June 2017 | 27
They could have a point . If the extra push from an electric motor means you can do the ride in half the time , the broader appeal has to mean more wear and tear on Mother Nature . So far , this view is supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association ( IMBA ) who is pushing to ensure that mountain bikes and anything with a motor are classified se�arately . The debate continues .
For the time being , e-bikes with pedal assistance up to 25kph and maximum continuous rated power of 250w are excluded from complicated European type-approval legislation .
Even within Europe , the interpretation of the legislation can vary from country to country . In France though , for an electric bike to be classified as a normal bike the rules are clear :
1 . The electric motor can only kick in when the rider is pedalling and must cut out as soon as you stop pedalling .
2 . The motor must cut out at 25kph . However , the bike can go faster without assistance .
3 . The motor must not put out more than 250 watts of nominal power .
So in France at least , things have moved on from the days of mis-classifying e-bikes as motor vehicles .
But as the technology improves , batteries will get lighter and last longer , inevitably opening the gate to faster eMTBs . This is where the line between e-bike and moped gets blurred and it ’ s likely organisations like the FFC will have to revisit their regulations in the not-so-distant future .
In their current form , eMTBs are particularly well-suited to France ’ s mountainous terrain . It ’ s no surprise then to see bike hire shops and tour operators riding the tide of e-biking ’ s growing popularity and welcoming a new generation of cycling enthusiasts . For mountain resorts , offering e�T� programs during the summer is a welcome opportunity to increase off-season revenues .
Christophe Febvay from Les Roues de Lilou , which rents bikes and runs mountain biking tours in the Basque Country , is a big fan of electric bikes . “ eMTBs come into their own on long climbs in the mountains . Young and old riders and riders lacking some fitness can all en�oy what would otherwise be a very challenging itinerary ,” he says . He adds that despite riding normal mountain bikes regularly , he loves heading out on the e-bike . “ You reach the top of an otherwise exhausting climb with plenty of energy for the descent . For me that means that I ride faster and better on the downhill because I haven ’ t exhausted myself on the uphill .”
Because eMTBs make the trails so much more accessible , the uptake tends to be concentrated amongst more inexperienced riders and families . As such , there are two main considerations when choosing an itinerary – technical di�culty and the length of the ride .
Electric mountain bikes are best-suited to easier crosscountry trails . Trails with very technical sections , or sections where you need to push or portage your bike , aren ’ t ideal because the bikes are so heavy . Whereas a normal full-suspension mountain bike will weigh-in at around 14kg , the electric version will be 8-10kg heavier . That makes a big difference if you have to carry your bike for any distance .
The second consideration is the length of the ride . On gently undulating terrain , a fully charged battery should be good for 60km . But if you choose a 50km loop with lots of vertical ascent , running out of battery is a real possibility . And , pedalling an e-bike with no power assistance is no fun at all , especially in the French mountains .
The FFC are on the case . They ’ ve started identifying trails that are most well-suited to e-bikes and labelling them on ma�s that are available free from tourist o�ces .
Gréoux-les-Bains in the Alpes-de-Haute Provence in south-east France is one such place that ’ s ahead of the curve . A spa town , it ’ s a popular destination for people getting back into sport and also happens to have 280km of trails on its doorstep in an area called Verdon des Collines . With hilly , but not mountainous , terrain and