The inaugural electric bike ride

[Dottleshead ★]

It's hardly fair to make a review on my electric bike but I am happy to report it totally did what I was hoping.  My wife and I just rode a 17 mile round trip across the valley where we conquered a good share of hills get to and from it.  I typically ride my touring bike about an average of 14 mph in the flats and anywhere between 8-12 mph up lengthy or steep hills.  With the lowest pedal assist setting on the electrical bike, I probably increased my speed about 2-3 miles per hour just casually riding -- and I didn't attempt to maximize this.  That is, this was accomplished using the two lowest pedal assist levels and casually riding.  But here's the thing. I haven't ridden really since July, and while an increase in speed is nice, I was able to ride up hills like nothing and they didn't wipe me out.  And where I live, this was key. The number of route options to get to my home from the transit center has completely opened up.  

I rode also w/o any bike shoes trying to gain any extra mechanical advantage. The advantage is the Bosch motor running in the bottom bracket.  That means I can travel roughly 10 miles in casual shoes and wear without getting overly sweaty or being wiped out racing to my bus. Not sweaty. Not tired. Faster.  Hmmmmm....

Essentially, there are 4 levels of assist on my bike, and if I was to ride in on of the top highest two gears, I would be burning 50% less calories than if I had no pedal assist.  Rding an electric bike in one of the highest two gears is akin to a brisk walk -- some of the best exercise out there for you.  But I found that I can use the first two lowest levels of assist (and far less drain on the battery) very easily. and is pretty much all I need.  Therefore, I'm surmising that by riding my electric bike in one of the two lower modes, I'm burning 75% of the calories as compared if I were riding a regular bike.  So I don't feel bad at all, really, about cutting out some of the health benefits for improved performance and ease -- because without it I wouldn't be riding at all.  The locale of my house has been a detriment and a riding blocker.  I wasn't riding at all.  But not anymore.

It'll be interesting to see if i slack over time but I now have NO excuse not to ride during my commute to work.  None.  Since moving to my new house, I have done NO riding during my commute. If I fail, then I just threw a bunch of money out the window.  If i succeed -- and I'm literally betting money on it -- then I save money over time and my health goes up -- and most likely I continue to lose weight.

Riding my electrical bike is a lot of fun.  I believe my commute just got a lot more fun as well.

[Dottleshead ★]

 

"Selene Yeager “The Fit Chick”
Selene Yeager is a top-selling professional health and fitness writer who lives what she writes as a NASM certified personal trainer, USA Cycling certified coach, pro licensed mountain bike racer, and All-American Ironman triathlete."

https://www.bicycling.com/training/a23610389/how-e-bikes-affect-fitness/

[Dottleshead ★]

Here's another one about the fitness.  Good article if you have doubts, concerns, questions.

https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a22589316/e-biking-heart-and-fitness-benefits/

[Page Turner]

...you are dead to me. 

[Dottleshead ★]

6 minutes ago, No One said:

...you are dead to me. 

Change is hard for old guys.  Plus I still keeping my STEEL touring bike.  Getting rid of the titanium to pay for this one.

[donkpow]

Good.

I wonder how the motor will handle bad weather over time. Water in the motor, etc.

[Dottleshead ★]

7 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Good.

I wonder how the motor will handle bad weather over time. Water in the motor, etc.

You and me both.  It's all SUPPOSED to be waterproof.

[Longjohn ★]

20 minutes ago, Dottles said:

You and me both.  It's all SUPPOSED to be waterproof.

Better to find out sooner than later, go ride it through the creek and see how it does.

[donkpow]

19 minutes ago, Dottles said:

You and me both.  It's all SUPPOSED to be waterproof.

Yes but how and when sealing fails ...

We've got a snowblower out in the shed with an electric motor operated chute rotor. We got perhaps a couple of trouble free years out of it. I have been disassembling the motor and removing corrosion every year before we use it. Just a thought. ?

[maddmaxx ★]

DH will be along soon to kick your ass.

[Kzoo]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

DH will be along soon to kick your ass.

She just put him on ignore.  She doesn’t want to hear his eBike adventures.

 

[petitepedal ★]

I think if it keeps you on a bike...great...

Where I don't like them is on bikes where the riders have no clue of basic bicycle rules/etiquette or bike handling skills..and they crank it up to top speed.

[Randomguy]

12 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

She doesn’t want to here his eBike adventures.

I can't put words in her mouth, but I bet she would be on board with it.  There are times you want to exert the hell out of yourself, but other times you can't be a sweaty mess at the end of your trip.

I have to admit that the electric bike thing seemed an abomination when I first heard of the concept, but that was before I examined it in depth.  Different tools for different jobs and all that.

[donkpow]

1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

Different tools for different jobs and all that.

 

[dinneR ★]

Congratulations. Enjoy the ride.

[Razors Edge ★]

15 hours ago, Dottles said:

My wife and I just rode a 17 mile round trip across the valley where we conquered a good share of hills get to and from it. 

Awesome for you!  Is there an ebike in your wife's future?

We did a off road ride on vacation with two other couples.  One "older" couple - late 50s? - opted for an ebike for the wife.  She kept up and rocked it.  It was funny, riding into a stiff headwind on a beach and seeing her hubby catch a tow

Hoping you have MANY grand adventures and safe commutes on the new bike, and please post a pic or two and some more details after you have a better idea of the pros/cons you are seeing.

[Page Turner]

2 hours ago, Randomguy said:

...but other times you can't be a sweaty mess at the end of your trip.

...it's like sex.  If you're not a sweaty mess at the end of your commute, you're doing it wrong.

[Dottleshead ★]

6 hours ago, petitepedal said:

I think if it keeps you on a bike...great...

Where I don't like them is on bikes where the riders have no clue of basic bicycle rules/etiquette or bike handling skills..and they crank it up to top speed.

Yep. I'm not sure my bike will ever see a paved trail (it might).  Almost all my riding will be on the road.  I repeat.  This is a commuter bike.  But if I do take it on a trail, my class 1 bike ensures I won't be pedaling over 20 mph.

[Dottleshead ★]

3 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Awesome for you!  Is there an ebike in your wife's future?

We did a off road ride on vacation with two other couples.  One "older" couple - late 50s? - opted for an ebike for the wife.  She kept up and rocked it.  It was funny, riding into a stiff headwind on a beach and seeing her hubby catch a tow

Hoping you have MANY grand adventures and safe commutes on the new bike, and please post a pic or two and some more details after you have a better idea of the pros/cons you are seeing.

Yeah, they had a great sale and I bought her one too. i don't know why there is such resistance by some in the biking community -- especially if they are used for commuters only.  I mean I could be sitting in my car.

[Dottleshead ★]

6 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Different tools for different jobs and all that.

This. And people forget that pedal assist comes in 5 levels -- the first level is OFF.

[Dottleshead ★]

18 hours ago, No One said:

...you are dead to me. 

 

3 hours ago, No One said:

...it's like sex.  If you're not a sweaty mess at the end of your commute, you're doing it wrong.

Says the retired guy who lives in a sunny valley that is flat as hell for 500 miles around him.  ?

[Dottleshead ★]

7 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

DH will be along soon to kick your ass.

Yes, she will.  Be her disgust is the electric mountain bikes -- where I think she has a point.  Those things would tear up the trails she works hard to maintain.  My road commuter bike is not a threat to the paved roads.

[Dottleshead ★]

"The most amazing thing is that my heart rate stays up when I'm riding. I'll move along at eco mode unless I need the speed for traffic or power for hills and my heart rate stays in the 140-160 range that I would do with a normal workout anyway. Granted, I push the e-bike like I would my regular bike, I just go faster with the assist. I guess the old Greg LeMond adage still rings true "It doesn't hurt any less, you just go faster."

[Page Turner]

2 hours ago, Dottles said:

 

Says the retired guy who lives in a sunny valley that is flat as hell for 500 miles around him.  ?

...I commuted to the fire department year 'round by bike for a few years.  That's through rain, and fog, and dark of morning.  But I did have  a locker room and a shower at the work end, which makes it a whole lot more practical.  When youi ride as fast as I ride, it's not the hills, it's the air resistance and the wind.  We have plenty of wind.  Wind is what we substitute for hills.

[Dottleshead ★]

16 minutes ago, No One said:

Wind is what we substitute for hills.

Wind 'blows'. It's a real treat when you get head wind while ascending.

[MickinMD ★]

Sounds like fun and if it allows you to do more things on your bike, there's surely a benefit.

[Dirtyhip]

You are using this for it's best intended method, in my opinion.  They are excellent for commuter rigs.

Seeing e bikes on the MTB trails, that is where I have a problem.  They do not belong in the wild places.   The industry is following the dollars.   People want them.  More will buy them.  We will lose access.