So, in case anyone isn't up to speed yet, today I went for a spin on an e-MTB through the mountains in Italy — the Dolomites, near the village of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Lots of info, but little time. I rode 45 km, with an elevation gain of 1.8 km according to the barometer. This is comparable to our exploits in Cyprus and Jordan, but there we had a whole day, the distance was longer, and the bike wasn't electric. Here it took about 6 hours.
The bike would have cost 70 euros, but they knocked a twenty off, since I didn't pick it up first thing in the morning. I honestly tried, but apparently, I'm incapable.
The bike was a Scott Strike eRide 930, a perfectly decent full-suspension with 2.6-inch tires, if it weren't for the 27 KG weight. IMHO, the future belongs to ultra-light eMTBs like the Orbea Rise or the Spesh Turbo Levo SL.
Nevertheless, there wasn't much to choose from, because the rental was right next to the house. The guy was super nice, handed out a helmet, a repair kit (a fancy one, instead of patches — a canister of self-sealing liquid) and a lock.
Here I made my first mistake — it seemed to me that the tires were under-inflated, even though I have no experience with 2.6-inch tires.
The guy pumped up the tires, maybe even a bit too much. Oh well, I thought, I'll drop the pressure on the descent so they grip better. Of course, I only did this after I had already crashed.
I took my first tumble because I rode onto a hiking trail, even though I hadn't planned to. But the section was so small, what could possibly happen?
Well, what happened was that due to an untested rear suspension that was too soft, the bike was slamming into rocks. It jerked, I couldn't hold onto the 27 KG, and next thing I know, I'm sitting all scratched up on the grass with a swollen wrist.
The next mistake — I kept going, although theoretically, I still could have turned back at that point.
I soaked my buff in icy water from a stream, and pushed on upwards. If anyone thinks an e-bike is a silver bullet, I'm going to disappoint you.
The Italian Dolomites are so steep that an e-bike is like a toy for them. At times my heart rate hit 167, which is outer space for me. I tried to ride in Eco or Tour mode, otherwise the battery would have died in an hour, given my weight of 99 KG. In some places I couldn't help it, switched to eMTB and even Turbo, which obliterates the battery right before your eyes. The gradients here can be 18%. People sometimes can't even walk up those, and I was trying to ride up, albeit on an e-bike.
As a result, I wiped out on some loose gravel one more time, again on a descent. Now my second wrist hurts too, and I have a bruise on my shoulder.
Yet another mistake of mine — the fact that I basically knew that an elevation gain of 1.8 km over 35 in distance is a bit much. I put my hopes in the battery, but you can't just hope when you have almost no experience.
It all ended with the battery dying, and for the last 200 meters uphill I was pushing a 27 KG bike with incredibly sore wrists. I don't advise anyone to repeat this heroic feat.
People on the trails are polite, they yield the way, they ask if I need help, seeing the blood dripping from my palm. There are lots of cafes, surprisingly, especially where you can drive up to them. Overall, motorized transport is banned almost everywhere in the national park. An e-bike doesn't count as such.
In the end: my sister and her boyfriend Jim picked me up in a car, but I didn't make it in time to return the bike to the rental. I'll drop it off tomorrow at 8:30, seems like I won't get fined.
The moral of the story is:
- Choose routes within your limits, and don't complicate things on the go.
- Pay close attention to the terrain and elevation gain.
- Check your tire pressure, read up on what it should be.
- Check your shock and fork settings, taking your weight into account.
- If you get injured, turn back.
- Plan your route with emergencies and escape paths in mind. Leave a buffer for time. Otherwise, my sister almost had to drive two hours to get me; good thing I found a detour.
- Keep some e-bike battery in reserve, don't drain it all.
- Build muscle at the gym; strong arms save you in many situations.
- Bring along gloves and a buff just in case, even if you didn't have biking plans in advance.
- Keep in mind that a rear wheel slide on loose gravel is a very dangerous thing. Read up on how to handle an MTB instead of blindly rushing in.
- Don't give in to the temptation of adrenaline and coffee by choosing something that is still too difficult. Be mindful of the moment, keep your surroundings in check.
- Make sure to get an EHIC and extreme sports insurance, otherwise it's a huge hassle to see a doctor.
All in all, this was one of my toughest bike trips, right up there with Jordan, Iceland, and Cyprus.