So, if anyone is not in the loop yet, today I went for an e-MTB ride in the mountains in Italy – the Dolomites, near the town 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 gave me twenty bucks off because I didn't pick it up right in the morning. I honestly tried, but apparently, I'm incapable.
The bike was a Scott Strike eRide 930, a quite decent full-suspension with 2.6-inch wide wheels, if not for its weight of 27 KG. IMHO, the future belongs to superlight eMTBs like the Orbea Rise or Spesh Turbo Levo SL.
Nevertheless, there was nothing to choose from, because the rental was right next to the house. The guy was very nice, handed out a helmet, a repair kit (a fancy one, instead of patches – a canister with self-sealing liquid) and a lock.
Here I made my first mistake – it seemed to me that the tires were underinflated, although I have no experience with 2.6-inch tires.
The guy pumped the tires up, maybe even a bit too much. No worries, I thought, I'll lower the pressure on the descent for better grip. Of course, I only did this after I fell.
I wiped out for the first time because I took a pedestrian trail, even though I hadn't planned to. But the section was so small, what could possibly happen?
What happened was that because of the unchecked rear suspension, which was too soft, the bike was hitting rocks. It jerked, I couldn't hold onto 27 KG, and next thing I know I'm sitting all scratched up on the grass with a swollen wrist.
Next mistake – I kept going, although in principle I could still have turned back at that moment.
I soaked my buff in ice-cold water from a stream, and rushed 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 to them. At times my heart rate was 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, considering my weight of 99 KG. Sometimes I couldn't help myself, I switched to eMTB and even Turbo, which destroys the battery right before your eyes. Gradients here can reach 18%. People sometimes can't even walk up those, and I was trying to ride up, albeit on an e-bike.
In the end, I crashed on loose gravel once again, again on a descent. Now my second wrist hurts too, and I have a bruise on my shoulder.
Another mistake of mine was that I generally knew that 1.8 km of elevation gain over 35 in length is a bit much. I counted on the battery, but you can't count on it when you have almost no experience.
It all ended with the battery dying, and for the last 200 meters uphill I pushed a 27 KG bike with hellishly hurting wrists. I wouldn't advise anyone to repeat this heroic feat.
People on the trails are civilized, they yield the right of way, ask if I need help, seeing blood dripping from my palm. Lots of cafes, oddly enough, especially where you can drive up. In general, motorized transport is banned almost everywhere in the national park. An e-bike doesn't count as such.
Bottom line: my sister and her boyfriend Jim picked me up by car, but I didn't make it in time to return the bike to the rental. I'll return it tomorrow at 8:30, they probably won't fine me.
The moral of the story is:
- Choose routes within your capabilities, and don't complicate things in the process.
- 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, factoring in your weight.
- If you get injured, turn back.
- Plan your route with emergencies and escape routes in mind. Leave a margin of time. Otherwise, my sister almost had to drive two hours to get me, good thing I found a detour.
- Leave some e-bike battery in reserve, don't use it all.
- Pump iron in the gym, strong arms save you in a lot of places.
- Bring along gloves and a buff just in case, even if you had no biking plans beforehand.
- Keep in mind, a rear wheel skid on loose gravel is a very dangerous thing. Read up on how to handle an MTB, don't just blindly charge ahead.
- Don't give in to the temptation of adrenaline and coffee, choosing something that is still too difficult for now. Be mindful of the moment, control your surroundings.
- Make sure to get an EHIC and active sports insurance, otherwise seeing a doctor is a huge hassle.
Overall, this was one of my toughest bike trips, alongside Jordan, Iceland, and Cyprus.