Pain in the neck and back, wrong frame size?

[Dmitri]

Which is to say the the advantage - the only advantage - of having clip ons on a motorcycle, or in our case, of having flat bars on our e-mtb, is only found where few are able or willing to go. Meantime. we'd have been pointlessly contorted, and likely creating or aggravating arthritis.

Exactly this. See, 99% of people who go to the bike store get themselves what's called an MTB but they never do any actual mountain biking where a low, horizontal bar makes sense. What they really need is more of a trekking bike, but those typically look idiotic (the 'cruiser' look, very antique) and have weird stuff like a cheap 3-gear hub. Interestingly, bike shops also do not carry trekking handlebars like the ones I mention and some might even discourage their use on an MTB.

When it comes to seats, bike manufacturers just add the cheap <$10 seat, totally uncomfortable (dangerous for your private parts, in fact!)... but also what's interesting is bike shops don't carry seats like the one above either... more than that, in fact, in Europe you can't even buy such a seat, not even on Amazon last I checked.

The whole industry is backwards. We need bikes that handle like MTBs (derailleur, front suspension, maybe even dual-sus) but have trekking/cruiser parts so they're comfy.

 

[Scott C]

The whole industry is backwards. We need bikes that handle like MTBs (derailleur, front suspension, maybe even dual-sus) but have trekking/cruiser parts so they're comfy.

Dmitri I couldn't agree more. and need I say my bike has that cough 'idiotic' look to it (lol) - but since we are all hopeless slaves to fasion - and just like flared trousers and platform shoes, which look ridiculous ...until they're in fasion ...and then look brilliant - so too will full suspension comfy mtb's look awesome.

You know I'd even go further - on an electric mtb - the need for flat bars even in a trekking or mountain environment is debateable. Short of racing (and then only maybe) I think flat bars are a waste of time. MotoX motorcycles don't see the need to put clip on (very low) handle bars on so they can go fast off-road. And I see no reason that e-mtb's are any different. I've done plenty off off-road parks and trails on my comfy e-mtb and I'm fairly sure it was nothing but better in every respect - including handling, up hill down hill - you name it it's better. You can get weight forward or back as required - you can fly uphill - and going down you don't need to almost get off your bike and hang off behind your seat and wish your arms were longer to get correct weight distribution since you can just lean back and achieve the same weight distribution with ease and since it's easy you do it more and go downhill with ease and (cough) style and speed.

Perhaps the industry is chasing its tail - or following mindlessly.

 

[Scott C]

Actually something else about high vs flat bars - my wife and I actually have two (originally identical) e-mtb's - my wife's is still stock and taking that out for a ride I'm also struck by the absurdly twitchy - sharp steering which (again) is a consequence of the standard flat bars making the riders weight so far forward that the steering inputs occur ahead of the steering stem / axis. It's just so pointless and fraught. And again just like motorcycles - where the manufacturers have 'finally' caught up and realised that clip on handle bars and 24 degree steering rakes of race bikes have no point for 99% of us and so are now making sit up / comfy, and relatively raked-out (and still crazy fast) road bikes (which, by the way, are selling like hot cakes -- and I should point out this is over and above the 'big traillie' phenomenon I mentioned above ..so see for example Suzuki GSXF1000S or Yamaha MT-09). Perhaps then so too will e-mtb manufacturers give us what we all aparently don't realise we need yet ...comfy e-mtb's! haha.