Mammoth Mountain Bike Park

When I found out that Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort had recently opened their bike park to the e-bike masses, my jaw dropped. “This is the tipping point,” I thought. “This changes everything!” It’s a huge thing, not just for e-mountain bikes in the U.S. but for e-bikes in general here.

Do you remember what happened when snowboards first appeared? Skiers and ski resorts didn’t want those hooligans on their slopes. No way! “They’ll tear everything up!” they cried. Snowboarding was relegated to backcountry hills until skiing took a little dip and a couple of resorts realized that “hooligans’” money was better than no money. After that, the industry took off, and the manufacturers and resorts all saw massive growth. Snowboarding may very well have saved the ski resorts.
It’s such a parallel to what is going on with electric bikes. Though Europe has embraced them and sales are huge there, here in the U.S., e-bike growth has been steady. But, in my estimation, it hasn’t taken off yet. Why? Partly because most people in the States still don’t even know they exist. Introducing them to the bike parks and trails opens up people falling in love with e-bikes. It’s a win-win all the way around!
Another thing that has hampered sales of e-bikes is the attitude of traditional cyclists who pooh-pooh the bikes as something for people too weak to ride a traditional bike. I bet most of those who have that attitude have never thrown a leg over an electric bike. It only takes a couple of pedals on one before the light bulb in their brains goes on, and they suddenly see the potential and the fun of e-bikes. There’s a place for both, and the flagging sales in the non-assist bikes can only be helped by getting more people on two wheels. It’s not only coming, it’s here—just look at all the big-name bike companies who have e-bikes now.