I was wondering what techniques or style you use when riding. I bought my first bike in Apr. It is a Rad Rover ST and I've put about 1300 miles on it so far. My rides are on paved and dirt roads and sometimes on a groomed gravel bike/hiking trails. I experimented a lot and have pretty much settled into a particular riding method. I'm 71 with a mild heart condition (Afib) and in pretty good shape for my age. Battery is not a concern as my rides are in the 20 mile +- range. Most of the time I'm in PAS 3 and use gears 3-7. I boost the PAS to 4 or 5 on certain hills. After my ride I have 2-3 bars left usually depending on how fast I ride. I only use the throttle to get going when I have to come to a stop and am in a high gear.
What are your riding techniques?
- Thread starter Gordon71
- Start date
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
As a 65+ Year old rider with heart issues, my riding is similar to yours. My normal workout ride on paved streets and trails is about 27 miles and I’m generally in pas 1 (Eco) or 2 (Touring) but on the many significant uphills on the route I’m in pas 3 (EMTB) or 4 (Turbo). Downhills and most level areas (depending on headwinds) I turn the assistance off. I don’t have cadence measurements but I’m a fast pedaler to go easy on my knees. My gearing is also mostly 3 to 8. Don’t have a throttle since it’s a class 1 ebike.
I do try to stay on the regular bars during climbs but use the rather high bar ends to give my back and bum right shoulder a more upright positional break. There‘s almost always 3 bars left on my battery also.
I do try to stay on the regular bars during climbs but use the rather high bar ends to give my back and bum right shoulder a more upright positional break. There‘s almost always 3 bars left on my battery also.
DouglasB
Active Member
(73 here). I'm all over the board. Some times I want the thrill of speed and power and set it at maximum assist for the whole ride. Other times I'll want to maximize my distance and keep it on the lowest setting, and still other times I'll swithch through the settings, depending on the terrain and how I'm feeling. On average though I probably use the lowest level of assist and kick it up a notch or two for the hills. We have a very steep climb just as we are leaving our house that requires using the highest level of assist. I don't think I could make it with anything less. I can do it on my road bike but that's a different machine and 30 lbs lighter.
Early days with my Giant , but so far I’m using pas level 1 and sometimes level 2. gear wise I tend to be on the faster 4 most of the time, dropping to the second biggest for the bigger climbs (with pas 2 if needed). Downhills I turn off completely.
I learnt from riding forest trails on an analog to keep my cadence around 60rpm for stamina; and as much because it was the easiest number to measure with the brain - same number seems to be pretty efficient with the Yamaha drive
I learnt from riding forest trails on an analog to keep my cadence around 60rpm for stamina; and as much because it was the easiest number to measure with the brain - same number seems to be pretty efficient with the Yamaha drive
Urban Coyote
Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Burlington
Dallant what kind of seat and tires are on your bike? I have the Rad Rover, and your seat looks a lot more comfortable.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Schwalbe G-One tires and Serfas E-Gel seat. Like them both for what I ride. I run the G-Ones at 40-45 psi most of the time.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
70 years old with no heart issues, lots of runny nose & coughing up stuff. I deleted the cheap PAS, I hated it. I use throttle on 50th and beyond uphills over 6%, into headwinds over 10 mph, distances over 25 miles, quick starts across busy highways (especially against red lights that won't change for bicycles). Otherwise I pedal myself unpowered; keeps the weight, rest pulse, & cloresterol down. 70 public road miles per week warm weather, 20 in bad weather shopping. 8-10 mph on flat, up to 30 downhill. Good aerobic condition helped me through 137 days of covid19 fever, just a bit tired. Runny nose & fluid filled lungs dried up first 3 weeks, oddly. Sense of smell was gone at start however.
Thanks for the tip on the serfas e-gel seat. Selle Royale respiro I bought last year was way too hard for my fat free hips. Has to be 2 rail mount like brooks or selle, seat post on bodaboda too big to fit a cloud 9. I wear cotton/poly underwear and dickies work pants, no skin issues, especially when I fall off. No road burn.
Thanks for the tip on the serfas e-gel seat. Selle Royale respiro I bought last year was way too hard for my fat free hips. Has to be 2 rail mount like brooks or selle, seat post on bodaboda too big to fit a cloud 9. I wear cotton/poly underwear and dickies work pants, no skin issues, especially when I fall off. No road burn.
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Taylor57
Well-Known Member
Love the look of those tires
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
They do really well on most surfaces, even the single track trail I took last week. That said, according to a Trek shop owner near the trail, I should have let some air out to get down to around 30-35psi vs the 45psi I normally ride with.
Art Deco
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Selinsgrove Pennsylvania
I like the look of this thread as well as the tires. I don't have much to share but a suggestion that you put a location in your post if it's not shown. I'm from the Northeastern USA .. Rural Central Pennsylvania .. Very wet roads are very different from very dry ...Then we can search this by location.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I'm the spandex man, Art
Love modern cycling clothes!Regarding the cycling technique: I'm trying to ride at constant, pretty high cadence and actively work on gears to keep it even. The assistance level depends on my mood, weather, and being fresh/tired. I plan my routes to ride upwind for the half of the loop distance, then I "sail" with the wind, often at high assistance to return home fast. The only rule: maintain possibly high, even cadence.
P.S. I use a cycling route planner with weather forecast. It helps planning the distance, elevation gain, determine the direction ride to start against the wind, etc. It is easy to determine the range that way and whether taking a spare battery is necessary.
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Art Deco
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Selinsgrove Pennsylvania
Very cool @Stefan Mikes on the route plus weather planner. I had no idea such a thing existed but then I barely even use Mission Control.I'm the spandex man, Art
Regarding the cycling technique: I'm trying to ride at constant, pretty high cadence and actively work on gears to keep it even. The assistance level depends on my mood, weather, and being fresh/tired. I plan my routes to ride upwind for the half of the loop distance, then I "sail" with the wind, often at high assistance to return home fast. The only rule: maintain possibly high, even cadence.
P.S. I use a cycling route planner with weather forecast. It helps planning the distance, elevation gain, determine the direction ride to start against the wind, etc. It is easy to determine the range that way and whether taking a spare battery is necessary.
My long dead brother preached the same road riding techniques before eBikes even existed. He got picked up for speeding a few times. 35 or 40 mph in a 25 mph school zone. At night without lights. ...
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
What’s that cycle route planner?I'm the spandex man, Art
Regarding the cycling technique: I'm trying to ride at constant, pretty high cadence and actively work on gears to keep it even. The assistance level depends on my mood, weather, and being fresh/tired. I plan my routes to ride upwind for the half of the loop distance, then I "sail" with the wind, often at high assistance to return home fast. The only rule: maintain possibly high, even cadence.
P.S. I use a cycling route planner with weather forecast. It helps planning the distance, elevation gain, determine the direction ride to start against the wind, etc. It is easy to determine the range that way and whether taking a spare battery is necessary.
Art Deco
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Selinsgrove Pennsylvania
He is from Poland. Flat land.Does metric centuries.Daily.I'm the spandex man, Art
Regarding the cycling technique: I'm trying to ride at constant, pretty high cadence and actively work on gears to keep it even. The assistance level depends on my mood, weather, and being fresh/tired. I plan my routes to ride upwind for the half of the loop distance, then I "sail" with the wind, often at high assistance to return home fast. The only rule: maintain possibly high, even cadence.
P.S. I use a cycling route planner with weather forecast. It helps planning the distance, elevation gain, determine the direction ride to start against the wind, etc. It is easy to determine the range that way and whether taking a spare battery is necessary.
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