Note to Court: Feature FAT RIDERS on test rides!

[geon]

I dig the site and watch the video reviews eagerly and with great interest.

Two suggestions.

First: More segments with Sam of Myron's Electric Bike Shop in Fullerton.

Second: Let Sam talk all he wants and don't interrupt him so much. You can edit out the stuff that is over the time limit you have for the videos if he goes on too long. He is a resource that no one else has and you have an exclusive, so let's hear whatever he has to say.

Third: Add a new feature. Big Boys on EBikes. Guys or gals who are 250lbs + Maybe find an agreeable 6' + / 300 lb + person to be a regular test rider. Or at each location find someone who is Plus sized and willing to be a test rider. When you test ride a bike and you find it zippy that's fine for people your size, but all of us aren't that (svelt or compact) size. And America is getting fatter and older, so maybe find Baby Boomers, too.

Finally, what camera and audio equipment do you use? Your videos always look and sound great!

All in all, a great site and terrific job reviewing the machines.

Two thumbs up!

 

[Mike Smith]

Great post and I agree 100 %. Most/ alot of the potential ebike buyers are not Xgen 20 something year olds looking for a kick. They are baby boomers, overweight out of shape people, or people with disabilities that prohibit them from normal bike riding. It would be great to see some average middle age and up people riding these bikes and get their opinions on the videos. It would only help the manufacturers as well to have these video reviews online for a large market of their potential buyers.

Court, I'm 51 years old, 275 lbs and an avid ebike rider and believer in the tremendous potential of these products, and would be more than happy to ride with you anytime and provide my review and opinion on the ebikes as a representative of the big guy/ women market.

 

[Adrian]

Great post and I agree 100 %. Most/ alot of the potential ebike buyers are not Xgen 20 something year olds looking for a kick. They are baby boomers, overweight out of shape people, or people with disabilities that prohibit them from normal bike riding. It would be great to see some average middle age and up people riding these bikes and get their opinions on the videos. It would only help the manufacturers as well to have these video reviews online for a large market of their potential buyers.

Court, I'm 51 years old, 175 lbs and an avid ebike rider and believer in the tremendous potential of these products, and would be more than happy to ride with you anytime and provide my review and opinion on the ebikes as a representative of the big guy/ women market.

I don't think 175 lbs is considered "big" by most people's standards.

 

[Kaldeem]

You want big?? Try 5'11 290 lbs. or some of the other guys here that are 6' 300 lbs. If a battery on Sport or Pas 4 will only carry a 140 lb man 20 miles, wtf will it do for a 290 or 300 lbs man? Those are the facts and information most of your community would like to know!

 

[Adrian]

I'm only 165 @ 5' 10" so it doesn't bother me but I understand that the numbers given by almost all marketing blurb is probably meaningless for a lot of very big riders.

But I don't think it's feasible for reviewers to include big people in the review - Court can't exactly traipse around the country with a big person in tow just to see how well Bike X goes up a hill when loaded down. It would be easier for him to wear a weight belt even if that would look a little weird. lol

You guys just need to extrapolate.

 

[Mike Smith]

Sorry corrected mt post to 275 lbs. Now am I a big guy, lol.

 

[Brambor]

Court could easily wear some sort of weight belt ;-) or carry a St.Bernard in a backpack ;-)

 

[George S.]

The ebike shop around me seems to have split his inventory into "Mature and basic" and "Young and Sleek". They are pretty upmarket for the younger crowd, with Kalkhoff, Felt, and Focus. The basic bikes are the Pedego line. It's tough to see one reviewer covering both these sets of ebikes, actually, and Court seems to fit a lot better with the young and sleek stuff. These two groups are going to be coming into ebiking with different frames of mind.

You can make educated guesses about the penalty. The weight hurts you most on hills. A 5% grade will mean a 150 pound guy can go 15 mph with 500 watts, but a 300 pound guy will be going around 10 mph. Mid-drives can help by letting the bike work efficiently at low speeds, to climb.

On the flat, with 500 watts, the 150 pound guy goes 25 mph, the 300 pound guy maybe 23. But there is more of the big guy to catch the wind. Still, it's not a huge difference. Once you get the weight up to speed everything just keeps going. The big guy will accelerate more slowly, and use more battery to get to speed.

I rode an ebike as little more than a mobility scooter, for a while, carrying an oxygen tank. When you start removing throttles, you start closing that access off. I just think you will have a generational divide. The US standards give people enough watts to deal with weight and hills, weak riders.

You can't have some narrow vision of the thing. I hope Court looks at the range of products and the range of riders and then he might decide to bring in different kinds of test riders. At this point I don't see any shortage of products to serve many needs.

 

[Tara D.]

I think he might have better luck with a German Shepard.

 

[Ann M.]

Thank you @George S. I know Court tries to have a balanced perspective (even if not weight balanced ). The throttle issue from my perspective has always been: don't remove it, leave it speed limited and if a rider doesn't need it just forget about it. I have numerous older customers who want exercise and are not comfortable with the way pedal assist works, particularly when at a stop or trying to turn so the throttle is the optimal way for them to operate an Ebike. And they want nice bikes, too!

Had an ebike diagnostic I did last week where the owner is about twice my size and thought the motor or controller was bad, cutting out on hills. My solution was pretty primitive, a set of saddle bags filled with bricks for my second round of test riding. My dog is too little to make much of a difference (little 12lb Italian Greyhound) and way too excitable to stay in a backpack .

 

[Cameron Newland]

Thank you @George S.
Had an ebike diagnostic I did last week where the owner is about twice my size and thought the motor or controller was bad, cutting out on hills. My solution was pretty primitive, a set of saddle bags filled with bricks for my second round of test riding. My dog is too little to make much of a difference (little 12lb Italian Greyhound) and way too excitable to stay in a backpack .

I'd like to see photos of this brcks-in-saddle-bags setup!

 

[Ann M.]

Thanks! Visualize a trip to the grocery store for a couple of weeks worth of grub (heavy stuff, mind you, not just fluffy parsley ) with a typical commuter bike with a rear rack. In this case the bike batteries and stuff in the bags are my weights. On the sides of the rear rack add 1-15lb SLA battery pack on one side and 1-4lb LiPo pack on the other and drape a set of typical saddle bags over the top. Next step is to literally grub around my pole barn and garden for heavy limestone bricks (I use them to weigh down tarps when it decides to freeze around here) and gently place them in the bags; hopefully with a reasonably even weight distribution. After almost an hour of riding on hills and flats, the customer's Lithium battery was still going great (on this bike you can only run one battery at a time and the LiPo was the one in question) with no cut out from the controller or motor so the issue wrapped around how and where the owner was charging the Lithium battery. One time where the diagnostics were a ton of fun to do.

 

[MLB]

+++++++1 WEIGHT VEST or Pannier load!!!!!!! Seriously, this makes so much sense. Take the load weight to 200 (225 probably even better) lbs for 1/2 a test, and you've covered another whole spectrum of the market that is interested, but worried about burning up a little E motor.

Two rides over the same course, 1 loaded 1 not. How's it feel? What's the top speed at power level X loaded versus unloaded on the same stretch of road? How much battery used on same ride?

Even a one time comparison of loaded versus not on a representative bike would be enlightening for many. Wouldn't HAVE to do it on every test. (but i'd encourage it when there is time and opportunity)

 

[MLB]

I think he might have better luck with a German Shepard.
View attachment 4511

Why the carry? Pretty doggie

 

[J.R.]

This thread is discussing product testing and Court is doing product reviews. Maybe when EBR is bigger with more financial support there can be a subset of deep product testing, but with a product review anyone with knowledge of the product can review it. Reviews can narrow your focus and then it's up to the individual to single out the what will fit their needs.

It would be great to see more in depth tests of ebikes from a variety of ages and sizes of riders and I think we are starting to see more testing. One of the best things @Court did for us ebikers was to start this community where we share our experiences coming from a wide variety of economic, fitness, size and age levels. These tests are being done by us, the early adopters.

 

[Tara D.]

@MLB The photo is from 2012 when a German Shepard Rottweiler mix was rescued off of Mount Bierstadt in Colorado. Here is the story if you are interested in it. @J.R. I completely agree!

 

[yardta]

I dig the site and watch the video reviews eagerly and with great interest.

Two suggestions.

First: More segments with Sam of Myron's Electric Bike Shop in Fullerton.

Second: Let Sam talk all he wants and don't interrupt him so much. You can edit out the stuff that is over the time limit you have for the videos if he goes on too long. He is a resource that no one else has and you have an exclusive, so let's hear whatever he has to say.

Third: Add a new feature. Big Boys on EBikes. Guys or gals who are 250lbs + Maybe find an agreeable 6' + / 300 lb + person to be a regular test rider. Or at each location find someone who is Plus sized and willing to be a test rider. When you test ride a bike and you find it zippy that's fine for people your size, but all of us aren't that (svelt or compact) size. And America is getting fatter and older, so maybe find Baby Boomers, too.

Finally, what camera and audio equipment do you use? Your videos always look and sound great!

All in all, a great site and terrific job reviewing the machines.

Two thumbs up!

. 325 lbs... age 70, 6'3", 29"' inseam..hated bikes as an adult. l live in an adult community.. we talk about the new "yuppie" bikes; general feeling= NOT FOR FATASSES ...bottom line...Trikes too dorky for us baby-boomers. Frame sizes impossible to compare. The amazon sizing chart does NOT work for me. Now i found the Juice 3. BUT its another too rough rider for my arthritus.. an e.bike shop here in portland said to go elsewhere....there apparently is NO bike l can find that is made for me. maybe one a those latdown suicide recumby types??? Reviews l've seen seem to be bought and paid for.. l previously posted this over at radwagon....
Well darn! Can of worms l see. I was ready to buy a stretch cargo over in bend or tomorrow. Now it looks like if i wait several weeks i can get a wagon for half price. Pedago claims over 400 lbs PLUS rider -Stretch. For me at 330 its about opposite; ha!! l'm 6-3 with only a 29" inseam and the pedago stretch cargo accomodates this. This waiting deal is good for me cuz i was advised to just spend the extra dollars for a - "New for 2016, the BrüHaul is Felt's newest.....". Or consider a Pedago Interceptor [good fit]. And for exercise with the arthritic right hand possibly giving me trouble to consider the ELF when its raining. . . Any way l am hank, age 70.. just moved to clackamas,or. . l almost always lived on the deserts south of reno down to chihuahua.. recently had to sell my last 4 mcycles; close calls....age, health/balance, reflexes.. nice to be here. thx for having me.

 

[grench]

. 325 lbs... age 70, 6'3", 29"' inseam..hated bikes as an adult. l live in an adult community.. we talk about the new "yuppie" bikes; general feeling= NOT FOR FATASSES ...bottom line...Trikes too dorky for us baby-boomers. Frame sizes impossible to compare. The amazon sizing chart does NOT work for me. Now i found the Juice 3. BUT its another too rough rider for my arthritus.. an e.bike shop here in portland said to go elsewhere....there apparently is NO bike l can find that is made for me. maybe one a those latdown suicide recumby types??? Reviews l've seen seem to be bought and paid for.. l previously posted this over at radwagon....
Well darn! Can of worms l see. I was ready to buy a stretch cargo over in bend or tomorrow. Now it looks like if i wait several weeks i can get a wagon for half price. Pedago claims over 400 lbs PLUS rider -Stretch. For me at 330 its about opposite; ha!! l'm 6-3 with only a 29" inseam and the pedago stretch cargo accomodates this. This waiting deal is good for me cuz i was advised to just spend the extra dollars for a - "New for 2016, the BrüHaul is Felt's newest.....". Or consider a Pedago Interceptor [good fit]. And for exercise with the arthritic right hand possibly giving me trouble to consider the ELF when its raining. . . Any way l am hank, age 70.. just moved to clackamas,or. . l almost always lived on the deserts south of reno down to chihuahua.. recently had to sell my last 4 mcycles; close calls....age, health/balance, reflexes.. nice to be here. thx for having me.

Pioneer Allroad will handle your weight. Add the rock shock to the front end. It is a mid drive.