UCI E-MTB World Championships - Monte St Anne

[R120]

Some good riders lining up for this, will be interested to see how it goes down

Wyn Masters & Bernard Kerr to Race E-MTB World Championships - Pinkbike

My money is on Loci Bruni's dad!

 

[Gary]

Does he weigh 5st?

 

[R120]

Ha, maybe but he has serious skills and given the motor evening things out he's my punt. He monstered the senior DH world champs last weekend

 

[Slowroller]

Any information on the course? Just using the xc one?

 

[GrandesRoues]

My bet is on Absalon.
This is the place where he got his first world championship.
I wonder how they can regulate the motors (speed limit, average power). Without a dedicated equipment, i can't see how they can make it fair !

 

[wrayb]

Watch for Charlie Mullins!

 

[Jirkovo]

UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz

 

[Gary]

Ha, maybe but he has serious skills and given the motor evening things out he's my punt. He monstered the senior DH world champs last weekend

That was MASTERS world champs.
Winning his age cat is a good 20s off the times the likes of top 10 WC guys like Bernard would do and all of these guys
- Kenta Gallagher
- Jaroslav Kulhavy
- Marco Fontana
- Christoph Sauser
- Julien Absalon
would absolutely smash Bernard in an XC race.

it's an XC race BTW

Should at least be a little more interesting than that stupid motocross track race.

 

[Gary]

guessing it's on finished right about now.

Doubt Redbull are were particularly interested in filming it live

 

[R120]

here we go

 

[R120]

Full lycra wins they day, and on a fecking Levo. Still Wynn knows how to cross the line, on a nice looking proto GT from the look of things

 

[wrayb]

This is legit racing. By legit athletes. Just different from pure pedaling or purely motor driven. A combination of the two for riders who are strong at both. The rules for pedal bikes had to evolve...the rules for motorcycles had to evolve. The rules for EMTBs will evolve as well.

I think this is a win for EMTBs.

 

[wrayb]

Yea...looks like a 2019 Levo Comp Carbon with different brakes and fork...must have a 700 wh battery in there too...

 

[Slowroller]

This is legit racing.

Considering the level of doping by elite athletes in endurance sports, and specifically in cycling, I'll remain skeptical that the UCI can create a fair event.

 

[wrayb]

Unfortunately doping is a part of ALL sports requiring physical stamina. One of the reasons I like EMTB racing compared to MTB racing is even though physical fitness is a huge part of EMTB racing (where doping will definitely help) there is no amount of any drug will help with technical skills which are a huge part of the contest on a properly designed EMTB race course.

 

[Gary]

must have a 700 wh battery in there too...

Why?
Won't a levo last an hour in turbo on 500wh?

 

[wrayb]

Why?
Won't a levo last an hour in turbo on 500wh?

The 500 wh battery is right on the limit. It depends on the amount of climbing, types of terrain, etc. With a 700wh battery there should be no question it will last the entire 60 minutes on the highest assist mode.

 

[Rusty]

Why?
Won't a levo last an hour in turbo on 500wh?

Bloody easily. I can run about 1hr staying in Turbo with the 500Wh and I am a fat basket so any lightweight should be able to do 1.5 easily.

 

[wrayb]

I have a 2019 Levo Comp Carbon (red)...on my 500wh battery I can get 1 hour on the highest assist on my local trail with about 15-20% battery left. Not alot of climbing here though. I doubt I would get over an hour with tons of climbing.

 

[Slowroller]

Unfortunately doping is a part of ALL sports requiring physical stamina. One of the reasons I like EMTB racing compared to MTB racing is even though physical fitness is a huge part of EMTB racing (where doping will definitely help) there is no amount of any drug will help with technical skills which are a huge part of the contest on a properly designed EMTB race course.

When chemical doping can only give you a small advantage over your competitors, (these days), motors will make the difference in ebike racing. Before you get into illegal modifications, which will for sure happen, there are already large differences between brands. The "250w" classification they all fall under is meaningless, it's their peak power and torque that will win races, and that isn't limited.

 

[Gary]

there are already large differences between brands. The "250w" classification they all fall under is meaningless, it's their peak power and torque that will win races, and that isn't limited.

Well... weight to power really. (assuming riding skill level/experience is fairly even) and the main reason I've always said 'serious' Emtb racing is completely stupid.
The whole idea of competing to become XC world champ in Emtb is completely laughable.

shows what a bunch of dicks the UCI are though. which is always a bonus

 

[wrayb]

Well... weight to power really. (assuming riding skill level/experience is fairly even) and the main reason I've always said 'serious' Emtb racing is completely stupid.
The whole idea of competing to become XC world champ in Emtb is completely laughable.bonus

I agree about power to weight is the key in any type of racing! However I disagree about the merits of racing Emtbs...I believe there is a place for it. Every form of motorsport has these issues to deal with. Motorcycles, cars, etc. have been dealing with this for a long time. And...at times struggling with it. I raced go-karts for awhile. A group of friends and I started our own class because of rampant cheating (illegally modifying the motor) in the local races. I like motocross because it is mostly rider skill/fitness that wins the day (motor cheating does affect the race but not very much).

Either way, racing for electric bikes/motorcycles/cars/etc. is coming quickly. I believe the racing industry hasn't figured it out yet. But they will (have to). Agreed that if they don't make it a fair race then it will END the sport.

 

[Gary]

Emtb racing has already come too far FAR TOO quickly.
it's absolutely laughable FIM and UCI fighting over holding WORLD TITLE racing before they've even figured out any proper rules or format.
I get that owners want to be included and have events to challenge themselves in but at the moment Emtb simply can't work fairly in any current mtb discipline. (whether that be DH, XC, 4X, Duel, Enduro or whatever) The closest workable discipline in my eyes would be true gravity enduro racing. ie. on tracks steep/tech enough with no real let off in gradient/technicality and where a difference in motor torque/delivery wouldn't matter. But nowhere actually has enough long enough stages where assistance/pedalling would make no difference in close enough proximity that holding a fair event like this could become a reaility. It may be workable in a fair way if for example timed stages were run chainless or batteryless (batteries disconnected for each stage rather than removed completely). still pretty stupid though, difficult to implement and ultimately so ultra- niche very few people would even want to do it.

comparing Emtb racing to motor racing is just stupid... unless you have pedal assist in your gocarts/MX bikes

 

[wrayb]

But nowhere actually has enough long enough stages where assistance/pedalling would make no difference in close enough proximity that holding a fair event like this could become a reaility. It may be workable in a fair way if for example timed stages were run chainless or batteryless (batteries disconnected for each stage rather than removed completely). still pretty stupid though, difficult to implement and ultimately so ultra- niche very few people would even want to do it.pedal assist in your gocarts/MX bikes

I believe what you are describing is electric motorcycle racing (although you would of course need a chain and much more powerful motors, i.e. real motorcycles and NOT Emtbs). That racing is certainly coming soon and with it a new set of rules for motors.

I agree it is really tough the see how Emtbs can be "raced" without some enforceable rules to level the playing field.

So why an Emtb race? I believe the niche appeals to two types: 1) motorcycle racers wanting something a little less dangerous and alot more convienent and 2) Mtb riders looking for a more technical challenge on XC trails. If you have ever raced motorcycles you know Emtbs requrie much less time and effort to maintain compared to a motorcycle and there are tons more areas to ride an Emtb. Emtb racing allows traditional Mtb riders to race on more technical trails (steep uphills and downhill courses too knarly for lightweight XC bikes) at speeds they just can't maintain by pedaling only. There seems to be a growing number of riders who fit this niche. Just saying.

 

[Gary]

Just saying

Yeah. and fair enough.

TBF I've zero interest in discussing any purely motor driven racing here. I just don't see it as relevant.

The funny thing here is regular bikes are just as fast on technical gravity fed trails and very few Emtb riders can climb any more difficult terrain than a highly skilled fit regular mtb rider. The motor just allows us to ride with less effort/faster.

The recent tweedlove Emtb event here (I don't want to call it a race) had a few timed uphill sections with penalties for not dabbing or getting off. I know all these trails really well and all are pretty easily cleanable for me on a standard hardtail (slower obvs). The bar was clearly set low as the average standard of Emtb rider at the moment isn't exaclty at expert level. This will change and i suppose Emtb competition might evolve into something completely new. Who knows, eh?

 

[R120]

The only reason the UCI did an EMTB race this year is to lock down their ownership/ovelording of EMTB for racing.

Thats why they have rushed out an event.

 

[Dirtnvert]

If it has wheels, itll be raced. Its science. It could be really good. The race probably had more than a few sections itd be fun to watch. Hopefully we see some proper race footy. Id like it go the super tech up and down route with fair size jumps when its not tech or steep so 180ish travel bikes become necessary

 

[wrayb]

One reason I forgot to mention...Emtb racing is just pure FUN! I have done one so far and can't wait to try it again in a few weeks!

 

[Rusty]

I like motocross because it is mostly rider skill/fitness that wins the day (motor cheating does affect the race but not very much).

Sadly, MX has been a hotbed for cheating forever. A certain company was running bikes up to 178cc in the 125 class at various times but mostly around 150cc. Their 250 was up to 290cc at one stage - usually upped for sand tracks but often at 265cc standard.

In 'production' road racing I have come across all sorts of cheating. In the 350 class a bike was protested and when pulled down was in fact 349.5cc - however it had an 8 speed gearbox & not the 6 as from the factory. Also came across several times production pipes wrapped around tuned racing chambers - only caught as a baffle fell out and the sound was much different to what it should have been.

 

[wrayb]

I can't remember who said "if you aren't cheating you're not trying hard enough"...but I have always hated that statement. No worse sport than CYCLING!!! If Emtb racing is at the highest level then there will have to be dropping testing too! Just part of it.