A new beast has appeared on the mountain bike trails: the electrically assisted bicycle. This democratizes a very entertaining activity, but can sometimes have negative effects on the trails. The centers therefore adopt various strategies to minimize them.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
“It is important to note that there is not a single truth in this,” says Mathieu Dupuis-Bourassa, deputy director of the Vallée Bras-du-Nord solidarity cooperative. The centers have different clienteles and the way the terrain takes shape is also different from one place to another. »
The strategy adopted this spring by Empire 47 and the Sentiers du Moulin, in the Quebec region, has caused a stir. The two centers have decided to increase the rates for users of electrically assisted bicycles, explaining that they cause more erosion on average than ordinary bicycles.
“We’ve been thinking about it for several years, says Maxim Carrier, marketing coordinator at Empire 47. We’re not the only ones, there are similar measures that have been taken in mountain bike centers globally. We relied on that and the literature on it. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VALLÉE BRAS-DU-NORD
An electrically assisted bicycle can be useful when you want to accompany someone (or someone) who is much stronger than you.
It is in particular the higher power of electrically assisted bicycles that causes damage. On the way up, the wheels can spin in place at high speed before finding the necessary traction to get going, which obviously damages the trails.
With a regular mountain bike, you really have to be an elite athlete to be able to spin the wheels, make them get out of your way going uphill, whereas with a mountain bike, Mr. and Mrs. Everybody can do it, and it’s something that is done a lot.
Maxim Carrier, Marketing Coordinator at Empire 47
There is also a simple question of repetitions. “With us, a high-level cyclist can do five trails in the day, which corresponds to something like 25 km, or six hours of cycling,” says Mr. Carrier. With an electrically assisted bicycle, you can do double or even triple that. »
The decision obviously drew plenty of comments on social media, but in the case of Empire 47, the response was mostly positive. “There weren’t really any problems on our side, but our partner [les Sentiers du Moulin] had more comments, says Mr. Carrier. We differ a little in terms of mountain bike center DNA. We are more of a family place. They are a place where you can find high-level tracks. »
Other Strategies
In Vallée Bras-du-Nord, a different strategy was chosen, in particular because there does not seem to be a major erosion problem related to the use of electrically assisted bicycles.
“We have a different type of terrain, explains Mathieu Dupuis-Bourassa. At Les Sentiers du Moulin, we have a more Enduro-type product, more “uphill-downhill”. There is more traffic on the climbs, while we have a larger, cross-country type territory that is less focused on the climbs. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Regular bike riders don’t always appreciate the presence of e-bikes, especially if they feel back-shoved on the trails.
The Vallée Bras-du-Nord has however chosen to prohibit electrically assisted bicycles on certain climbs. “It’s about making the division of territory more fluid because a lot of people don’t want to be pushed in the behind by a potentially faster bike. »
Mr. Dupuis-Bourassa notes, however, that the use of electrically assisted bicycles is growing exponentially and that the center could revise its position.
At the Parc des Sommets, in Bromont, we focus on signage and awareness. “The complaints that reached my ears weren’t necessarily about wear and tear on the trails,” says Alain Planchamp, general manager of the Parc des Sommets. They revolved more around wide trails, where bikes were going way too fast, and uphill trails, where often e-bikes tended to put pressure on people ahead. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The Parc des Sommets, in Bromont, focuses on raising awareness.
In his view, this does not justify special pricing. “We will rather put money on signage, we will do a lot of awareness. »
He recalls that simple mountain bikes caused similar problems when they hit the trails several years ago. “They tended to put pressure on the walkers because they weren’t pushing each other. We worked on raising awareness and it worked. We will try the same thing this year. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go to plan B. But I’m confident. »
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