Wes Turner
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley, CA
I make a lot of short trips around town. Most are less than 5 miles and all but a very few are less than 10 miles. I feel guilty driving our gasoline car such short distances, but we are not quite ready to get an EV. An e-bike seems like an excellent option. But which one to get? I am 80 years old, but in pretty good shape. I play tennis 2-4 times each week for 2+ hours each time.
My neighbor is a serious biker. He has a high-end touring bike that he rides all over the Bay Area (San Francisco). He also has an e-bike. It's a Faraday that he says is 6-7 years old. He loaned it to me for the month of October while he is away. I have been riding it for several weeks. I really like it. It's a pedal-assist bike with 3 power settings (Off, Half, and Full). I started out riding it around the neighborhood to get used to it. I can ride it easily on level roads with no power assist (Off setting). If I run into a slight incline, I use the Half setting. I only use the Full setting for moderately steep inclines and to get a quick start from a full stop at a crossing.
The last week, I have ridden it to play tennis, which is about 5 miles away. The bike doesn't have much in the way of saddlebags. I put my tennis racket in the bag with the handle sticking up. I had a little spill in the driveway one day after returning from tennis when I tried to swing my leg off. It got caught on the racket and I tipped over. After that, I tied the racket down so that it pointed backwards. But that showed me that I want a bike that does not have a high bar from the front to the back so that I can step through rather then over.
All in all, I have ridden the bike about a dozen times for between 1-2 miles and 10-12 miles. Most of the streets around here have bike lanes, especially within several blocks of schools where kids ride their bikes. And Google Maps has great biking paths. For the most part, I have not encountered any problems. There are two exceptions. One the way to tennis, there is a fairly narrow "tunnel" under some train tracks. I have managed to make it through several times, but came close to the walls, especially when going very slowly. Then today, I went to another part of town and had to cross a narrow bridge. I had no problem going, but there were no other vehicles on the bridge. But on the way back, there were several cars crossing in the opposite direction. I slowed down and tried to move as far over as possible, but the bike became a little wobbly, the handlebars touched the wall, and I lost control and tipped over. I got a minor scrape on one knee and one arm. I had the power on Off. I think if I had had it on Half, I would have maintained control better.
I include this information because one of the questions I have is whether I should be considering a three-wheeler, rather than a bicycle. I feel that despite these two falls, I am more than capable of handling a bicycle. But I will lose some strength and coordination every year from now on.
I have visited 6 bike shops and will visit two more this weekend. I looked at about a dozen models, but have not yet test ridden any. The one I like the best in the Gazelle C380. My understanding is that it does not have any manual gears -- just one sprocket in front and one in back. The "gearing" is like that for an EV. It is handled by the Bosch motor, which I have read is the best. And it is a step-through frame.
Whew. For those who have had the patience to read all the way down here, I would appreciate any and all comments and suggestions.
Thanks
My neighbor is a serious biker. He has a high-end touring bike that he rides all over the Bay Area (San Francisco). He also has an e-bike. It's a Faraday that he says is 6-7 years old. He loaned it to me for the month of October while he is away. I have been riding it for several weeks. I really like it. It's a pedal-assist bike with 3 power settings (Off, Half, and Full). I started out riding it around the neighborhood to get used to it. I can ride it easily on level roads with no power assist (Off setting). If I run into a slight incline, I use the Half setting. I only use the Full setting for moderately steep inclines and to get a quick start from a full stop at a crossing.
The last week, I have ridden it to play tennis, which is about 5 miles away. The bike doesn't have much in the way of saddlebags. I put my tennis racket in the bag with the handle sticking up. I had a little spill in the driveway one day after returning from tennis when I tried to swing my leg off. It got caught on the racket and I tipped over. After that, I tied the racket down so that it pointed backwards. But that showed me that I want a bike that does not have a high bar from the front to the back so that I can step through rather then over.
All in all, I have ridden the bike about a dozen times for between 1-2 miles and 10-12 miles. Most of the streets around here have bike lanes, especially within several blocks of schools where kids ride their bikes. And Google Maps has great biking paths. For the most part, I have not encountered any problems. There are two exceptions. One the way to tennis, there is a fairly narrow "tunnel" under some train tracks. I have managed to make it through several times, but came close to the walls, especially when going very slowly. Then today, I went to another part of town and had to cross a narrow bridge. I had no problem going, but there were no other vehicles on the bridge. But on the way back, there were several cars crossing in the opposite direction. I slowed down and tried to move as far over as possible, but the bike became a little wobbly, the handlebars touched the wall, and I lost control and tipped over. I got a minor scrape on one knee and one arm. I had the power on Off. I think if I had had it on Half, I would have maintained control better.
I include this information because one of the questions I have is whether I should be considering a three-wheeler, rather than a bicycle. I feel that despite these two falls, I am more than capable of handling a bicycle. But I will lose some strength and coordination every year from now on.
I have visited 6 bike shops and will visit two more this weekend. I looked at about a dozen models, but have not yet test ridden any. The one I like the best in the Gazelle C380. My understanding is that it does not have any manual gears -- just one sprocket in front and one in back. The "gearing" is like that for an EV. It is handled by the Bosch motor, which I have read is the best. And it is a step-through frame.
Whew. For those who have had the patience to read all the way down here, I would appreciate any and all comments and suggestions.
Thanks
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