Do you still ride your analog bicycle?

[PedalUma]

All but one of my ebikes were originally regular bikes, so riding them with power off is possible. When I first started ebiking, with my converted Trek 800, I'd ride out 5 miles w/o power and then turn it on, That was so long ago,

Yes, I do have a GT Transeo hybrid, a very nice bike, that I never chose to convert. to electric. I rode it 20 times last summer, basically a short ride in the early morning, twice a week.

Is it like this blue converted GT bike? His wife went for pink.

 

[Bubba zanetti]

I do. My Specialized CrossTrail SD. I’m tempted to do a conversion. Its tempting especially with PedalUma’s inspiring builds. But after riding it I really like the feel and will be packing it on the TearDrop Trailer this summer along with my wife’s Tern ebike. Charging one ebike will be enough to start.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I continue to ride a Scott Metrix 10 with CF Fulcrum wheels. A very light, exceptionally lively bike and a blast to ride.

Saying goodbye to an old friend.

After 30 + years I’ve decided to part ways with my vintage Trek 970 which has been a part of my stable since the day I proudly rode it out of a Calgary bike shop. I've accumulated some great memories riding this bike but alas it has recently become more of a trophy to be enamored rather than a daily rider and I need to clear space for a new e-addition to the fold.

The new owner, who just happens to be a bike aficionado, will be using the 970 as a daily commuter and reassured me that it’s going to a good home. It will be kept in a heated garage with two other CF stablemates.

 

[PedalUma]

@Bubba zanetti, Are you cool with a drill? It has got to be sharp. All it takes a pair of spherical objects and a steady hand. You can do the Crosstrail without any zip ties and through frame, no connectors. Check the recent builds of these Comfort girl's bikes. Criticize the connectors and the wires on these bikes and give me Shite about it. Look closely for all the ugly connectors at the HB. I have done two Crosstrails before, without the drill. And am ready to go all the way for CLEAN. Your bike is ideal for conversion.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

For me, the key to understanding an ebike as a strenuous exercise machine was to leave cycling knowledge - and prejudices - behind. Treat the ebike as an entirely new system I don't know how to use. A bicycle-shaped object that is not a bicycle and should not be treated as one if I expect to use it properly. So I started over. The technique for getting the most out of an ebike is so different from a bicycle, I found I had adapted to the more modern device and - once I was forced back into the old way of doing things... hated it.

Electric assistance is an evolutionary change that will eventually leave the analog bicycle in a small niche held onto by a very few diehards. Think thats a strong statement? Look up what a 'fixie' is if you don't know already. Now bear witness to the fact that the derailleur was literally considered a cheat, banned from sport and riders who used them were regarded as cheaters. Sound familiar? That was about 100 years ago.

Who is Henri Desgrange you ask? Click the link above. He was the 'father of the Tour De France'. That event took 34 years (1937) to allow the use of derailleurs, which hit the market roughly 115 years ago.

So... will it take 34 years for electric assist to become the norm? Will it take 115 years for people to forget analog bicycles were once considered to be desirable over them? We're less than a decade into this sea change but I'm pretty sure history is going to rhyme on this.

These are very interesting observations! It is hard to predict the future though.

I can see the rapid increase of e-bike use in mountain biking. As it is in my country now, there are many mountain locations where you can rent an e-MTB. (Several of younger friends of mine admitted they used to be riding e-bikes during their mountain vacation). There are two montane countries on the other side of the Polish border: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. If you go to a popular Czech mountainous location, you will notice almost everybody rides e-bikes there! (Traditional bikes are left to some die-hards there).

My Vado SL is meant as "just a bike" with optional e-assistance. When I mount it on a nice day, I'm trying to ride it in the OFF assistance mode. Just after 100-200 m ridden, I sigh and turn the ECO on. The suffering is replaced with joy. And I feel as if I were riding a regular bike!

 

[6zfshdb]

I rarely use my conventional Trek MTB's anymore but I keep them around just in case.

I frequently drive great distances to ride notable bike trails all over the northeastern US. I take one of my Trek's on the rack next to my e-bike as insurance. If I find a trail is clearly marked "NO EBIKES", I'll use the Trek rather than waste the long drive.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Even though I have two ebikes I still ride my Giant Defy Pro 0. There 's something about riding an agile, light road bike, without all the complicated electrical bits, that still appeals to me.
Last September I celebrated my 70th birthday by going for a 70km ride to the next town.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Them’s some smokin shoes, Deacon! Rock on!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Them’s some smokin shoes, Deacon! Rock on!

(Click-click!)

 

[Deacon Blues]

Hey, quit picking on me.

 

[Taylor57]

I've only got 150 miles on my ebike but so far I haven't been tempted to ride my old non-ebike. But I still think there might be times I'd like to ride it. Maybe take it on a road trip to somewhere flat. Easier to transport, less tempting to a thief, etc.

My question is, "Did you keep your analog bike and If so do you still ride it?"

I got rid of my Schwinn Banana Peeler about 55 years ago!

 

[Bubba zanetti]

@Bubba zanetti, Are you cool with a drill? It has got to be sharp. All it takes a pair of spherical objects and a steady hand. You can do the Crosstrail without any zip ties and through frame, no connectors. Check the recent builds of these Comfort girl's bikes. Criticize the connectors and the wires on these bikes and give me Shite about it. Look closely for all the ugly connectors at the HB. I have done two Crosstrails before, without the drill. And am ready to go all the way for CLEAN. Your bike is ideal for conversion.

I might have pick your brain for the ideal build components. Yes, I’ve got a steady hand. Love the sano look of the internally routed cables

 

[PedalUma]

Imagine trying to ride these bikes that came in today without a motor? I had to make special parts because their BBs are 120's. 68mm wide is standard. The chopper gets a throttle Bafang. The Specialized gets a torque sensor. Those tires are 117mm wide.

.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Hey, quit picking on me.

I was thinkin’ the same about your hi-vis socks! Shoes rock too…Recons?

 

[Deacon Blues]

I was thinkin’ the same about your hi-vis socks! Shoes rock too…Recons?

Recons? I'm almost afraid to ask, considering my frail ego.....
Thank goodness I didn't wear my favourite pink with lime green polkadots cycling jersey.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Recons? I'm almost afraid to ask, considering my frail ego.....
Thank goodness I didn't wear my favourite pink with lime green polkadots cycling jersey.

I admire your bold choice of colors so don't change a thing. As for the shoes, they look similar to ones that Specialized carries, the Recon 2.

 

[OrTrek]

Actually ridding myself (OK just mostly - will keep 1) of overweight ebikes for this. 2022-team-marin-2

Would love one of Spot's bikes (single speed or whatever) but this Marin will do - for now.

 

[rudym]

I cannot understand e-bikers who boast with riding their e-bikes unassisted. What was the point of buying an e-bike in the first place, eh?

Exercise!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Exercise!

I will not agree to that. A human being can only input as much into the cranks as the person is physically capable to do. For instance, if I input my puny average 83 W into the cranks on a traditional bike, I will be able to ride at 15 km/h (less than 10 mph) on the flat and at no wind conditions. Three hours of pedalling (net) will take me for 45 km (28 mi).

If that's my Vado SL set to 50% of assistance, I will get -- on average -- 74 W of assistance. The power combined will be 157 W (avg). My average speed will increase to 23 km/h (14.3 mph). Three hours of riding will take me for 69 km (42.9 miles).

If I ride my big Vado 5.0 set to 50% of assistance, the e-bike will assist me with 132 W. The combined average power will be 215 W. Such average power will let me ride at 27 km/h. Three hours of pedalling will take me for 81 km (50 mi).

In all three scenarios, I have ridden for the same time and with identical effort, meaning identical exercise. Only I rode faster and farther. The only way to get more exercise is to ride for a longer time (for instance not for 3 but 6 hours).

P.S. My both Specialized e-bikes measure my current pedalling power (which is pretty different from the average). Then tools such as BLEvo or Wahoo calculate my input and calories burnt, and it is all available on my Strava.

 

[rudym]

I will not agree to that. A human being can only input as much into the cranks as the person is physically capable to do. For instance, if I input my puny average 83 W into the cranks on a traditional bike, I will be able to ride at 15 km/h (less than 10 mph) on the flat and at no wind conditions. Three hours of pedalling (net) will take me for 45 km (28 mi).

If that's my Vado SL set to 50% of assistance, I will get -- on average -- 74 W of assistance. The power combined will be 157 W (avg). My average speed will increase to 23 km/h (14.3 mph). Three hours of riding will take me for 69 km (42.9 miles).

If I ride my big Vado 5.0 set to 50% of assistance, the e-bike will assist me with 132 W. The combined average power will be 215 W. Such average power will let me ride at 27 km/h. Three hours of pedalling will take me for 81 km (50 mi).

In all three scenarios, I have ridden for the same time and with identical effort, meaning identical exercise. Only I rode faster and farther. The only way to get more exercise is to ride for a longer time (for instance not for 3 but 6 hours).

P.S. My both Specialized e-bikes measure my current pedalling power (which is pretty different from the average). Then tools such as BLEvo or Wahoo calculate my input and calories burnt, and it is all available on my Strava.

Cardio vascular conditioning isn't always about your watt.... consider this. All of us have some basic recommended target heart rate Zones based on age and current conditioning etc. If you wear a heart rate monitor and ride an ebike you can start by pedaling with limited assist and when you get to your target zone you can then use the ebike's power settings to stay within that target zone. For me that's about 132 bpm for calorie/fat burning. When my target heart rate jumps above the recommended zone for my desired fitness goal i add power. If i fall below my target zone for my fitness goal i take away power. You can manage your heart rate this way throughout a ride. Heart rate is a good way to tell (in a otherwise healthy person) cardio fitness if you are overdoing it. Here in the Deep South where temperatures and humidity rule the day, it is very wise for a person to monitor their heartrate to make sure they are not overheating = overdoing things during a bicycle workout. As for riding a traditional bike with no power assist options - the threads intended question - I have surrendered to the "less is more" approach to living; 6 different bikes hanging on the wall or taking up floor space, no longer serves me. I have sold off all my high dollar powerless road bikes to make room for a machine that allows me to do it all. Commute, go off roading, ride rails to trails, complete a century ride, or even ride along side my flat bellied very fast and very fit roadie buddies who almost always like it when i get out front and lead the pack, pacing them to achieve their fitness goals.