The modern war on e‑bikes is just the rehash of the 1920s–30s derailleur freak‑out—only with better sunglasses and worse comment sections. In the 1920s and ’30s, the derailleur was a suspect piece of tech. Gears were for people over 45, real cyclists didn’t shift gears. Serious cyclists were expected to ride fixed or on flip‑flop hubs and literally stop, pull the wheel out, flip it, and keep going if they wanted a different ratio. Many riders viewed the derailleur as cheating—a mechanical shortcut that dulled the purity of the sport. Race organizers even banned them in major events like the Tour de France for years (the derailleur was invented in 1912 and banned until 1936!), Technology, they warned, “will ruin cycling!”
Sound familiar? Today, e‑bikes roll into the same crosshairs. Critics say they’re “not real bikes” and that their riders “don’t earn the climb.” It’s the same sermon with a new sacrament. Only now, instead of a derailleur, there’s a 750 watt motor humming between the cranks. Replace “derailleur” with “mid‑drive motor” and you’ve read that rant in a Facebook group this week.
Every cycling generation has its “gatekeepers of purity”—the ones who draw imaginary borders around what counts as “real riding.” But history isn’t kind to purists. The derailleur they scorned went on to define modern cycling, turning impossible climbs into attainable adventures. A century later, e‑bikes are doing the same—opening up dusty backroads, steep trails, and long commutes to more people who simply love to ride.
The truth is, every great cycling innovation starts as blasphemy and ends as baseline. Clipless pedals, carbon frames, suspension forks, gravel bikes, electronic shifting—each one was heresy before becoming standard issue.
The dirty little secret is that both derailleur panic and e‑bike resentment share the same underlying fear: that more people will be able to go more places with less suffering. Extending the outdoors to older riders, people with health limitations, and anyone who just wants to get to the fun part of the ride before sunset.
History may not repeat itself, but in the bicycle world, it definitely pedals in circles.
