The e-mountainbike is not perfect. Not yet. Weight, limited range, limited speed - each of these aspects can mean restrictions. But how serious are these limitations in view of the new possibilities that the e-drive opens up for mountain bikers? It is time to at least relativise some theses.
First thesis: Limited by the lack of battery range, you can't reach the super panoramas or the most beautiful trails in the Alps on an E-MTB. Wrong. The range depends largely on the support level. If you use the battery capacity sparingly and are prepared to increase the proportion of your own muscle power in the overall performance, you can cover 1500 metres in altitude and more. Many normal mountain bikers would not be prepared to go any further anyway. There are also ways to increase the total altitude by skilful tour planning: huts where you can recharge your battery during a short break. Or mountain railways that allow you to bridge a few metres in altitude.
Second thesis: You can't ride everything on an E-MTB, and difficult trails or pushing sections should be left out of your tour planning if possible. Wrong again. You can ride everything downhill on an e-MTB that you can on a normal mountain bike anyway. And even more uphill. Where normal bikers have to dismount and shoulder the bike, e-mountain bikers are nowhere near the end. Even super steep ramps can be conquered thanks to e-power. And most of the new push aids are so good that you can at least get up steep trails this way. If nothing else works, an e-mountainbike can also be shouldered for a few minutes. The correct carrying technique for this can be found from page 108 in this magazine.
Third thesis: The satisfaction after an e-tour is lower because you haven't just pedalled uphill with your own muscle power. Wrong again. With the same amount of effort, you ride uphill faster and can therefore ride more trails. More trails mean more luck for most bikers. And at the end of the day, you are just as exhausted as on a normal bike.
Theses that are repeatedly put forward in connection with e-mountainbikes. On the following pages you will find five tours on which these theses are wonderfully refuted - or at least relativised.
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
1. KARWENDEL CIRCUIT
This classic tour is a real adventure on an e-mountainbike. Not so much because you would be venturing into lonely or exposed terrain, but rather because 1658 metres in altitude over a distance of 81 kilometres with just one battery is a real challenge. So you have to be an economical cyclist and ride mainly on Eco - it certainly won't be any easier than with a muscle bike. If you want to turn it into an enjoyable tour, you'll need a second battery in your rucksack. But then this classic is a dream: from Mittenwald, the route starts flat through the romantic Ried, then with a magnificent rocky backdrop into the Karwendel valley, first easy to the Larchetalm, then steeper uphill to the Karwendelhaus, which guarantees a cosy Bavarian stop for refreshments - with a super panoramic view of the Karwendelspitze. Then a few more metres in altitude to the Hochalmsattel, and now it's downhill on a rough piste to the small Ahornboden and on to Hinterriss, where you can stop off again. The real Karwendel tour would now lead back to Mittenwald via the Vereiner Alm, but that would certainly add more than 2000 metres of altitude to the clock. As this can really only be done with two batteries, we prefer to roll gently downhill to Vorderriss and take the gravel track along the original Isar river, always gently uphill back to Mittenwald. But beware, this route also has a few short ramps in store. So once again: on this tour you are well advised to use your battery capacity sparingly right to the end.
TOUR DATES
Distance 80.92 km
Uphill 1658 hm
Asphalt 2.28 km
Ballast 65.59 km
TECHNOLOGY
Condition high
Driving technique medium
Panorama super
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
2. DWARF HEAD
Karwendel on the other side, much shorter and easier, but at least as beautiful: the Zwölferkopf not only offers an impressive panorama of the eastern Karwendel massif and the Rofan, but also across the entire Achensee from the south. The Bärenbadalm just before it also provides a rustic refreshment stop. In addition to all these strong arguments, there is also an exciting but not too difficult trail descent that leads over small bridges and through narrow tunnels back down to Lake Achensee. From the start at the large car park in Buchau, you first whizz along the cycle path along Lake Achensee to Pertisau - just as fast as the kiters and windsurfers on the water thanks to the battery boost. Then you roll in a long loop on gravel through the lovely, flat Dristenau valley - always with the mighty Karwendel rocks on the Lamsenjoch in sight. Finally, the route really starts to climb: on a moderately steep gravel path, the tour climbs over 450 metres in altitude to the Bärenbadalm, a hearty refreshment stop where you can enjoy the sun on the terrace. However, there are no outstanding panoramic views here yet. You have to pedal a few metres further up to the summit of the Zwölferkopf. Here you can not only look out over the whole of Lake Achensee as if from an aeroplane, but also watch the paragliders who take the cable car up close as they take off. The relatively easy flow trail begins just below the cable car station, leading mainly through the forest through small tunnels almost all the way down to Lake Achensee. Really fun. And if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the historic Achensee railway with its puffing steam locomotive.
TOUR DATES
Distance 24.34 km
Uphill 748 hm
Asphalt 0.29 km
Cycle path 6.82 km
Ballast 614.15 km
Trail 3.07 km
TECHNOLOGY
Condition medium
Driving technique medium
Panorama great
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
3. PORTA VESCOVO
The Dolomites are undoubtedly the most beautiful mountains in the world. But they are at their most beautiful here: Porta Vescovo (Bishop's Gate) south of Arabba offers a stunning view of the Marmolada glacier and the turquoise-coloured Fedaia Lake below. While most muscle bikers take the cable car up here, e-bikers can do it with their own power. From Arabba, the route initially follows a flat ski slope, then continues on a wide gravel track up to Col Vescovo. The steep ski slope, which is now an almost insurmountably steep ramp for normal bikers, is tackled by skilful e-mountain bikers by following the wide water drainage channels in a flat zigzag. After 140 metres in altitude, you have made it and are rewarded with an unforgettable view of the Marmolada. Instead of heading west on the well-travelled Bindelweg, we turn east on the now well-maintained trail to the Rifugio Padon - not quite so easy to ride with a few short, steep climbs, but always with a panorama to dream about. After stopping for refreshments at Rifugio Padon, we ride briefly downhill on a steep ski slope, then on gravel to the Mesola mountain station and finally back down to Arabba on a perfect forest path via Ornella.
TOUR DATES
Distance 26.50 km
Uphill 1340 hm
Asphalt 5.37 km
Cycle path 3.45 km
Ballast 9.14 km
Forest path 3.43 km
Trail 5.10 km
TECHNOLOGY
Condition heavy
Driving technique heavy
Panorama mega
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
4. MAROCCHE DI DRO
Great cinema, but difficult trails - that's what you expect from northern Lake Garda. This tour through the rugged rocky landscape of the Marocche also offers top panoramic views, but the trails are unusually gentle. The Marocche tour is actually one of the classics on Lake Garda. However, we have redesigned it especially for e-MTB riders - better, more trails, more fun, with a detour to Lake Cavendine. The panorama is completely different to what you would expect at the lake: no grandiose views over the lake, but of huge, smoothly polished rock faces in the Sarca Valley. The glaciers of the Ice Age carved the valley out of the rock tens of thousands of years ago, leaving behind not only the smooth climbing walls, but also huge scree fields of angular, grey rock - the Marocche. After the start in Riva, the route first follows the cycle path to Arco, then past the climbing walls to Ceniga, where the easy, narrow gravel path finally begins, leading through the pretty, peaceful olive groves past Dro. From there, the route continues through the Marocche under the imposing rock faces of Monte Casales to Pietramurata. If the normal Marocche tour leads back from there on the cycle path, we now take a super trail over to Lake Cavedine. Pure flow and fun. At the southern end of the lake there is a short tarmac ascent, then another fine trail below the castle of Drena and through the orchards back to Arco. Now on the cycle path along the Sarca to Lido di Arco and finally along the shores of Lake Garda to Riva.
TOUR DATES
Distance 48.87 km
Uphill 641 hm
Asphalt 1.15 km
Cycle path 29.41 km
Ballast 12.19 km
Forest path 0.62 km
Trail 5.48 km
TECHNOLOGY
Condition light
Driving technique easy
Panorama magnificent
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
5. LA PANORAMICA
You will never forget this panorama. Never! And the trail is in no way inferior. The Panoramica tour in the Val dei Forni in the south of the Ortler massif certainly offers one of the best combinations of super trail and super panorama in the whole of the Alps. The only drawback is that you have to travel quite a long way from Germany - either over the Stelvio Pass or via Livigno to Bormio and on to Santa Caterina. The tour is therefore particularly recommended for all transalpine bikers who want to continue from here over the Gavia Pass. Take a day's break - it's worth it. From Santa Caterina, the route follows a narrow tarmac road up to the
Rifugio Forni, the perfect place to spend the night. Here you can already guess what's coming: the Königsspitze on the left, the Cevedale in front of you and the Pizzo Tresero on the right - a 180-degree glacier arena like you've never seen before. From Forni, the route continues on gravel to the Rifugio Pizzini at an altitude of 2,700 metres, where you can stop for a bite to eat and enjoy the magnificent view. Then the La Panoramica trail, which lives up to its name: seven kilometres long, easy to ride throughout and always with the glaciers in sight. If you feel like it and have enough power, you can ride from Pizzini up to Passo Zebru at 3003 metres. Where else can you reach a three-thousand metre peak on an e-MTB?
TOUR DATES
Distance 23.17 km
Uphill 1083 hm
Cycle path 5.69 km
Ballast 6.61 km
Forest path 3.87 km
Trail 6.98 km
TECHNOLOGY
Condition medium
Driving technique medium
Panorama Madness
All tours are available as precise GPS data with road book and altitude profile
in the tour planner of www.bike-gps.com
