A sensitive issue: Do we even still need bikes without motors?

The figures are clear – and sobering for some: Germans bought 741,000 e-MTBs in 2025. Conventional bikes? A mere 52,500. That means that, on average, for every traditional mountain biker, there are around 14 people who prefer to rely on motor assistance.

Do we all want the same thing?

Yes, whether with or without a battery – in surveys, mountain bikers always cite the same reasons: experiencing nature, stress relief, fun, adventure, fitness and health. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? So the big question is: if the goal is the same, why does almost everyone opt for a motor? The answer is as simple as it is uncomfortable: time. In Germany, free time always feels in short supply – no matter how much of it there actually is. So: press a button, engage turbo, and hey presto, you’re at the summit. More descents, more fun, less inner resistance. The e-MTB fits perfectly into our age of self-optimisation and efficiency-driven thinking: faster, higher, further – and please, with as little effort as possible along the way.

The Biobike, on the other hand, has the audacity to make you suffer. It demands effort, sweat and, occasionally, an acceptance of your own physical limits. And that, it seems, is exactly what very few people are actually willing to pay for anymore. Neither with money nor with lactate.

One question, four answers: Do you even want to do without it anymore?

We asked a number of cyclists what they think of the classic mountain bike without a motor.
Among them were professional cyclist Korbi Engstler, amateur cyclist and MTB coach Verena Heilgemeir, BIKE reader Pablo Weber and two BIKE test editors. Here are their answers.

Of course, we still need conventional bikes. I actually get the feeling they’re in greater demand again at the moment. Especially those cyclists who got swept up in the e-bike craze early on are now keen to get back to normal bikes. Of course, I don’t have to buy my own bikes and I’ve got the whole range to choose from, but I keep finding myself reaching for the non-electric bike. Because it’s a different kind of sport, offers a better workout and – especially now that ‘minimal assist’ has more or less died out – is often the better choice. But if I need to get there quickly and want it to be fun, then I’m happy to use e-support.”
Korbi Engstler, professional cyclist

Yes, we do. ​At the start of the year, I bought myself another hardtail – to complement my Specialized Levo SL. Because I felt something was missing. The essence of mountain biking. That pure exertion. The agile acceleration powered solely by my own leg strength and willpower, feeling my own stamina, the lightness on the trail, becoming one with the jumps. A power that comes solely from within me. Just my panting – no engine noise, not even the faintest sound. Being able to rely entirely on yourself, without the silent safety net of the motor in the back of your mind or a dwindling battery as a limiting factor. Assessing your own abilities, pushing your own boundaries – and that great feeling of having achieved everything on your own, with full power and complete control.

For me, both types of bike have their place. Without a biobike in my repertoire, I’d definitely be missing something. With the biobike, I experience myself and the sport differently – more intensely, more naturally, more freely. The e-bike, on the other hand, represents above all fun and greater possibilities in terms of time and range. But when I really want to push myself – in the purest sense – I reach for the biobike. So, to answer the question specifically: yes, we still need biobikes. To preserve the original, pure form of the sport and human strength.
Verena Heilgemeir, MTB coach

Not really. It’s just that our human tendency towards nostalgia still kicks in. E-bikes mean: six descents instead of three. More power on the downhill, less struggle to get going after work when the days are short in winter.
​Pablo Weber, BIKE reader

​I don’t want to get involved. Professionally, I’m fascinated by the rapid developments in e-MTBs. In my spare time, however, I only ride without a motor. In my opinion, cyclists shouldn’t let themselves be thrown off course by comparisons between a good conventional bike and the craze for the latest gadgets in the e-bike sector. Meanwhile, the industry urgently needs to come up with something to save the mountain bike from economic extinction.
Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

If I could only ride one type of bike from now on, it certainly wouldn’t be a ‘biobike’. It’s trendy to come out in favour of the biobike. And yes, I’d still rather do without one too. Ideally, a powerful trail bike with plenty of playfulness and low weight. That’s cycling in its purest form. Bunny hopping, pulling off wheelies, riding along edges without a concrete block on the down tube. But if it’s a case of choosing one or the other, then I’d go for one with a motor. Because that way, my inner slacker doesn’t whinge too loudly on wet, cold and short winter days, and I can fit in more descents. Incidentally, the best of both worlds is called ‘Minimal-Assist’, but for some reason nobody wants one. I just don’t get it.
Laurin Lehner, BIKE editor

​What do you think? Let us know in the comments