Slickrock bike trail at Moab, Utah

[JimL]

Maybe of little interest, here, but last week I rode the "practice loop" on my Rad Mini ST.  My good friend (younger guy, only 71 years old) rode my spare Mini ST.

The first thing you see painted on the rock is "Just as hard".  That lets you know you are in for all the steep stuff, deep sand, holes, cracks, etc. that are part of the main loop.

This was my "50 years anniversary" of my first Slickrock ride, done on a Honda Trail 90.  This trail is actually a motorcycle trail, originally conceived and laid out for small motorcycles.  There are more mountain bikes riding it, these days, and the riders and bikes are "very fit".

The folks running the Park told me I am the "oldest original years rider" to come back and try it.  That was a bad sign.

The practice loop (which actually measured 2.6 miles) was a brutal eye opening to my age, my recent stroke, and the small wheels/limited suspension of my Mini. Many of the downhills were too steep for me to trust my riding.  I had to walk the Mini down them, with both brakes locked and the tires squealing all the way. 

Some uphills were unrideable because each stroke of the pedals, with full throttle applied, resulted in intermittent tire squeal followed by violent "pop up" wheelies.  We had to walk and push the bikes up.

Many of the more level trail areas are steeply side-sloped.  This gives many "pedal strikes" that try to flip you over sideways.  In some areas, a fall can put you over the edge with fatal results.

My friend and I made it through, but we were pretty used up at the end.  We met many riders who turned back after a few hundred yards, and called it quits.  I kept thinking, "I will get the hang of this...I've done it before!"

This was not a very smart thing to try.  The bike did as good as it could, but the rider made a bad choice.  The Mini did get me through, after a fashion, and that's pretty decent.

[JimInPT]

In my younger days, I've hiked and backpacked through terrain and trails in the Sierras somewhat like you describe, so I can picture it - the high country above Yosemite Valley was long one of my favorite places to be once or twice a year.  Congratulations and good job on making it through, but as I envision it, the MiniST (which I own as well) and probably 98% of all other e-bikes, just isn't built to tackle that.  I don't even take mine over consecutive big tree-root moguls except very slowly/carefully or, as you did, walking alongside.  And that's fine with me; I have memories of the high-wire acts of my wayward youth on the sides of mountains.

Your "spare MiniST" intrigues me; I considered getting a "spare" last fall when they were on sale, but decided that by the time I wear this one out, there should be something at least as good available to replace it.  I'm firmly convinced that for those who fit the frame, the MiniST is the best overall bike and best overall value Rad has had to offer and I'm verging on being offended at what they have replaced it with for now.

Happy riding!