The Enduro World Series
Recognised as the peak of enduro racing on the planet and one of the hardest titles to win in the sport of mountain biking - recently added in a new eBike category. A battery-powered version of the EWS may sound like an easier option but New Zealand rider Joe Nation tells us otherwise. A veteran of the EWS circuit with six seasons under his belt, Joe made the switch to EWS-E this year, riding a Bosch-powered Pole Voima. He has been loving this new discipline as well as the new bike set up and made a solid start to his eBike racing career with a 12th place finish in the overall season standings for 2022. Joe says he's got plenty to learn but after racing the normal EWS for about six years it was a well-timed change for him as he was ready for a new challenge. “It's a whole new lease of life on the sport really,” Joe explains. “You're still racing downhills but it's a lot more action packed.”
The decision to switch to EWS-E came about when Pole bicycles contacted Joe to say that after Covid-19 they were only going to be making an eBike for the year but that they would love to have him on the race team. He didn't take much persuading. “I was keeping an eye on the eBike racing and it looked pretty exciting so when they said that it was perfect for me to make the move.
It wasn't a difficult decision at all to be honest,” says Joe. His new race bike is a Pole Voima with the new Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition motor and 750w battery. “The new CX Race motor is really fast!” says Joe. “It has the same Bosch power but the extended boost on the race mode really helps to climb over features where I am unable to pedal. Plus, it's lighter which is always better when it comes to eBike racing!”
He explains how the Bosch eBike system also complements the aggressive geometry Pole have opted for with the bike. “It's 190mm of travel front and rear so as close as it gets to being a downhill bike without being a downhill bike. I definitely think that's the way to go if you've got a motor like a Bosch to get you up the hill; you may as well have a really aggressive bike. The other thing they've done is given it a really steep seat angle so it climbs really well. It's paired with a long chain stay so it's hard to flip off the back which is a good thing because the power stages are super steep but the long chain stay keeps the front wheel on the ground. It's an absolute climbing machine. A lot of people would just look at the stats of the 190mm and think that's just a downhill beast but actually I think climbing is one of its best attributes.”
Bosch eBike Powered eMTB
Having a Bosch-powered bike has given Joe an important edge come race time, with a team of Bosch bike technicians on hand to assist when needed. “I consider myself very lucky lining up at these events with the Bosch,” he comments. “They just seem to be ahead of the curve and they've got support at all of the races as well which has been really useful. I just go and have a chat to the guys and they can change whatever I need. That's a really cool aspect. It just seems to be a really reliable, powerful unit.” Joe explains how he uses the different modes for racing as well as during training. During the race he mostly uses Turbo mode which allows him to save his energy on the uphill stages and then get the most speed on the way down. The race format is split into 12 stages usually with three different loops and riders change their batteries twice.
Joe's bike is fitted with a 750W battery which means he doesn't have any concerns about running out of battery before completing a full loop, even in Turbo mode the whole way. In training he is able to use all the different modes. “I thought I'd be needing a normal cross-country bike or a road bike to train over in Europe because I've just got the eBike but I've actually found it to be an amazing training tool,” he explains. “I do my sprints on the eBike with the motor off. Up a hill your legs are just completely working the whole time so that's amazing. And then I use Eco mode to do my longer, say 5-minute efforts and you still get a really good resistance there as well. And then in between sprints I can just put it on Turbo mode and spin the legs whereas if you're on a normal bike doing sprints up a hill you're really tired in between.” The difference between the traditional EWS and the EWS-E is the race format and the focus on the fact that eBikes are really good at going uphill which means riders are able to ride a lot further and faster. In Joe's words: “eBikes just mean you can pedal up more hills and ride down more. “It's really busy, you end up doing a lot of riding and just feel a lot more shattered at the end of a race day,” he explains. “It's full speed in between the stages. Sometimes they'll give you say 20 minutes to get to the next race stage but it might take 18 minutes to do it even on Turbo at full speed so it's a real challenge. You don't even really have time to stop and eat. You'd certainly hardly have time to change a puncture.”
The EWS-E format also incorporates three power stages which is a one minute plus maximum effort for good measure in the middle of those loops. The power stages can be very technical with slippery rocks and tree roots so it's not just a question of putting your head down and sprinting, riders have to be on their game 100% of the time. The season has recently wrapped up but Joe is excited to make the most of the off-season back home in New Zealand and plans to come back fitter and stronger for next season. “I'm really looking forward to having an eBike back in New Zealand for a full off-season to really take my time and get to know it and feel super comfortable. I think that'll be a huge benefit that I've still got up my sleeve over my competitors, the fact that I haven't had a full offseason riding one. After my first season I'm going back to train and lose weight and hopefully be the lightest and fittest I've ever been in my life coming into next season. It's the racing that's inspired that.” Good luck Joe, we can't wait to see what next season brings!