We exchanged 2 words with Pippo Marani in response to episode 59 where we talked about the e-enduro circuit and the number of subscribers still lower than the “muscular” circuits despite the electric boom (see episode below).
Pippo, what do you think of the competitive e-bike world?
I am convinced that the enduro e-bike is of no use. Better a good muscle, you have more fun and have more satisfaction. Seriously, I always like to provoke, otherwise what a boring world it would be.
Better formulating the speech, the e-bike in my opinion is not race, but I have always supported this, even if the competition attracts everyone and therefore it must be foreseen. For example, I organize the circuit E-DAY RACE, 11 stages but with a different style from the e-enduro circuit: in fact less enduro and with more gogliardia.
This circuit was also born out of pure curiosity: I want to understand what direction the e-bike can take at a competitive level.
SO THE ENDURO FORMAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR E-BIKE?
I have been riding an e-bike for 7 years and I realized that I make the most of it by doing all-mountain, so much so that I see very long PS with routes not only downhill. Perhaps the PS only downhill are a bit limiting for the e-bike.
It is right that the pure enduro (therefore PS downhill) is muscular.
A person who buys an e-bike and wants to race is also afraid of damage and I agree with you: the exasperation of the moment, the desire to test yourself, makes you exaggerate, and then you understand that there is the stress of shock absorber, rubber, battery, engine and you have to deal with the damage at the end of the race. Perhaps this also limits participation to many amateurs in a pure enduro format with e-bike.
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GARIBBO?
Garibbo is a talent, but let's not find out now: when he was racing in DH he was able to do a dance the night before and then beat the elites the next day. He never passed Elite because he wanted to be there in his world of him, party, mess and have fun. And despite everything, he won the races. If he had passed Elite he would have beaten many pros of the time but he lacked the mental approach to stay in that category.
Garibbo has understood everything from the e-bike: he knows how to manage it and the times speak. The other elites, on the other hand, are there because they have to race, because the team gives them the bike. And often the e-bike use it just on the days of the race and then that's it. And Garibbo in this way you do not beat him.
THE TUSCAN ENDURO SERIES IS MAKING FEAR NUMBERS ...
Yes, I was scared when you reported the numbers of the Toscano Enduro Series: 500-600 members, a crazy thing, people can see that they want to do, to go out.
But we are not like in the 90s where there was a desire to try, madness, get involved, experiment: we have acted as guinea pigs for what is on the market today ... to the sound of heads in the ground! Now at the races there are hyper-technological means but the average biker does not know how to drive it. Because? Because we in Italy are cool, we follow fashion, we love to dress well, red shoes, helmet in the same color, the colored bike, the "toy boy" - seat post that goes up and down in the c ** o, which is useless if you don't have the technique. Italian fighettones. (Ed, and he laughs, inquiring about whether or not we publish this sentence).
There are few who take the mtb head on and say: I want to get there, I want to improve. We often stop apparently: I have the most beautiful bike of yours, I have the coolest pants. But all this makes the armature spin so that's okay.
BUT SO TO BE A PURE BLOOD BIKER WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Well, it's not easy, but I can tell you to come to Montecreto on 11 July for the next stage of the E-day race: I also made a small change of plans. I like to experiment. I want to try to follow the times and I thought it more Enduro to see how the public responds. On Saturday there will even be an Uphill, open to both traditional bikes and e-bikes.
Since we are closing, I wanted to congratulate you: always super interesting videos. A lot of irony but underneath a lot of substance: however, we need to understand if everyone has the foresight to perceive the substance under the irony 🙂
