Lake Garda is known for its breakneck downhills. But the really dangerous scenes take place on the cycle path between Torbole and Arco. In the past, in non-motorised times, it was safe to cycle here to the starting points of the classic tours. Today, anarchy reigns. People race for all they're worth. The little boxes on the speed sensors of the e-bikers are a dead giveaway: Very few are travelling legally. Badass Kit, Speedchip, Startec - every
every e-MTB can be transformed into half a motorbike. The internet is full of them. And some bike shops - so we hear - sell the tuning kit with the bike.
Anyone who tunes their bike turns it into an illegal motor vehicle: no operating licence, no insurance, riding without a driving licence. Riding offside is prohibited, even the cycle path is off-limits. If you get caught, you can expect your driving licence to be revoked and a criminal charge brought. Surely everyone should know this for themselves? Exactly not!
Because anyone who tunes is partly to blame if our sport soon ceases to exist in this form. Tuning on a grand scale calls the legislators into action. And then we will soon be travelling illegally on our non-tuned bikes too. But apart from that, the 25 km/h limit makes perfect sense in many respects. We e-mountain bikers can only expect social acceptance as long as we are not perceived as a danger by hikers, non-motorised cyclists, forestry workers and other nature users.
Anyone who speeds along forest tracks at 40 km/h cannot hope for the tolerance of others. But the speed limit also makes practical sense. This is because battery consumption increases in proportion to the square of the speed. Whereas at 25 km/h on a flat road, 160 watts of drive power are required, at 30 km/h you already need 245 watts. I think it's better to invest the available energy in metres of altitude.
With all this in mind, I personally have no understanding and zero tolerance for tuners and manufacturers who allow tuning. Open systems and motors that cheat the 25 km/h limit via an app are grossly negligent and harm the E-MTB movement.
Fortunately, however, a new EU standard is likely to make things much more difficult for these candidates. From May 2019, all engines must be equipped with an electronic device that recognises and prevents tuning. By then at the latest, the cycle path on Lake Garda should be safer again.
