eBikes...mmm

[dodgy]

Something that you hardly ever see come up on this forum, especially by people who have never experienced an ebike, is how the power is delivered.
Some ebikes let you have all or at least some of the power from the motor at the very tiny/slightest movement of the crank, you just need to keep the crank turning so the sensor can pass the test to the question "is the rider pedalling". Then there are the type that have torque sensors and only let you have a certain amount of power depending on how much the rider is putting in. It's this last type that are only the ones realistically can claim to help a rider get fitter imo.
You just need to be honest about what type you have. Just the act of turning the pedals and moving at 15mph doesn't mean you're getting a work out.
Gocycle have a fantastic implementation of the torque sensor, you can set it an almost infinite amount of ways as it has a power meter built in and an accompanying app. For instance you can ask that no assistance at all is provided until you put in (say) 300 watts. I'm not sure many if any other bikes are doing that.

 

[Mike_P]

My, torque assist, hybrid ebike spends its time on vertically U shaped routes shopping and, should the office ever reopen, commuting with a heavy rucksack with the alternative being the car, so car mileage falls and push bike cycling is unaffected. The ebike has very occasionally ventured away from its constant valley descending and climbing when I have had, for example, a strained achilles tendon enabling an leisure ride to be got in when otherwise none would have occurred.

On my road bike I overtook an elderly couple in Wetherby last Sunday, both on ebikes and no doubt if they had not got them there would be another car on the road.

 

[PK99]

Some ebikes let you have all or at least some of the power from the motor at the very tiny/slightest movement of the crank, you just need to keep the crank turning so the sensor can pass the test to the question "is the rider pedalling". Then there are the type that have torque sensors and only let you have a certain amount of power depending on how much the rider is putting in. It's this last type that are only the ones realistically can claim to help a rider get fitter imo.

A point I regularly make out in the real world.

My Whyte Winchelsea is very much in the second category. Some friends who have never cycled and use their bikes "to get out in the open air" rather than to "get fitter" have the first type. I've ridden their bikes and getting up hills is effortless.

 

[dodgy]

A point I regularly make out in the real world.

My Whyte Winchelsea is very much in the second category. Some friends who have never cycled and use their bikes "to get out in the open air" rather than to "get fitter" have the first type. I've ridden their bikes and getting up hills is effortless.

I wonder if they realise that really, they're not getting much exercise at all.

 

[PK99]

I wonder if they realise that really, they're not getting much exercise at all.

Yes they do - he has two new hips and one new knee and she is an exercisephobe. Their e-bikes get them out where even walking would be beyond them.

 

[dodgy]

Yes they do - he has two new hips and one new knee and she is an exercisephobe. Their e-bikes get them out where even walking would be beyond them.

Perfect use case.

 

[fossyant]

Who would have thought a thread about ebikes would cause such trouble.

Some electrically charged tempers.

 

[keithmac]

I'm physically fit, not overweight young-ish and ride one daily to work.

All three of mine you have to put effort in, I can still become a sweaty mess riding them.

Takes the sting out of commuting to work for me (hills and wind mainly), I don't really care if other cyclists look down on me, each to their own..

 

[boydj]

Before I start, I am ABSOLUTELY not being elitist or a cycling snob. I have NOTHING against eBikes - my running buddy got one and it has transformed her into a cyclist and has brought her so much pleasure. I love that I get to cycle with her. I'm trying to persuade my parents to get eBikes and I'm planning to get one myself when I'm older and need that extra support.

However...

I'm not thrilled about how the cycling world is going all electric. I see perfectly fit, strong riders buying ebikes and I wonder why? Two of the biggest problems facing our society are a) obesity and b) climate. eBikes don't help with either of those problems and actually make the second problem worse. Why, all of a sudden, are we going electric when the beauty of a bike is that it gets you fit and transports you around with no/minimal environmental damage?

I bought my e-bike so that I could continue to get out on club runs. Old age and health problems were making club runs problematic and ruining enjoyment. Nobody likes to think they are holding up a group or, worse, getting dropped miles from home.

Out on a solo 20-miler today, on a normal bike, on a local cycle track I must have passed easily more than 10 people on electric bikes where even a year ago that would not have happened and I would have passed far fewer people. Most of these people were as old or older than me, and I've been drawing a pension for quite a few years. Electric bikes seem to have introduced a whole new set of people to cycling for health / fitness / pleasure, and it is very welcome. I should add that electric bikes alone are not responsible for what I've seen, though I doubt it would have happened without them. We're lucky in this area to have a cycle track created on an old railway line which can provide a round trip of 30 miles with only a couple of very short on-road sections and no hills.

 

[boydj]

Don't think of them as bikes. They are e-mopeds.

That's rubbish. You don't go anywhere unless you pedal, so you are still putting a fair amount of work - as long as you are legal. You've obviously never tried one.

 

[dodgy]

That's rubbish. You don't go anywhere unless you pedal, so you are still putting a fair amount of work - as long as you are legal. You've obviously never tried one.

As per my post above. Depends if the bike has a torque sensor or not.

 

[gbb]

As this discussion seems to have speared off into a de restricted discussion, I'm dead against de-restriction.
Where I live is largely pedestrian, lots of arterial pathways, one of them passes within 3ft of my front door, through blocks of houses, corners, straight onto roads etc etc.

I've already become hyper aware of how many e scooters, quite clearly not legal because of their speed, are using these paths, hyper aware because my grandkids kids, being what they are, blunder round corners to get to the house....god forbid they meet something travelling that fast, scooter or ebike, it'll likely maim or kill them. And they do use these paths, you dont really hear them coming.
The only good thing is its necessary to continually instill into the kids....slow down when you get to that corner, they will hopefully become very defensive, they need to be with these things around.

 

[numbnuts]

Once again if your not in the "click" your wrong............

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As this discussion seems to have speared off into a de restricted discussion, I'm dead against de-restriction.
Where I live is largely pedestrian, lots of arterial pathways, one of them passes within 3ft of my front door, through blocks of houses, corners, straight onto roads etc etc.

I've already become hyper aware of how many e scooters, quite clearly not legal because of their speed, are using these paths, hyper aware because my grandkids kids, being what they are, blunder round corners to get to the house....god forbid they meet something travelling that fast, scooter or ebike, it'll likely maim or kill them. And they do use these paths, you dont really hear them coming.
The only good thing is its necessary to continually instill into the kids....slow down when you get to that corner, they will hopefully become very defensive, they need to be with these things around.

I agree - but wouldn't a normal bike be just as quiet and can go just as fast?
I was out on my ebike a couple of days ago and happily doing 10-13 mph and a bloke on a normal mountain bike was in front and poulled away from me.
The point is people riding carefully - which is down to other things than the equipment - I have certainly come across mountain bikes coming towards me on paths where the ride had no intention of diverting from his direct line.
I blame the parents
and Brexit

 

[KnittyNorah]

e scooters, quite clearly not legal because of their speed,

Their speed is totally irrelevant.
They are not legal, full stop and end of, UNLESS they are hire scooters being ridden within a hire scheme trial area according to the scheme's rules.