Can A Cross Country Racer Beat An eBike Rider?

It's race day here at GMBN, but with a twist! We'd often wondered how an elite-level cross country MTB rider would fare compared to a regular rider on an EMTB, and with Isaac joining the GMBN team we got a chance to find out. We whisked our content creator Matt away from editing videos (and his tea and biscuits) to Bike Park Wales to see if he could beat former World Cup XC racer Isaac. With a grueling course picked out featuring some lengthy, technical climbs and challenging descents, we got our stopwatches ready and let them loose...
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[@nvire5202]

Can we give some credits for the XC rider? He is damn fast everywhere on that little xc bike! It's insane!

[@gmbn]

Totally - especially as Isaac hadn't ridden there before, so all those runs were blind!

[@Jimbob-eu4gd]

Isaacs a beast

[@alexramirez118]

Give the ebiker an XC bike

[@uberfu]

If mtb racing had handicaps like Golf ... Isaac would've owned that race. And honestly with a time diff of 1.17 he kinda makes the E-Bike look bad.

[@alexramirez118]

@@uberfu fu%@ amen brotha!

[@milesdakin3540]

Love it! We need more of Matt on Camera 🤘 anyone who shouts ‘any snacks’ 10mins into any ride is a friend of mine 😂

[@thesmf1210]

yummy

[@imjustridingbikes]

I couldn't resist!

[@01MattDunn]

Totally agree, Matt is relatable, has great bants and commentary, get him in-front of the camera instead of behind it @gmbn

[@gmbn]

Thanks for the support! We had such a good time filming this with Matt and Issac! More to come we're sure! 🤘

[@mattpike7268]

The new XC guy is FAST. this should be a ongoing series, matts the perfect representation of a normal biker with a lot of experience. The XC guy is the perfect representation of a highly fit rider. Absolutely perfect combo.

[@andrewince8824]

I'd love to see DH Pro on an XC and XC Pro on a DH. Big race straight down a decent trail. Would the DH rider be able to compensate for the weaker XC bike or would the XC rider find more pace on a more capable bike? Sod it, everyone go argue politely in the comments.

[@KadenMonsonMTB]

YES I WOULD LOVE THIS!!!

[@BlackMarvin]

@@KadenMonsonMTB Yeah that'S the kind of challenge I want to see. E-bikes are lame.

[@tahaa.p.a9853]

Yeah exactly

[@pyhtiorides]

OR: XC pro vs DH pro on an enduro course?

[@core-i7413]

Would be way more interesting than this, because it's actually a comparison that makes sense.

[@veydajar]

Would have been even more entertaining if you showed their HR and power data during this. :D

[@JB-1138]

I agree. That would add a nice element to this type of video.

[@zedeeyen30]

I wonder if a second lap would have changed things.

[@akaraikiriakatsuki3157]

😂 make them do 10 laps.

[@gmbn]

A rematch would be sick! 👊

[@wss327]

Nice video. I’m loving my 2023 Levo SL. Rides nearly like an analog but it has the power to help me get up the hills with less fatigue which means more fun on the way down and more trips overall.

[@fabianirsara9846]

@@akaraikiriakatsuki3157😂

[@strawbunyan7671]

This would have been the deal breaker for matt. 2 more laps to simulate an actual XC race and there is no way he could have kept up....even on a motorcycle.

[@dr07828]

I like how he says, "people don't know how fast ebikers are" Like it was the rider. I mean, the XC guy made up over 40 seconds on the down hill. Says it all.

[@richardsholl5977]

Absolutely. The Isaac won because he did it himself.

[@cycologist7069]

Kind a non issue. I think when they say that they mean how fast eMTBs go. In Europe they only pedal assist up to 25kph before the motor cuts off. Any bikes that go faster than that with the motor still running fall into a whole new category. in actual eMTB races, everyone is on equal fitting as far as top speed and power under motor, so it still comes down to rider skill and fitness/strength. Also most racers come from a traditional mtb background.

[@SmartLittleFishy]

I know I'm late to the part here, but this was the most exciting GMBN video I've seen. Bravo to the editor (Matt?) and thank you both for riding so hard.

[@junka1975]

Isaac is definitely fast, just over a minute in it. That's impressive. I hope Matt got his snacks as well as Isaac, snacks all round and well deserved.

[@hwordog]

Isaac is a weapon! Huge respect. ... and to be hitting the inside lines on a blind run of vicious valley at that pace on any bike let alone an XC bike is something else, the dude must be reading the trail so far ahead to see them coming its quite incredible. Hard to believe it was a blind run (though I believe it was). Pretty sure he'd crush it if he ever fancied a change and switched focus to Enduro (not that he should! just sayin)

[@gmbn]

He's a dark horse of many disciplines is Isaac! He's probably got furthest in XC but has ridden road, time trial, track, 4x, downhill and enduro over the years. Anything with 2 wheels, Isaac is probably fast on it.

[@mountaincruiser817]

This should be called “how out of shape can you get to still outrun a super fit guy on a normal bike?”

[@joeblack7469]

ie - are e-bikes cheating 😂

[@nobodyisbest]

That E-Biker, Matt, feels quite smug about his "victory". More power to Bosch.

[@friendlypete10]

Hats off to the Xc guy as he was flying

[@993cupswe]

We want to see Matt train and do a EWS-E100 race :) and give him a Canyon Strive

[@imjustridingbikes]

This will be happening soon, I can't wait!

[@julianw5692]

I think they should swap bikes and do the same course again.

[@imjustridingbikes]

No thankyou!

[@thedude669]

That was much closer than I thought it would be!

[@michaelknight6000]

I'd kill to ride like Isaac. Beautiful effort.

[@B1KER]

To me, it's crazy how close they were. I bet if there was another climb the XC guy might have had a chance since the eBiker was starting to complain about cramping.

[@alansmith2593]

They way Isac danced through corner to corner and floated the tech was another level. Yeeoo! Your camera dude fully has some skills too. How they manage to commentate when pinning it that fast was impressive

[@musiqueetmontagne]

Took some great lines too...

[@barryholt3526]

Would be cool to see a comparison of HR data. You just know that the ebiker's heart was working a lot harder.

[@josephhale8924]

So I graduated into being an E-mountain biker this year after mountain biking for 30 years and I'm pretty sure this xc race pro would have beat me by several minutes. Really impressive 👏👏👏

[@MTBstuart]

please swap them over and do a rerun 🤣 both great riders and obviously it wouldn't really be a competition but it would be interesting to see the difference, how much faster would Isaac be and how much slower would Matt be? how many laps could Isaac do before Matt finished?

[@danielray1558]

I got an ebike so I could keep up with my xc super fit friends- worked like a charm- now I can keep up with them when they want to push it. And sometimes I’ll stick around after and do another lap.

[@downhill64]

I find it really hard to pass XC riders on my ebike, not because they go fast, it's because their giant egos get in the way that and the sun reflects off their lycra and shiny shaved legs

[@TerribleForm]

That transition at 5:59 👌so clean

[@SazanD1]

For a "fattie" he does know how to shred tho.

[@imjustridingbikes]

hahahah thankyou!

[@WaechterDerNacht]

The reason Isaac lost is clearly his helmet - not aero enough... ...would the crew from GCN say :-P

[@MTBishop]

It’s amazing that their cameras are able to jump off and on their chests throughout the ride like that. Some advanced technology!

[@dopeyzombie]

Isaac's body movement is phenomenal while Matt appears that he had a great workout. It's not a matter of e-bike being able to beat a x-country pro, it's about boys exercising and having fun on a trail.

[@smoothisfast6644]

Glad MTB is for everyone. For myself, I prefer the grind and the workout of XC.

[@andrewince8824]

I got shown up by a 73 year old on an E-MTB at FOD. Never smiled more in my life watching the old dude sail past me on the climbs, MTB seriously is for everyone and it rocks.

[@chucknoob7041]

I’m on my second ebike season. I miss the grind just a little but can’t give up the speed the ebike allows.

[@boblazar1976]

That ebike belly..........🤣👍

[@aliancemd]

Plenty of road riders have a belly. Has nothing to do with what you ride but all to do with how you eat

[@plokmko0]

Well done lads !!! Now we need an age vs beauty race ... Jones on his E-bike vs someone 1/2 his age on similar price bikes !!!

[@noelbodle8863]

I though this would be pretty close, but my full respect goes to the xc rider for having better skill and fitness on a proper mountain bike. Would have been interesting if they swapped bikes and redone the route, we all know the out come of that race 😂😂😂 Not a e-bike hater as they do have there place for less skilled and unfit folks. Also nice seeing a older generation out riding bikes which really what these bikes where designed for 👍

[@redleaderone8429]

Kids are riding e-bikes fun for everyone

[@boblatkey7160]

Many people riding E bikes are highly skilled and extremely fit. Your assumption there is full of shit. Regular mountain bikes are simply boring! And the people that like to brag about how fit they are on their mountain bikes are the arrogant snobs that you never want to invite to your party!

[@Omar411269]

Ebikes are just fun for everyone. Even for fit folks you can just ride longer, harder, and be fresher at the end. No downsides

[@mtbaxel9643]

It’s more of a fitness issue mate, the e-bike guy used to race when he was young…

[@ArdGeal-h6c]

"less skilled and unfit"...hmmmm that's probably the majority of the population then. Isaac is still at the top of his game, FWIW I have a KTM FS E-MTB as well as a Rockhopper 29er.... out of curiosity I've done some local downhill runs on the 23kg KTM with the motor "OFF" and blown my "conventional" times out of the water... for me fitness doesn't come into it either, the KTM is a blast uphill through technical routes and it's the fun that's important. I'll leave the fitness side, huffing and puffing to my roadie and doing 800-1000km a month on that and RGT on the turbo. Biggest problem real mountain bikers have is their fragile egos!!

[@nvire5202]

I ride a Decathlon down country bike, the Rockrider XC100S, quite a nice bike for the price I paid and I have been quicker than some XC riders with their expensive 10000€ bikes, but never would I be riding as fast at the xc rider in the video, huge rounds of applause to him

[@eoinmccann8450]

Oh a squirrel, dont want that between your spokes 😂😂😂 brilliant matt 🤣

[@tmstriveon]

Would be nice to see same, but on the distance. Ebike managing battery & effort, XC managing effort

[@gmbn]

Good idea for a second instalment... We'll see if Matt's recovered yet! 😉

[@Trikk57]

The limitations of the e-bike is that it was restricted… 😅🎉 Derestrict it and its party time

[@jasper_of_puppets]

Seriously. That 25kmph/15.5mph restriction in the UK is lame. It's a 20mph limit for Class I bikes here in the USA, but I'm thinking about derestricting mine. I hate the feeling you get when you're pedaling at speed and you hit the limiter. It feels like you've just gone into a sand pit.

[@mtbrik]

But you’re not pedaling at speed are you?

[@jto-mtb]

Now, for true reference, same riders, but switch bikes. 😂

[@erikbrynjolfson6478]

So much more respect for Isaac , what an animal . Did awesome racing a motorbike!!!!

[@apatriotofhopedanjohn4781]

Absolutely Love….. FULL POWER EBIKES….. All Day…..EVERY DAY !!!!!!! Great video guys, way to go Matt

[@113pm]

i liked matt’s ripping style, good technique and flow. you see where he’s coming from when he shreds down. really enjoyed to see this run

[@yengsabio5315]

4:31 I did not expect that reaction to come! 😂😂😂 Lots of love, cheers, & mabuhay, from my end--the Philippines!

[@Quedz9]

More Matt! Very natural on camera and very relatable.

[@ektrolleyboy]

Put the XC rider on the E-bike and let him repeat the course for a comparison.

[@JogieGlenMait16]

That Garmin on the top tube is a great idea.

[@Emtbtoday]

Thanks to the channel I went n splashed out on an embt I'm dying to get back on a bike motivation well increased

[@Luke_Ray16]

Matt is a legend, Isaac is like a water boatman on that Canyon! Epic race

[@SamBessalah]

Wasn't expecting to enjoy this, this much.

[@Charboneee]

impressive that cross country managed to keep up with E bike. Well done, well done.

[@Truth_Spoken]

Sucks to have 15mph ebike limits over there. So glad we can go 20mph here. That extra 5mph would have made a huge difference.

[@XR7CHARD]

Matty in front of the lens for a change!! Get in fella!

[@theadhdbiker6493]

That was way closer than i thought it would be!Round of applause 👏 to the xc rider 💪👌

[@pilotleader]

This is the reason I don’t watch regular TV anymore! - This is real and all the drama I need! 👍👍👍👍

[@michaelyounghusband5558]

So this proves it - e-bikes are faster on relatively smooth courses. Kudos to Isaac only 2 minutes over 14 on the first climb. Pretty hard to make up time on a fairly smooth descent.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Well your editing skills paid off, I think I sweated out a few calories watching.

[@Wi11duhbea5t]

Yes please they have to do more on different style of tracks that would be so awesome

[@andrewhurrell07]

Great video guys more of Matt please I was willing him on as I ride the same ebike as him great effort from both riders though 👍👍👍

[@scstinger5]

Would love to see a race between a geared bike and single speed bike. I’ve noticed that single speed riders have some of the fastest times at the local XC races

[@jordanr8312]

Awesome edit to keep it interesting! Fun vid! Thanks for the content.

[@NearEDGE]

Have the XC Rider do the same course on the e bike and see how much his time improves

[@JohnMFlores]

Great editing at the end of the race!

[@Certago]

Super impressive on both of them, very enjoyable!

[@norcalchrismeister]

I love passing emtb riders on my Epic Evo. They can pass me on the climbs but I won't be far behind and then I'll drop them on the flats and descents lol

[@streddaz]

All things being equal with the rider the Ebike would be a lot faster on the climb and the steeper the climb the further in front it would be. On the flats the XC bike would win due to be Ebike hitting the limiter. On the descents, if it’s steep, the Ebike would have it as it’s got better geometry for descending. If it’s the pedally descent you might have them on the XC bike.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

Should do this again, but with an unlocked ebike not limited to 25km/h

[@bobby.k]

I wonder what would happened if they raced for hour and a half (around xc race distance time). Because each and every sector the xc racer got faster and faster and at the end, they would have been neck a neck

[@kldstl]

Should've had a third participant. A fit rider on a lightweight ebike like the scott lumen or the new canyon neuron on.

[@tomhesse01]

I have the new Canyon Neuron On CFR8... It's not exactly lightweight, 24,6 Kg and now with decent tires, probably 25,something kg.

[@crankshoptv8141]

Good video. I'd like to know the overall fastest times recorded bike vs ebike for the climb there.

[@FirestormAA]

Awesome race!!!!!!! Pls make more.... im glued to my cellphone watch the race while stop showering half way thur. Lol Really!

[@jamesforster4082]

Couldn't help noticing the close up of the side of Wax's head definitely makes him look a bit elfish. Very nice

[@Mistic00727]

Of all your tests, this one was the one that was most significant to be done one at a time!

[@gmbn]

It would have only taken longer to shoot then!

[@sieras1987]

Insane fitness and tempo! BIG BIG respect for both riders! Good race!

[@Jamie6029]

What about an XC Marathon/ Endurance racer. Vs an e-bike? I used to race XC and 8 hour endurance races. I have beat 2 different brand reps on our local trails with my 2013 specialized epic fsr 29er that were riding their brands e-bikes

[@golan4x]

Congratulation to Isaac, you deserve everything.

[@paultamaschke9318]

😂 Motor bike vs Mountain bike! Can your next video be a car vs Road bike please.

[@JGRC512]

What a wholesome and humbling experience! I wanna go next! 💪

[@CraigFyfe]

Love going all out on my normal bike but had a shot of an e bike and for lapping tracks over and over it is great

[@ryoukokonpaku1575]

I had both for a while (borrowed one from my cousin). The ebike basically allowed me to ride trails at a decent pace even when I'm recovering from riding my non ebike without interferring with my recovery period. I also see that they can actually be quite tiring especially when you just run eco. They allow you to build good sweat still and I can always swap to turbo when I go back to the car when I'm tired.

[@willgallagher2348]

give the pro xc racer the e-bike 💀 bro would be supersonic

[@jasper_of_puppets]

Only if you derestrict the ebike. That 25kmph/15.5mph limit is a real drag

[@andyrogers747]

Nice energy Neil 🔥 👏

[@TimMillernapavalleyfilmworks]

Wait what 😂

[@mickshred2886]

needed to be a more of a technical windy climb, there was some lengthy straight up runs by the look of it.

[@sweetjamhit]

Ha, ha... in Australia eBikes are limited to 25kph... we have a standard MTB bike group of us called 'The 25.1 club'! Nudge it over the limiter and the smiles soon disappear : )

[@blobbles78]

Should have given Isaac the ebike and seen how fast he would have gone on it

[@kevinross7565]

The only thing this proves to me is that e-bikes, and regular bikes don’t belong on the same trails

[@thesmf1210]

well never saw that one coming.....

[@dgw6448]

Who would have thought that a man on a motor-bike is faster than a man on a mountain bike

[@bigshotdigital]

Grouse Vid... I ride an Earth T Rex 29" eBike....Best bike iv'e ever owned and being 73yo I've had a lot of bikes..Cheers From OZ

[@Celeon999A]

Its like im always saying : pedal assisted E-bikes do not fully compensate a lack of fitness. These are not throttle operated motorbikes, like the image many people seem to have stuck inside their heads. The motor multiplies what power and endurance you are putting into cranking those pedals. If you now put Isaac on that E-Bike and let him do that run again, you will see that he will not do a time comparable to Matt's , but instead will be much, muuuch faster ,still out of breath when he arrives but a little less fatigued.

[@downhill64]

Unfortunately you are totally wasting your breath, there are too many XC riding ebike haters on this channel now, the fact is ebikes and the ebike riders bruise their massive egos especially when going up hill

[@andrewince8824]

Exactly. The motor is just a helper, not a doer.

[@bigdarbs19]

To be clear, 250w sustainable power is equivalent to having another very fit person pedalling for you.

[@andrewince8824]

@@bigdarbs19 sure, but it doesn't mean you do nothing. Besides pedaling, technical climbs still require full body control to get up and around obstacles.

[@ifitrollsrideit530]

> Its like im always saying : pedal assisted E-bikes do not fully compensate a lack of fitness. You must have been watching something different to me. I thought the whole point of this was that an unfit ebiker beat a super fit XC rider. I.e. that ebikes do in fact compensate for a lack of fitness.

[@alee_56371]

Should do both on the same ebike see much/little difference between them 😆

[@Dirtypandasan]

There's another channel for that though.

[@jonzylka9474]

So… cheat riding vs real riding. No wonder one is actually fit and in shape.

[@bikebudha01]

Technically the it's the "ebike" that is faster, not the ebike rider...

[@NicolasWilliamHughes]

More of Mat please! Legend, inabitnow

[@dennisbrucemasayon786]

Isaac was battling against an electric motorcycle basically🤣

[@dude770725]

Now swap bikes and do it again!! Really want to see THAT result!! 😅🎉

[@AAmtb10]

Great vid

[@markdavis8430]

Great content as always Plus with subtitles are comedy Eating with a break pad pizza 😂

[@nevillepretorius8948]

Dont like E-Bike content and normally skip it but this was a cool video 👍👍

[@missilemick]

They should do the same course but swop bikes

[@DavidBaker-r8w]

Really! Whats up next, E-Bike v Unicycle at Val di Sole. I think we need to look at whether it is relevant to compare a motor bike with a fit human body?

[@Edfc200]

That low handle bar set up looks brutal

[@michaeldennis2630]

don't get me wrong if you love ebikes do it free to be but I just see so many out of shape people on them barely pedaling going very fast. In certain circumstances for certain people they are great.

[@Emtbtoday]

Never released how much of a downsweep they use in XC bars looks like my Carbon Newman bars when upside down come in the EBike lol 😂

[@420redpandaproductionsllc2]

back of the net-BOSH!