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E-MTBs on the lift?Safety concerns when transporting heavy e-bikes on the lift

Gitta Beimfohr

 · 16.03.2026

Oh, and the way up to the "Portail de Fully" super trail is by gondola, which has a rather unusual bike system.
Photo: Supertrails
There are situations in which you have to rely on lifts and cable cars during a long Alpine tour. But what if the lift staff say: "No e-bikes"? There may indeed be understandable reasons for this. In some cases, however, transport is possible under certain conditions - with a pragmatic solution that many people are unaware of.

The BIKE 2/26 issue was just hot off the press when we received the first email from a reader about the Ischgl trail guide it contained: The tour numbers in the overview map had been mixed up (SORRY! Editor's note) and we hadn't mentioned the problems with e-MTB transport in the lift. "Problems with the lift transport? We didn't have any," assured the author of the trail guide. But the reader persisted. He had received the information directly from the tourism association. So we asked the TVB in Ischgl ourselves - and indeed, there are official restrictions for e-bikers:

  • On the Silvretta and Fimba gondola lifts, e-MTBs can be transported in the gondola without restriction.
  • In the Flimjochbahn (chairlift to the Outer Viderjoch), the bike is transported on the side of the chair. However, only a maximum bike weight of 25kg is permitted for this mount. The battery must therefore be removed from an e-MTB.
  • E-MTBs weighing over 25 kilos with batteries that are difficult or impossible to remove cannot be transported on the Flimjochbahn.
Slight impact: The battery must be removed from heavy e-MTBs on the Flimjochbahn.Photo: SupertrailsSlight impact: The battery must be removed from heavy e-MTBs on the Flimjochbahn.

Our author did not discover any scales during his research at the chairlift. He and his companions were also not asked about the weight of their bikes or asked to remove their batteries. However, the lift staff have probably developed a good eye for the different weight classes of bikes.

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Transport problems in the Bikepark Brandnertal

In the Bikepark Brandnertal in Vorarlberg, e-MTB transport was previously only possible with a fully charged battery in one of the four lifts, namely the Loischkopfbahn. However, this will change in the 2026 summer season, as the park has invested heavily in bike tourism: a brand-new gondola lift with 40 cabins and 20 specially developed "bike cabs" for unrestricted (e-)bike transport has been operating on the Loischkopf since December.

The homepage of the Kitzbühel Alps also points out that in "some lifts" in Kirchberg and Brixental the batteries have to be removed for weight reasons. The extent to which this is checked probably depends on the lift staff. When in doubt, many bike park visitors leave the battery in the car anyway if there are no counter-climbs or longer flat sections to be pushed away on the trails.

However, if you are planning a longer tour, for example a multi-day crossing of the Alps with the use of lifts, you should check the homepages of the cable cars in advance to see whether there might be any transport restrictions. Especially if the battery is permanently integrated into the frame.

Incidentally, we spontaneously thought of a lift in Europe that you should definitely not get on with an e-MTB - the lift up Monte Capanne on Elba:

You should only treat yourself to the lift on Elba if you can hold your bike like this for at least 20 minutes.Photo: ElbaYou should only treat yourself to the lift on Elba if you can hold your bike like this for at least 20 minutes.

Gitta Beimfohr

Gitta Beimfohr joined the BIKE travel resort during her tourism studies when the Strada delle 52 Gallerie on the Pasubio was closed to mountain bikers. Since Gitta crossed the Alps twice at racing speed, she has favoured multi-day tours - by MTB in the Alps or by gravel bike through the German low mountain ranges.

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