Is there a way to measure...

[jaizon]

Is there a way to measure the amount of resistance you are comfortable pedaling with. I know that sounds awkward, but, for example, you might be comfortable at 7 lbs of resistance but not at 10. Thanks.

 

[J.R.]

Is there a way to measure the amount of resistance you are comfortable pedaling with. I know that sounds awkward, but, for example, you might be comfortable at 7 lbs of resistance but not at 10. Thanks.

Power meter will measure how many watts the rider generates.

Just need to ride unassisted and read the outcome.

Power Measurement at TriSports

www.trisports.com

 

[jaizon]

Wow! Thanks.

 

[Alex M]

He wants to know the comfortable level of effort in pounds, not the amount of watts that his muscles generate.
IMHO, - doesn't matter how many pounds, your muscles and joints are main indicators here. When your body is telling you that it's too much then it is - time to slow down or up the assist level.

 

[J.R.]

He wants to know the comfortable resistance level, not the watts power that his muscles generate.
IMHO, - doesn't matter how many pounds, your muscles and joints are main indicators here. When your body is telling you that it's too much then it is - time to slow down or up the assist level.

He asked how to measure that. That's watts. Once you measure what is comfortable you can replicate it much easier. Pro and amateur cyclists use that method to know how to meter their power for hills and distance.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

The display on my BH Atom Diamond Wave Pro can show cadence, that is, pedal revolutions per minute. That is also helpful.

 

[antboy]

Is there a way to measure the amount of resistance you are comfortable pedaling with. I know that sounds awkward, but, for example, you might be comfortable at 7 lbs of resistance but not at 10. Thanks.

That crossed my mind this weekend after riding up a big hill on my new OHM Cruise.

A "rider-torque" or "rider-power" variable should be straight forward to display without any extra hardware, especially on a mid-drive, since said torque is already a constantly collected variable used to determine motor output. It's just passing this variable to the display, just like speed or cadence.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That crossed my mind this weekend after riding up a big hill on my new OHM Cruise.

A "rider-torque" or "rider-power" variable should be straight forward to display without any extra hardware, especially on a mid-drive, since said torque is already a constantly collected variable used to determine motor output. It's just passing this variable to the display, just like speed or cadence.

You would be surprised how few mid-motor e-bikes can display the rider's power. My experience tells me Specialized Turbo e-bikes are very good here.

 

[byunbee]

That is not a static number. Our body's comfortable resistance depends on how much energy you have at any given point. For example, if you do a 20 mile ride up an incline, your comfortable resistence will be much lower than if you're just starting your ride.

 

[antboy]

You would be surprised how few mid-motor e-bikes can display the rider's power. My experience tells me Specialized Turbo e-bikes are very good here.

Do you mean "can display" or "do display"?

If an electronic system is gathering a parameter multiple times per second, it should be a simple thing to pass that data to a display.

Of course, all that being said, it's more of a nerdy number than anything that will make a tangible difference. Like @Alex M said, your body will tell you when it's too much.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

do display

this.

 

[J.R.]

It probably is a bit of an anal retentive thing. That said, I really know what I need to do in most every situation to get the best mileage from my battery. After so many years and so many miles, I know how my bike and body will respond. It reduces, or eliminates range anxiety.

Like many here, I was cycling prior to ebiking. I have a good idea of what I can do. Everyday we see riders returning to cycling through ebiking. If using a power meter helps people understand their limitations, I don't understand the issue. Waiting until your body tells you you've had enough is akin to riding until the battery is dead and then heading for home.

People say if you can pedal a bike, why do you need an ebike? Getting an ebike with a cadence meter or a power meter, or buying an add on power meter could be very helpful to some. 'A man's got to know his limitations'

 

[antboy]

Like many here, I was cycling prior to ebiking. I have a good idea of what I can do. Everyday we see riders returning to cycling through ebiking. If using a power meter helps people understand their limitations, I don't understand the issue. Waiting until your body tells you you've had enough is akin to riding until the battery is dead and then heading for home.

Same here. I generally know how much gas I have in the tank, but it's an interesting metric.

I'm somewhat lucky in that the ride home is generally easier, because I live near Lake Ontario in Toronto. Most long rides (except following the waterfront) mean net elevation gain in the first half of the trip, which equals free energy from gravity on the way home.