Catbiscuits
Member
that sounds perfect and what I want my ebike to get me to...
Who's ebike riding could ALL be done on a regular bike?
- Thread starter The duke
- Start date
Actually, I have a single speed and I still use it quite a lot. The simplicity and directness brings a joy to biking that messing with gears, shifting, interferes with and there's just about no maintenance. To each his own, but at some point why even bike, just use an electric scooter.
ChezCheese:)
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Kitsap Co, WA
If by electric scooter you mean those electrified skateboards, no thanks, I want some actual exercise. I look at millenials and etc going along like a Jetson and I think, Jeez, you need more exercise, kiddos, not less.
If by electric scooter you mean something like an electricified Vespa-type scooter (if there is such a thing), again, I want some exercise. Moreover, I did used to have a gas scooter, which while a savings over driving a car, it had a very limited range of weather when it was actually comfortable to ride. (Not too hot, not too cold, no rain or snow...) And the small wheels were much less stable than riding a bike, electric or acoustic. Also, on a scooter, as a motor vehicle, one is expected to go the speed limit, which was kind of nerve-wracking on those little 14 inch wheels on 45-50mph roads that we have out in the country. I feel far safer on a bicycle, where I am not expected to go the speed limit and can keep to the shoulder on such roads.
One speeders must not have the hills we do.
If by electric scooter you mean something like an electricified Vespa-type scooter (if there is such a thing), again, I want some exercise. Moreover, I did used to have a gas scooter, which while a savings over driving a car, it had a very limited range of weather when it was actually comfortable to ride. (Not too hot, not too cold, no rain or snow...) And the small wheels were much less stable than riding a bike, electric or acoustic. Also, on a scooter, as a motor vehicle, one is expected to go the speed limit, which was kind of nerve-wracking on those little 14 inch wheels on 45-50mph roads that we have out in the country. I feel far safer on a bicycle, where I am not expected to go the speed limit and can keep to the shoulder on such roads.
One speeders must not have the hills we do.
bob armani
Well-Known Member
My fat tired Haibike Full FatSix effectively replaced my Specialized Fatboy. Same riding areas for the ebike which I did on the analog 4.6 inch tired Fatboy; anything from riding the canal towpaths along the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, to South Jersey and the sugar sand roads of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, up to the near-daily rides from Homebase to the local towns 10 or 20 miles away and back, all on asphalt.
Doing it by ebike is an eye-opening revelation, like night and day. An 80 mile run on the towpaths one weekend a few years ago on the Fatboy left me completely drained for several days while recovering. Doing it on the FatSix, I'm ready for a local 20 mile ride the next day. Both are fun, mind you. But the Full FatSix is some how.....more funner!
I equate the Full FatSix as that Enduro Dual-Purpose motorcycle I never had. Except this bike does not require a license to operate, insurance to cover an accident, a riding permit and riding test. It allows me access to trails which are off-limits to motorized vehicles. It's the same as my analog bike, but completely different at the same time. Hard to quantify that in typed words, one has to get out there on an autumn day with the leaves in full color, nobody else around for miles, to get where I'm coming from. A game changer for bicycling for folks who thought they could never go long distance again....
Here's a shot of the bike that got me off-roading again, the Fatboy. And the bike that effectively replaced it, on the same D&R canal trail, 24 hours apart from each other.
Thanks go to Court for bringing these bikes to our attention and to his site here, for igniting that passion!
Well said Mike! Those are some cool bike comparison shots from acoustic to electric. Probably more difficult now to even climb onto the Specialized, even though it is a well built machine at that. I myself have been scratching my head as to what I will do with my non=electrics hidden in my basement.
Probably just donate all of them!
Mike TowpathTraveler
Well-Known Member
Well said Mike! Those are some cool bike comparison shots from acoustic to electric. Probably more difficult now to even climb onto the Specialized, even though it is a well built machine at that. I myself have been scratching my head as to what I will do with my non=electrics hidden in my basement.
Probably just donate all of them!
Many thanks, Bob.
Yep, at this point, the Fatboy is just my standby bike in case the Haibike is down for whatever reason; like when I was installing the dyno lighting system on the Haibike, requiring the front rim be re-laced for the dyno hub a month and a half ago. I'm in the same predicament you are, having a newish Trek Soho DLX, Bike E recumbent and Trek 9000 collecting dust. I simply hate to part with them while also knowing I'm not likely to ride them anytime soon cause the Yamaha drive Haibike is just too, too much fun to lay off of for any length of time.When I first got the Haibike, the plan was to shift back and forth from Fatboy to Full FatSix......those plans got scuttled real quick the moment I pedaled the Haibike!
ChezCheese, I'm in SW Coastal Florida, flat as the proverbial board. I wouldn't imagine using a single speed unless I was in a relatively flat area and in fairly good shape. Yes, I was talking more along the lines of a Vespa type unit - and there are lots of them such as the Genzie. I guess my point is that if you're biking because you like the feel of a bike and want some exercise something like an Orbea Gain where you have to work hard but have some limited help makes sense. If on the other hand one has a 50-60 pound machine with panniers and tons of weighty options tacked on and are basically looking for a motorized transportation system why not just get an electric scooter that has been designed for it and be done with it? To each his own and I'm sure they have their reasons but unlike the poster who called the Gain a "self-loathing" ebike I look at the 65 pound R&M "bikes" with multiple batteries and think that those are self-loathing "bikes". Anyone who thinks that those tanks feel or handle anything like a real bike needs to try a light bike. They'll immediately feel the difference. Again, not saying there aren't folks who need those types of bikes if they're heavy and out of shape or have health problems, but for those who don't a little bit of exercise and sweat won't kill them and may, in fact, make them feel better.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
You can't bring home a week's groceries on an Orbea. And if you have to drive a car 1/2 the time why buy an e-bike?
I don't find pushing 125 lb of bike & supplies around unpowered troublesome. It is less than the weight of me.
What I do find troublesome is 25 mph headwinds like we had Sunday. That can double my time to get home and raise my pulse to 144 all the way. So I used the electricity all the way Sunday, and made it in 3.2 hours, my normal time. Normally I pedal unpowered 70% of the way. Can't do that on a 14" tire scooter. My heart "has nothing wrong with it", hows yours @ age 69? Unpowered riding causes heart health.
Watching those lycra guys wiggle all over the road on the 30 lb bikes is hilarious. I'd be dizzy as a drunk if my bike was wiggling like that. One reason I gave up cars, the short subcompacts make me dizzy. My cargo bike is 75 lb unloaded, lighter than the MTB's with baskets I rode for the last 11 years.
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bob armani
Well-Known Member
I actually get depressed when I cannot ride my Haibike due to weather etc!Many thanks, Bob.
When I first got the Haibike, the plan was to shift back and forth from Fatboy to Full FatSix......those plans got scuttled real quick the moment I pedaled the Haibike!
No just kidding! I had the same feeling after purchasing my E-bikes. I also have an older Trek 7000 acoustic bike collecting dust (made in Waterloo, Wisc.) that is very hard to part with. I logged many miles on it before going electric. An extremely dependable and fun bike to ride (all aluminum and lightweight for standards from the 1990s). Ride safe!John Bowman
Member
- Region
- USA
Actually, I have always done at least 80% on an acoustic bike.
Commuting, fitness, recreation, touring rides acoustic.
Only use the e for quick trip into town to buy something, saves me time.
Commuting, fitness, recreation, touring rides acoustic.
Only use the e for quick trip into town to buy something, saves me time.
Renee
Member
- Region
- USA
The trail I ride now I frequented on my analog bike all the time. After some practice I even made it up the hill to home. Otherwise the trail is fairly flat with a gradual increase in elevation now and then. The difference is they extended it so that it spans 36 miles one way. So I used to do 8 miles thats out and back. Then they extended it and I could choose to do 16 miles out and back. (I turn at the 8 mile mark) I have also done 26 miles out and back. I could still do that with the analog bike but if I do it with the e bike (pedal assist) I am able to get home and still do things around the house. If I do that with the analog bike I generally sit for the rest of the day because I am so tired. (69 years old) I use my e-bike also to pull my two grandchildren out to the park on the trail and then back. I probably could not pull them up the hill home with my analog bike. I used to pull just one of them up the hill home with the analog bike but she was only 20lbs then and now she's close to 30lbs. That changes things a bit. Plus the e bike is a bit faster on the hill then too and safer for us in traffic. Less time spent on the final piece on the road with cars. I also use the e bike to run errands. I like being a bit quicker when on the streets as opposed to the analog speed. There are a few more hills then as well. I go to the library, post office and small groceries. I hope to ride well into my later years and I can see the e bike being able to keep me out and about as I age.
Because of older knees, changed to E a few years ago; wouldn't have if we didn’t need it. Still power less than 5% of the time.
6zfshdb
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Northeast Pennsylvania
I ride all the trails on my e-bike I used to do on my conventional bike and many I didn't dare before. I ride farther and stay out longer than I was previously able. I now burn the same or more calories, albeit over a longer period of time, and enjoy every minute.
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Not all in my case.
I ride a lightweight, low-power road- and gravel-oriented ebike. Given my age (77), current fitness level, bird legs, bum knees, hilly terrain, 38 lb ebike weight, and current gearing, I'd say about 50% of my ebike miles could have been done on this bike without assist. Maybe another 10-20% on an appropriately geared unmotorized 8 kg road bike.
And ~30% of the ebike miles have already been in OFF by choice. But the hillier miles would've involved a lot more sweat and discomfort, and a good many of the hills here would become outight barriers with no assist — because of the knees if nothing else.
Assist also adds a lot of fun and miles to my riding, so not about to give it up.
Finally, nearly all of my rides include fitness miles. And paradoxically, I generally put out more watts of leg power on these in my middle assist level (SPORT) than I do in OFF. Other members have reported this carrot effect as well.
I ride a lightweight, low-power road- and gravel-oriented ebike. Given my age (77), current fitness level, bird legs, bum knees, hilly terrain, 38 lb ebike weight, and current gearing, I'd say about 50% of my ebike miles could have been done on this bike without assist. Maybe another 10-20% on an appropriately geared unmotorized 8 kg road bike.
And ~30% of the ebike miles have already been in OFF by choice. But the hillier miles would've involved a lot more sweat and discomfort, and a good many of the hills here would become outight barriers with no assist — because of the knees if nothing else.
Assist also adds a lot of fun and miles to my riding, so not about to give it up.
Finally, nearly all of my rides include fitness miles. And paradoxically, I generally put out more watts of leg power on these in my middle assist level (SPORT) than I do in OFF. Other members have reported this carrot effect as well.
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stompandgo
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
All of it. For a number of medical reasons, I cannot ride a drop bar bike anymore. Flat bar analog bikes are difficult to ride fast, and I like to ride fast. It's that simple. I don't care about segments, and I don't have any fitness or weight loss goals to achieve. I just like to ride fast. I don't use a lot of assist, but it lets me ride longer and farther in the time that I have.
harryS
Well-Known Member
I've ridden my regular bike 60 miles this year, 100 miles last year, but peaked at 560 miles in 2023. That summer, my wife was injured, so I spent June/July on my regular bike. Normally my wife/I ride about 2400 miles together on ebikes, and I get another 600 solo, To be honest, without electrics, we wouldn't be riding much at our age. We're also riding the same kinds of bikes we were riding 30 years ago, except I added motors.
We'll ride thru winter, until snow sticks to the ground. then we wait for the Spring thaw. Too dangerous for old bones,
These two spots are only a few miles away from my driveway.
We'll ride thru winter, until snow sticks to the ground. then we wait for the Spring thaw. Too dangerous for old bones,
These two spots are only a few miles away from my driveway.
Watana Bob
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
For me the e bikes allow me to get out and breathe fresh air, see the sites at a slower pace than car travel and get some exercise. I would love to be able to do it on an analog bike, and I could for short, slow rides with flat terrain, but what fun is that if an e bike will allow me to do more. I inherited a bad gene from my mom that coded my DNA for a type of late onset muscular dystrophy, I first noticed symptoms at 59 years old (69 now) thought that I could exercise my way out of it, ran on a treadmill for several years then walked when i could no longer run, then just walking became difficult so tried an old road bike that i had on a fluid trainer and found that pedaling was easier than walking. Through all this I lost 25 pounds of muscle mass and found out from a doctor that pushing myself to exhaustion only accelerates the deterioration of muscle which you can never rebuild, the best that you can hope for is to slow the rate of inevitable muscle loss. Not to diminish the impact that cancer has affected millions of people (and probably some on this forum) but if given the option I would opt for rolling the dice with cancer over muscular dystrophy, at least there are therapies and medical interventions to be tried, with MD they have nothing to offer except walkers, wheelchairs, and feeding tubes.
So for me the e bike has been fabulous and necessary for my sanity. I'm really loving the Turbo Creo that I picked up a year ago, makes my old Bosch powered hybrid feel like a dump truck. I just keep imagining how much fun the Creo would be if I had normal legs. I thought the drop bars would be hard on my neck, but after a year it still feels good.
So for me the e bike has been fabulous and necessary for my sanity. I'm really loving the Turbo Creo that I picked up a year ago, makes my old Bosch powered hybrid feel like a dump truck. I just keep imagining how much fun the Creo would be if I had normal legs. I thought the drop bars would be hard on my neck, but after a year it still feels good.
gromike
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- City of Dreams
I have this beautiful road bike. I replaced the freehub for lower gears, the bike fits great. I was riding it last spring, and thought I would be putting the miles down. Naw, hardly touched it all summer and fall. Too many ebikes in the bike shed .
.edobici_forza
Active Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- San Mateo, CA
I do. Today I rode my nearby route on my Creo, for a short 1 hour ride...19 miles. up and back with a little loop at the end. On Tuesday I did 33 miles on my road bike using the same route but extended further for 33mi. That full ride was about 2.5 hours. Just like to mix it up.
