Is anybody using eco mode (lowest assist level) on your usual bike ride? What is your usual assist level?

[Trail Cruiser]

The answers can vary since different ebikes have different levels of assists from 3 to 6 assist levels. Some even have 9 assist levels like the Bafang. What is your cruising speed?

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Bike#1, Magnum Metro plus, I spend 90% of my PAS between 3-4 out of 6. ....... Medium high.
Bike#2, Detuned Bafang BBSHD (52V), I also spend 90% my PAS between 3-4 out of 9. ......... Medium low.

My average speed is 19 mph (+/- 4 mph).

There was one time I used eco mode just because I forgot to charge my battery and I was already on the trail.

My target is just to use up one full charge of my battery on my typical 25 mile ride. Not really trying to save battery charge but just enjoying the speed that each battery charge can provide for the length of my typical ride (but not fully depleting it at the same time).

 

[AHicks]

I use PAS #1 on a scale of 6 (0 being off) most of the time. Just came in from a fairly level 6 mile ride, but with some pretty stiff winds (gusting well over 20mph) and did find myself using 2 when riding into it, though I was in kind of a hurry as it was getting ready to dump a bunch of rain on us.

 

[PaD]

99% of my riding time is in Eco mode. My Vado 4.0 ( cut off att 25km/h) is really strong in Eco mode, first of 3 assist levels. I shift down going up hills and in headwind. use all eleven gears.
I wish I could adjust the assist levels to see if it would make any significant difference in range.

 

[DDBB]

when I did my demo ride I put it in the highest level of assist immediately and left it there. I smiled the whole time but only rode the bike for 30min. Battery management is something I'm going to have to learn when I actually buy an ebike

 

[Over50]

I ride a significant percentage in Eco (Bosch). How much depends on which bike I'm riding and whether its the commute or just around the neighborhood getting groceries or something. For the commute its about 30/70 Eco/Tour on the Rohloff class 3 bike. On the class 1 Haibike (CX) motor its maybe 50/50. For just around the neighborhood, errands etc maybe 80/20 Eco/Tour. Almost never use Sport and Turbo.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Eco almost all the time until the hill gets too steep or long... Trek Performance Speed motor

 

[indianajo]

My power wheel goes ~ 11 mph in PAS1, the lowest mode. That is faster than I ride human powered and too fast for some badly paved road berms I ride. However, it will maintain 11 into a 20 mph wind, which is why I bought the electricity. **** fall winds are moving up into august with this global warming thing. I'm hitting about 75% headwinds on my weekly commutes. Wind turned on me today, into my face all the way out to the store, in my face all the way back from the store. !@#$$%^& Hurry up and get here charger connector, shipped Wednesday.

 

[DaveMatthews]

I'm mostly using level 2 (medium low). Started using 3, but have found 2 to work well. As I improve I suspect I'll be down to 1

 

[Figs]

I ride in level 2 or 3 out of 6

 

[scootscoot]

I've only ridden mid drive ebikes. Bosch, Specialized (Brose), Shimano. On flats and moderate hills, eco I find, is more than enough. HIgher levels of assist are appreciated on the steepest hills however: 9 percent grades and higher in particular.

Bosch motors in particular, are ridiculously powerful. They do more than bridge the gap between riding vs "transportation." I feel like bosch powered bikes give me more of an experience of being powered by the motor rather than my powering the bike assisted.

I guess it depends on your level of fitness and also to some degree on how you define what a "bike riding experience" is or should be.

 

[Nova Haibike]

I too have a Yamaha motor, so my bike has eco+, eco, standard, and high settings. A few months back, I installed a PearTune MSO dongle to remove the 20 mph restriction. Since then I find myself using standard more than before; maybe 50% of the time (so I voted "medium/regular"). Eco I probably use 30%, high 15%, and eco+ 5%.

 

[mrgold35]

PAS levels of 0-5 + full 750w throttle at any PAS level.

Two 2016 Radrover fat tire 48v/750w/80nm tq rear hub 11.6 ah battery with +2600 miles for each. PAS 3 work commuting at 18-22 mph (range around 30 miles at that level). Sometimes set to PAS 4 if I have a headwind of 15-20 mph when work commuting. Trail riding in PAS 2 at 10-15 mph.

 

[christob]

Bike has 0-5.
My 6.7 mile office morning commute I do in a mix of more 2 and some 1, to help avoid arriving sweaty. My typical ride back home I extend to ~20 miles and aim for as much of that to be in Level 1 as possible (where I intend to work up a sweat.) i rarely use 3 and I only use 4 or 5 for brief, fun little sprints, when I have lots of empty clear trail visible ahead and the mood strikes me.

 

[scootscoot]

There is also an issue of safety and trail regulations.

This is going to get tricky in the future. Ebikes are much faster than standard bicycles so the possibility of more serious injuries, especially to pedestrians and standard bike riders is a danger.

 

[christob]

Ebikes are much faster than standard bicycles so the possibility of more serious injuries, especially to pedestrians and standard bike riders is a danger.

I think we have to be careful to avoid generalizations worded like that about the bike itself—the rider of the ebike controls the speed—and yes, the beefier motors can help propel the bike above “normal human bike speeds” if the rider so chooses—yet daily, I’m routinely passed on the road by non-ebike cyclists, when I’m at an average of 16-18mph.

 

[NDB]

It truly depends on the situation...this is for my Raleigh Misceo that has Shimano STePS (Class 1):

When I'm commuting in a bike lane on a flat road: Eco

When I'm commuting in normal traffic with a speed limit of under 25 mph: Eco or Normal

When I'm commuting in normal traffic with a speed limit of over 25 mph: Normal or Max

When I'm going up a hill: Normal or Max

When I'm cruising through campus: Off or Eco

On the way TO school (trying to avoid getting too sweaty): Normal or Max

On the way back home (trying to get more of a workout): Off, Eco, or sometimes Normal if traffic is moving fast

There are a few general instances where I may use on PAS Level over another, but honestly, sometimes, you just switch through them to find which one feels the most comfortable at that time!

 

[PDoz]

Giant has finally released their ebike app so I can REDUCE the amount of assist in eco mode - I'll be doing that today. I rarely use anything above eco on my Giant full e+1 pro (yamaha pwx ) I think there are 6 modes offering up to 360% boost , the highest boost level is great for selling the bike on a test ride, but I simply don't have the skill to consistently use anything above the second boost level (150% , I think) . Admittedly most of my riding is on tight, technical single line designed for human powered mtb's .

 

[larry-new]

After 500 all road miles, as my long neglected abilities are somewhat returning, I'm doing 20-30 mi. daily, pushing either a 75" or 85" gear, using Pas 2 (of 5) almost always, reserving Pas 3 when my speed drops below 18mph or so. I'm spun out in top gear around 23mph, and will regear to a 92" top come Spring.

I get a great workout at a good speed, and plan on considerably longer rides next year...Pas 2 will give me an easy 50 miles, and I have a spare battery.

 

[Chris Hammond]

I use level 4 out of 5 on my Juiced CrossCurrent S for the majority of my commute. Cruising speed is generally ~ 30 mph. Love having a big battery that allows me to do this for my 30 mile each way commute.