Highside43

LOL - I was blissfully unaware of the ebike grin until a few months ago, even without sitting on the bike I find you suffer from it....

I'll do the black runs at the trail centres, but at a steady pace and I tend to 'pick' my way down rather than cannonball over everything like you young mental cases - I'm too long in the tooth to be doing stuff like that but enjoy the challenge of the black runs. Would love to do some Alp XC stuff though, been looking at the Dolomites as a possibility for next year. Was hoping to do some glacial boarding next month and then drop down beneath the snow line and take the bike around for a few days, but injury has scuppered that for this year.

Thanks - they certainly are a game changer. I've always believed it doesn't matter what you ride, but how you ride.

I hope so...bought it with the intention of using it to its full potential:- 2016 Haibike Nduro Xduro Pro

Would like to do something like this next year. Love the thread.

Err... I think I belong here? Just bought an e MTB bike as just fancied one. Used to dabble on and off with XC trails for the last 20 odd years, my latest steed (non electric) was a Lapierre Zesty - still got it and a perfectly good bike. However, lots of contract work away meant that I was now the whipping boy in the pack of us regulars, and the fun / mojo assisted the spiral down and out of the scene. Pity really as I loved haunting the Beast or Tarw at Coed Y Brenin, Cannock or Llandegla. Anyway, with age also comes the benefit of injuries that refuse to heal or rear their ugly head from exuberance and overuse when the mind over ruled the body 20 years ago....Couple that with more disposable income (the benefit of age) and after bleating to the rest of the group earlier his year that I will ride my own trails instead of trying to keep up, or hire an e-bike from the centre at coed Y Brenin (snarf snarf). Cue lots of piss taking, "meet us at the top of the hill Duracell, press your buttons and go away..." - however, it was a game changer and a fun day was had by all. I could keep up. They didn't get annoyed at having to wait for me. I didn't get annoyed with myself for not being able to do what I could easily 2 years previous. They all wanted a go on it though and came back a few minutes later with a big grin - so much so for hardened XC rats.... So, I am now the proud owner of a Haibike (after doing lots of research went for that make, despite being tempted by the Lapierre as my Zesty has been a good steed). Picked it up the other week, took the wife and mutts round the fire trails of Cannock - she loved being able to make me look like an idiot on the hills (I only rode it for a couple of hundred yards round the car park to check everything, she rode it the rest of the time). I rode my Lapierre and it was nice being able to cover some distance with her - something that she could never do beforehand. I currently have my hand in a cast so we stayed on the fire tracks and took it easy, but I know when I meet up with the lads again it will be like the old days and the banter will commence. Still grinning like a school kid with a new toy. All the toys in the toy box have 2 wheels with or without motors - this bridges the gap. First impressions:- Very smooth, easy to ride. Awesome brakes. Hope to see some of you reprobates on some trails in the Midlands, if you'll allow an old timer like me the chance to keep up...