Effective for the 2018 race season, the Eastern Fat Tire Association has officially changed the rule book to allow eBikes in all classes and categories.
EFTA board member Mike Wissell noted “now anyone will be able to ride in whatever class they want regardless of training or fitness. Want to go toe to toe with the Elite racers? No problem, just bring your eBike with 1000 watts and let it rip. It just seems like the right thing to do, why should people have to work hard to win races.”
Limits on wattage will be as follows:
Novice: 300 watts
Sport: 500 watts
Expert: 800 watts
Elite: 1000 watts
Promoters will provide solar powered charging stations in a neutral pit for any racer running out of power during the race or just wanting a top off. Water stops will also offer extra batteries and will provide support for a NASCAR style battery stop and swap.
In addition to the new eBike rule, EFTA will require all racers to use 26” x 1” wide tires or smaller in all races. The exception to this rule will be FatBikes, who will be permitted to use tires up to 2.2”.
Jake Berry, who is an EFTA board member commented on the new policy and said “it was becoming very obvious to us that tire and wheel sizes where getting out of control. The industry seems to dream up new standards each year, with riders now pushing 29”x 2.5” on an XC bike. It amounts to tire doping and needed to be stopped.”
Race officials will be on site at each event and will use calipers to measure all racers tires as they line up at the start line. Any racer with a tire width over 1” will have his or her tires slashed by the official, making it impossible for them to race. No amount of Stans or tire plugs will be able to fill the 3″ slash officials will put in each tire.
EFTA hopes that these rule changes will even the playing field for all racers and progress the sport forward with farness to all. It’s with this spirit that every racer will get a medal and cash payout no matter what category they race or what place they finish in. In mountain bike racing everybody wins.
Any comments on the new policies can be posted on the new rule book message board.
-The EFTA Board of Directors