If there are saddles for commuter bicycles, road, XC, enduro and DH, why shouldn’t e-Bikes get their own design, too? The new Selle Royal eZone coves that with a design made to handle the acceleration offer by motor assist. The tail kicks up, something you don’t usually find on more padded commuter bike seats, which helps keep the rider planted when taking off from a standing start. No more slipping off the back of the bike when 500 watts of assist kicks in. The raised section and side wings also help the rider use their body to steer and control the bike, more like a performance bike seat. Other features include gel padding and a fiberglass handle built into the rear of the bike to make carrying it up stairs, etc., easier. Look for it starting in October for $105 (£80/€90).
So motorized bicycles don’t provide enough assist to cause damage to trails or create dangerous speed differentials on trails but they accelerate fast enough to require a special seat to “keep the rider planted when taking off from a standing start”. Something does not add up here.
You’re assuming the people who claim the former (damage/speed differentials) are the same people designing this saddle.
No. He’s saying that there is a contradiction here. Those who advocate for the open use of these bikes claim the power is negligible, but the perception on the part of a manufacturer that this is needed *because* of the power belies that very argument.
Exatcly!
All bikes damage trails…
” a fiberglass handle built into the rear of the bike to make carrying it up stairs, etc., easier.”
Ha! Anyone that has actually ever used a bike and carried one up stairs can instantly realize why this doesn’t work great on a normal bike, yet alone a bike pushing 40-60 lbs in weight.
Manufacturers must be giddy at the ability to rebadge crap as “e”, up the price and sell to wealthy “e-Freds” (and I hate this term but I couldn’t think of a better one)
E-freds are just Ed’s or Maybe Eddy’s
… awaiting e-bike specific socks :p
Cheers!
I.
Nice one. Lol
A product aimed at people who can’t control their e-bikes!
No more motorcycle parts on a bicycle site please.
You should ask for a refund on your BikeRumor subscription. Failing that, you might want to look for a mouse with a scroll wheel so that you can scroll by stories that don’t interest you or that upset your disposition.
My vote is also to keep this once good blog free of motorcycles. You see Robin the rebuttals are opinions. If Bikerumor did not want to gauge opinion then they would not have this option to reply. The coverage of ebikes (or as I classify them “motorsickles) takes away from effort that might be put into looking at actual bicycle related things. Perhaps you are the one that needs to do a google search for a pure ebike blog. By the way, I just found out that in Northern Island one must have registration and insurance to ride an ebike on the road – just as it should be.
I’m not a mechanic so I’ll definitely need my local bike shop to install this seat when the new batteries come in
Can ebikes just go away please.
Agreed. We just have to ride out the initial marketing drive that has had big investments put in. Once the numbers are crunched the efforts to push ebikes will in the media will be left to commuter bikes and to the suckers with flat batteries.
I like my ebike it’s fun… It got me out in the fresh air and increased my mobility and independence… I do have a question. Why are bicyclist such a miserable bunch? Every time I read a blog a see the same negative comments from cyclists.. If you don’t like them don’t get one. Each to their own.
Bicycle usage worldwide is predicted to increase by 38% by 2025. And E.Bikes are slated to be the main force behind that growth. Welcome to the new world of bicycles.
More E.bike content please.
Find your ass sliding off the saddle at every green light?
Clench.
The minute you start with the “hey, why not” argument you end up with crazy stuff… Like, E BIKES… Specific saddles were a given. Soon, pedals, grips…