Mood: Should we let electric mountain bikes ride in the forest?

The electric mountain bike is sometimes criticized by purists for reasons of ethics, deviance or philosophy. But in this article we wanted to check another aspect that worries us. Indeed, if they are the new stars of the cycling universe for their neutral impact on the environment and also because they are designed to make it easier to stay in shape with less effort, Electric mountain bikes are not safe. We try to explain… 

By Jean-François TATARD – Photos: depositphotos.com / DR

Electrically assisted mountain biking has been growing strongly in recent years and we see more and more of them in the forests. Electrically assisted mountain bikes really have everything to seduce. And their many attractions, both for the convenience of travel and for health or leisure, make these two wheels a very popular means of transport.

The demand is increasing but Followers are users of all ages. Children, adults, seniors, even very seniors have ridden this new type of bike. And sometimes, without properly determining the risks associated with accidents and the fact that reflexes are often cognitively out of step with the situation.

This article was born from an accident we recently suffered in Gravel. muscular or to human propulsion (you call it what you will) in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye by colliding head-on with a septuagenarian who was riding an e-MTB. The rated power of the electric motor installed on this type of two-wheeler reaches 250 watts when it is in compliance with the rules. And Sometimes some people unleash them and ride at the speed of a moped.. In most cases, the assistance provided by the motor allows you to ride at more than 25 km/h, except that some places are not suitable for this. And even if the pedal assistance is only effective when the cyclist is pedaling, it must be taken into account that beginners on this type of bike should definitely refer to the various markings on the ground and go there. groping about Singles. And yet, we do not open in this article the debate of the banning of motorized vehicles in most forests. Because in fact, Is an e-MTB a motor vehicle? 

To go beyond our thinking, even if we must admit that This type of bicycle is a good way to get or get back into the saddle a public who does not or no longer practices sporting activity, the analysis we made is that many people we met on the paths are not prepared from a neuromuscular point of view. Indeed, do you know that there is cognitive communication with the muscles and the brain? However, with electrical assistance neurological communication is disrupted and the neuromuscular connection is therefore biased. There is a decoupling between the mind and the muscles because the muscles have almost no information (or at least much less) to transmit to the brain since they are significantly less used. Which would explain a good number of accidents in the forest with e-MTBs.

What is the neuromuscular connection? The neuromuscular connection is simply the mind-muscle connection or Mind Muscle Connection in English. Our brain and muscles are connected. If you contract your thighs, glutes, and calves, the brain must first send signals through the central nervous system to the corresponding muscle. These impulses cause a contraction and a reaction related to what is appropriate to do in a given situation. So the quality of the connection between your mind and your muscle controls the intensity of your muscular work. And vice versa too. Except that there, it's as if there was no longer a transmitter. 

In the case of VTTAE, the effort is artificial and proprioception is therefore significantly altered.

In neurology there is thus a synchronization between the muscle, the brain and proprioception.. A kind of deep sensitivity, generally unconscious, of the position of the different parts of the body depending on the initial information. It works thanks to numerous muscular and ligament receptors and the pathways and nerve centers involved. Except that in the case of VTTAE, the effort is artificial and proprioception is therefore significantly altered. The sensory receptors do not function at the level of the speed or the current situation facing an obstacle. It is a kinesthetic problem that prevents the normal reflex that would have occurred if the muscle had been used normally if we had pedaled using the strength of our legs.

The cohabitation of mountain bikes or gravel bikes and electric mountain bikes does pose some problems on forest trails where respect is not always required. because having artificial power under the pedal sometimes makes you unconsciously incompetent and weakens your reflexes. In short, don't get me wrong, and don't make us think that motorboats are sailboats. Here is a form of conclusion that I hope will allow for reflection because it is important to go in the right direction and not reinvent the off-road motorcycle. Thus, it is important to ride in an environment conducive to this mode of transport, with adequate safety equipment, and to benefit from good visibility and anticipate an adequate reaction time to avoid unpleasant surprises.

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