Are E-Road Bikes Pointless?

absolutely not: they are the only thing that makes the GCN presenters' relentless tilts at windmills – aka "we're gonna try to beat a Pog KOM" – even remotely possible.

If I was commuting or wanted to ride with faster friends I might consider an e-bike. But one of the things I love about cycling is the accomplishment. Making it up a big climb, riding a century, or getting a PB on my home loop. I would lose that with an e-bike.
I'm sticking with my traditional bikes.

I don’t have an issue with anyone having an e bike , Riding on a predominantly flat area what I do have issue with is riding in a group ride doing 32 mph. And someone in the line with an e bike is gaping the ride ….. and then when asked to just stay to the back of the ride gets annoyed with the ask.

I think they are fine but if I turned up to a group and I was the only one on a manual bike maybe I would have an issue because then I would be slower than the group over a long ride. Mind you I ride alone anyway because I don't like people 😊, I kid but only a little.

Nailed it. My wife doesnt ride bikes like I do, but she DOES enjoy being on a bike. She never wants to come out with me though because she never believes that ill be happy matching her pace and just having fun on the saddle. What finally made her comfortable was getting an Ebike which helped her feel like she wasn't holding me back. I definitely think there IS a place for them, as it levels the playing field and can make a slower rider feel more confident.

Matt is a good presenter and GCN should consider bringing him on as a regular :).

With a ridiculous 25kph limit the only use I can see is for really lazy and/or unfit riders who can't manage even this on the flats, and for longer climbs when you need a little help, making the e-part a "Granny Motor".

I think that if we had all only experienced riding around Class 1 ebikes with 200W and 15mph cutoff, we wouldn't feel so strongly about them. We've just all seen hooligans (of all ages) riding 25mph on a throttle bike on the walk and bike trail, and that makes us opposed to the whole concept. It's the jerks who ruin it for everyone else.

Great video thanks, and a female rider! Yay!

If you can cycle the hills without the extra power, great, and if your friends can finally join you on a long ride, bonus. Enjoy the rides even more.

I'm really considering buying one of these for my wife so we can enjoy our rides together more. I usually ride around 25 mph on the flats, and she cannot keep the same pace. I think an e-bike like this definitely has its place. I would not complain if someone showed up to a group ride with one of these bikes, whether they need assistance or just want a little help. I prefer to mind my own business.

Wow that's crazy a bike manufacturer sponsors a video on an expensive e-bike and you conclude positive feelings on the e-bike. How unexpected.

E bikes are great . They are not for everyone . It’s just brilliant that you have that additional choice.
As far as I’m concerned I really don’t mind if you are on an e bike or normal bike it’s just good to see people out cycling 😀👍

I dont ride an ebike but i do ride with others that have them. I dont have the complaints about them disrupting the flow: they are respectful and adjust their speeds and power so as to blend in. What i see is the group ride able to maintain a higher total pace even with a spread of fitness. What makes it work is rider skills…those can't be purchased; they are earned from experience.

Hit Like if you were not surprised by the conclusion (it takes nothing away from the normal road bike experience but adds fun and helps you on the climbs. No, of course you don't NEED one, a normal bike is just fine, but … well, would be nice to have, wouldn't it?) I forgive you, you are my favorite channel and somehow you have to make some revenue. And after all, there is nothing wrong with the conclusion. It's just that it was clear right from the start.

Interesting to me that Si actually did more Watts on the eBike with the bit of help, and that Matt pushed a higher heart rate than in a while. I've noticed that I sometimes naturally go harder when I feel like I'm flying on a point to point with a bit of a tailwind and it all feels great. It genuinely wouldn't surprise me if the same became true on an e-bike like this. It's lighter than my entry spec roadie as well! As a fat, lower power rider (but one quite happy to go on long rides) I'd certainly consider one as I get older, or if I ever moved into a hillier area and had to cope with high gradient inclines more often than I do now.

25kph is too slow should be at least 32 so you can ride in traffic in London. Be much safer

Cancellara's favourite GCN video

They are certainly not pointless if you're a 72 year old man with a knackered right knee who lives in the Peak District. Couldn't care a toss what anybody else thinks.

One rider mentioned that more motor power seemed to draw more rider power out of him. I experience this all the time on my e-hybrid and have come to call it the "carrot effect". Definitely fun but also useful, as I tend to get my best workouts in SPORT assist mode, not ECO or OFF.

Fitness riders worried that they might end up loafing on an ebike should keep the counterintuitive carrot effect in mind.

Sweet video