Can you class using an Electric bike as cycling

[NickWi]

Why not just walk then?

I agree and I'm always a bit confused why people need to shower when they get to work if the ride is thier commute. When I used to walk to work, I walked. I didn't run, jog or put on specialist clothes. Later when I cycled to work, I just rode at a steady pace, same clothes (complete with totally uncool but very practilce trouser clips). Okay, if you're using your commute as a training ride, that's different and that's a choice you make, but if you're not, why ride so hard as to get so hot & sweaty that you need a shower?

Going back to the orginal question (and remember this tread started in 2009 when Ebikes were a very different thing), I go along on the power assisted theory (as in Orbea Gain and the like) as a definate yes. Ebikes that are so heavy you can't use them without the power assist as a propbably yes, (as long as the ride has to put some assistance in), but throttle control, a definate no. To me a twistgrip or similar makes it a moped.

Remember how quickly we went from this:-

To this:

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I can smell that FS1E!

 

[Mike_P]

why ride so hard as to get so hot & sweaty that you need a shower?

More gradient issues that riding hard; the office has moved from bottom of a hill to top of a hill which means whereas after the steep section there was a nice shallow down hill run with time to cool down there is now a continuous climb nearly all the way to the office. Its not helped by the appalling road surface on one section which means you need to drop down a gear on the climb just because of the ridges.

Why not just walk then?

Because the hybrid can cart a lot more than can easily be carried walking any distance - for some reason that's beyond me, other than probably being cheap, the work laptop is exceptionally heavy and no one walks very far with one.

 

[youngoldbloke]

More gradient issues that riding hard; the office has moved from bottom of a hill to top of a hill which means whereas after the steep section there was a nice shallow down hill run with time to cool down there is now a continuous climb nearly all the way to the office. Its not helped by the appalling road surface on one section which means you need to drop down a gear on the climb just because of the ridges.


Because the hybrid can cart a lot more than can easily be carried walking any distance - for some reason that's beyond me, other than probably being cheap, the work laptop is exceptionally heavy and no one walks very far with one.

- fair enough

 

[Ananda]

The answer to the original question is the same with the answer to the question "Can you class cycling on a downhill slope as cycling?"
And the answer is yes.

On the other hand, on the question "Can a stress free non sweating exercise be considered real exercise?", the answer is no.

So, in other words, you can cycle with or without exercise and that has nothing to do with whether your bike has a battery or not.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I found out at the family Christmas dinner that my sister has an ebike. My brother took the piss out of her. I then asked how much exercise was he getting these days, answer none. (Tellingly) My sister uses it to keep up with her husband when they cycle together. She has a standard bike when with her female friends. Seems perfectly reasonable and means she gets to enjoy rides with her husband where otherwise she would have stayed at home.

 

[CXRAndy]

I found out at the family Christmas dinner that my sister has an ebike. My brother took the piss out of her. I then asked how much exercise was he getting these days, answer none. (Tellingly) My sister uses it to keep up with her husband when they cycle together. She has a standard bike when with her female friends. Seems perfectly reasonable and means she gets to enjoy rides with her husband where otherwise she would have stayed at home.

So many non riding folk take the Mickey out of cycling and can't even muster the energy to cycle or walk a few miles without nearly having a cardiac arrest.

 

[Milzy]

I’ve got a pedal & pop, it’s still cycling.

 

[OnTheRopes]

I found out at the family Christmas dinner that my sister has an ebike. My brother took the piss out of her. I then asked how much exercise was he getting these days, answer none. (Tellingly) My sister uses it to keep up with her husband when they cycle together. She has a standard bike when with her female friends. Seems perfectly reasonable and means she gets to enjoy rides with her husband where otherwise she would have stayed at home.

This I think is the main point so far as being a 'real' cyclist is concerned. The first time I saw one was on a chain gang, the bike had been hacked so as to allow it to assist up to 25mph or so, the rider, a female was clearly a skilled cyclist and when I later enquired she had recently had a baby and had a lot of time off the bike but this allowed her to ride with er husband and still train on the chain gang.
I think it needs to be remembered that riding an e bike is not without effort and can be as hard as riding a normal bike if you choose it to be, it merely allows you to go faster for that effort up to a point,

 

[youngoldbloke]

Over the last couple of years I had to give up riding with the club leisure group, although I still organise the ride calendar, routes and so on - I became a sort of virtual rider. Buying my Orbea Gain has enabled me to ride with the group again, and get a good cardio workout - something I was missing out on as walking and other activities have become painful and restricted. You can use as much or as little assistance as you need - or none at all, and it has to be emphasised that at over 15mph (on a legal ebike) you are under your own power. After I ride now I feel much as I did after a ride when fit - I know I've had a bit of a workout. The bike is giving me just enough help to be able to do it.

 

[keithmac]

This is my ebike, use it to cycle to work and back.

Have used "normal" bikes for 30 years so fancied a change. My MTB needed a lot of work so decided to treat myself to a new commuter.

It's practically maintenance free, Gates Carbon Drive so no messing about with chains (do that as my job so prefer not to do it in my spare time!).

Had it over 2 years now and apart from brake pads and charging battery it's not needed a thing doing to it.

Nice and simple, it's electric assist so if you don't pedal you don't go!.

To be honest motor gives me a push from the lights and up the hills (single speed), doesn't kick in on the flat because I'm already over assistance speed most of the time.

Best thing I've bought in years!.

Might buy another "normal" bike for when helping out with Scout outings etc but for my work commute this is perfect.

Could have easily bought a motorbike to do the job but prefer "cycling" if I'm allowed to call it that..

 

[steveindenmark]

I dont know what it is like in the UK. But in Denmark I would think that about a third of the bikes I see in towns are electric bikes. Not just for the aged and infirm but for everyone. Whichever way you look at it. It gets people out of the house and into the fresh air and that is not a bad thing.

 

[ianrauk]

I dont know what it is like in the UK. But in Denmark I would think that about a third of the bikes I see in towns are electric bikes. Not just for the aged and infirm but for everyone. Whichever way you look at it. It gets people out of the house and into the fresh air and that is not a bad thing.

They are few and far between. On my daily commute I see one or tow every now and then. But am starting to see more.

 

[johnbot1]

I still consider my self a cyclist (78).The (Law April 2015) Pedal Assisted bikes have to have a max speed of no more than 15.5mph with a 250 w motor anything above this ie: going down hill as to be without motor.

 

[Mike_P]

I still consider my self a cyclist (78).The (Law April 2015) Pedal Assisted bikes have to have a max speed of no more than 15.5mph with a 250 w motor anything above this ie: going down hill as to be without motor.

I find the motor acts as a useful boost and quickly the bike is going faster than the cut off speed so the time I spend actually being assisted is limited largely to initial accelerations and upgrades . With the extra weight once upto speed the bike has a fair momentum meaning higher unassisted speeds are maintained easier.