Controversial racing debut for electric bikes at Sea Otter

New technology is transforming the classic pedal-powered bike. Called electric bikes, they come with an integrated motor and battery.

They cost anywhere between $2,500 and $16,000. For the past several years, they’ve been available for sale at the Sea Otter Classic. This year, they made their racing debut.

“It’s great, 90 registered racers, I believe,” one racer said.

Haibike sponsored the race and Bosch sponsored the race route; Haibike makes E-bikes and Bosch is a supplier of E-bike motors. The event was a timed race on a 1.5 mile course. Whoever completed the most laps in an hour won. The rule was that racers could only go up to 20 miles per hour of assist.

But not everyone loved the idea. Originally designed for consumer/commuter use, some are concerned about their role in racing.

“They’re alright, but I feel it’s a little lazy,” Greg Fogg said.

On the other hand, E-bikes open the door for more people to get into cycling.

After the race, there was plenty of chatter on both sides of the debate. Several people voiced their concerns about E-bike use on trails, saying E-bikes blur the line between power vehicles.

“The ability to accelerate and force skids and braking to manage that speed only aids in the damage of the trail,” Mondo Aquilera said.

The senior engineer of Haibike said E-bikes are much more common in Europe, but said Americans are warming up to the idea.

“The U.S. market is a little behind Europe, especially Germany, but we also see the amount is growing,” Haibike Senior Engineer Ingo Beutner said. “I think people have to try it.”

While the biking community seems to be embracing the new technology, more popularity could mean a call for regulation.