Newb to site and e bikes

Lees15792

New Member
Region
USA
Happy New Year to all. I am 66 yr old male living in Souther York County Pa. I am new to e-bikes, (got a SMLRO E5 cargo). I needed to excerise to improve my diabetic neuropathy in my legs! E-BIKES appear to be an excellent option. Also, it has been 30 years since I have been on a bike.I’m figurering to start with 80% bike power and 20% muscle and slowly work towards minimal assist.
The primary reason I chose the E5 bike is because of “to say it nicely” was payload. I weigh in at 340lbs. I’m about 20 minutes away from a bike/walking trail that’s close to 50 miles long. Wish me luck!
 
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Pennsylvanian, and good luck with your new ride!

BTW, if the trail you mention is the Heritage Trail and Torrey C Brown Trail, they are limited to class 1 e-bikes. Throttles and speeds over 20 MPH are prohibited.
 
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Pennsylvanian, and good luck with your new ride!

BTW, if the trail you mention is the Heritage Trail and Torrey C Brown Trail, they are limited to class 1 e-bikes. Throttles and speeds over 20 MPH are prohibited.
Yes it is the trail I mentioned. Where did you find the rules and RegsI looked at the York parks info but didn’t see anything. Thanks so much
 
The SMLRO E5 does appear to have a geared hub motor, so you will not have to drag the motor with your feet with the power off. Very little description on their website. If the bike has a throttle you may be cited by York Oounty; they are infamous on this website for being intolerant of e-bikes.
I would be suspicious of efficiency of the SMLOR E5 under human power. The distance between seat & crank appears to be about 16", which even with my 28" legs is way too short to have the leg nearly straight at the bottom of the stroke. Also, with those fat tires, pumping them with your legs may always be too much drag. Fat tires are limited to 25-30 psi. I ride 26"x2.1" tires, at about 45-50 psi, with rating of 65 psi available if I have too much diet soda or jugs of weed killer in the panniers or on the rack.
I am diabetic and have prevented neuropathy by losing 55 lb and pushing A1c down from 8.0 to 6.1 in the 15 years since I quit working. Only 1 g/day metformin & low sugar, medium carbs, high fiber, high vegetable fat, low meat diet are control measures. The bicycle is the major source of aerobic exercise. I gave up driving for errands without electricity until 2017, when a 25 mph headwind forced my ride home from summer camp to take 6 hours at 4.6 mph. Too much exercise! All that at 120 bpm up, and 96 F. Now I use electricity to control how much exercise I get, no matter how bad the weather. Low wind day, I only turn on electricity for up the last hills, the 66th to 77th. 3.7 hours at >100 bpm twice a week is entirely enough, plus 8 mile runs to grocery, HD or Lowes, charity resale shop or flea market for bargains.
Best of fortune in your journey back to health.
 
Thanx for your input. I’m thinking I can “unplug” the throttle and use the PAS setting of two or three to start. I will definitely wear my diabetic bracelet when riding on the trail. If the “storm troopers “ wanna fight with a disabled fat 66 year old man trying to live longer by getting exercise I am sure Social Media would love to hear about that. Hope to see you on the trail.
 
I have a class 2 bike with a throttle and I've pretty much given up on the Heritage trail. The last time I was there, enforcement was pretty aggressive with park police making frequent visits to the trailheads. Even though I don't use the throttle much, I hate breaking the law.

There are other fine trails in the area where you can ride without the hassle. Most notably are the Enola Low Grade Trail, and the Northwest Lancaster River Trail, just across the Susquehanna:



At 30 and 14 miles in length, they aren't as long as the Heritage but what they lack in length, they more than make up for in scenery.

There are many others as well. This site is a good place to look:


You need to be a member to view the detailed trail maps but the $30/yr, tax deductible fee goes to a good cause.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Welcome to EBR from another Pennsylvania resident. You will find other local riders and class 2 and 3 riders here, and plenty of friendly people who are experienced riders of multiple bikes in various locations.
 
Back