BikeRadar Tech Talk Podcast | Are e-road bikes cheating?

You either love 'em or hate 'em, but ebikes are here to stay – but are e-road bikes cheating?

According to Bikmo, ebike riders present less risk than those on conventional bikes.

Robert Smith / Immediate Media

Tom Marvin

Published: May 19, 2020 at 10:41 am

The debate has raged for years in mountain biking, but with electric-assisted road bikes having a growing presence on the road, we debate whether they’re ‘cheating’ or just another way to get out on two wheels and enjoy the roads.

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Our senior road technical editor Warren is a big fan of e-road bikes, citing their ability to explore further and to get those less able out on the roads, whereas Simon Bromley, BikeRadar’s tech writer is a little less convinced.

The best electric bikes

Who's right, and who's wrong? Let us know in the comments...

A great equaliser or just for cheats? - Russell Burton / Immediate Media

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Senior technical editor

Tom Marvin is a technical editor at BikeRadar.com and MBUK magazine. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter – pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. He’s also worked out that shaving your legs saves 8 watts, while testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights.