Throttle ? Yes or no ?

I think the throttle is a useful option if you are someone who due to health. Wouldn't even be out on a bike if you had to totally peddle. It's a good option for someone who struggles and needs occasional boost of energy they don't have within themselves . I know people like this . Were there no throttle option bike they wouldn't be getting out at all. My neighbor used a throttle for the first 2 months of NEW riding and no longer needs the extra help. Without it he'd have never gotten fit enough to get past needing it.
 
Being a former Boy Scout, and long time do-it-yourselfer, I have a second throttle on my bike in case the first one fails.

Today, I took out my fat bike to ride with my wife on her little ebike. I'd never ridden the big bike with her. Huh, I couldn't pedal it slow enough for her. Kept watching her fall back. Ended up riding with no assist, and feathering in throttle when I needed it.

By the way, just kidding about the second throttle.
 
I think the throttle is a useful option if you are someone who due to health. Wouldn't even be out on a bike if you had to totally peddle. It's a good option for someone who struggles and needs occasional boost of energy they don't have within themselves . I know people like this . Were there no throttle option bike they wouldn't be getting out at all. My neighbor used a throttle for the first 2 months of NEW riding and no longer needs the extra help. Without it he'd have never gotten fit enough to get past needing it.

So, what were they selling ?
 
The throttle is a nice option that I have not used very often. What I don't like is that at least on my ride 1up 700 bike it is active when you turn the bike on even though the PAS level is zero. This is unsafe and I have inadvertantantly activated the the throttle before I was on the bike a couple of times now. Luckily no harm done.........yet.
 
Yesterday I had the misfortune of my front tire going soft at the apex of my ride. Look for pump in tt bag, not there.....oops. I run tubeless so usually with a pump I can just revive it but I was like 6 miles from the barn and so I just pegged it using PAS on the gravel 2 track out to the pavement which was relatively flat. Pretty sizeable 2 mile climb up an old paved road and not sure if you have ever ridden much with a front flat but it is really a chore to keep things going straight.....uphill was more effort than it was worth so I hoofed it up. While I was doing so I was able to tickle my throttle just enough not only taking away the weight of the bike but actually getting a gentle pull at the bars so instead of me dragging the bike it was dragging me. Walk modes have this ability but they all seem to require the cranks to go round while doing so which would be a PITA and my bike's cranks stay nice and still and not hitting me in the back of my leg.

I ended up being able to ride the dh and final up to the house and what really amazed me was the beads never let go like they would immediately if it was tubed which would have made it impossible to ride.

Found some new trail possibilities on the way out to work on so it wasn't a total write off.
 

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So, what were they selling ?
what were who selling ? Do you mean what Bike ? If that's what you mean : My neighbor has some sort of kit that one of the local LBS Installed on his TREK . I think it was Bafang because he speaks about that company alot . I don't ride with him and My E-bike is Specialized Mid Drive . Which I just recently Got .I started riding a Bike again 3 years ago. Just a regular Trek Dual Sport 3 . My neighbor started riding last Summer with an Electric. What I posted was Information he'd said . I didn't witness any of it . Although I did see him leave riding several times . I've only had my E-bike since last August and still ride a regular Bike the majority of rides. My E-bike is used when I ride alone and want to cover the same miles fast .
Most of My Riding Group have Non E Road Bikes . So it's no fun for me to take an E-bike on those trips . At the pace we go on a regular Bike I can't get any exercise on an E-bike
 
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Throttle or not depends on your bike's design philosophy.

If your bike follows a matching inputs design (typically mid-drive/torque sensor) where the bike matches your effort in selectable ratios, a throttle is outside the scope and doesn't fit.

However, if your bike follows a utilitarian model (typically used for transport, car replacement, grocery getter, pub crawls, etc.) then a throttle is a natural fit. And a valuable tool for all the aforementioned examples.
 
I really like a throttle to get me started from a dead stop. Just a quick push on the thumb throttle and I take over from there. Rarely do I just hit the throttle for more than a second or two. Maybe at the end of a longer ride I may crank the throttle for 10 seconds and rest my legs. I'm sure I would be fine without one, but since they are available, why not use it? I really don't understand riders that seem to be anti throttle...
 
Waiting for green light at intersection, then a quick zip to get ahead of traffic. And I usually stay in PAS 1 and throttle a bit here and there rather than change levels for short hills. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
I have both. Throttle okay for my townie bike but would never consider on my mountain bike.
 
I really like a throttle to get me started from a dead stop. Just a quick push on the thumb throttle and I take over from there. Rarely do I just hit the throttle for more than a second or two. Maybe at the end of a longer ride I may crank the throttle for 10 seconds and rest my legs. I'm sure I would be fine without one, but since they are available, why not use it? I really don't understand riders that seem to be anti throttle...
Couldn't say it any better.

Beyond all that, I don't see why anyone should care. I guess there is some sort of bicycle purest ethos involved but how real is that anyway within any sort of ebike discussion? Going to extremes, why should someone without legs, or other health issue, be prohibited from enjoying getting out on a bike with a throttle? He/she is still just biking, unless, I guess, they are doing 40 mph on a crowded bike trail. As long as they are riding within acceptable, normal bike riding parameters, why should anyone care whether they are propelled by pedals alone, pedal assist, or nothing but throttle? It's going to hurt you just as bad if they run over you however they're propelled. From a safety standpoint, prohibiting gravity assist would make more sense. The only time I ever get over 30 mph is going down a long hill.

TT
 
I use the throttle very often as the smoothest take-off without lurching, and the transition to PAS and pedal power without having go through the lower gear shifts and PAS shifts.
 
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