Why do cyclists hate e-bikes? We rode one up Europe’s highest mountain pass to see what the fuss is about – The Telegraph
Why do cyclists hate e-bikes? We rode one up Europe’s highest mountain pass to see what the fuss is about The Telegraph
Cyclists are often their own worst enemy. Scarcely have you swung a leg over a crossbar than someone pedals by and tells you you’re doing it wrong. Infractions …
Cyclists are often their own worst enemy. Scarcely have you swung a leg over a crossbar than someone pedals by and tells you you’re doing it wrong. Infractions can be minor: from ill-matched Lycra to the straps of a helmet sitting outside the arms of your sunglasses (they should always be inside – it looks more pro).
However, it is consternation over e-bikes that has created schism. To the puritans, they are the devil’s own chariot, no more suited to the road than a nuclear submarine. To the evangelists, they are not only an opportunity to get more people out on two wheels, but also an adjunct to mainstream cycling. God knows what they get up to at the e-bike World Cup; just the fact one exists is telling enough.
I resolved to compare and contrast the two modes of transport – first the normal bike, then the battery-assisted model. Could the latter be as satisfying as the real thing?
My testing ground would be the Col de l’Iseran, near Val d’Isere. At 9,068ft, this is the highest paved mountain pass in the Alps. It appears in the 19th stage of the Tour de France today, an 80-mile (128km) dash from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes. Every sinew of every rider will be stretched to breaking point; pedals will be turned in anger until the stone chapel on top of the Col is in sight.
My test rides began at the start of the climb in Bonneval-sur-Arc, a delightful little hamlet familiar to anyone who has tackled the off-piste ski run down from Val d’Isere in winter. Cycling past a ski lift is usually my high bar for mountain climbs; passing skiers is another thing altogether. But earlier this month, a dozen or so diehards were eking out a single strip of snow on the Pisaillas glacier. Mostly though, the hills are alive with cyclists, motorbikes, trail runners and walkers. Birding is popular too; there’s even fishing in the lake. The mystery is why there are so few British visitors. Early July is the perfect time to visit: wild flowers dot the hillsides as the town quietly gears up for the summer season.
If anywhere has taken to e-bikes, it is the Alps. I’ve met professional guides here who ride little else. Certainly, there are benefits. On an e-bike, you might even take more interest in your surroundings than you would on a standard bike: snatches of birdsong; cicadas chirruping their staccato signals; the babble of meltwater flowing gently in streams by the side of the road. All of this will be audible, without your own pounding heart accompanying it.
However, there is some physical effort involved in e-biking. One of the great myths is that you just twist the throttle and away you go – but with measured use of the battery, you can ride further on one of these machines than an ordinary set of legs and lungs will allow. Selecting the level of assistance is surprisingly intuitive, from the gentle eco setting to the maximum turbo boost (obviously the most fun), but the question remains: is it really cycling?
It was at breakfast that I felt the first twinge of doubt. Tour de France riders will easily burn 6,000 calories a day and must fuel up accordingly. Loading up the third bowl of chocolate chip granola felt a little indulgent, knowing my legs would be getting their assistance not from simple sugars but a 250-watt motor. I should probably have put the croissants back too.
The ride, however, was perfectly pleasant. The Col took around an hour to climb on a regular bike, and not much longer on an e-bike on eco setting. I could have gone faster with more power assistance, but there is simply no point in trying to race. Distance is the goal and, fun though the turbo setting is, it will quickly eat up the battery life.
If I could have explained this to all the traditional cyclists I passed on the way up the Col, it might have made them – or me – feel better. But there didn’t appear to be any ill will as I trundled by at around 7mph. The descent was a different story. With the motor off, the e-bike shifted downhill at a decent pace, but it was no match for aerodynamic carbon fibre machines with skinny tyres. Lycra-clad road warriors whipped past me at around 50mph on the way back to Val d’Isere, leaving my baggy shorts flapping in the breeze.
For racing thrills, then, a traditional bike is the better choice. Only Bob Dylan, I think, could go electric and make it seem more exciting. I would probably have been one of the puritans (read Luddites) who screamed “Judas!” as he cranked up his Stratocaster at the Manchester Free Trade Hall gig. Anyone who simply wants to enjoy themselves on two wheels should take heed of the great man’s advice. On hearing the catcalls, Bob simply turned to his band and said: “Play f—— loud!”.
Getting there
EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from £124 return in summer. From Geneva airport, road transfers to Val d’Isere cost from €130 (£115) return with British-run company Snowdrone (snow-drone.com).
Where to stay
Five nights half-board at the three-star, Les 5 Frères in Val d’Isère (les5freres.com) costs from €190.Getting around: E-bike rental costs from €55 per day through MattisSport (intersport-valdisere.com).