Last week, we sent out an email asking for opinions about including an eMountain Bike (pedal-assist) option at the BC Bike Race. We were thrilled that so many people shared their thoughts.
We had 1,023 responses in just 7 days! Most of them were from alumni and people on our email list. A few were from people who saw our post on Instagram.
The Survey Results
Overall, the response was positive.
63.6% of respondents said they have an ebike, plan to buy one soon or are thinking about buying one.
36.7% said they were ready for, or interested in learning more about, ebiking at BC Bike Race. Another 36.4% said they might be interested in ebiking at the BC Bike Race in the future.
That means 73% of those who responded are open to the idea of having ebikes at BC Bike Race.
Here are two visuals of how people answered:
The main concern people shared in their comments was about keeping ebikes separate from non-ebikes during the race. Some cited bad past experiences at other races that tried to mix the two. Here are a few of those comments:
“If the ebikers ride separately and start at a different time I would have no problem socializing with them 😉 – I just would not want to share the trail with them during a race.”
“I think it would be fine, but it would definitely be frustrating if someone passed me on an e-bike while I’m already in pain from pushing myself to the limit.”
“Its own course would be key, I have done a few endurance races with ebike categories running along side, and it ruins it. It nearly needs to be a separate event.”
“It would be an interest if it was it’s own course. I would not feel it would be good if both types of bikes were on the same course as the climbs and descents would be such a different speed and therefore the conflicts between the two user groups would be too great.”
“If it has a different course or start day yes it’s ok. Having these buzzing flies around me while riding a steep climb gets me angry and frustrated…”
These are sentiments we wholeheartedly agree with. Mixing ebikers and non-ebikers on a race course is a recipe for frustration on both sides.
What are we going to do, based on your feedback?
The reality is that more and more people are getting into ebiking and not just because of an aging body, disability or health issues. Skilled and fit riders are choosing to spend some or all of their trail hours on pedal assist bikes. And there are both amateur and pro eMTB race series all over the world now. As it always has, mountain biking is evolving.
And the BC Bike Race is going to evolve with it, mindfully introducing a concurrent and separate event, the eBC⚡️BR. This event will give more people than ever before an opportunity to join us for a week of spectacular mountain biking and camaraderie. At no point will ebikers and non-ebikers interact on course. We’ll be using our expertise in putting on events for both ebikers and non-ebikers to create the same unforgettable experience our alumni have raved about for 19 years.
If you are already registered, rest assured, we will make sure your BC Bike Race experience is protected. Our business has always been laser-focused on giving people the ultimate singletrack experience and their best week on a bike. That mission remains the same.
If you’re thinking about joining us for our inaugural eBC⚡️BR, registration will open Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 12pm Pacific. There are only 100 spots available and more than 100 people gave us a “Hell yeah” on the survey. So get your ducks in a row and be ready to hit that register button on Tuesday.
In the meantime, learn a little more about this event by clicking here.