\u201cWe are at a crossroads,\u201d Hans \u201cNo Way\u201d Rey says in the opening lines of his open letter. He\u2019s talking about eMTBs, and the increasingly powerful motors that power them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m writing because I care deeply about where bicycles\u2014and electric bicycles\u2014are headed,\u201d Rey\u2019s letter says, going on to cite growing threats to e-bike access in different parts of the world.<\/p>\n
But Rey\u2019s mostly talking about eMTB, and the gradual \u201cpower creep\u201d of motors offering more, substantially more, power than the 750-watt limit that marks the boundary of Class-1 e-bikes. Usually by citing a \u201ccontinuous power\u201d of 750 with a much higher maximum power. Sounds simple and complicated, right? That\u2019s kind of the point. Brands are increasingly creating and exploiting a grey zone in regulations to sell consumers ever more powerful eMTBs.<\/p>\n
What? No way! Hans Rey ends 38-year run with GT Bicycles<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n And it\u2019s a problem. One we\u2019re glad someone with the stature in the industry that Rey has is finally speaking publicly about. Especially someone that, like Rey, is not opposed to eMTB. Jus to excessive power.<\/p>\n We enjoy our eMTB\u2019s here at\u00a0Canadian Cycling Magazine. But we can do that and still recognize that power is getting a bit out of hand.<\/p>\n The risk<\/p>\n The risk, is that \u201cIf we don\u2019t define our terms, others will define them for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, if we allow, or even encourage a blurring of the Class-1 definition, other groups will get annoyed and define it \u2013 or re-define it \u2013 for us. As we\u2019re seeing in New Jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time to draw a line in the sand of when e-bikes become too powerful,\u201d Rey concludes.<\/p>\n The context<\/p>\n Just for context, not too long after Avinox released its first motor, and everyone else tried their hardest to match it, Germany\u2019s\u00a0Enduro Mountainbike Magazine<\/a>\u00a0held an industry discussion titled simply: \u201cAre we dumb? Regulating the future of eMTBs.\u201d Spoiler: The answer was a resounding \u201cyes,\u201d for a few different reasons.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t worry, the motor brands, bike brands and everyone else present came to an agreement that they really should all be more responsible and actually follow the spirit of e-bike regulations, not try their hardest to work around them. They did! Spoiler two: Nothing\u2019s changed.<\/p>\n So why is it Rey\u2019s letter important? Because Rey\u2019s one of the only people speaking publicly against the rampant \u201cgrey zoning\u201d* of eMTBs. He\u2019s not only respected in the industry, and with a good sense of mountain biking\u2019s history, but finally free from all sponsor obligations<\/a> and allowed to speak clearly.<\/p>\n *By \u201cGrey zoning\u201d I mean pushing eMTB\u2019s principal mode of function into \u2013 or beyond \u2013 the legal grey zone created by \u201cpeak power\u201d limits, as Rey addresses in this letter.<\/p>\n