MTB and Black Friday Mo(u)rning

Fully Rigid, 11/24/23

While riding the other day and seeing two older men struggle with their e-bikes on the trail, I remembered reading a report years ago about how e-bike accidents are reported as motorcycle accidents at hospitals. I spent some time mining the interwebs and found a few supporting documents, but found this specific piece, which might be what I read years ago:

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2021/11/22/industry-still-struggles-grasp-impact-e-bikes

In the article, it states, among other things:

“Ironically, Dr. Christopher Cherry, a professor at the University of Tennessee's College of Engineering, told attendees that e-bike accidents — whether injuries or fatalities — are currently classified in emergency rooms as motorcycle accidents. That bit of news took attendees by surprise.”

“There is no disagreement among attendees at the all-day conference held at a hotel near the University of Arizona campus that e-bikes are in the midst of shifting the industry away from its traditional focus on so-called "acoustic" bikes to a booming—at least for now—market for e-bikes. Still, traditional bike sales far outstrip e-bike sales, at least for the moment.”

Yes, of course, e-biking on the road and e-biking on a trail are different. I get it. Nevertheless, e-biking on a trail is still e-biking. That is what is happening.

Let’s go deeper. It’s Black Friday in the USA. Our version of hyper-capitalism is on full display today. As we all know, it’s on display for the long weekend, starting yesterday and lasting through Monday. If you’re unaware, the glut of bike stock due to pandemic supply chain issues that finally caught up a bit means that bikes are heavily reduced during Black Friday sales events this year.

Let’s back it up a little. That article up there, with the link provided, well, it summarized a People for Bikes e-bike summit’s findings that took place in 2021. People for Bikes, if you’re not aware, has had a partnership with IMBA—International Mountain Biking Association—for many years now.

The attendees at the summit were in agreement that the “acoustic” bike industry sees a “boom” in sales by going the way of e-bikes. Market analyses over the past few years supports the “boom” forecasts.

People for Bikes promotes e-bikes’ use everywhere, for the most part, with a few exceptions, which is to say, not exactly everywhere.

IMBA supports potential e-bikes’ use on some public lands, generally speaking, the way I understand it.

Questions to be asked:

Who really is the “industry?”

Who really is selling you that e-bike?

Who really is responsible for the rise in e-bike/motorcycle accidents being reported at hospitals?

Who really is creating the image that e-bikes and mountain bikes aren’t any different?

Who really is representing mountain bikers?

On this Black Friday, let us remember when mountain biking had a kind of anti-establishment bend to it. Instead of riding your e-bike in the USA this weekend to burn off the celebration-fest calories of yesterday, get on your unassisted pedal bike and ride.

Celebrate mountain biking on trails and not industry-led PR campaigns for e-biking on trails. I know … I understand … but you can go farther on your e-bike. The question is, though, when you go farther on your e-bike, do you go with style?(!)

Fully Rigid is a monthly column by James Murren about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.

P.S. — more to come on Paseando MTB about e-bike use and mountain biking. I’m not anti-e-bike, nor am I a “hater” of e-bikers. Click “Notes” up above on the homepage crossbar and you’ll get some insight into that.