"Riders of ebikes AND regular bikes--I have some questions for you!"

[Richard GS]

I have been riding bicycles since the early 1970's. I'm 67 years old and average two to five thousand miles a year. I have been researching and test riding e-bikes here in Denver for several months now. I'm considering buying a high quality, (and expensive) e-bike but NOT for commuting because I retired last year. I also have no health or physical limitations.

I'm looking for feedback from owners who use their e-bikes as an addition to rather than a replacement their regular bikes. Does the fun factor and increased riding range justify your purchase?

 

[ebikemom]

I read a study recently that compared ebike-only cyclists, conventional-only cyclists, and ebike/conventional cyclists to one another. I wish I could remember the name of the study or where I saw it--maybe via a link I found on this forum somewhere?

 

[larry-new]

Although not having my recent purchase arrive yet, my ebike signals a return to biking that is long overdue, but necessary.

A committed road rider that has toured the Canadian Maritimes (except Labrador), I'm admitting that something has been lacking...a substantial foray into riding a maxiscooter yielded many pleasurable years on the road. Now, at 72, and finding myself in a great scenic area for biking, I'm ready for another stab at road riding. Retirement helps, but family is more content if I stay closer.

I've no illusions that I have the stamina of years past, and an assisted bike will be a fun experiment. If money were no object, I'd have gotten a Reise and Mueller double battery road bike with a 200 mile range. I'll push the capabilities of the bike that I'm getting, with an extra battery,and resurrect my love of endless miles under my wheels.

 

[harryS]

In my opinion, a fit bike enthusiast might not see an e-bike as opening many new doors. On the other hand, a bike nut who owns a half dozen bikes might well welcome the novelty of an ebike.

For example, I dropped in on a friend last week. His son had a 20 pound road bike, quite expensive by my standards, but it got stolen last month at his college. I asked him to ride my 50 pound ebike. He had a great time (heard the whoops a block away) but said it was still way too heavy for him.

My wife and I logged 1707 miles last year, and we're at 1230 so far this year. Prior to ebikes, I would say we averaged less than 200 miles altogether. Turning 70 soon.

 

[Roxlimn]

Hey, just because I have 6 or 7 bikes doesn't mean I'm a bike nut!

Maybe.

Well.

I've used a Giant Dirt E2 2016 ebike for commuting since 2016. Prior to that, I used one of my road bikes. I still use my road bikes from time to time, but I use the Dirt E whenever I need to negotiate traffic, motorized or otherwise. My ebike is a safer bike because it encourages me to limit my speed to 15.5 mph, it rewards me with assistance whenever I stop for a hazard or yield. It's got powerful disc brakes, and thick tires to make it stick. It's basically got all the safety amenities of a mountain bike, but potentially lighter on the pedal than a road bike.

I still take out the pedal bikes from time to time. But the bulk of my riding now is on the ebike. Sometimes, I just wish it went to 20 mph, but to be honest, I don't think it'll be as safe at 20 mph as it is at 15.5 mph.

 

[PDoz]

I'm looking for feedback from owners who use their e-bikes as an addition to rather than a replacement their regular bikes. Does the fun factor and increased riding range justify your purchase?

Absolutely for me!

I ride purely for pleasure, or perhaps to be more precise I need exercise but will only exercise when it's fun. I mostly ride mountain bikes, and am lucky enough to have great trails nearby.

Yesterday I nipped out with my 9 yo daughter, she was on my old giant trance, I was on my norco optic, and we had a pleasant hours ride along the local trails.

Today i was alone, so free to ride my ebike - a giant full e+1pro. I came home 2 hours ago but am still buzzing. I only did about twice the distance that I would have on my oldbike, but every second of that ride was fun. I really enjoy powering up hills that are just a painfull slog on the oldbike, and the downhills are almost as much fun as they are on the lighter bike. More importantly, my whole body gets a workout instead of just my legs. Priceless.

 

[Over50]

I still ride my non electric bikes quite a bit. The electrics for the commute and now for groceries since the purchase of the Tern GSD. But for riding around on weekends and quick errands I'm using mostly my non electric Spot and a Tern. Having the non electrics around are highly convenient for quick runs here and there.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Does the fun factor and increased riding range justify your purchase?

Richard ...
I'm 74 and have acquired n+1 bikes over the last dozen years.

I have learned that there is no reason to assume that a high price assures you of quality. My eye-wateringly expensive titanium "handmade in the USA" randonneur and, years later, my top-of-the-line "legendary German engineered" ebike proved so unsatisfactory that they had to be replaced by vastly superior (and considerably cheaper) bikes available at local bike shops.

As for mixing ebikes and regular bikes... just do it! It's a new avenue of fun. My eMTB allows me to head up the local rail trail which is far too rough for a road bike and is separated from home by a >10% descent that habitually changes into an incline on the way back. I had thought about buying a gravel bike - plenty of unpaved country roads around here - but have found the eMTB can zip me over our switchback country roads in a way, until this year, unknown to me.

My road bikes are still used. Essentially, I phased myself into ebiking and, after about a year, realised that the road bikes were tending to be neglected. I've changed the way I ride rather than continuing to do the same but with a bit of motor assistance.

As for range... I ride shorter distances but do so more regularly. My dream ebike (R&M Homage) will be fitted with a dual-battery system allowing really long rides; however, the main benefit that I receive from ebiking is having a decade knocked off my age. That's fun.
... David

 

[6zfshdb]

Like you, I've been riding bikes for many years. Now, at 72, I'm not able to ride as far or as often as I once did. I really enjoy riding remote trails that take you to places only serious bikers can access. The fear of becoming stranded in such an area now limits my ability to ride these trails. The problem is compounded by the fact that I ride alone more times than not. Due to age and other interests, my wife and other riding companions no longer share my zeal for the sport. Although I still ride my conventional bikes, ebikes have allowed me to continue riding with reduced fears of getting stuck alone somewhere. Both have their place.

 

[Richard GS]

Richard ...

As for mixing ebikes and regular bikes... just do it! It's a new avenue of fun. ...
... David

Thanks David, and to everyone for your feedback.

Buying an ebike reminds me of justifying my first computer to my wife in the early 1990's when none of my friends had one. She said, "What are you going to USE that thing for?" My only response was, "I won't know until I buy it."

I have a carbon fiber fast bike, two classic steel bikes, (I'm a long distance tourist), and a Breezer commuter with a Burley trailer for hauling groceries. I ride them all. Urban exploration here in Denver is always a hoot. We have lots of wide bike lanes and a terrific bike path system. I just joined a large bike club that has group rides every day, (mostly retired folks), and only two members have ebikes. Both have knee problems.

So far I have been unsuccessful finding folks here in town to talk with who own and love ebikes for anything other than commuting, mountain biking or overcoming physical limitations.

Here is what I know for sure.

I have good friends who own a bike shop. They have given me great service for more than a decade. They carry Trek and will give me a discount on the purchase. Every test ride I've taken has been a joy.

Will buying it broaden my love of biking or am I just an average American responding to a shiny object? At this point I'm still looking for feedback from other riders who have faced this same ... or similar question.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[ebikemom]

An ebike is a great car-replacement. It's a great exploration tool. It vastly expands cycling range--on my regular bike I have concerns about range, hills, and my knees, which severely limited my riding in recent years. I would never ride my regular bike 15 miles to work. My ebike takes me everywhere. My car collects dust ... I use it for longer drives, when time is of the essence, when I have to take a passenger, or when routes are really undesirable (I don't like riding on high speed limit arterials without bike lanes for long periods of time). And, my regular bike is now collecting dust, since what I did on it (neighborhood riding), I can do with more fun and flexibility, and WITHOUT PAIN with my ebike.

Oh, did I mention the "joy" factor?

Ebikes have a functionality for me that goes way beyond a standard bicycle. An ebike is a game-changer.

 

[ebikemom]

BTW, to draw more responses, you could change your thread title to something like "Riders of ebikes AND regular bikes--I have some questions for you!"

 

[rich c]

I have been riding bicycles since the early 1970's. I'm 67 years old and average two to five thousand miles a year. I have been researching and test riding e-bikes here in Denver for several months now. I'm considering buying a high quality, (and expensive) e-bike but NOT for commuting because I retired last year. I also have no health or physical limitations.

I'm looking for feedback from owners who use their e-bikes as an addition to rather than a replacement their regular bikes. Does the fun factor and increased riding range justify your purchase?

You came to the right place if you wanted encouragement to buy an eBike.

 

[Richard GS]

Oh, did I mention the "joy" factor?

Ebikes have a functionality for me that goes way beyond a standard bicycle. An ebike is a game-changer.

Thank you ebikemom. That's the kind of answer I've been looking for!

 

[timinoc]

I have been riding bicycles since the early 1970's. I'm 67 years old and average two to five thousand miles a year. I have been researching and test riding e-bikes here in Denver for several months now. I'm considering buying a high quality, (and expensive) e-bike but NOT for commuting because I retired last year. I also have no health or physical limitations.

I'm looking for feedback from owners who use their e-bikes as an addition to rather than a replacement their regular bikes. Does the fun factor and increased riding range justify your purchase?

Richard, I am a similar bike rider. I am 67 years old and purchased a 2016 Haibike Sduro Hard 7 SL at the end of 2016 as a Christmas present to myself. I currently have 7300 miles on this bike and I am excited to ride it every chance I get. I have lost almost 15lbs without any diet changes and I use a heart rate monitor to get the optimum conditioning benefits from my rides. This is a 10 speed hard tail bike with front suspension and Yamaha motor. After watching all the new bikes on the market, I still believe I purchased the best bike for myself. I can easily ride 50 to 60 miles conservatively and can ride trails, bike paths, or single track.

 

[MikeFeagin]

You sound like me two years ago. I went looking/test riding ebikes at my local shop. Rode the trek bike in the picture and was amazed/blown away/sold right then and there. The price stalled me to more test rides of other bikes. Looked up the Edison company in Atlanta and rode my first throttle bike. It is a nice commuter but not what I was looking for. At least at this point I knew better which direction to turn. I enjoy off road way more than traffic negotiation but I settled for a trek police ebike for a cross/hybrid if you will to ride nice on the pavement but handle off road as well. Dude, don't kid yourself, you want one of these bikes. I think you'll be enjoying your new bike long after the shine has gone. Trek offers many models and makes an excellent machine. They use top quality components and stand behind their product and their dealers. The dealer I ended up purchasing from has been in business over 30 years. A very reputable trek dealer that will service the bike when needed. We moved up to the mountains of north Georgia almost a year ago and I knew I was going to need the assistance for the hills around here. It's like riding in Florida! I purchased the bike earlier this year and ride it daily. It is fun. Go get yours!

 

[indianajo]

I'm age 68 and ride a bike about 2000 miles a year. The the pre-surgery cardiologist ran $7000 worth of tests last year and found my heart had "nothing wrong with it". My choresterol is down from 215 at retirement to 130, my rest pulse is down from 88 to 60, my weight is down from 213 to 153. So regular biking is good for you.
Due to global warming/Co2 and 10 year life span of car computers, I've given up on them. A new car would code out at 20000 miles the way I travel. Also air bags make me fear for my ears, which still respond to 14 khz. But there are places I want to go that are more than 30 miles away (3.5 hours at my speed) and I really don't want to rent a car. A 6 hour trip each way does not make for a fun festival or concert. Due to my upright position I max out about 10 mph no wind and as low as 6 into a bad wind. I'm not changing to the road racer position, Mother popped a neck disk due to a bent position at work and I'm built exactly like her. She was in pain every second of the rest of her life.
So electric bikes provide a 80 mile range in 4 hours with no motor noise of a motorcycle, low CO2 emissions, and with a kit, low cost. With a geared hub, you can ride with a dead battery or failed controller and no drag.
A bike is more dangerous than a car, but my father ruined his brain with a recliner chair in two years of retirement. Strokes took away his ability to read. I've been retired 10 years and I'm getting better, not worse. If I get splatted by a car, oh well, it was a good run. I won't over use the electric, 50 miles a week of hard pedaling is still necessary unless I take up some other aerobic exercise (not likely).

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Retired also, ride my Trek xm700 for pleasure only, and did so for 3000 miles last year and just over 1700 so far this year. Mostly bike paths along the Erie canal or elsewhere around Saratoga County, and Adirondack side roads. Five or six days a week from the moment the snow melts until it comes back... just love riding the thing.

Oddly enough, I've found my attention span gets frustrated on a regular bike now... the damn thing is too slow! Go figure! I almost always ride by myself (have not identified a similarly motivated ebiker locally), and I tend to go along at a comfortable 15 - 18 mph, all things being equal. When I get the opportunity to ride with others I encounter out there, it's a highly enjoyable change, and it's nice to slow down and chat and just ride along. However, I test rode a really nice DeVinci Hatchet last week after not touching a regular bike in almost two years, and while it felt great, it was slow! Especially on hills, obviously. Had terrific gearing and is a really nice bike, but I'll be damned if I haven't sort of spoiled myself for the ability to go out and go anyplace, up down or otherwise, and know I can bang out 35 miles in a couple of hours. As a happy AFIB patient, I have to watch out for elevated heart rate past a certain point, and that further slows me down on the regular bike. As much as I would love to own that DeVinci, I believe I'll be sticking with the Trek.

And that Super Commuter you're looking at is a dream bike!

 

[Bruce Arnold]

My main reasons, as far as reason goes, are for health and to reduce the cost of transportation.

To fill that in a little, I have COPD and so the choice for me -- I'm glad it's not for you -- is ebike or no bike. With an ebike I can up the assistance when my breath gets short, dial it back down when I've recovered. With a pedal bike, I'd have to just stop, often in precarious places. That's a no-go for me. Now, instead of depending on a car or motorcycle, I've regained mobility that I didn't have before the ebike. And my cardio conditioning is improving. I can do many things without gasping for breath that I could not have done, pre-ebike.

Cost of transportation: we sold one of our two cars. 8 months with one vehicle so far and it's been no hassle. We're both retired, which makes it easier. We both work part-time so commuting is in the picture, but not every day. We go to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, to visit friends or just to enjoy a meal at a restaurant on our ebikes, instead of driving the car.

But that's not what you asked about. No matter what reasons we have, no matter why we're on the ebikes at any given moment, it's always fun. Hella fun as the kids say. We enjoy the ride, we enjoy seeing bits of nature you wouldn't see from a car, we enjoy the fresh air and exercise, we enjoy the time together, we enjoy the way the bikes give that extra boost of power when you want it, and so on and on and on.

I used to ride pedal bikes a lot -- I was a bike messenger in San Francisco in the mid-70s, a bike commuter in the 80s and 90s, and enjoyed bike touring from high school on (especially bike camping), so I'm no stranger to the fun that pedal bikes offer. Ebikes add a whole 'nother dimension to that. I'm not sure I can explain it, but I know pretty much everyone here on this forum already knows what I'm trying to say.

 

[ymarty]

I have been using a mountain bike for the last year and a half but I found that I do not have the stamina for major rides. I also struggle with small hills, especially if I am carrying groceries. A friend has an Ebike, which lead me on the search to find one for myself. My first Ebike arrived yesterday. Its the EProdigy Magic and have to say, it was a bit scary to get on at first but today, I made my first run to the store for some groceries. The ride back with 4 bags of groceries, was a breeze thanks to the pedal assist and thumb throttle. I took the long way home so I could see how it would do on a steep hill. It raced up that hill like it was nothing. One of the best experiences I ever had with a bike. I am 53, work from home and recently dropped 135lbs and this bike will become a big part of my overall lifestyle change. The bike was more than what I had planned on spending but its build allows for easy upgrades as I grow with the bike. Plus I like the look and feel of this bike. In the end, I am really happy with my purchase and I am already planning on either a fat or mountain ebike for next summer.