E-bikes - Bad for your health

[RIP]

Mebbe without that pannier?

[Jurassic]

Making your own e cargo bike would be an interesting project. Something like a Big Dummy combined with a Bafang motor kit would be good and there'd be loads of options for packaging a huge battery for extra range.

[Itchynuts]

Lots more comments since I last looked and actually more positive than I expected but a couple of things are worth mentioning.

i.e. eBikes are not used by lazy people. Lazy people are perfectly healthy people who sit at home watching the TV. They don't use a bike of any kind.

You can have whatever level of workout you want on an eBike. It has a motor but you don't have to turn it on. Before I bought the eBike I used to walk for miles in the woods but bikeing is much more fun so I go out more often. I can cover a lot more ground and can come home tired or knackered or completely wrecked depending how much I
want to do that day. I am definitely fitter and happier as a result.

I wonder if the same sort of comments were rife when the first bike with gears hit the road. Gears seem to be accepted now but there are still plenty of people riding bikes
without them.

eBikes have a lot of perceived problems that are anticipated by people who are determined to dislike them. If you search the internet you can find any answer you like to anything! Some of them are sure the world is flat!! When I bought mine the main ones were :- They break chains. The motors wear out. The batteries deteriorate.

In the four years since I got the bike I've never met anyone who has mentioned breaking a chain. In fact the only time I have seen anyone with a broken chain it was on a non-eBike.

My bike has a Bosch motor and battery. No hint of a problem from either and if problems occur in the future they can be repaired or replaced. There is a company in England who specialise in overhauling and generally fixing motors. They especially like Bosch because they are so helpful with parts and software. Not all manufacturers are apparently. I'm sure more of these companies will spring up when there are more eBikes in the country.

Bosch expect the battery to be good for 1500 full charge cycles. It is an intelligent battery and keeps track of a lot of data. In the first 3 years mine recorded 60 full charge cycles and I did 3500 miles so if my sums are correct the battery should be good for 75 years and 87,500 miles. That's considerably more than three times around the earth. If it lasts a quarter of that time I will be more than pleased.

Reviewers in mountain biking magazines are even starting to look at them objectively and noticing things like the added weight low down at the crank is good for stability. Of course there are also a few who think the best eBike is one that doesn't look like an eBike. I can't nderstand why they are afraid. --- End of ramble.

[jameso]

I wonder if the same sort of comments were rife when the first bike with gears hit the road.

Certainly.. and then suspension. But it's all daft, ride what you like. 'Two wheels good' I reckon.

[fatbikephil]

I wonder if the same sort of comments were rife when the first bike with gears hit the road. Gears seem to be accepted now but there are still plenty of people riding bikes
without them.

Gears? Pah!

Making your own e cargo bike would be an interesting project. Something like a Big Dummy combined with a Bafang motor kit would be good and there'd be loads of options for packaging a huge battery for extra range.

Hmm.... I'm actually hoping the route to register one as a moped becomes easier as an e-cargo bike that can do 30mph would be massively useful for me.

[godivatrailrider]

They have a places in different disciplines I guess. Like full Sussers. Just not in the disciplines I enjoy.
I totally get the DH crowd using them for uplift. Their ‘thing’ is to get down a hill as quickly as they can, as many times as they can.
I don’t do DH. It’s not my bag. But then I don’t have suspension, full or otherwise. Again, not my bag.
Certainly they’re great enablers for keeping folks on bikes longer than maybe nature intended. Maybe in hopefully quite a few years I’ll join those ranks if the option is ebike or no bike.
For now I’m grateful to be able to ride under my own steam.
Going further and/or faster I’m not convinced that’s my bag either.
I go as far as I can, at a terrain/fitness appropriate speed and I am 100% happy with however far I got, knowing that I did it. I often wonder how folks on e-bikes quantify their ride, just to themselves even. It’s disingenuous to claim a 25 mile bike ride on an ebike is the same ride or experience as the same 25 mile ride on traditional bike. I’m not knocking it, I just don’t understand it. Same as there is nothing an ebiker can say to cyclist about how hard a given hill was as the experience of riding it is barely comparable. Jeez that was hard! Phew that hurt! Totally different experiences.
Each to their own. There’s enough space for us all.
Peace.

[Jurassic]

I often wonder how folks on e-bikes quantify their ride, just to themselves even. It’s disingenuous to claim a 25 mile bike ride on an ebike is the same ride or experience as the same 25 mile ride on traditional bike. I’m not knocking it, I just don’t understand it. Same as there is nothing an ebiker can say to cyclist about how hard a given hill was as the experience of riding it is barely comparable. Jeez that was hard! Phew that hurt! Totally different experiences.
Each to their own. There’s enough space for us all.
Peace.

The thing is that it depends how you ride it and what your ethos towards suffering in the name of fitness is. I often find that I get to the top of a climb just as knackered as if I'd been on my normal bike but the difference is that I've climbed the hill at 14mph on the ebike as opposed to 3 or 4 mph on my normal bike. That then means that I can ride extra laps of my local trails over and above what I'd be able to achieve on a normal bike in a set amount of time so I end up expending a similar amount of energy. You're right that altitude gain and mileage covered don't mean the same as on a normal bike though but you soon establish a yardstick for ebiking the same as you do for your normal bike. My ebike rides tend to be shorter timewise than they used to be but that suits my change in domestic circumstances in that I can nip out for a couple of hours for a blast on the eeb and still get the adrenaline buzz and a decent bit of exercise. I probably wouldn't be going out at all if I didn't have the ebike as I no longer have the required amount of time to make the ride worthwhile on a conventional bike. It works really well for me at the moment.

[Itchynuts]

Cor, I saw godivatrailriders comments last night and I generally agree with the first half but was going to add a few comments about the the second half but this morning I find that Jurassic has said it all for me (I'd put a smiley face in here now if I could figure out how to do it)

I will add a little bit though because I woke up this morning thinking about what to write and I don't want that brain activity to go to waste.

I only ride in the Forest Of Dean and if I could ride all over it without using an ebike then I would.
I agree 25 miles on an ebike is not the same as 25 miles on a non-ebike but don't assume it's easier. It certainly can be but ebikes are heavy so 25 miles without switching the motor on can be a killer if you want it to be and choosing different levels of assistance at differnt times in a ride can give you an infinite range of knakeredness in between.

For example, there is a 14 mile route I do sometimes and after a year or so (in a moment of madness) I tried to do it without any help from Mr Bosch. On a good day, in the summer, during a dry spell I can just about do it.
I suppose what I'm really trying to say is there is plenty of scope to make any ride an adventure.

[godivatrailrider]

I only ride in the Forest Of Dean and if I could ride all over it without using an ebike then I would.

Great place to ride, certainly has more than it's fair share of contours. Ridden there quite a bit over the years on some superb off-piste trails. 2010 European Singlespeed Championship was held there.

I agree 25 miles on an ebike is not the same as 25 miles on a non-ebike but don't assume it's easier.

Here I have to raise an eyebrow. The SAME 25 mile route at the same pace MUST be easier on an ebike , you've got electrical assistance. What's the point of e if it doesn't make it easier.

It certainly can be but ebikes are heavy so 25 miles without switching the motor on can be a killer if you want it to be and choosing different levels of assistance at differnt times in a ride can give you an infinite range of knakeredness in between.

Surely the weight overhead of the battery, motor and suspension gubbins cannot be as great as the advantage of having said gubbins, else the obvious answer would be ditch the lot , ride a Carbon lightweight bike and it's the same as riding an ebike. The maths doesn't add up.

For example, there is a 14 mile route I do sometimes and after a year or so (in a moment of madness) I tried to do it without any help from Mr Bosch. On a good day, in the summer, during a dry spell I can just about do it.

But you're doing it on a heavy bike. Try doing it on said lightweight carbon bike and compare.
I don't know too much about e-bikes and how they work. If you turn assist off, there is still surely some pedalling efficiency loss, aren't you driving through a non powered motor? or if it's off does it totally disengage and other than the significant weight can you not tell it's there? I imagine it's more akin to riding on firm sand or grass, would the bike roll as far, is there any 'drag'. I don't know.

I suppose what I'm really trying to say is there is plenty of scope to make any ride an adventure.

There's ALWAYS the scope to make any ride an adventure , with or without electrical assistance.

I'm sure the folks that 'get' e-bikes are more enlightened than I am.
I am a luddite when bicycles are involved. Steel. Rigid. With or without gears. I don't feel the need for suspension, had it didn't really like it. I'm 56, hopefully, if I keep riding, keep my self fittish, I'll hopefully get another 20 years of unassisted riding in, fingers crossed.
A lot of my pleasure in cycling is derived from looking back and thinking "I got up here" and knowing I did it under my own steam. I suspect I'd struggle with that thought on an e-bike.
It's like getting the train up Snowdon, yeah you're at the top, but where's the achievement. I guess some folks just want to get to the top and see what the fuss is about.

Luckily there's room for us all.

[whitestone]

Before this descends into STW territory...

There's a general human trait when something new comes along: the early adopters (in the case of e-bikes we are still just about in that stage) take any reticence on the part of others as an attack. I.e. if you aren't with us then you are against us.

Early adopter: "e-bikes are great!"

Someone else: "I don't need one now."

Early adopter: "Why do you hate e-bikes?"

Most on here don't want/need an e-bike *at the moment* but give it a few decades and I suspect many/most of us will have them for at least some of our riding.

[godivatrailrider]

Before this descends into STW territory...

There's a general human trait when something new comes along: the early adopters (in the case of e-bikes we are still just about in that stage) take any reticence on the part of others as an attack. I.e. if you aren't with us then you are against us.

Early adopter: "e-bikes are great!"

Someone else: "I don't need one now."

Early adopter: "Why do you hate e-bikes?"

Most on here don't want/need an e-bike *at the moment* but give it a few decades and I suspect many/most of us will have them for at least some of our riding.

Exactly this 100%

[RIP]

Before this descends into STW territory...

Ohh, don't mention The Other Place!

Quick! Emergency panda deployment! In fact let's have two to make sure. Close shave there.

[Jurassic]

Before this descends into STW territory...

Ohh, don't mention The Other Place!

Quick! Emergency panda deployment! In fact let's have two to make sure. Close shave there.

No danger of descent into STWism from me. I don't think I really fit into the Bearbones core audience (whatever that is) these days but I still love this place because it's nothing like STW and I intend to stick around if you all don't mind a long travel ebike riding former bikepacker lurking and making the occasional irrelevant comment!

[Bearlegged]

I don't think I really fit into the Bearbones core audience (whatever that is) these days...

...making the occasional irrelevant comment!

Seems to fit the profile.

[Jurassic]

Vive la différence!

[Bearbonesnorm]

It's all just dicking about on bikes

[Itchynuts]

godivertrailrider wrote :- But you're doing it on a heavy bike. Try doing it on said lightweight carbon bike and compare. (I can't figure out how to do the fancy quote business so I've had to do it the old fashioned way)

No need to compare. I'm sure I could kill that 14 mile ride on an ordinary bike but it starts 3 miles from my home and there are two hills in the way. The hills would stop me getting to the start on an ordinary bike.

My original point was that the ebike lets me (and lots of others) get out and about where we would usually be unable to roam. Enough of this, the sun is shining, it's bike time now.

Last thoughts - I don't know what STW means. I my world that means Search The Web but that doesn't seem to fit with its usage on this site.

+ Love the Pandas

[RIP]

Having looked at that panda photo again I'm a little concerned about what the rear one is doing. Still, I'm sure they're good friends so it's all good clean fun!

[Bearlegged]

Team pursuit pandas, the front one is doing the lead out for the final sprint.

[Jurassic]

Last thoughts - I don't know what STW means. I my world that means Search The Web but that doesn't seem to fit with its usage on this site.

+ Love the Pandas

STW=Singletrack World, a mountain bike forum which tends to be frequented by opinionated, self proclaimed experts who are aggressively confrontational regarding people who don't share their views.

[johnnystorm]

Last thoughts - I don't know what STW means. I my world that means Search The Web but that doesn't seem to fit with its usage on this site.

+ Love the Pandas

STW=Singletrack World, a mountain bike forum which tends to be frequented by opinionated, self proclaimed experts who are aggressively confrontational regarding people who don't share their views.

NO THEY AREN'T!

[jameso]

Last thoughts - I don't know what STW means. I my world that means Search The Web but that doesn't seem to fit with its usage on this site.

+ Love the Pandas

STW=Singletrack World, a mountain bike forum which tends to be frequented by opinionated, self proclaimed experts who are aggressively confrontational regarding people who don't share their views.

'Same Ten Wankers', as it was described by a prominent person who used to be on there a lot more often. I try to keep tabs on threads I post in and butt out before I'm one of the last 10 commenting

[Jurassic]

Last thoughts - I don't know what STW means. I my world that means Search The Web but that doesn't seem to fit with its usage on this site.

+ Love the Pandas

STW=Singletrack World, a mountain bike forum which tends to be frequented by opinionated, self proclaimed experts who are aggressively confrontational regarding people who don't share their views.

NO THEY AREN'T!

[boxelder]

Come on, Singletrack is a great forum and a pretty good printed magazine - yes, there is a magazine.......
It has 6,000 or so paid up members, so probably 30k, 50k ?? users of the forum. As a %, there will always be some D!cks, just like in 'real life'. There are then some long term members who feel protective of the 'community' and so get drawn into the opinionated tw@ttery.

Used alongside here, it's a great resource, as I'm sure many here would agree. It's run by nice folks too.

Surely the weight overhead of the battery, motor and suspension gubbins cannot be as great as the advantage of having said gubbins, else the obvious answer would be ditch the lot , ride a Carbon lightweight bike and it's the same as riding an ebike. The maths doesn't add up.

I think it's widely agreed that the low settings on most e-bikes just compensate for the extra weight. Most folks buying one wouldn't have experience of a super light carbon/whatever bike, so are comparing riding to a 28+kg hardtail or whatever.
Mate of mine has a lightweight Spesh thing ( Levi SL??) and can now come out with us again, over pass and along dale. He'd given up previously, as struggled to keep up and was worried he was spoiling our fun. It's great to have him out again - especially when we get to laugh at him on hike-a-bike
As above - "It's all ticking about on bikes"

[Cheeky Monkey]

Phuk me i only posted it for a bit of light-hearted relief and look what's happened . This place and its bloody tangential-thread-trajectories