Interview: Richie Schley, and the prejudices against eMTBing in the US
Richie Schley is one of the big freeride legends that have brought a new spirit and style to mountain biking and helped to shape our sport. We caught up with the Cali-Canadian during the presentation of the new YT DECOY on the Cote d‘Azur to talk bikes and of course, shred some trails!
So Richie tell us, how did you get into eMTBing and how has it changed your life?
Well, I’ve always been curious about the e-bike, because in my mind I picture it as a shuttle. You know instead of having to drive up the mountain or take the lift or whatever. But I go back and forth because I don’t have that many friends in California who have them, so I think the more people that get the e-bikes the more fun it’ll be and I think I’ll use it a lot more. I think it’s super cool because you can just do so much more riding. You have to be so fit in this sport in order to enjoy the downhilling unless you have a lift or crew that want to shuttle together. I think to have longer travel, more aggressive e-bikes you just get way more riding in.
When did you start riding e-bikes?
I think about five years ago. Then I switched brands, and YT didn’t have an e-bike until now so I kind of mellowed out. But I’m super excited now because it’s back on again. I really believe e-bikes are pretty awesome for the sport, and I’m yet to hear an argument about the dangers or hazards or negative part of e-mountainbiking. Every argument I’ve ever heard I don’t think its a legit argument, I think people should be open and if its a pedal assisted e-bike I think it should be able to be on all trails like all mountain bikes.
You’ve been living in the US, in LA, for seven years now. How do you see the situation there?
Right, where I’m living, in Orange County, I think in most of the parts it’s illegal to ride an eMTB. And I think that it’s gonna take time. I was spending a lot of time in Germany watching the evolution, and I think it’s just when people don’t understand something, they’re skeptical. So I think there needs to be an education process, and the laws need to be more specific because a pedal assisted bike makes no difference compared to a mountain bike. I think it’s going to take time, and hopefully when more people adopt the sport then hopefully we will have a better position because more people fight for it.
What are the most common prejudices you hear?
Well, I think people think you’re going to be coming too fast and have a collision, but I think we all know on a flat trail when two people are coming the opposite direction you can have a collision no matter what bike you’re on right? And then I hear people say “oh people will be coming up trails you don’t expect them to come up, but yet where I live we hike-a-bike up super steep trails or if you’re a really good rider you can pedal up sections so that can occur also. The other one I hear is people will get too far out where they shouldn’t be and they’ll get themselves in danger. But when I’m home I’ll run into people once a week who are hiking and are lost, so they’re all just ridiculous fabrications of a problem, I believe. I think people also believe that there’s gonna be trail erosion, and as you know if you’ve ridden one of these bikes, it’s kinda hard to erode the trail unless you’re really trying to, so arguably someone can do that on a normal mountain bike also. The one that I hate the most is that it’ll bring more people to the sport who shouldn’t be there, but that’s just selfish and we shouldn’t have that attitude.
Have you experienced first-hand how e-bikes can bring new people into the sport?
A lot of my surfer friends want to mountain bike but they’re not fit that way, their physical fitness is different, so I can’t wait to put them on an e-bike and get them into the sport. There are a few older surfer guys that used to mountainbike a little bit, but then they went and bought an e-bike, and now they’re so into it. Mountain biking is such a hard sport, it’s so physically demanding, and to climb the hills takes too much commitment to have the fitness needed to do it for a lot of people. I think that’s where the bike will really open people’s eyes, as you don’t have to have this commitment to being physically fit in the same way, and you can still enjoy the sport.
What do you think could help to reduce the existing prejudices in the US? In Europe, eMTBing is a huge thing and no one is really thinking about it, it’s just naturally there and evolving.
I think in the sport of mountain biking we have a few issues. In my whole time in the industry, every new product gets criticised. The front suspension, the rear suspension, the dropper post, the disc brakes, it’s all cheating, cheating, cheating. I mean, how can suspension be cheating? And now this is another thing, it’s just a little step further because you’re helping with the power. The people that are cross country racers or riders who are in it for the toughness and stamina have that conversation all day. But for the people who do this sport because they enjoy it, this is a way to enjoy it more so why would you criticise it? More people need to try it and see it and realise there’s really no difference. I think it’s just going to take some time.
Thank you for the interview, Richie! It was so much fun flying up and down the hills here with you on electric wings!
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Words: Robin Schmitt, Richie Schley Photos: Johan Hjord
