SOC 14: Lapierre Shows off Aircode and Pulsium Road Bikes, Introduced Overvolt MTB

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I’m 42, and I’ll never need an electric motor on my bicycle.

Regardless of the hater comments and my first inclination is to join them. I can see in my crystal ball this is the direction we are all going in.

I can see a melding of the offroad moto and MTB community through these E-bikes. They will be a nightmare for the true haters-Environazis because they will be zero emissions and yet powered and self propelled.
This is what true trail liberty looks like in 10 years. Ride what you want powered or not and rip on the trails and bike parks. I am starting to like it.
Anything that pisses off the bitter old silvertails is OK with me.

Essentially they have made a rigid Pulsium frame and just put on an elastomer part just to say it has suspension. I just can’t see any suspended movement coming from that elastomer piece. The frame is made complete without any degrees of freedom or pivot point.

Guys, the best way of looking at ebikes is transportation. Do not think about them as a bike per say. I can drive my car to get somewhere because I do not want to get sweaty or just to save time and not make it a production. If you ride an ebike it does the same thing (pedal assist). Last night I rode to an event I would normally drive but did it on my ebike. It was nice to be outdoors, I was not sweaty and did not put on special clothing… and it was a blast to ride at the extra fast pace w/ minimal effort…. or I could have drove my car. I ride my MTB and road bike for exercise and ripping up the trails and road… but I have to admit it’s nice to use an ebike instead of a car. Again do not think of them as a bike but a fun transportation.

Let’s face it… people who would buy an ebike will not ride them offroad. Could you imagine riding an electric bike on single track. It would be weird as hell. Only a beginner (non-enthusiast) or older person would ride an ebike offroad and they would not be on single track. Maybe fire road which is not real offroading. I think the rarity of seeing a MTB causing trail access issues is slim to non. It will be too rare to be an issue. These offroad ebikes will be ridden only on paved roads, camping trips, park riding on dirt roads. If they are caught riding offroad by a ranger they will get a ticket and possibly have it taken away for motorized vehicle on an offroad trail. They will be beginners and not represent the MTB community. No worries people these.

Its a shame ebikes are involved because as David points out, that elastomer makes no sense. 3mm of movement is exactly what you would expect from a standard seatpost.

Late 80’s: ‘Oh no! Suspension – bikes don’t need suspension’

Late 90’s: ‘Oh no! Disk brakes. Bikes don’t need disc brakes’

2014: ‘Oh no! E-bikes! Death to e-bikes!’

See the trend here folks? Better get used to the idea, as the powers that be are bigger than you.

. . .only specifically to seeing e-bikes on the trails. They certainly have a place as actual vehicles for general transportation…i.e. commuting / errand running. . .

Also opposed-Do you have a silver ponytail?

You Ebike haters are fighting the same tech you have been begging for the last decade. Same tech that brings you the Tesla (can’t swing a dead cat around my area and not hit one)The irony is so thick in this argument it is hard to see the forest.
Those of you soooo concerned about trail damage really cannot be serious? The motors are different and very low HP due to limitations in battery capacity. I am certain horse and cow traffic do the majority of any damages I see and I can certainly tolerate them.
You cannot be against a green zero emission vehicle rolling through your area trails?

That is why I can easily see what I saw as initially a silly fringe is now starting to look like it could be REAL fun.
My KTM’s can sit in the garage and I can go out and hit some of my favorite MTB trails with a motor when I want.
That is called liberty my comrades. Embrace it.

Nah. Let’s promote them on this bicycling website instead!

Living in fear of the unknown… you’ve been watching too much Fox news or MSNBC most likely. Seriously real cyclists who fly on trails will not ride these bikes. The people who ride them will be in your way since they are going slow since they have no skills. They will be nice people enjoying the outdoors on a bike for the first time on trails. They will be not happy on real offroad trails so don’t worry. They will ride dirt roads. You guys are way over thinking this… 99% of these bikes will be ridden only on streets and dirt roads. It will be so rare you see someone “ripping” up single track on a ebike… so who cares when you do. I talked to the MBA guys who have been testing ebikes for their new ebike magazine and they said almost nobody has said or notice they were riding ebikes offroad. They said it was pleasant and that the non-motorize bikes were faster and more agile on the downhills. What does the future hold? Who knows but it will involve a lot more ebikes I’m sure…. just not that much on the trails and if you do, it will be no big deal. If I was a dealer, I’d be selling and pushing all ebikes on top of my regular bike sales. Let’s grow the bike industry not pigeon hole it to some idealistic view point. Now go watch your overly sensational fear mongering news media and leave the ebike people alone… why not go ride one for a long ride and develop a real educated opinion?

@Psi Squared: I think you’re overstating our opposition to ebikes a bit too much. I would say it’s a strong dislike rather that “fear.” Sort of like how some people don’t like eating shellfish… We’re all entitled to our own opinion. No need to get carried away. I ride bicycles because it is done 100% under my own power all the time. I’m pretty sure that will never change for me, and yet I don’t “fear” electric-motor-bikes. Just not for me.

The world has gone soft. E-bikes are motor driven . That makes them motor cycles. Not bicycles. A bicycle by definition is a two wheeled vehicle that is propelled by the rider pushing on pedals. Not twisting a throttle. Buy one or buy ten e-bikes who cares, just don’t think it is Ok to ride them on trails that are clearly marked, NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES.

Most of the things cyclists say about e-bikes can be said about cyclists by hikers. Do you know who often has bad eggs in their midst, poor etiquette, and destroys nice hiking trails? Mountian bikers.