G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
It will be illegal to ride such a bike on the road without registration etc (as per a motorscooter).
had anyone gone faster/further with an electric bike?
- Thread starter alecstilleyedye
- Start date
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It will be illegal to ride such a bike on the road without registration etc (as per a motorscooter).
G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
Is there any evidence to support that or is it just your gut feeling?
OP
OP
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
i meant in terms of the rider power, not the motor. that's limited to 250w or 15mph. i'm more than capable if cruising a lot quicker than that on the flat...
sleuthey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
Well if theres no evidence then the national curriculum has completely cocked up.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8pk3k7/revision/1
Work done = force x distance. With electric assist you apply less force to the pedal thus you do less work. Work is a measurement of energy, so you burn less calories, meaning if you don't change your diet to compensate then the excess calories turn to body fat
G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
If only it was that simple.
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
It is.........until people complicate it .
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Not for me just now thankfully, although earlier in the year I thought it might have been. If it for you just now, go for it
Your Physics is sound, your logic is flawed.
After several years of injury and serious illness, I'm limited to about 20/25 miles on my conventional bike. I'm considering a Boardman e-gravel bike for road and towpath to help me get back to average rides of 40+ miles.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Oi, OP, you are a fit lad.. get on yer non electric bike.... tisk tisk...(we've ridden together to those that don't know). The odd car/public transport day to break it up if it get's too much.
I commute in the car now with my back, hate it.. but... I'd ride if I'd not lost the love with cars/drivers.
I commute in the car now with my back, hate it.. but... I'd ride if I'd not lost the love with cars/drivers.
sleuthey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
Your not the only one then. I'm not into debating things to death so won't ask you to explain why you think the logic is flawed. But, I bet you, £edit probably breaks forum rules that when my health means it's e-bike only, I will put on weight
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areyouactuallymoving
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Stroud
I've got an Orbea Gain and I love it. It means I can cycle to the station 10 miles away (rather than the one that is only a mile away) over a pretty big hill and get to the train relatively sweat free. On the way back, I leave the assistance off (apart from the really steep section) and get a bloody good workout, especially with the weight of the bike, me, my panniers and locks. I would simply not do this without the Gain. Being in the Cotswolds with some fairly steep hills, I used to get demoralised with how slowly I got up hills or how often I had to stop. Now I actively seek them out.
So, yes I have gone further and faster on an eBike. I am also fitter and have lost weight. But, admittedly I started from a relatively low level of fitness.
So, yes I have gone further and faster on an eBike. I am also fitter and have lost weight. But, admittedly I started from a relatively low level of fitness.
Stephenite
Membå
- Location
- OslO
Not quite on topic but...
I have borrowed the gf's e-scooter for the commute a few times over the past couple of months.
Depending on whether i have to drop the kids off the distance is 9 or 10 km. On the pushbike it takes me between 22 and 25 minutes, and on the scooter takes 26/27 minutes.
I have borrowed the gf's e-scooter for the commute a few times over the past couple of months.
Depending on whether i have to drop the kids off the distance is 9 or 10 km. On the pushbike it takes me between 22 and 25 minutes, and on the scooter takes 26/27 minutes.
confusedcyclist
Veteran
This is where it gets really interesting. There is plenty of research on this topic, on the whole, ebikes make the general population healthier, not less so. However the impact on the individual can vary. It very much depends on the kind of riding one does, and how using an e-bike changes behaviour. Someone getting off the bus, or out of a car will clearly benefit.
If you go from riding 30 miles a day without assistance, to riding with assistance, without changing anything else then obviously, you will be less active for that journey, but things are not so clear cut. Most e-bike owners report riding more frequently and travelling further and than they might have otherwise. Humans are built to move. It's staying still that really kills us, pushing ourselves to limits occasionally is good for us, but what's really key is avoiding long periods of sedentary activity, easier said than done in the industrialised world. Despite the assistance, ebikers do spend more time moving rather than engaging in sedentary behaviour. This is not surprising. If you think about it. The motor car had a similar effect on people's transportation habits. Easy, low effort travel makes most people get about more. For an ebiker, that might mean ditching the car for grocery collection, where hills were previously an obstacle. The ebike is a great from this perspective, you do have to move, but you don't have to strain yourself. If ebikes take off and make bicycle transport more approachable for ordinary folk, expect them to contribute to increased demand for more protected infra. That's going to reinforce the benefits for riders of all types of bicycle.
For 4 years I rode unassisted 150-200 miles a week without fail. There was no question I was fit. My resting heart rate was near 40 bpm, now it is more like 60. Despite the fitness, I was often tired. Then a baby entered my life, I couldn't face daily bike rides, a few rattling close passes later, I was rarely riding at all. Lately, I have been getting the bus a lot more, sometimes not riding for weeks at a time. I have struggled to get back into the lengthy time in the saddle. I can't pin it on any one thing, but grinding up Bradford's hills and long commute weren't much fun anymore. I can avoid the bad driving by taking an indirect route, but on a pedal bike, that meant more time grinding hills. A ebike addresses most of my problems with riding for transport. In theory the sunk cost of a £3k+ bike alone will keep me off the bus for a year at least. Eventually it will pay for itself if I'm not buying monthly bus passes (especially when I lose them 😓). Yes I could save £££ by riding a push bike alone, but I already did that and I eventually gave up. I haven't got my hands on my ebike yet, but if the hype is to be believed, then I'm going to be riding a lot more than I am currently. I will report back on my resting bpm after a few months on the ebike
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OP
OP
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
well i've now decided that as i can get a carbon 105 bike with mudguard and rack fittings for less dollar i'm going for that instead.
my cod physics reason:
it's about power/weight ratio. the electric bike only improves this up to 15mph, beyond that it's a 3.5kg deficit. a lighter bike has a better power/weight ratio than a heavier one...
G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
Sounds plausible to me. Ebikes are not always the best bet. It’s very much a personal choice.
