What health benefits have you gained and how much weight did you lose since owning an ebike?

[Trail Cruiser]

This would be a very interesting thread.

 

[Dmitri]

None. There, I said it. Sorry to burst the bubble, but really, even mechanical bikes don't help you lose weight. I mean, maybe in some extreme cases where you have a sedentary lifestyle, perhaps, but looking at biking groups, I don't see anyone losing weight. And certainly an ebike doesn't help that.

I'd say the effects are more psychological, you're less afraid of really long trips, just today I was cycling through a rainstorm and felt pretty good in Sport mode with the bike completely waterproof (good clothes are a must, obviously). One side effect I suppose is you'll get out more, so there's that, but that's a minor health benefit unless you're living in a polluted city (or are afraid of Radon poisoning at home

 

[indianajo]

Uh, one reason I want a geared hub drive is to maintain the non-electric exercise routine on the bike I've followed for 10 years. Geared hubs don't drag when pedaled turned off. I just don't want any more 5.5 hour full press struggle days against the wind. Days like that I'll turn the motor on to get home 30 miles in 3.5 hour like normal. Electric drive also allows me to plan 60-80 mile weekend excursions irrespective of the wind.
Since I quit working and driving 10 years ago, I've lost 55 lb (213 to 160, sometimes 150), 50 points of overall cloresterol (210 to 126), slowed rest pulse from 85 to 66, and driven A1C (diabetes measurement) from 7.1 to 5.9. No insulin ever required for the diabetes.

 

[Oldbkr]

Haven't lost any weight but I know my cardio fitness is sure toned up. My legs are in better shape with no cramping compared to my conventional bike riding.The greatest benefit is my mental peace. It is so "restorative " with each ride. I may be retired but there are stressors that come with this chapter of life. Anyway..My e bike is my happy place many times and that is good for health?

 

[christob]

I've lost 50 pounds since I got my ebike, 6 1/2 months ago. I've combined all that biking (2,600 mi) with sensible meals/eating. (I had an extremely sedentary lifestyle before the ebike---office desk job, no regular exercise, lots of take-out, etc.)

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Rhonda Martin was 457 lbs and she lost 270 lbs over 3 years. Good diet, exercise and lots of E-biking.

She started with Pedego city commuter and now rides Raleigh Redux and Felt Triathlon bikes for her Ironman.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I've lost about 15 lbs so far. Haven't been able to ride much the last month for health and hurricane reasons or I would have lost more. My plan is to just get the exercise, eat well, and improve my conditioning. The weight will take care of itself.. My cardio condition has improved so much, and this is much more important to me than weight.

 

[FSRBart]

While I'm one of those people who have lost and gained 100s of pounds over my lifetime. Exercise, regardless of how much I've done has never helped me lose weight. When I exercise regularly my appetite is stronger, so I tend to "maintain" whatever weight I'm at. For me, it's best to lose weight then start a more rigorous exercise routine. Has nothing to do with the ebike...

So what has the ebike done for me?

It's got me more fit. It's got me in better cardio health. My A1C number is down, my mental health is better. I sleep better. I'm able to take longer hikes. I'm able to hike at my family's cabin which sits at 10,000 feet above sea level with much less difficulty.

I wasn't sedentary before getting my ebike, but my ebike helps me increase my endurance and gets me out of the "four walls" of the gym...

 

[Alaskan]

I led a moderately active life before ebiking but did not do regular cardio exercise. I have dropped 30 pounds since I started riding. That occurred in the first three months. Since then my weight has vacillated within a 5 pound range, staying quite stable.

Given that I now ride an average of 30+ miles per day, it is obvious that, If I want to lose any more weight, I will have to eat less.

At 6'1" 208 lbs. (what I weighed at 35 in 1985) I am reasonably trim but I could probably drop another 10-15 pounds to get down to true "fighting weight".

 

[DWN]

I was in good shape in Dec 2016 when I got the Rad Rover. For 25 years rode 2500 - 3500 miles per year on road bikes, Competitive runner in my age group. Swam like a stone.

Since then Stage 4 Melanoma and Kidney cancer, many surgeries, hospitalizations and medications, etc. Have been able to ride to Immuno therapy treatments and dr appts.

About 10 lbs lighter, BMI down 3.5 points, heart rate monitor confirms fat burning range and drop of 5 points in sed hr, will ride estimated 5000+ miles this year. 2300 ebike and 2700 road bike. So the ebike has allowed me to push on and recover faster. Without it I would have had to figure out another form of stress relief and physical maintenance.

The rad rover and fellow riders have given me hope, when I have needed it most.

 

[Alaskan]

None. There, I said it. Sorry to burst the bubble, but really, even mechanical bikes don't help you lose weight. I mean, maybe in some extreme cases where you have a sedentary lifestyle, perhaps, but looking at biking groups, I don't see anyone losing weight. And certainly an ebike doesn't help that.

I'd say the effects are more psychological, you're less afraid of really long trips, just today I was cycling through a rainstorm and felt pretty good in Sport mode with the bike completely waterproof (good clothes are a must, obviously). One side effect I suppose is you'll get out more, so there's that, but that's a minor health benefit unless you're living in a polluted city (or are afraid of Radon poisoning at home

Dmitri, you seem to have a common human tendency to transfer your personal experience and opinion in to universal,declarative statements. I always have to check myself to make sure I am not doing this and do not always catch my own error. It is best to talk about one's own experience and observations, without making general statements.

You may be trying to "burst poeple's bubbles" but you will not succeed. You have your experiences and other's have theirs. I am not saying your opinions are not valid. They may be for you but are not universally applicable.

Clearly some of us have lost weight riding our ebikes. Saying something in an affirmative manner does not make it true. You say you don't see anyone losing weight. Just read the our stories in this thread and you will see just that.

 

[MechaNut]

I went with an e-bike because I like riding bikes. However, I have some joint issues that developed as a result of working in the cold for a decade. Those issues have made riding a "regular pedal bike" an increasingly painful experience. The pedal assist system on an e-bike has made it possible for me to ride without pain again. This has let me ride as often as I like which has lead to improvements in both my general physical conditioning and stress relief. I'm not saying it has been a silver bullet to weight loss or other such things, but for me, being less stressed and feeling better (in general) has been worth it.

 

[harryS]

Lost 20-25 pounds after I got into ebiking, and could lose another 10 pounds. My wife has lost 15 pounds this summer mostly from dropping carbs. Just had three flour tortillas packed with cheese and guacamole for lunch.

 

[ebikemom]

Health benefits: I'm in better shape, stronger, more stamina, less tired.

 

[AHicks]

Though it wouldn't bother me if I were to loose some weight (I've been floating between 315 and 320 for the last 20+ years), there's no concerted effort to loose weight here.
I ride because I enjoy it. Pretty much the same reason I eat!
And yes, I practice battery conservation and pedal to conserve energy most of the time I'm on the bike, seldom using anything over PAS 1.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Heart rate monitor and cadence meter help in some way.

 

[rannyv]

I'm certain regular e-biking has improved my fitness level, though I don't have the empirical numbers to back it up. This summer I rode to work everyday, 12 miles round trip. No big deal, really, but I could say a visual loss of belly fat and pants were not as tight. When I rode my conventional bike with non-ebiking friends, I was noticeably stronger than before the commuting. I lost my job the day after Labor Day and since then, have only used the e-bike for some errands - less than the previous commuting. The stomach fat is back again. So yes, the consistent e-biking has had a positive effect on my fitness level, albeit not an empirically measured one.

 

[christob]

I’ll append to my earlier post about weight lost, to add that I can definitely tell a boost in fitness and/or leg strength, plus stamina, as well. When I got the bike I would frequently use assist levels 3, 4 and 2 (of 5). (No throttle option.) Even at those levels, some rides would just wipe me out in the early days. Now I spend most of my time in Level 1 and some 0, with dips into 2 for certain hills or dead stop startups. Routes which wiped me out in Mar / Apr at the higher levels (or would see me cut the route short), now are done in Level 1 / 0, albeit with more exertion from me (which I want) than I could muster 6 months ago.

 

[larry-new]

I bike for pleasure, and my sense of well being and stamina are much improved..I lose thirty years on the bike. Weight..stable..this is my heavy German Band Oktoberfest time, and I have a full liter stein while I play for 3-4 hours.

 

[Over50]

As posted on the exercise thread. Lost about 10-13 pounds since early 2017. Waist size back to where it was 20 years ago. Went from overweight and almost obese on the doctor's BMI chart to "good".

On the negative, I had to buy a half dozen pairs of new pants for work. Hit the annual clothing budget pretty hard.