My fantasy bike would allow me to ride at 68 like I could at 45. I’d be able to do a 100 mile club ride with 6000 feet of climbing at 16 mph. It would look like a normal race bike. It seems to me that such a bike does not yet exist but some bikes are close. Also I am 5’3.5” and just a tad too short for the Orbea Gain. It seems like the technology is almost there.
Light weight eBikes review
- Thread starter Solom01
- Start date
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
While I like the battery size and 70 Nm of torque I don't like what BMC did with the battery. Kinda reminds me of a DIV kit. I much prefer the concealed battery in the front down tube.
GregGritton
Member
I don't think there are very many bikes that are so heavy they can't be ridden with the power off. I own a 57lb (26kg) Gazelle Arroyo. While it is a heavy bike if I am going for a pleasure ride in the country I usually ride with power off most of the time, using the power for uphill and headwinds. I have test ridden various other e-bikes and all, so far, ride fine with the power off.
You might consider the total weight of you plus your bike. I weigh 180 pounds (82kg). If I had a 20 pound bike (9kg) then total would be 200 pounds (91kg). On the other hand, with the Gazelle the total is 237 pounds (108kg), only 19% higher. And the extra weight really only matters going up hills.
I do think the new light weight bikes are a cool concept, but I wouldn't count a heavy bike as un-ridable without power.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I ride with a seniors group and a couple of the riders have e-bikes. My group ride bike is a very light Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0 (8 kilograms or 17.7 pounds) and on most rides our average speed is around 14mph or 23 kph. One of the ebike riders has a Specialized Vado 4.0 and he has no trouble keeping up with us at any speed, even though his motor cuts out at 20 mph or 32kph. He's also able to do part of the 25-30 mile ride with the power turned off. That surprised me since his bike weighs over 23 kilograms or 50 pounds.
My Pedego Ridgerider is a beast to ride with the power off. There's considerable motor drag and even though I'm a decently fit rider for my age (67) I can't ride the bike over 23 kph or 14 mph on the flats without the motor's help.
My Pedego Ridgerider is a beast to ride with the power off. There's considerable motor drag and even though I'm a decently fit rider for my age (67) I can't ride the bike over 23 kph or 14 mph on the flats without the motor's help.
Chancelucky2
Well-Known Member
I happen to think that long tours still present logistical problems for e-bikes. I'm not a fan of the 2 or more battery solution. Even if you bring your charger, it takes too long to go from mostly discharged to fully charged.
Right now, a lighter bike that one can pedal uphill, more or less the cycling version of the hybrid as opposed to the all electric car, seems like the sanest solution.
I spent the last couple weeks in South Florida where the house I was staying had a Schwinn city bike, so I found myself riding around for several miles without a battery and motor. The island was completely flat, so I didn't necessarily miss my e-bike. It reminded me that unaided pedaling is quite pleasurable and should maybe be more a part of the e-bike experience/continuum. I could definitely see doing a century with 60 miles of pedaling and 40 miles or so of assisted pedaling. My current e-bike has a Bosch mid-drive and weighs about 50 pounds. It's certainly something I can ride without power, but it's not that pleasant and steep hills are out of the question.
Right now, a lighter bike that one can pedal uphill, more or less the cycling version of the hybrid as opposed to the all electric car, seems like the sanest solution.
I spent the last couple weeks in South Florida where the house I was staying had a Schwinn city bike, so I found myself riding around for several miles without a battery and motor. The island was completely flat, so I didn't necessarily miss my e-bike. It reminded me that unaided pedaling is quite pleasurable and should maybe be more a part of the e-bike experience/continuum. I could definitely see doing a century with 60 miles of pedaling and 40 miles or so of assisted pedaling. My current e-bike has a Bosch mid-drive and weighs about 50 pounds. It's certainly something I can ride without power, but it's not that pleasant and steep hills are out of the question.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I see that Specialized is finally getting into the light e-road bike market.
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Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
Saw that this morning. Looks great - I like the gravel version - but bring your wallet, your neighbor’s wallet, and any other quarters and dimes you find on the street! Bicycling.com has a good write up also on these things.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
I was riding an 80 lb MTbike with wire baskets with 60 lb supplies up hills up to 15% unpowered before I bought electricity. After I quit working 2008 I rode ~2000 miles/year. Standard commute was 27 miles. The new bodaboda (left) with two panniers is about 68 lb, motor & battery add about 14, total 82. Aluminum frame versus steel feels like I'm young again. Cargo to my summer camp the same weight. Trip is up to 30 miles now since I take a longer hillier lower traffic route. The geared hub motor doesn't drag unpowered. I still ride mostly unpowered but with my upright posture average 8 to 9 mph. Leading with your head always struck me as stupid; I never bought a "road bike" which was called a "10 speed racer" in 1966. I rode my 3 speed "english racer" (not so much when working) with upright posture until the MTB was invented. That was in Houston, & Kansas, which are flat. So Indiana hills motivated me to buy the 15 speed MTB which I wore out.
BTW I weighed 210 lb in 2008 when I quit working, have been under 180 5 years and down to 167 this summer. Cloresterol dropped from 210 to 150, A1C 8.0 to 6.0.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
This bike is pretty much what I've been waiting for, but as you mentioned it's VERY expensive. The cheapest version is $12,247CAN and the top of the line version goes for $14,700CAN. That's WAY more than I'll ever spend on a bicycle.
The Cannondale Snapse Neo gravel model goes for $5700 (CAN). Still not cheap, but it's a price I'd be willing to pay.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I have Di2 on my Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0 and I love it. My next bike will be an e-road bike and I'd like it to have Di2, but it's hard for me to justifly $10,000 for any bike.
Exactly. The new lighter motor may bring a cascade of lost weight. Couldn't happen soon enough.
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