We journalists and industry insiders often have a problem: we're too immersed in the MTB world. We talk about geometry, kinematics, torque, power, weight, setup, racing, riders, and technical innovations, assuming they're the same topics that interest anyone who rides a mountain bike. But you only have to step outside our bubble a little to realize that this isn't necessarily the case.
MTB, and even more so e-MTB, can be interpreted in many different ways. For some, it's a sport, for others, a pursuit of performance, for still others, technique and adrenaline. But there's a much broader audience that primarily seeks something extremely simple from a bike: go for a nice trip, discover new places and do it in company.
To better understand this world, we asked Mingus for help. He's a 365MTB contributor and, more importantly, a group of enthusiasts who organizes rides. This privileged position allows him to observe e-bikers not through the lens of industry, competitions, or specialized media, but in perhaps their most authentic moment: when they're deciding where to ride on Sunday.
And what emerges is a small cross-section of the e-MTB world that is worth sharing.
Before the difference in altitude comes the company
You might imagine that those who join a group immediately seek out more technical routes, steep climbs, or someone to improve their riding skills with. It happens, of course. But that's not the primary motivation.
“A biker who approaches my group is primarily looking for someone to show them around, someone who knows the route and who can hang out with them,” says Mingus.
It may seem like a trivial consideration, but it changes the perspective considerably.
The value of a group isn't just in bringing together people with the same passion. It's also in removing a series of problems from those who simply want to pedal: choosing a route, determining whether it's suitable for their abilities, finding their bearings, discovering new trails, and avoiding finding themselves alone in an unfamiliar place.
Many people download tracks, for example, but that doesn't necessarily mean they know how to use them. Mingus says many bikers struggle with GPS and navigation devices, so much so that he's decided to organize evenings dedicated to using Garmin, Bryton, and other devices.
This also tells us something about the e-bike phenomenon: owning a technologically advanced bike does not automatically mean having an equally advanced cycling culture.
The race? For many, it's another planet.
There is another interesting element for those of us who, like us, live immersed in MTB every day.
The competitions.
We follow races, results, riders, teams, and the equipment used by the athletes. We discuss the level achieved by the professionals and inevitably use that world as a reference point to talk about bicycles and components.
But how much does all this matter to the Sunday e-biker?
Much less than we might imagine.
In Mingus's experience, the world of racing is essentially unknown to most of the people in his group. And not just e-MTB racing: even traditional MTB racing rarely comes up in conversation.
This is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this little sociological experiment.
A segment of the e-MTB audience seems to have entered cycling without experiencing the sporting culture that has accompanied cycling for decades. They don't necessarily know the champions, they don't follow the races, and they don't build their identity as a biker through comparison with professional athletes.
And yet he pedals. He buys bikes. He watches videos. He searches for routes. He gets information.
It simply does so through different references.
If the races don't influence, who does?
The answer is pretty predictable: creators, influencers, YouTube, social networks.
The influence here is strong, especially in the choice of bike and, to a lesser extent, the routes. And Mingus can say this with a smile, since he, too, is somehow part of that system.
This is an interesting passage because it shows how the process through which an enthusiast's opinion is formed has changed.
A champion who wins a race continues to have an impact on a brand's image, but for a segment of this audience, someone who uses that same bike during a seemingly normal outing, describing its strengths and weaknesses in a language reminiscent of that of the user, can be much more influential.
It is therefore not surprising that tests and tutorials are very popular content.
The biker wants to see the bike in its environment, understand how it works, and above all, find information that can be directly useful. A tutorial on how to tackle a climb, adjust the bike, or improve your riding style can be perceived as more useful than the result of an international race.
The brand matters. But the engine perhaps even more.
However, it would be a mistake to think that this audience is completely disinterested in technology.
The brand's reputation still counts for a lot. But a second brand has entered the e-MTB world, almost independent of the one written on the down tube: that of the engine.
In the group Mingus leads, this aspect is particularly evident, also due to the background of many of the participants. Several come from the world of motorcycles, especially enduro and trials, and bring with them a very precise understanding of the performance of their bikes.
The question then becomes: what engine does it have?
Power, torque, and drivetrain performance become key factors in deciding whether to purchase. Mingus cites a very current phenomenon he's witnessed directly in his group: the rush to equip bicycles with DJI Avinox, widely perceived as one of the current benchmarks in terms of performance.
This is a unique aspect of e-bikes. In traditional mountain bikes, the frame is almost always the center of the bike's identity; in e-MTBs, the motor-battery system can become equally important, if not even the primary component of the bike's design.
The battery and autonomy anxiety
And then there's her: the drums.
Capacity is one of the topics that attracts the most attention. More Wh means, at least at first glance, more kilometers, more elevation gain, and above all, a lower chance of being left without assistance.
But behind the ever-growing race for drums there is perhaps something even more interesting.
Mingus talks about people who have come to e-MTBs with virtually no experience with traditional bicycles. For them, the reference isn't necessarily a cyclist accustomed to managing energy and pace. The e-bike is simply their bicycle.
Consequently, the reasoning can become very similar to what we would do with a motor vehicle: greater autonomy means greater freedom.
It's easy for experienced enthusiasts to dismiss this research as excessive. But that would probably be a mistake. Because it means judging e-bikers using traditional bikers' parameters, while a segment of the e-bike community is developing their own parameters.
Technology helps, technique remains
There is, however, one point where the engine and battery cannot work miracles.
The ability to ride a mountain bike.
When organizing group outings, Mingus also encounters people who are enthusiastic about participating but lack the necessary preparation to tackle certain routes.
And this is where one of the paradoxes of modern e-MTB emerges.
A highly capable bike allows you to easily reach places that, until a few years ago, would have required a significant level of fitness. But having the motor needed to reach the summit doesn't automatically mean you have the technique needed to tackle what comes after.
For this reason, Mingus says he sometimes has to do small tests before enrolling someone on certain rides. If their level isn't sufficient, the advice is to consult a mountain bike instructor and learn at least the basics of riding.
It's not group selection. It's safety.
And it's probably a topic that the entire e-MTB sector will have to work on more and more: the growth in the performance of the vehicles must be accompanied by the growth in the capabilities of those who use them.
Maybe the e-biker doesn't want to become a biker as we imagine him
Ultimately, the insight that emerges from Mingus's output is interesting precisely because it challenges some of our references.
Of course, there's no such thing as an "e-biker." There are highly skilled riders looking for technique, elevation gain, and performance, as well as enthusiasts with decades of traditional mountain biking experience. But alongside them, a different audience has grown.
People who may not know the World Cup stars, but know exactly what engine they want on their next bike. Who have never ridden a full-size mountain bike, but compare battery capacity. Who are more likely to watch a riding tutorial than a race. Who buy a highly advanced bike but may have trouble following a GPS track.
And above all, people who, when looking for a group, are often not asking for KOMs, nor record numbers, nor extreme passes.
They are asking: where are we going on Sunday?
Perhaps this is precisely the aspect we in the industry are most likely to forget. We continue to observe e-MTB through performance, technology, and competition because they are useful tools for describing it. But outside our bubble, the electric bicycle is creating a partly new culture, influenced by motorcycles, social media, technology, and people who approach off-road riding along paths completely different from those of traditional bikers.
And there isn't necessarily a better way to experience MTB than others.
Some want to improve their time on their favorite trail, others want to overcome that stretch they used to walk, and others want to gain two thousand meters of elevation gain.
And then there are those who simply want someone who knows the way.
Because in the end, whether electric or muscular, perhaps one of the simplest interpretations of the mountain bike also remains one of the most beautiful: discovering a new place and having someone to share it with.
