how much cardio do you get?
all depends on how you ride it. I am living proof.
3-2020 I weighted 430lbs. I also have a replacement hip and knee as the result of a motorcycle accident 20 years ago.
Covid hit and I started working from home, and eating at home. no more 16 work days and fast/quick food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I started to have time for me, exercise, proper diet, I decided to take advantage of my forced vacation, yes I was still working; I was one of the lucky ones, but no more 1.25 hour driving commute, that left time in the morning and evening to exercise, no more eat on the move. Wife was cooking me good food, I decided to join a weight loss program to get a handle on what and how much to eat.
at 430lbs there were no bikes out there that would hold my weight, I needed to drop at least 60lbs for the best one I could afford that could hold my weight at 360lbs. I knew a couldn't do a regular bike and that I wouldn't stick to it if it was a struggle, so I went for an e-bike. I ordered the bike in July 2020, received it 9-2020. I was 365lbs by then.
I was also back to work at the office, so I decided to try cycling to work I had done a couple of 5-10 mile runs on the e-bike, and though I was tired I felt good. so I set off at 7am hoping to get the 25 miles to the office by 10am, figured I would have to rest a few times.
115 minutes later I was there, no stops.
Since 10-2020 I have used my e-bike to commute to work 4 times a week, I drive in on Monday, take my weeks worth of lunches and clothes, bring home a lunch container and the work clothes each day in my pannier, 50 miles a day round trip. I get ~40miles or so (now) out of a battery charge so I have a charger at work to be sure it is topped up for the journey home.
When I started I was always in PAS5 but I pedaled, I did not throttle except to start from lights, or to help get up an incline, otherwise I was moving my legs.
today I do the same 25 miles in 68 minutes, in PAS1, throttle is disconnected (unplugged) so I am not tempted to use it, but can in an emergency (like when I bent the cranks in a fall 3 weeks ago).
I am addicted to riding, I now have a e-tandem for myself and the wife, since Covid killed my teens ability to take drivers education last year I got her a matching e-bike to mine so she can scoot around until she can get her license.
I cycle to/from work 4 days a week, 200 miles a week. Wife/Kid and I do 60 miles on Saturday and Sunday as well, so I put in 320+ miles a week.
Today (16 months later) I weigh 220lbs,. I am now on the hunt for a carbon road bike (no power). to feed my addiction.
what you get out of it is all a matter of what you put into it. I started on an e-bike because I knew I couldn't commute on a regular bike at my weight, I needed the help, I am now past that need I believe, I can ride a pedal only bike and maintain a 14-15mph pace for at least 10-15 miles, however I will continue to use an e-bike for the work commute, as timing is an issue and I know my average speed on the e-bike, even in PAS1 is several MPH higher than I would achieve on a pedal only.
something else that amazed me, my cycle commute is 25 miles, 4 miles longer than my drive commute, this is due to forcibly using only bike trails and roads with Class 1 or Class 2 bike lanes. but my cycle commute takes me 15 minutes less than my Monday morning drive which is all highway based. My average speed on the bike is 22mph, my average speed in the car is 17mph.
oh yeah and since 10-2020 I have 8,300 on my bike and tandem (just ticked off 1,900 on the tandem this past weekend) combined and only put 2,100 on my car in the same time frame, and 1,000 of that was 2 round trips from L.A. to Phoenix.
me in 3-2020 and me Today, My e-bike has everything to do with this transformation.