Bud
Member
I got back on the bike some 8 years ago following a surgically assisted weight loss which made possible a surgically replaced hip which made possible a new life out of which I have been attempting to squeeze every drop of available juice ever since. Mobility and the absence of pain can really change one's perspective!
Turning the corner toward 57, and having logged between 1,500 to 2,000 miles a year since then - mostly sport riding but with a substantial amount of commuting - I was looking for something that would add a spark and reignite my waning enthusiasm for time in the saddle. I think I found it.
Early this past spring I bought myself my trophy road bike. What a beauty! The bike's specs are not important except to say that in the end it didn't make my annual 200-mile-in-a-day ride across the state appreciably easier. It was still a slog. And I was starting to feel like a struggling actor asking: "What's my motivation here?" every time I tried to get fired up for a ride.
I started commuting by bike 3 years ago on a great old Cannondale police-style tank of a bike. 5 miles. Not bad. Mostly downhill there and uphill back. There was something in commuting by bike that I liked and felt added a measure of meaning and purpose to the act of cycling that was larger than sport and exercise. I fendered, racked, tired and lit the bike. Got myself properly shelled for the bad weather. Rode in the winter and the rain. Carried clothes to the office weekly. Got supplies to sink bathe and freshen up upon arrival. Had to find a safe place for the bike and a polite place to hang my gear to dry and air out. Etc. etc. etc. What a pain in the a__!
Then about two years ago I was asked to do a stint 21 miles from my house, and I attempted to commute there and did many times. But the distance made for a 1:25 ride in (which was really a great way to start the day!) but the ride home.... So I started riding in and bussing home. Our busses have bike racks on the front, but the experience was not pleasant, and I was constantly worried that the bike was not secure. Also, where a pre-ride shower and a sink bath freshen-up worked well with a five mile downhill commute, not so much with a 20 miler.
Then ebikes came into focus. I watched these great videos by this guy name Court. I think I watched most all of them. Enthusiastic. Knowledgeable. Entertaining. And somehow unexpectedly normal for someone so apparently zealous in his advocacy for what I initially thought was a fringe technology. Well thanks, Court, for helping me to understand that there are many manufactures dedicated to the technology and producing products that are mainstream and substantial. Where I was expecting zip ties, electrical tape and soldering irons I found impressively advanced technology and apparently high build quality. Oh, and manufacturers with actual distribution networks who would stand by their spawn. And no disrespect to the hobbyists with zip ties, electrical tape and soldering irons - I just know I have neither the skill nor knowledge to participate at that level.
In the midst of my research I was able to return to my home office and my previous 5 miler. New strategy: dress for work at home and soft pedal it.
Maybe it's my A-typeness, but I just couldn't soft pedal enough to arrive at work comfortably dry and ready to walk around. The riding in dressed? Great. Arriving damp? Not.
Time to test ride an ebike.
Let's be clear: I want the new Specialized Turbo or the Stromer ST2. Let's be equally clear: I'm not paying that much for an ebike. At least not yet.
I first considered a conversion of my current commuter. I test rode a 350 watt Bionx-driven Surly that was a lunk of a bike like my Cannondale and I was underwhelmed. I next located and rode the Dash. I was immediately impressed. Solid frame. Powerful motor. Great looks (but for the toolbox on my water bottle holder!). And since the new and improved model was in the wings I was able to make a win-win deal with a local retailer. I feel like I found a Specialized Turbo hidden in of corner of a Marshall's discount store!
So with nearly 100 miles in, I am able to report almost complete satisfaction. I arrive at work dressed, dry and smiling in exactly the same time as by car. That was unexpected. The design of the frame and the weight of the bike makes its ride solid and stable. Yet it feels nimble and confidence inspiring in traffic.
The one concern: I am feeling a cyclical vibration through the pedals which I believe is either the bottom bracket or the rear disk. I am hoping it is not the motor assembly. It appears primarily when I am driving the pedals hard and above 15 MPH. It's a vrum vrum vrum feel through the pedals as I cycle though the stroke. Hoping its nothing. I'll be bringing it in today.
So there you have it, and probably much more than you wanted. If you're still reading, thanks for making it this far and for sharing! Looking forward to the next ride!
Turning the corner toward 57, and having logged between 1,500 to 2,000 miles a year since then - mostly sport riding but with a substantial amount of commuting - I was looking for something that would add a spark and reignite my waning enthusiasm for time in the saddle. I think I found it.
Early this past spring I bought myself my trophy road bike. What a beauty! The bike's specs are not important except to say that in the end it didn't make my annual 200-mile-in-a-day ride across the state appreciably easier. It was still a slog. And I was starting to feel like a struggling actor asking: "What's my motivation here?" every time I tried to get fired up for a ride.
I started commuting by bike 3 years ago on a great old Cannondale police-style tank of a bike. 5 miles. Not bad. Mostly downhill there and uphill back. There was something in commuting by bike that I liked and felt added a measure of meaning and purpose to the act of cycling that was larger than sport and exercise. I fendered, racked, tired and lit the bike. Got myself properly shelled for the bad weather. Rode in the winter and the rain. Carried clothes to the office weekly. Got supplies to sink bathe and freshen up upon arrival. Had to find a safe place for the bike and a polite place to hang my gear to dry and air out. Etc. etc. etc. What a pain in the a__!
Then about two years ago I was asked to do a stint 21 miles from my house, and I attempted to commute there and did many times. But the distance made for a 1:25 ride in (which was really a great way to start the day!) but the ride home.... So I started riding in and bussing home. Our busses have bike racks on the front, but the experience was not pleasant, and I was constantly worried that the bike was not secure. Also, where a pre-ride shower and a sink bath freshen-up worked well with a five mile downhill commute, not so much with a 20 miler.
Then ebikes came into focus. I watched these great videos by this guy name Court. I think I watched most all of them. Enthusiastic. Knowledgeable. Entertaining. And somehow unexpectedly normal for someone so apparently zealous in his advocacy for what I initially thought was a fringe technology. Well thanks, Court, for helping me to understand that there are many manufactures dedicated to the technology and producing products that are mainstream and substantial. Where I was expecting zip ties, electrical tape and soldering irons I found impressively advanced technology and apparently high build quality. Oh, and manufacturers with actual distribution networks who would stand by their spawn. And no disrespect to the hobbyists with zip ties, electrical tape and soldering irons - I just know I have neither the skill nor knowledge to participate at that level.
In the midst of my research I was able to return to my home office and my previous 5 miler. New strategy: dress for work at home and soft pedal it.
Maybe it's my A-typeness, but I just couldn't soft pedal enough to arrive at work comfortably dry and ready to walk around. The riding in dressed? Great. Arriving damp? Not.
Time to test ride an ebike.
Let's be clear: I want the new Specialized Turbo or the Stromer ST2. Let's be equally clear: I'm not paying that much for an ebike. At least not yet.
I first considered a conversion of my current commuter. I test rode a 350 watt Bionx-driven Surly that was a lunk of a bike like my Cannondale and I was underwhelmed. I next located and rode the Dash. I was immediately impressed. Solid frame. Powerful motor. Great looks (but for the toolbox on my water bottle holder!). And since the new and improved model was in the wings I was able to make a win-win deal with a local retailer. I feel like I found a Specialized Turbo hidden in of corner of a Marshall's discount store!
So with nearly 100 miles in, I am able to report almost complete satisfaction. I arrive at work dressed, dry and smiling in exactly the same time as by car. That was unexpected. The design of the frame and the weight of the bike makes its ride solid and stable. Yet it feels nimble and confidence inspiring in traffic.
The one concern: I am feeling a cyclical vibration through the pedals which I believe is either the bottom bracket or the rear disk. I am hoping it is not the motor assembly. It appears primarily when I am driving the pedals hard and above 15 MPH. It's a vrum vrum vrum feel through the pedals as I cycle though the stroke. Hoping its nothing. I'll be bringing it in today.
So there you have it, and probably much more than you wanted. If you're still reading, thanks for making it this far and for sharing! Looking forward to the next ride!
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