Start Laughing: How eMTBs Help Us Stay Connected

You know it. We know it. The benefits of electric power on a mountain bike – or nearly any bike – are obvious: the power to overcome climbs or obstacles that would otherwise leave you stuck or struggling. A large battery pack helps keep the fun rolling for hours, too. After a spin with electric assistance, even the most devout "analog” riders will admit: it’s pretty damn fun.

But that electric boost can serve another purpose. It’s less obvious at first, unless you’ve spent years at the back of the pack, huffing to keep up with faster friends, or conversely, waiting up front for slower ones to catch up: electric mountain bikes are a great equalizer, bringing the whole group together both in pace and in spirit.

It’s easy to take the value of this phenomenon for granted, but think of those with whom you typically ride. It’s likely a core group that’s relatively aligned in terms of speed and skill. Now, think of who isn’t there. Probably a lot of friends and acquaintances that would be if they could be, they just can’t or don’t want to, because the pace isn’t right for them.

Enter electric mountain bikes. Whether hardtails or full-suspension rigs, with models like Moterra LT or Moterra SL, adding a motor means that fitness advantages or deficits are neutralized. Skill disparities can be, as well, albeit to a lesser extent (because there’s no short cut to mastering the handling of a mountain bike, electrically assisted or otherwise).

So, who can benefit the most from riding an eMTB? It’s almost hard to think of anyone that can’t. Ultimately, the answer is anyone that values not just the ride itself, but the social elements that make it more than just a set of trail sections strung together. There’s a strong correlation between the boost and the bond.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a solo pursuit of personal records, mastering technical sections, or just enjoying some time to oneself out in nature. But remember that modern mountain biking was born when a bunch of cycling friends in Northern California wanted to take their bikes further than just traditional roads and paths. As a group, they spent years modifying their bikes until they could comfortably ride them off-road and up into the mountains. They set out to do it together. Now, with electric mountain bikes, we all can once again.