Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Should motors be alowed on mountain bikes?; Philosophy
Topic Started: Jan 11 2010, 05:23 PM (362 Views)
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Just interested in peoples views on this ?

Should mountian bikes be totally powered by the rider or should motors such as electronic shifters be alowed on the bikes ( sure , no one can actually ban them < possibly in races> ) but is it true to the sport , What is true to the sport anyway ?


Would solar power or dyanamo power be acceptable?

I accept batteries for lights as an external power source ! But I remain to be convinced on batteries for gear shifters ? Or small motors to get up hills .

What do you think?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Chadders
Member Avatar
Mud Connoisseur
Leave now!!!! Motors on mountain bikes. How very dare you!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ming the Merciless
Member Avatar
Overlord of all Known Sheds!
You'll fit a motor to my bikes when you pull them from my cold dead hands! :angry:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
guy
Member Avatar
Mudking
We are allegedly going to be seeing the first electronic shifters on Shimano XTR in a year or two but I think that for anything but boutique mountain bikes this would be nothing more than a gimick. The electronic road-bike shifter system apparently does work really well but as everyone knows, road bikes dont normally operate up to their axles in mud (or snow)...


As for the electric assist issue, please remember that I was around in the 80's so my view is ever so slightly clouded by this:

Posted Image

(if only he'd stuck to making ZX spectrums eh? ;) )
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Freewheeler
Member Avatar
Fairly Muddied
Very philosophical...when is a mountain bike not a mountain bike?

Nick
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TonyS
Bog Monster
Electronic shifters will meet ATB's especially XC bikes as they offer a few advantages:

- Timed shifting so the chain bully only moves when there is a gate/ramp (reduces stress to the chain/jockey wheel and friction losses)
- No cables to foul, stretch or break
- Possible weight reduction (due to reduced stress, light cabling and simplified mechanics)
- Massive bling power to ensure Shimano sell loads to wannabes

The march of the machines may be but done well all the current issues with cable activated indexed gears are solved - sadly to be replaced with a new issue of having to remember to charge the battery.

Of course the next move will be automatic shifting and that would be wrong!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
I think Tony is right there ,it will happen ,
'
It seems wrong in the sense that you are putting 'fuel in to the bike
it depends on who adopts it and if it is reliable in mud snow and crashes
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
Another advantage of electronic shifting is that the front mech can tweak its position, to allow for the rear mech position - no more front mech rubbing!

Still a bit geeky though (Even for me) but when the prices drop, I suppose that they'll become more commonplace.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dave le Trek
Member Avatar
Mud Lover
I'm sorry, but what next, you pay me to ride your favourite loop and i will tell you had a great time, apart from the OTB at the river crossing, or even worse chop your legs off and find the doctors behind the 6 million $ man, ppppllleeeaaassssee. How on earth is this gizzmo going to last in the muck that we choose to ride in, on and through.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Freewheeler
Member Avatar
Fairly Muddied
Hiya,

Interesting post - my view (for what its worth):

The front and rear mech setup is way past its sell-by date and only on MTBs by virtue of being inherited from their roadbike cousins.

I blame Gary Fisher although thats not strictly fair - whilst he is recognised as pioneering the grafting of roadbike gears to offroad bikes, others were doing it before him.

Once the price comes down a bit coupled with a cultural change I think we will see enclosed, internal gearing systems like the "Nu Vinci" or Rohloff will make it to a wider MTB audience, the systems evolving into an automatic, pressure/tension led drivetrain. A lot of people have problems with the gearing systems on modern bikes so an automatic would really open up the appeal of cycling.

Nick
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Just say they could make a robust enough electric motor


if the power was generated a dynamo would that be acceptable ?( so no external fuel source)

I also had in mind electric assisted servos for hydrolic brakes

Good point about the gearing systems though I note the trend is to lose the granny ring now any way and with the SRAM X10 Hammershmit etc are looking good
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ming the Merciless
Member Avatar
Overlord of all Known Sheds!
robust, small, compact motor = rare earth magnets = ££££££££

and as we have only prehaps another 40 years of supply at present consumption rates of some rare earths yttrium, neodymium, samarium etc they will only get more expensive. Superbike race generators are many thousands and one crash shock load can write them off.

editted: as in motors to get up hills
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TonyS
Bog Monster

Linear activators have been around for decades and model aircraft servo's have shown even the cheapish c-rap survives most crashes. The actual pull/push required is quite low providing you choose the right moment which is how the Shimano D2 system works by having a position sensor (which also allows them to patent the system as well which is rather good for them).

Hub gears I like except for the problems with getting the wheel off to change a tube, weight and potential for being stranded without a single speed in the case of clutch failure.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bunnyflop
Mudking
In my view everything should following the KISS theory ...

Keep It Simple Stupid !

Works for me, and anything with batteries is often either annoying, unreliable or expensive (see my other thread for the proof) :P
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
EddyDave
Member Avatar
Bog Monster
Hang on. Would it then not become a MOTOR BIKE!!! Totally different sport :(

So I'll keep my pedals thanks.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hobbz
Bog Monster
electric bikes are for the marauding hoard's of ankle snapping OAP'S. mark my words, they are EVIL :angry:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
hobbz,Jan 13 2010
11:29 AM
electric bikes are for the marauding hoard's of ankle snapping OAP'S. mark my words, they are EVIL :angry:

I wouldn't go quite that far.

Like most things - Identity Cards, Stop and search, 'Naked' scanners at airports, Phone tapping etc - the principle is sound for the situation that the device/procedure was invented for. The real evil comes about when the item in question is subject to misuse by certain elements of society.

Electric bikes are fine for people who aren't quite fit enough to use an ordinary bike, but are purely utilitarian devices that have no real place in the recreational world (OK for flat to moderate trails, but probably not for the South Downs way)
Motability scooters do a wonderful job of bringing independence to a lot of people, but become evil when ridden by Mr Magoo look-a-likes who don't have the slightest awareness of their surroundings.


As the saying goes - guns don't kill people, the person pulling the trigger does!

P.S. Sandra has shown an interest in an electric bike, but then she does have a spirit level on her bike, to warn her when to get off and push :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
EddyDave
Member Avatar
Bog Monster
Sure I agree that things like Mobility scooters and such for people who can't walk or something and a great idea. But a fuel powered mountain bike?! (Fuel = not pedalling it) HELL NO!

There is a huge difference between things like town bikes and mountain bikes as explained by bob above.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
blades
Slightly Splattered
What about these, can't wait to get my son on one as soon as he's old enough

http://www.osetbikes.co.uk/Pages/About-us/About-us.html
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
blades,Jan 13 2010
02:54 PM
What about these, can't wait to get my son on one as soon as he's old enough

http://www.osetbikes.co.uk/Pages/About-us/About-us.html

Hmmm, now I'm going to have to look up the rules for bike helmets.
The kid in the pictures seem to be wearing a bike helmet, and I seem to remember that they aren't rated for use on a powered vehicle.

1/ I may be wrong
2/ He's probably not going to be going as fast as we do sometimes
3/ The rules are probably different in the USA, where the bikes originate
4/ I'm probably being picky
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Muddyarse · Next Topic »
Add Reply