Hi from The Hamptons, NY

[street peddler]

I think realizations about what technologies best suit ourselves (and others) evolve over time. Heck, after having watched about two zillion reviews and opinions on Youtube, and riding an ebike for exactly one minute, I'm already thinking of canceling the two Lectrics and going for something more rigid. Folding bikes do seem to be quite a compromise, all in service of portability. But if I do decide to NOT cancel, I'm sure I and (hopefully) my wife will fall in love with them for awhile before becoming desirous something...more.

 

[Art Deco]

Your wife is on board with eBikes, IIRC. That's more than half the battle, and everyone (of a certain age) loves their first eBike. You get to feel 20 years younger for less than the price of a facelift...

 

[Maineiac]

I think realizations about what technologies best suit ourselves (and others) evolve over time. Heck, after having watched about two zillion reviews and opinions on Youtube, and riding an ebike for exactly one minute, I'm already thinking of canceling the two Lectrics and going for something more rigid. Folding bikes do seem to be quite a compromise, all in service of portability. But if I do decide to NOT cancel, I'm sure I and (hopefully) my wife will fall in love with them for awhile before becoming desirous something...more.

Street Peddler, I beat you, I’ve actually watched about 3 zillion reviews and I’ve rented and test drove several. My brother is expected to get his Lectric bikes next week and I’m sure he’ll be happy with them, but I’m looking for something a little more refined and unfortunately a lot more money too!, i.e, Evelo Dash or Cube’s new 2022 Folding Hybrid (hoping it will be available in North America). As for the Lectric, I just find it too heavy at 63lbs and it doesn’t stay folded well. Also, I prefer a mid-drive.

 

[PedalUma]

The $150 Raleigh 3-speed is coming together. Check out the bar. It was a rusted mess a couple of days ago when a SF Bay Area tech CEO brought it to me. Now it has an 8-speed Nexus with an internal brake and is about to get the 7-pound mid-drive, torque sensor, no throttle, with 95Nm motor. I like the trigger shifter over a twist. He wants it stealthy, so he will put a water bottle top on the battery. The bottle top he wants is not the one shown, it will cover the entire top of the battery. It will be about 40 pounds because of the racks and internal gears. It is also a big bike.

 

[alphacarina]

Heck, after having watched about two zillion reviews and opinions on Youtube, and riding an ebike for exactly one minute, I'm already thinking of canceling the two Lectrics and going for something more rigid.

There is nothing at all flimsy about the folding mechanism on the Lectric bikes. The box frame is 4 inches by 2 at the folding point (probably more like 5 by 2 for the step thru models) and it's absolutely rigid - Very well done. If you don't need a folding bike, then it makes sense to buy something else I suppose, but I think you'd miss the versatility that being able to fold it up for easy transport gives you . . .

Don

 

[Maineiac]

The $150 Raleigh 3-speed is coming together. Check out the bar. It was a rusted mess a couple of days ago when a SF Bay Area tech CEO brought it to me. Now it has an 8-speed Nexus with an internal brake and is about to get the 7-pound mid-drive, torque sensor, no throttle, with 95Nm motor. I like the trigger shifter over a twist. He wants it stealthy, so he will put a water bottle top on the battery. The bottle top he wants is not the one shown, it will cover the entire top of the battery. It will be about 40 pounds because of the racks and internal gears. It is also a big bike.

You sure know how to build them!

 

[street peddler]

PedalUma, I'm so impressed with what you're doing by finding old bikes, reviving them and giving them new e-life. Some day I'd like to give that a try and attempt my own projects. It looks like fun and it must be fulfilling. Carry on sir!

 

[street peddler]

Art Deco, My wife and I are definitely of a certain age. She's approaching the neighborhood of 70, I crossed that line a couple years ago.

We motorcycled around Shelter Island yesterday and talked with a guy on an ebike (I'm starting to see them everywhere!). He said he doesn't get a workout with his, that hard peddling is just a myth. I said, oh, we're going to peddle; we're going to get a cardio work out. He said no you won't. I said yes we will. He said no you won't, I said yes we will, he said, uh, no you won't. That went on for awhile.

I realized later that what he was saying is that people invest in ebikes with the highest intentions of using them as a tool to maintain over-all fitness, but that eventually, they succumb to the temptation of letting the bikes do all the work. Point of all this being, those of us of a certain age, with certain knee or other joint or health issues, buy ebikes with high expectations of maintaining fitness, stamina, and youthfulness.

 

[indianajo]

We motorcycled around Shelter Island yesterday and talked with a guy on an ebike (I'm starting to see them everywhere!). He said he doesn't get a workout with his, that hard peddling is just a myth. I said, oh, we're going to peddle; we're going to get a cardio work out. He said no you won't. I said yes we will. He said no you won't, I said yes we will, he said, uh, no you won't. That went on for awhile.
I realized later that what he was saying is that people invest in ebikes with the highest intentions of using them as a tool to maintain over-all fitness, but that eventually, they succumb to the temptation of letting the bikes do all the work. Point of all this being, those of us of a certain age, with certain knee or other joint or health issues, buy ebikes with high expectations of maintaining fitness, stamina, and youthfulness.

I ride my electric bike about 80% of the time with the motor turned off. My goal is 3 1/2 hours of 100-144 bpm for 3.5 hours, twice a week, plus 2 or 3 other one hour trips. Just, if the wind picks up to 25 mph in my face, it won't take me 6 hours to get home @ 132-144 bpm as it did September, 2018. If I twist my knee out at my summer property and can hardly walk for a week, no pedaling is required to activate a throttle. Geared hub motors & shimano, yamaha & bonrus mid drives don't drag the motor with your feet unpowered.
Maintaining cardio fitness got me through covid19 5/16/20-9/30/20 with no hospital or oxygen, and now some other virus 8/2/21-9/4/21, probably delta. I needed the late vaccine 4/1/20, not now! Plus if the throttle quits in the rain as 7/14/21, I can ride home 27 miles & 80 hills without a tow truck. I'm age 71 with both HBP & diabetes.

 

[street peddler]

Way to go, Indianajo! What you're saying is very heartening! Though my knees aren't 100%, bicycle peddling has definitely helped them get through periods of pain as well as maintained strength. I want to do same with an ebike. Thanks for sharing!

 

[RunForTheHills]

I think it depends on the ebike you get also. Fat tired folding bikes like the Lectric are not easy to pedal without help from the motor. On the other end of the spectrum, a bike like the Specialize Creo or Vado SL almost requires you to put in some effort while still flattening the hills.

 

[Art Deco]

Art Deco, My wife and I are definitely of a certain age. She's approaching the neighborhood of 70, I crossed that line a couple years ago.

We motorcycled around Shelter Island yesterday and talked with a guy on an ebike (I'm starting to see them everywhere!). He said he doesn't get a workout with his, that hard peddling is just a myth. I said, oh, we're going to peddle; we're going to get a cardio work out. He said no you won't. I said yes we will. He said no you won't, I said yes we will, he said, uh, no you won't. That went on for awhile.

I realized later that what he was saying is that people invest in ebikes with the highest intentions of using them as a tool to maintain over-all fitness, but that eventually, they succumb to the temptation of letting the bikes do all the work. Point of all this being, those of us of a certain age, with certain knee or other joint or health issues, buy ebikes with high expectations of maintaining fitness, stamina, and youthfulness.

@street peddler If you want to direct a post at an individual , you need to put the AT sign before the name, else it may not be seen. As far as it goes, heavy fat tire cadence and throttle bikes are much harder to pedal than lighter bikes with narrower tires and torque sensors, so many don't even try. That's why I suggested to ask in the Lectric forum...

 

[PedalUma]

Yes, the lighter builds are easier to pedal and do not require heavy batteries. Less is more. They are also more fun, with better handling.

 

[Art Deco]

Check out the cardio thread

How Much Cardio Can You Get From Electric Bikes?

Anyway... @mjeds, your story is great!

electricbikereview.com

Edit this entry was from member @mjeds .

 

[alphacarina]

He said he doesn't get a workout with his, that hard peddling is just a myth. I said, oh, we're going to peddle; we're going to get a cardio work out. He said no you won't. I said yes we will. He said no you won't, I said yes we will, he said, uh, no you won't. That went on for awhile.

You will get as much (or as little) cardio workout on your eBike as you like. I'm past 70 also and I usually ride with some amount of pedal assist - More on the uphill portions and less on level ground, but I am actively pedaling all the time, just not as hard as I would be on a 'normal' bike

The big advantage of an eBike (for me anyway) is that a guy who would be exhausted after a 4 or 5 mile ride without any assistance can go 15 or 20 miles and at a much higher speed with an eBike, so you get to see more new places without worrying that you might not make it back home

Don

 

[street peddler]

@alphacarina, good to know you're working it! You're describing my plan exactly, and I intend to stick to it once the bike finally arrives. I rode my first (borrowed) ebike a couple days ago and the seat was a couple inches too low to get a full leg rotation, so peddling was putting undue stress on my knees. Felt such relief at that moment that I hadn't ordered a bmx-style Rize Blade with a fixed seat. Proper seat height is everything.

 

[PedalUma]

@alphacarina, good to know you're working it! You're describing my plan exactly, and I intend to stick to it once the bike finally arrives. I rode my first (borrowed) ebike a couple days ago and the seat was a couple inches too low to get a full leg rotation, so peddling was putting undue stress on my knees. Felt such relief at that moment that I hadn't ordered a bmx-style Rize Blade with a fixed seat. Proper seat height is everything.

People give me $hite over how much extension I like! They say things such as, Holly Seatpost Batman. I ride with a back sweep and up motion. This extends the range of batteries and for me just feels good. I will show a blue bike I ride so you can see the saddle height and a few of the build I finished this morning for the tech CEO who brought me a $150 bike to make electric.

 

[street peddler]

@PedalUma So you finished that bike for the CEO in about 3 days from start to finish? It's beautiful. Could those handlebars be reversed? More like a cruiser? I only ask because it would probably help my creaky back sit up straighter and creak less. But that's just me imagining my self riding that beaut.
Love the water bottle look of the battery on the Specialized!
What mid mount motor do you favor? (Thinking already about building me one some day.)

 

[PedalUma]

@PedalUma So you finished that bike for the CEO in about 3 days from start to finish? It's beautiful. Could those handlebars be reversed? More like a cruiser? I only ask because it would probably help my creaky back sit up straighter and creak less. But that's just me imagining my self riding that beaut.
Love the water bottle look of the battery on the Specialized!
What mid mount motor do you favor? (Thinking already about building me one some day.)

I was able to rise his quill stem way up, so the position at the end grips is ideal with a straight back. Now he get more positions to prevent fatigue on extra-long rides. I ride 350W nominal torque sensor motors, delimited. The CEO's is 750W, delimited. A lower nominal drain rate gives longer range. Less is so much more. It is also much harder to arrive at the Zen Garden of Less than the Hoarder Clutter of More.

 

[street peddler]

@PedalUma, today I learned: quill stem, nominal drain rate vs range. The path to Zen Garden of Less has led me to this - https://ride1up.com/product/roadster-v2/
Could be an excellent intro to ebiking without all the clutter of more!