Words and pictures by Ulysse Daessle -@ulyssedaessle
A long time ago you would enter your local shop, ask for a mountain bike, check the treads of the tires, and just choose one. Now we have so many more to choose from: marathon, cross country, downcountry, trail, all mountain, enduro, big enduro, freeride, downhill… Oh and eBikes too!
Categorizing everything is reassuring. We know that the bike is given clear purpoe and function. But, can a bike go outside of it’s established purpose? For a lot of us, we only have one bike. And for some, it’s an ebike and it should be able to do everything. But can it do bike park laps? And… is it fun?
You could argue it doesn’t make sense to do this. After all, there’s a motor. But is it realistic to pedal to enjoy 10-15 laps a day, each with 1000 meter descents? With that in mind, I didn’t hesitate to take my Kona Remote 160 up to do some laps. I do this about five to 10 times per year.
The most important aspect for me is the playfulness of the bike. Playing with the back end and having a bike that can jump around easily is the first thing I look for. With the Remote 160 I’m never disappointed. It’s short rear end makes it fun, it’s weight helps it feel stable.
It takes flight on the jumps-tables our doubles. It stays manageable and plaful in the berms.
And it brings massive confidence with drops, thanks to a progressive suspension that doesn’t bottom out harshly.
Having fitted a 29″ wheel up front and a 27.5″ in the back made it more precise too! No problem in any rock gardens you can find in the park.
At the end of the day, the most importnat question is, did I have fun?
For me, the answer is 200% yes! You can for sure have fun in a bike park with an eBike. Just be sure you pick up the right one!
