I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would an e-bike ruin my desire to power my ride with only my own paltry engine? Would my riding patterns change? Maybe I’d get hooked on the narcotic of watts as others have? I had an idea of what climbing would be like but not descending and I hadn’t spent time on an emtb since 2014, when I rode a Haibike Xduro. It rode surprisingly well, with lack lustre components, a Fox 32 and sketchy geometry. Things have changed a wee bit in that time, and having Santa Cruz enter the market was an interesting milestone. Trek, Specialized, and Giant have been making e-bikes for years now, but as a boutique brand with a loyal clientele, Santa Cruz wasn’t about to plunge until the water seemed safe. Or maybe somewhat safe is more accurate. Is it safe for us? Probably not, but we’re one ankle into this fetid puddle already so let’s get wet, before we even have a menu dropdown for e-bikes.
[continued...]
From NSMB
Quality mountain bike editorial, photos, videos and news from a North Shore perspective.
