conquered the most technical climbs in Turbo mode – every bike needs love. Especially after the best and greatest rides! It’s not just important to recharge the battery but also to take care of the suspension, torque the bolts, lube the chain and check the tire pressure. Incidentally, the service intervals don’t just apply to your bike but to you, too!
That’s because wear and tear and range have a lot to do with riding style: those who live life in the fast lane get worn down quicker. If you shift too many gears at once, your chain will snap… So, don’t overdo anything. And if you insist on doing it anyway, you should regularly treat yourself to some R&R. Leave the bike and try a different sport for a change – doing so broadens your horizons and will make you itch to ride again so much more!
PS: In Bavaria, drinking a cold beer is already considered an alternative sport; in Italy, it’s Aperol!
– 6 –
Stop trying to please others
In the early days of eMTBing, there were countless haters – you constantly heard people going on about how lazy, uncool, or even sinister it is to climb mountains with electrical support. Fortunately, that’s changed. But sadly, there are still people who are ashamed of ebiking or feel like they need to apologise or make excuses for riding an eMTB. Can’t everyone ride and live the way they want? Our sport is all about the buzz of riding, the joy of movement and a love for the outdoors. This is something we all have in common, regardless of whether you do it on your eMTB, your analogue mountain bike or decide to smoke some miles on your gravel or road bike. And if you stop apologising for everything you do in life, you’ll realise that there are no excuses necessary. Because, most of the time, no one takes offence at your actions. The haters from back then are now in the minority, let them deal with it on their own terms. You know how it goes, if you want to please everyone, you won’t please anyone. In our opinion, the opposite is also true: if you focus on pleasing yourself, you will please others too. Because those who live out their passion without making excuses inspire others with their joy and enthusiasm. And that’s what it’s all about. In eMTBing – and life.
– 7 –
Go with the flow or go home!
Ever try to master the key section on a trail no matter what? Then you surely know: the harder you try, the less you succeed. If you want something too much, you become stiff and try to force things. It stops being fun, you develop tunnel vision, and you might achieve the opposite of what you originally wanted. We’ve all gone through this and we all know that things magically work themselves out as soon as we relax and try approaching the problem less seriously and with openness. However, flipping that switch can be a difficult thing… But that’s exactly why biking is such a great exercise for life: can’t make sense of the key section? Try again next time! If you accept that you’re just not feeling it today, it’s good to shift down a gear. Flow only comes when you’re in perfect balance. Just like luck, it’s not something that you’re entitled to or can achieve by sheer willpower. But if you just carry on riding – without stressing or putting yourself under pressure – you’re already that much closer to finding it. And isn’t that the whole point?
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Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: E-MOUNTAINBIKE
