1 Imagine finishing a ride and having more energy than you started with – enough to play with the kids, cook dinner, and hold a conversation, all without drifting off half way through. It’s all possible because the free power from the motor means you never really push your cardiovascular system into the red (unless you want to). This means you can have a great ride, stay out for hours, drain a 500Wh battery or more, and head home energised instead of wiped.
This is even more important if you’ve reached a certain age because as you get older you need more time to recover. Properly bury yourself on a normal ride and you could be done for days.
2 There are a whole host of chemical messengers in your brain associated with happiness and confidence, that’ll have you feeling less anxious and stressed, and even reduce pain too. And guess what, mountain biking increases all of them, while you can ride for longer on an e-bike and get more of those natural highs. Endorphins, dopamine,adrenaline and endocannabinoid are all released when you link up a section of trail well, clear some jumps, or make it up a techie climb, and these can last up to 24 hours after your ride. The result – you’ll feel happy, relaxed and calm at home, all without resorting to narcotics.
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Mountain Bike Rider.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Mountain Bike Rider.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Best places to ride with your kids
Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?
100% GLENDALE GLASSES
When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.
DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?
STORM FORCE
Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track
SWEAT AND SLATE
We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail
HEAD SPACE
New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it
LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone
HOT STUFF
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH