Jean Turner | November 30, 2022
Cycle News Cross-Rutted
COLUMN
Odd One Out?
Have you ever shown up to an event only to realize you’re dressed all wrong? A quick glance around and you’re immediately re-reading the invite in your mind, wondering how you managed to show up looking like a total goofball. I had that moment at a Halloween “costume contest” two years ago, in which I was somehow the only one in costume, and most recently at an eMTB intro in St. George, Utah.
Black knee-length shorts, knee pad sleeves underneath, black socks pulled up and an open-face helmet with clear wrap-around glasses. This was the standard-issue uniform of the day, and I somehow missed the memo… instead wearing brick-orange pants, a full-length jersey and full-face helmet. I suppose I was dressed for downhill-style riding. And why wouldn’t I be? This is the global launch for an elite eMTB, taking place near the proving grounds of the infamous Red Bull Rampage. Of course I’m wearing full protection!
Confident as I was in my choice, I couldn’t help but feel out of place. As the only motorcycle journalist among the mountain-bike crowd, worried about keeping the pace with this pack of gazelles, and now also realizing that I was “that girl.” The one who showed up at the motocross track wearing adventure gear.
Welp, nothing to be done about it at this point. I hopped up on the pedals and we headed out into the Utah desert behind the pack of ultra-fit cardio-machines, just praying that I could keep up. At least they wouldn’t see my tongue hanging out.
Now this particular model we were riding is embargoed until January 17, so you’ll just have to sit on the edge of your saddles until I can tell you about it. But what I can tell you is that modern eMTB machines, in general, have some serious juice packed behind their pedals. Get cranking and you’re covering ground twice as steep, and thrice as fast. When you really get flowing on a good trail (and there is no shortage of those in southwest Utah), the experience quickly becomes very moto-ey. In this case it was very reminiscent of whipping through the desert on my KX250X.
While the pedaling part is challenging for me, I find the technical aspect very similar to the off-road dirt bike experience, and therefore pure fun. Some of the descents we dropped down were pretty technical—rock faces with some chunky step downs—which were a blast. After studying the lines and choosing an approach, we took turns dropping in one by one, cheering each other on as the photographer snapped away, capturing the wide grins and stunning scenery. My grin was the only one concealed by a full-face helmet.
At this point I wasn’t feeling out of place anymore—rather, wondering how it was that no one else felt this was potentially dangerous enough to warrant full protection. After all, these are motorized vehicles. I would never get on a dirt bike and ride the speeds we rode, and tackle steep, rocky downhills we did in an open-face helmet and shorts.
I suppose the difference in our attire points directly to the difference in our backgrounds, and what we feel most comfortable wearing. More than mere comfort, I think that the average motocrosser/off-road rider has almost certainly gone over the bars before, myself included. I’ve had my face pounded into Glen Helen, have gone over the bars in fifth gear, and certainly had my share of high-side slap-downs. I can only imagine what that would feel like without face protection and I don’t care to find out.
Day two of our ride was less steep, but with longer climbs and technical rock sections peppered throughout. Several stumbles and slips up the hill resulted in some whacked shins. Those of us with the studded flat pedals quickly appreciated how sharp they are. “It makes me afraid of those pedals,” said one of the guides.
“It makes me afraid of shorts!” I replied. My retort was met by a few chuckles, but it wasn’t exactly meant to be a joke.
Even on what we now call “analog bikes,” I have never understood why pants aren’t more of a thing. My mountain biker friends always seem recognizable by their skinned-up shins, just between the area below the shorts and above the socks. Even without crashing or fumbling the pedals, there always seems to be enough damage from brush to scuff up some skin at the end of the day. Remind me why we’re not protecting ourselves? I’ve heard that “it’s too hot” for pants. Well, with today’s lightweight textiles, that’s not really a problem. What else you got?
Now, I’m not here to challenge the entire world of mountain biking attire, because I get it… it’s a fashion show out there, and social pressure is a powerful thing. After all, over-the-boot pants make perfect sense, but you won’t find me wearing them at the motocross track. Gotta have the kit on point. But what I do want to challenge is the standard of eMTB attire. This is the gray area in between mountain biking and powersports. It may look like a mountain bike, but it’s faster, you’re traversing tougher terrain, traveling longer distances. Is it time to consider that this is a motorized vehicle, and that more protection should perhaps be the norm?
At the end of our two days of pedaling in Utah, I was no longer self-conscious about being the odd one out. Quite the contrary, I was 100 percent confident in my choice of kit. I had been rapped in the shin by my pedal, but left with hardly a mark. No scuffs or sunburn on my milky white calves. Most importantly, I had the confidence of knowing that my face was protected. I was fortunate enough to not have any crashes, but even if I had, the moneymaker would have remained intact.
To each their own—wear what’s comfortable for you. After all, it’s all about confidence out there. As for myself, that will likely always be full protection on anything with two-wheels with a motor—electric or otherwise. While I can accept that I’m in the minority at this point, I can say I have a multiple mountain biking friends who have joined the full-face side, so perhaps our numbers are growing. But their shift in thinking was only after each of them suffered a face-pounding that left them bloodied and bruised. Do we all individually need to arrive at this point before there is a collective shift in the standard? I hope not, because there could be a lot of broken teeth and black eyes along the way.
As for me, I’ve smacked my head enough by now to know that I’m dumber for it. And at this point if I get any dumber, I’m going to ask UC Santa Barbara if I can apply for a refund. So I’ll proudly be the goon pedaling cross-country trails in my downhill gear. CN