If you were to plot a chart for e-bike power over the past 10 years, it might look something like the Apple share price. In other words, it’s rocketing skywards. Peak power has literally doubled in the past decade, up from 500W of peak power on the old Shimano Steps 8000 motor, to 1,000 on the DJI Avinox… and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went higher still.

But what do real mountain bikers like you think about this trend to super power e-bikes? We probably all know what the motor brands think – Bosch reckons 750W of power is bang on, while DJI thinks the EU motor limit proposals are stifling – but they’re not the ones buying and riding them, are they? Only you can tell us whether the brands are getting it right.

Forbidden’s new Druid CorE will have a DJI motor, is it cheating or just good sense?

So, is 1,000W of power too much for our busy and delicate mountain bike trails? Or should riders be trusted to ride considerately, and without being idiots? Are older bikes with 500 or 600W peak power and 85Nm of torque enough for you, and are you still happy riding one? Or does the allure of shiny new stuff, and the pressure from friends, the media and advertisers mean you want to upgrade? 

Do we need to stop the madness and all get off? By which I mean, is the EU right to potentially legislate, and force motor-manufacturers to limit their power, or are we just stifling innovation and unfairly hobbling the likes of DJI?

Mahle M40 e-bike motor

It’s not all about power either, new motors like the Mahle M40 boast traction control, just like the DJI Avinox… is that taking things too far? Should riders be able to control their own back wheels on techie climbs, or do you relish the idea of new tech making things easier?

Or perhaps you reckon all e-bikes in general aren’t for you? Would you rather pedal yourself around without some motor telling you how to ride? Are you OK with the idea of e-bikes when you’re old and infirm, but you’d rather keep it real until you can’t pedal hard anymore?

Finally, have you bought a DJI-powered bike in the last 12 months? There’s only one you could have bought so far of course, the Amflow PL Carbon, but is it everything you hoped it would be, or are you feeling some buyer’s remorse? Are you something of a pariah in your riding group now, or are you riding mates planning on getting one too?

The Amflow has shaken up e-bikes for most of us, did you see it coming though?

If you can help us out with your insights into this we’d be chuffed to hear your thoughts. Whether it’s your ideas on e-bikes themselves, or these really specific points, no one knows bikes in the real world better than you guys.

If you can spare five minutes then, let us know what you think. You can email in to mbr@futurenet.com, or much better – get touch via our social media channels… Facebook and Instagram. 

I’ll pull out the most interesting and insightful comments into a future article about what we all think of e-bikes, so try and keep your comments PG-13 rated!

Thanks in advance for your contributions!