Fine, electric mountain bikes don’t suck

没关系，电动山地车并不糟糕

It’s not cheating if you’re just having fun. 如果你只是为了享受乐趣，那就不算作弊。

You don’t need a $10,000 Amflow PX Carbon Pro, but it doesn’t hurt. 你并不一定需要一台价值 10,000 美元的 Amflow PX Carbon Pro，但拥有它确实体验更好。

“Cheater,” I’d grumble between huffs as yet another e-bike rider casually skittered past me on a steep ascent. It’s this purist attitude that, for years, has left me blind to one simple fact: electric mountain bikes are fun! “作弊者，”我一边喘着粗气一边嘟囔，看着又一位电动自行车骑手在陡峭的上坡路段轻松地从我身边掠过。正是这种纯粹主义者的态度，多年来让我忽视了一个简单的事实：电动山地车真的很有趣！

My attitude adjustment came a few weeks ago, the very first time I rode an Amflow PX Carbon Pro fitted with the incredibly compact, lightweight, and powerful M2S motor from Avinox, a new DJI offshoot that has incumbents like Bosch and Specialized on edge. The motor doesn’t make me a speed demon, but it does let me suck better by compensating whenever my poor technique kills the momentum. 我的态度转变发生在大约几周前，那是我第一次骑上配备了 Avinox M2S 电机的 Amflow PX Carbon Pro。Avinox 是大疆（DJI）旗下的新品牌，其电机极其紧凑、轻便且动力强劲，让博世（Bosch）和闪电（Specialized）等行业老牌厂商感到压力倍增。这个电机并没有让我变成速度狂魔，但它确实通过在我技术不佳导致动力丧失时提供补偿，让我的骑行表现变得更好。

Mountain biking has a long history of gatekeeping new technology. Purists have complained about the introduction of full-suspension frames, disc brakes, dropper posts, and 29-inch wheels, claiming they’ve made the sport “too easy.” Today, that technology is widely accepted and comes standard on many mountain bikes, including the Amflow I’ve been testing. Powerful, torquey motors are just the next evolution. 山地自行车运动有着排斥新技术的悠久历史。纯粹主义者曾抱怨全避震车架、碟刹、升降座管和 29 英寸轮组的引入，声称这些技术让这项运动变得“太容易了”。如今，这些技术已被广泛接受，并成为许多山地车的标配，包括我正在测试的这台 Amflow。而动力强劲、扭矩十足的电机，不过是进化的下一个阶段。

Without a doubt, that motor does make things easier. It’s on long, steep, technical ascents where I appreciate the relief most, turning climbs into engaging, flowy challenges rather than a cardio tax that cuts my day short. But I decide how hard I want to work. Some days I need a turbo assist, and others I’m fine with eco when I really want to push my heart rate into the red zone. 毫无疑问，电机确实让骑行变得更轻松。在漫长、陡峭且充满技术难度的上坡路段，我最能感受到这种助力的好处，它将爬坡变成了一种引人入胜、流畅的挑战，而不是那种让我不得不提前结束骑行的心肺折磨。但我依然可以决定自己想付出多少努力。有时我需要涡轮增压模式的辅助，而有时当我真的想把心率推向极限时，使用经济模式也完全足够。

I started mountain biking during covid like many of my friends, letting YouTube teach us correct body posture and technique to use in turns and jumps. Let’s just say I haven’t advanced much beyond novice in that time, and suffered a nasty crash that shoved my shoulder out the socket “in an unusual direction,” according to my doctor. I haven’t felt as confident on a mountain bike since. Adding a motor, however, has made me feel safer with a greater sense of control. 像许多朋友一样，我在新冠疫情期间开始接触山地自行车，通过 YouTube 学习转弯和跳跃时的正确身体姿势与技巧。不得不说，这段时间我的水平并没有超出新手太多，而且还经历了一次严重的摔车，导致我的肩膀“以一种不寻常的方向”脱臼，医生是这么说的。从那以后，我在骑山地车时就再也没有那么自信了。然而，加上电机后，我感觉更安全了，掌控感也更强了。

There’s a gross misconception that electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) make you faster. Maybe in the US, but I ride in Europe where eMTBs don’t have throttles and the pedal-assist tops out at a slow 25km/h (15.5mph) — many trail riders can easily exceed 30km/h on straightaways, leaving me struggling to keep up on a heavier e-bike. European e-bikes also have a maximum continuous output rating of just 250W, making them slower and less powerful than Class 1 e-bikes sold in the US, let alone those Class 3 monsters that are just motorcycles in disguise. 人们有一个巨大的误解，认为电动山地车（eMTB）会让你骑得更快。在美国或许如此，但我是在欧洲骑行，这里的电动山地车没有油门，踏板辅助最高时速仅为 25 公里/小时（15.5 英里/小时）——许多林道骑手在直道上可以轻松超过 30 公里/小时，这让我骑着更重的电动车时不得不拼命追赶。欧洲的电动自行车最大持续输出功率仅为 250W，这使得它们比美国销售的 Class 1 电动自行车更慢、动力更弱，更不用说那些伪装成自行车的 Class 3 电动摩托车怪兽了。

I don’t want my eMTB to ride the trail for me. Instead, I want the pedal-assisted motor to act as a force multiplier, seamlessly integrating with my own pedaling to provide as much or as little assistance as I desire. That’s what I get with the Amflow PX Carbon Pro and eMTBs that cost much less. 我不希望我的电动山地车替我完成骑行。相反，我希望踏板辅助电机能起到“力量倍增器”的作用，与我自己的踩踏无缝融合，根据我的需要提供或多或少的辅助。这就是我在 Amflow PX Carbon Pro 以及其他价格更亲民的电动山地车上所获得的体验。

The motor lets me be overly cautious with my braking as I approach a turn, take it with confidence, and then accelerate quickly and with control out the other side. And when my momentum stalls in a technical section because of my shit technique, a bolt of torque is there to get me out of trouble, and again when a blind hairpin opens up to an unexpectedly steep incline. 电机让我可以在接近弯道时过度谨慎地刹车，自信地过弯，然后快速且可控地加速出弯。当我在技术路段因为糟糕的技术导致动力停滞时，一股扭矩爆发能帮我摆脱困境；而在盲弯后突然出现意想不到的陡坡时，它同样能助我一臂之力。

The extra power delivered intuitively and predictably by the Avinox M2S motor has kept me from losing balance, or being forced to dismount in difficult terrain. It’s also been a great equalizer when heading out with more experienced riders who’d otherwise “drop” me at some point in the first 10 minutes. Avinox M2S 电机直观且可预测地提供的额外动力，让我避免了失去平衡，也无需在复杂地形下被迫下车推行。当我和更有经验的骑手一起出行时，它也成为了一个很好的“平衡器”，否则他们通常会在前 10 分钟内就把我“甩掉”。

As a result, I find myself smiling a lot more, ready to spend more time on the trails, doing more laps, and more repetitions. I’m just having so much more fun these days even though my old, middle-aged self is riding the same old trails. 结果就是，我发现自己笑得更多了，更愿意花时间在林道上，骑更多的圈数，进行更多的练习。尽管我这个步入中年的老家伙骑的还是那些老路，但现在的我确实享受到了更多的乐趣。

I’m also careful with my newfound superpower, and frankly, a little embarrassed by it. Strong riders aren’t used to being passed with pace on steep uphill sections by someone twice their age. I therefore stay humble and announce my presence early if I really need to pass. I also don’t claim any King of the Mountain titles on Strava like some assholes. 我也很谨慎地使用这种新获得的“超能力”，坦白说，还有点不好意思。强壮的骑手们不习惯在陡峭的上坡路段被一个比他们大一倍的人轻松超越。因此，我保持谦逊，如果真的需要超车，我会提前示意。我也不会像某些混蛋那样在 Strava 上去抢什么“山地之王”的头衔。

It’s slightly unfair that my epiphany came on a $10,000 Amflow PX Carbon Pro. It features class-leading specs that certainly aided my enjoyment. That Avinox M2S motor is capable of delivering up to 150Nm of hill-flattening torque, and a temporary boost of 1,500W to overcome long, steep sections. The carbon fiber frame also helps bring the total weight down to just 20.6kg (45 pounds), below the average of about 22 to 27kg (50 to 60 pounds). 我的顿悟发生在一台 10,000 美元的 Amflow PX Carbon Pro 上，这多少有点不公平。它拥有同类领先的规格，确实提升了我的享受感。那台 Avinox M2S 电机能够提供高达 150Nm 的扭矩，足以“夷平”山丘，并能提供 1,500W 的瞬时功率来克服漫长而陡峭的路段。碳纤维车架也将总重量降至仅 20.6 公斤（45 磅），低于平均约 22 至 27 公斤（50 至 60 磅）的水平。

Avinox now boasts over 60 bike brand partners around the world. That means it pays to shop around. The cheapest M2S-equipped eMTB I’ve found is the roughly $4,000 CRUSSIS e-Hard 11.11 hardtail. Otherwise, you can find a variety of budget eMTBs from companies like Ride1Up and Aventon with less-capable motors that still offer lots of fun. Avinox 目前在全球拥有超过 60 家自行车品牌合作伙伴。这意味着多逛逛市场是值得的。我找到的最便宜的配备 M2S 电机的电动山地车是售价约 4,000 美元的 CRUSSIS e-Hard 11.11 硬尾车。此外，你也可以从 Ride1Up 和 Aventon 等公司找到各种预算友好的电动山地车，虽然它们的电机性能稍弱，但依然能提供很多乐趣。

Ultimately, you don’t need a five-figure carbon rig to experience the shift. Whether you’re on a flagship Amflow or a budget workhorse, the result will be similar: less suffering, more laps, and a giant, goofy grin. 归根结底，你不需要一台五位数的碳纤维战车来体验这种转变。无论你骑的是旗舰级的 Amflow 还是经济实惠的代步工具，结果都是一样的：更少的痛苦，更多的圈数，以及脸上那灿烂而傻气的笑容。