# Aaron Gwin thinks eBikes are awesome



## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)




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## KingOfOrd (Feb 19, 2005)

Gwin is a moto guy, of course he digs ebikes


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## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

Train Wreck said:


> Gwin is a moto guy, of course he digs ebikes


What if he was a Spandex road racer?


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## KingOfOrd (Feb 19, 2005)

AC/BC said:


> What if he was a Spandex road racer?


He's not though, you're going off topic now. Aren't we talking about Gwin? What has he done from an advocacy standpoint?


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## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

Train Wreck said:


> He's not though, you're going off topic now. Aren't we talking about Gwin? What has he done from an advocacy standpoint?


I thought maybe you'd be more impressed if you pictured him in Spandex... my bad...


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## KingOfOrd (Feb 19, 2005)

Sorry, I can't imagine ever being impressed by an ebiker. Good to see Gwin hyping up a bike from a company that sponsors him, he's a good salesman(and dh racer too).


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

can't say what I want to say, since this is the e-bike forum, but I've said enuf here buh-bye


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

$$$$$$$


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

If you pay my mortgage with $$ you make selling e-bikes I will come on MTBR and tell everyone how much I love e-bikes...in particular the brand you are selling.


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## 93EXCivic (Mar 12, 2018)

You mean a rider sponsored by a company is hyping up their $7.5k bike. Gasp.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

10's shocked that he's pimping his sponsors products.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

I love all the usual suspects around here who show up to dis eMTBs. Ten years from now you will all look pretty stupid, just like the XC riders in the early 90's who refused to use suspension forks (He's sponsored by Manitou, what do you expect him to say!?), the XC riders 10 years ago who refused to use rear suspension (the weight! the weight!), and the road riders today who still refuse to use disk brakes (they are dangerous because they work too well!) 

Even with your narrow minds, why would you believe that an enduro/DH rider wouldn't benefit from being able to ride an eMTB when they feel like they want a recovery day? Did you even watch the video? 

And do you really think Intense, Pivot, Commencal, Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, Giant, Rocky Mountain, and all the other eMTB manufacturers who also make the world's best MTBs are really just selling out and making eBikes for no reason other than a quick buck? Really?


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## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

127.0.0.1 said:


> can't say what I want to say, since this is the e-bike forum, but I've said enuf here buh-bye


Yet you still had to comment. Isn't it funny how E-bikes live rent free in your head.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

honkinunit said:


> And do you really think Intense, Pivot, Commencal, Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, Giant, Rocky Mountain, and all the other eMTB manufacturers who also make the world's best MTBs are really just selling out and making eBikes for no reason other than a quick buck? Really?


No. Their selling e-bikes at cost because they don't care about the money.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

Who wouldn’t like riding them, they are extremely fun. JMO - everybody relax!


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## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

I live in Murrieta, CA and see Gwin a lot. His truck has the Tazer often in it, and I’ve seen him on the trails with it, yes he believes in ebikes. 

For any pro who constantly has to do training, an ebike makes perfect sense. If your a pro and your sponsor has an ebike do you for a recovery ride A) choose a road bike & flat boring ride or B) ebike & choose whatever mode you need and ride the mountains. I’d chose B every single time! 

My local bike shop Jaxs, the manager is awesome and has a Tazer as well. Went to ride our local trails and Gwin was there with several other friends on Tazers. Asked if he could join and Gwin said yes of course. He said it was one of the hardest cardio workout rides he’s done in while. Came back hurting from the pace they set.


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## hikerdave (Mar 8, 2006)

AC/BC said:


>


Nice video with the spring wildflower bloom. His eBike "recovery days" probably violate his training regime but are no doubt a ton of fun.


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

Gravity pros (including, sort of, myself, back in the day) have a long tradition of cross training on motos. But motos can be a PITA these days - not many trails left open in many places, you've gotta trailer them around, store them, etc. 

An e-bike is a great alternative for a fit/fast pro, since you can keep it going "bike handing" speed on moderate climbs (ie, getting some braking/cornering practice in while going up) and do more laps/not get as fatigued. Arguably the perfect tool to train for enduro or DH. 

-Walt


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## nilswalk (Nov 26, 2014)

Walt said:


> Gravity pros (including, sort of, myself, back in the day) have a long tradition of cross training on motos. But motos can be a PITA these days - not many trails left open in many places, you've gotta trailer them around, store them, etc.
> 
> An e-bike is a great alternative for a fit/fast pro, since you can keep it going "bike handing" speed on moderate climbs (ie, getting some braking/cornering practice in while going up) and do more laps/not get as fatigued. Arguably the perfect tool to train for enduro or DH.
> 
> -Walt


Gasp! How dare you suggest there's any other way to get a workout than pedaling a bicycle up a hill! The horror! And moto?!? Those guys are even fatter and lazier than e-bike riders.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

nilswalk said:


> And moto?!? Those guys are even fatter and lazier than e-bike riders.


uhh ...no

there is a clear difference in training on a moto vs any e-bike

1) the overall speed. train on moto, bicycle speeds become snoozefest, your reaction time improves on a moto

2) wrestling the weight and dynamics of a ~215lb dirt bike, you get ripped arms, core, legs. if you are doing it correctly

e-bike cannot be anywhere near as good a training tool as a 200lb dirt bike. IMHO

and no you can't be a jellyfish on a moto... crashing on those gets old quick, and if you are out of shape you won't be hitting very challenging trails on one. kidney belts mandatory


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm sure most of them are still riding motos a lot, and I agree that you can probably get better, faster by riding a moto than by riding an e-bike. A couple of good days worth of riding a dirtbike is probably equivalent to a full season of riding a bicycle under your own power when it comes to bike handling skills work. 

On an average ride I do, I probably spend 80-90% of the time climbing or riding on flat stuff, and only 10-20% descending/cornering/bike handling. You can optimize that some by finding just the right trails (steep, non technical climb combined with pedaly descending) but even then you're going to end up exhausted after a few hours and if bike handling/technique work is the goal, that's no good.

But there are fewer and fewer places you can ride a moto in the US (no idea in Canada, basically nowhere in western Europe I think) especially as the western US goes through this seemingly endless population growth. 

Now, you can't ride an e-bike lots of places too, of course, but there's a lot more access than there is for motos. If I were 20 years younger and a pro racer guy again, I'd probably go that route to train unless I happened to live somewhere with a lot of dirtbike legal trails.

-Walt


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## JoePAz (May 7, 2012)

I did a group ride yesterday and one of guys brought out his new Pivot Shuttle. Last time we rode he was the back marker struggling to stay on the the group with flats and climbs. He has tech skills, but lost fitness over time. Any way we spent the ride chasing him. On the flats he was slight faster for much less effort (20mph cut off) and descents he really about the same since there is no assist when coasting. However on the gently climbs where we would drop a gear or two he just rocked away like he had motor. Well because he did. Me flat out vs him flat out? No contest. Me flat out vs him at conversational pace. No contest. There were some low grade rocky climbs he was pegging the 20 mph limiter where I was having my eyes pop out to make 10-12mph. Yeah that much difference. 

Still on the downhills it has to be ridden. So if your training is mostly about DH practice then these bikes help take effort from climbs. So in theory you can do more DH practice runs in one day/ hour etc with less fatigue. This can be plus in a rider's training schedule. 

That said it is cheating from what Mtn bike is supposed to be in way similar, but exactly the same to shuttling DH runs. Seems fitting them Pivot called their bike the "Shuttle". Because that is kind of what it is. Self shuttle. Still won't catch me on one since for me big part of riding is the climbs. 

BTW... no illegal e-bike trail usage occurred during this ride. At least to the best knowledge of current applicable laws for the area.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

He may or may not actually support riding the eBike.

But to just automatically assume that he does because he did a commercial for his sponsor just makes you look gullible.

The trails I did recognize were at Vail Lake Resort in Temecula, it is eBike legal there. Lots of very good tech riding that requires a lot of climbing to get to.

I used to be on the "I support them, but not interested in them" camp. But after a few negative run-ins with them, I have changed my opinion. I no longer support them.


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## KingOfOrd (Feb 19, 2005)

This is kind of like the time from when Gwin was riding for Specialized and they did a promo video with Gwin and Ropelato riding fat bikes. I haven't seen either guys riding fat bikes since. Its funny the things people will do/say when they're getting paid.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

I personally love riding ebikes. As a kid I used to race bmx heavy, then the freestyle scene. After that it was mtn bikes and motocross forever. I’ve spent a lot of time working in the woods as a logger and forester. The ebike wraps everything up in one package. Just when you’re starting to feel crusty on a mtb, you still have half tank left! Awesome for exploring if you stay in eco mode you can really cover a lot of ground quickly. Gone are the days of 2 hr climbs.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

honkinunit said:


> I love all the usual suspects around here who show up to dis eMTBs. Ten years from now you will all look pretty stupid, just like the XC riders in the early 90's who refused to use suspension forks (He's sponsored by Manitou, what do you expect him to say!?), the XC riders 10 years ago who refused to use rear suspension (the weight! the weight!), and the road riders today who still refuse to use disk brakes (they are dangerous because they work too well!)
> 
> Even with your narrow minds, why would you believe that an enduro/DH rider wouldn't benefit from being able to ride an eMTB when they feel like they want a recovery day? Did you even watch the video?


Not a strong argument.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks for sharing this video. I've never had an opportunity to demo an ebike, and I am open to try one day. Riding further and faster; self-shuttling sounds like fun.


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## JoePAz (May 7, 2012)

Sidewalk said:


> ...
> I used to be on the "I support them, but not interested in them" camp. But after a few negative run-ins with them, I have changed my opinion. I no longer support them.


Was this caused by douchebag users? One thing I noted for my friend and my other friends the rode the e-bike for a bit is that it changes the riding. Instead of the normal flow climb, flatish, and descend you get the idea of flying uphills. Either up normal hills at breakneck pace (till 20mph limiter cuts in) or simply climbing stuff nobody ever climbed an only went down. I see both of those creating trail useage conflicts that did not exist before. If the e-bike riders are cool about it probably is not issue, but if they choose to be douchbags... then problems will arise.


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## figofspee (Jul 19, 2018)

honkinunit said:


> I love all the usual suspects around here who show up to dis eMTBs. Ten years from now you will all look pretty stupid, just like the XC riders in the early 90's who refused to use suspension forks (He's sponsored by Manitou, what do you expect him to say!?), the XC riders 10 years ago who refused to use rear suspension (the weight! the weight!), and the road riders today who still refuse to use disk brakes (they are dangerous because they work too well!)
> 
> Even with your narrow minds, why would you believe that an enduro/DH rider wouldn't benefit from being able to ride an eMTB when they feel like they want a recovery day? Did you even watch the video?
> 
> And do you really think Intense, Pivot, Commencal, Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, Giant, Rocky Mountain, and all the other eMTB manufacturers who also make the world's best MTBs are really just selling out and making eBikes for no reason other than a quick buck? Really?


The XC riders are fully embracing the eBike, at least in Europe. Julien Absalon has gone from being one of the greatest XC racers in the last ten years to eBike world champion.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

craigsj said:


> ...and after a few negative run-ins with you, they no longer support you.


here we go again, 'Motor + Bike = Motorbike' advocates pulling stuff straight outta their 'mostly'

e-bikes make a lot of sense for those that want them, and not for those who don't.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

craigsj said:


> None of that makes even the slightest sense. If only you had stopped with "I've said enuf here buh-bye".
> 
> You've made 3 comments in this thread, the first completely worthless and the other two demonstrating a lack of basic reading comprehension. Why are you posting here?


I like bumping this thread up.

as far as reading comprehension think it be like that but they do


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Made sense to me.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to 127.0.0.1 again.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

I’ve ran into way more douchebag mtbrs, and yet, I still support them.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Gutch said:


> I've ran into way more douchebag mtbrs, and yet, I still support them.


Even after they laugh at your girlfriend for struggling up a hill?


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## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

Sidewalk said:


> Even after they laugh at your girlfriend for struggling up a hill?


Sounds like they where just douchebags, that happen to be on ebikes. There's plenty on normal bikes as well. Sorry to hear that, no one should discourage anyone for going out and having fun. We all had to start somewhere!


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

Sidewalk said:


> Even after they laugh at your girlfriend for struggling up a hill?


 ?? Um, my girlfriend? I don't understand. Doesn't matter. At the end of the day there is DB's. Granted the majority of anyone riding ANY two wheels are pretty decent IMO.


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## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

JoePAz said:


> Still won't catch me on one since for me big part of riding is the climbs.


You can still get a good workout climbing in Eco mode. The more effort you put into it, the more you get out. Eco just allows you to climb a couple of MPH faster than normal but doesn't do all of the work for you... so you get in what you put out...


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Gutch said:


> ?? Um, my girlfriend? I don't understand. Doesn't matter. At the end of the day there is DB's. Granted the majority of anyone riding ANY two wheels are pretty decent IMO.


I've just noticed that more of them gravitate to riding eBikes. I have been hearing stories from people I know in areas where more eBikes existed. But I had too few experiences myself. But as I have been seeing them more and more often, I see more and more of the behavior.

This comment below confirms it:



craigsj said:


> assuming you choose to accept the story at face value which I do not.


I must be a liar...because my new to riding girlfriend got passed on a climb by an eBiker who laughed at her?

Anyway, I'll unsubscribe and leave you guys in your echo chamber.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

honkinunit said:


> And do you really think Intense, Pivot, Commencal, Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, Giant, Rocky Mountain, and all the other eMTB manufacturers who also make the world's best MTBs are really just selling out and making eBikes for no reason other than a quick buck? Really?


Pretty much, yeah.

Of course, whether "selling out" is a bad thing for a for-profit company to do is another debate.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

kapusta said:


> Pretty much, yeah.
> 
> Of course, whether "selling out" is a bad thing for a for-profit company to do is another debate.


I guarantee getting on an ebike project at one of these companies is a gig almost every employee wants. They know the future includes a lot of ebikes and they want to be on the new, fun projects. I guess in your mind they are all just working there for a paycheck?


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## JoePAz (May 7, 2012)

Sidewalk said:


> I've just noticed that more of them gravitate to riding eBikes. I have been hearing stories from people I know in areas where more eBikes existed. But I had too few experiences myself. But as I have been seeing them more and more often, I see more and more of the behavior.


That is my biggest concern with e-bikes. They attract dochebags like flies on chit. And the extra power on climbs further enables the douchbag behavior since they can just blast by people working hard.


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## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

JoePAz said:


> That is my biggest concern with e-bikes. They attract dochebags like flies on chit. And the extra power on climbs further enables the douchbag behavior since they can just blast by people working hard.


JoePAz, ebikers don't have the market cornered on douchebags! I ride almost everyday and have come across plenty of douchebags, but yet to come across a douchebag ebiker. I'm sure they are out there.

From here on out, let's keep this thread going in a positive direction!


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## lou926 (Sep 6, 2008)

well said!


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## str8line (Apr 1, 2005)

127.0.0.1 said:


> uhh ...no
> 
> there is a clear difference in training on a moto vs any e-bike
> 
> ...


"Kidney belts", "getting ripped if done correctly", "wrestling weight" , being a "jellyfish".

What the hell you riding, a 1973 Bultaco?


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## Phillbo (Apr 7, 2004)

Downhill e-bikes????


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## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

JoePAz said:


> That is my biggest concern with e-bikes. They attract dochebags like flies on chit. And the extra power on climbs further enables the douchbag behavior since they can just blast by people working hard.


This couldn't be further from the truth. Generally speaking, eBikers are better behaved since they know their actions could have a greater impact on their trail legality...

Your comment makes me wonder if your own behavior is contributing to others actions... like you're the type that doesn't allow people to respectfully pass and doesn't respond to "hi"


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Considering how Aaron Gwin is posting Instagram photos and videos of himself and his buddies riding illegal trails on pedal bikes in SoCal, I would not put much faith in his words about anything. He is a bad example to the sport. His very public actions have not helped the SoCal MTB community when it comes to gaining legal single track in Riverside, San Bernadino and San Diego County. The CDFW and other land preservation groups point to him and his activity as a reason to keep all cyclists out of specific area's.


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## scooterman (Aug 10, 2004)

You guys should see Aaron Chase on an E-bike over taking the tail end of the womens cat1 races at highland mtn park a few week ago. 

It was pretty dumb, he could have stopped, high fived everyone, told them they were doing great because the course was hard and they were on hour 3 of their race. He still could have won if he stopped for a picnic, he was racing a bunch of amateurs on E-bikes. 

Instead he plowed through like a train yelling i'm racing i'm racing like a giant douche bag. 

It's on his instagram


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2019)

Aaron Gwin is washed up...he’ll endorse anything, for the right price. :bluefrown::nonod::sad:


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## Ridnw/bear (Jul 11, 2005)

scooterman said:


> You guys should see Aaron Chase on an E-bike over taking the tail end of the womens cat1 races at highland mtn park a few week ago.
> 
> It was pretty dumb, he could have stopped, high fived everyone, told them they were doing great because the course was hard and they were on hour 3 of their race. He still could have won if he stopped for a picnic, he was racing a bunch of amateurs on E-bikes.
> 
> ...


To be clear, Aaron Chase is not the same person as Aaron Gwin. I watched the video from IG. It was a di[k move.


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## AC/BC (Jun 22, 2006)

griz said:


> Aaron Gwin is washed up...he'll endorse anything, for the right price. :bluefrown::nonod::sad:


LoL you probably thought Greg Minnaar was washed up too, in 2017


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