Is electric assist cycling not 'real' cycling?

[alecstilleyedye]

as long as e-bikes are labelled as such, no problem. what i don't want to see is 'normal' road bikes retro-fitted with the kind of motor found by the UCI at a cyclocross event pitching up on the club run…

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Mr Hop looked at me like I was the antichrist when I mentioned it.

Uhm ... maybe he is worried you can then keep up and want to go out riding with him all the time
I think they are great, but would not want one for myself, not until I get down to 3mph anyway
We have a couple that belong to the cycling hub I work for occasionally, I should really familiarize myself with one: on a Belles ride, one lady was on an electric bike, she fell off, the battery fell into a puddle!
Me and the other ride leader were at a loss. What if the thing started an electrical fire or stopped working? The rider did not know much about her bike either!
I need to go on an e-bike training course

 

[jefmcg]

as long as e-bikes are labelled as such, no problem. what i don't want to see is 'normal' road bikes retro-fitted with the kind of motor found by the UCI at a cyclocross event pitching up on the club run…

Why not? If it's not a race, who cares why someone is able to keep up: genetics, training, motor.

You're not excluding someone because they carry the XY genes, and have a naturally high level of testosterone, Why exclude them because the have a motor? (Unless it's a race, obviously)

 

[RichardB]

I wrote a longish response to this topic in another thread, but briefly:

I call mine 'the bike that saved my life'. From commuting a hilly 16 miles each way in my 20s/30s, I had had children, been ill and (semi-)recovered, and had lost touch with daily cycling and a lot of fitness. I was overweight, totally out of shape, and at 60+ heading rapidly for the scrapheap. I wanted to get back into cycling, but my new journey to work (13 miles, hilly) would have been impossible on a pedal bike. I wouldn't have made half way. I bought an ebike and did a few trial runs. After a while, I had the confidence to start commuting. It meant 50-55 minutes a day of decent exercise and this, combined with a sensible diet, meant I lost 3 stone last year.

At the same time, I refurbed my 1992 MTB and started riding that on my days off. I now regularly do 15-mile runs on pedal power alone and feel 100% better than I did a couple of years ago. Not much compared to some on here, but a massive change in my lifestyle. If you are ill, or disabled in some way, or even just out of condition, an ebike can mean the difference between cycling and sitting on the couch.

As a point of fact, an ebike is nothing like a moped. On a moped (the older ones) the pedals are there to get you up to a speed where the motor takes over. On an ebike, it's the opposite: the motor helps up to 15.5 mph, and then you are on your own. For probably 80% of my ebike riding, I am just pedalling a very heavy pushbike at 16-17 mph. On the hills, it is like a giant hand on your back giving you a gentle push. I sweat less on the ebike (great for work) and I average about 30% faster, but it's still an enjoyable workout. As you can probably tell, I am a big fan. You get the fresh air and freedom of a bicycle, and you get decent exercise as well, but at a lower intensity (a legal UK bike will not move at all unless you contribute some pedal power). If you think that fitness is the only reason to ride a bike, then you will probably despise an ebike. But if you cycle for the freedom, the buzz, the low cost, the ability to slice through traffic, and the satisfaction of getting somewhere at least partly under your own steam, then an ebike is a valid alternative - for some people, at some times in their lives.

 

[mjr]

Wow. That was uplifting. Can someone remember where the longer reply is? I may need a lift after tomorrow

 

[snorri]

as long as e-bikes are labelled as such, no problem.

Labelled, you say LABELLED?
They should have bleepers on them, the kind that reversing lorries have, that way real cyclists would know there was an ebike in the vicinity and would not break sweat trying to catch up, or be shocked out of their minds when overtaken by an ebike.

 

[RichardB]

Labelled, you say LABELLED?
They should have bleepers on them, the kind that reversing lorries have, that way real cyclists would know there was an ebike in the vicinity and would not break sweat trying to catch up or be shocked out of their minds when overtaken by an ebike.

I have to admit: the only time I don't like my ebike is when I am riding up the hill from my house (varies easy to moderate) and I come up behind a group of 'proper' cyclists sweating their way up the hill. I can't NOT overtake as I don't want to wait, but I'm embarrassed to do so. The first time it happened, I whizzed past and just shouted "It's OK, I am cheating!". Now, I man up, turn the assistance off (so no tell-tale whine from the rear hub) and make a humongous 30-second effort to pass under my own steam, before reinstating the power when out of earshot. As I am riding something weighing about 22 kg, this takes it out of me for the next half-hour. Good exercise, I suppose.

 

[RichardB]

Wow. That was uplifting. Can someone remember where the longer reply is? I may need a lift after tomorrow

You mean mine (apologies for the self-promotion if you don't)? It's here:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-long-journey-back.184677/

It's a bit out of date now, as various changes have happened, but it's a fuller explanation of my ebike initiation.

 

[Oxo]

Road bikes, MTB's, ebikes or kids on tricycles, when you bicycle like me they are going to come past. Uphill, downhill, on the flat it doesn't make any difference, but does it bother me? Of course it does, when I finally get to the cafe and they have eaten all the cake.

 

[Tin Pot]

Well, I assume you equally insult overweight men in cars, on motorcycles or riding bus or trains? Or is it just reserved for those who are active, but not quite as active as you?

Yes, quite a lot of men insult each other casually - is this something you're only just becoming aware of?

 

[summerdays]

For me I think they are in general a good thing. I've a friend who bought one (with the help of information on here), as she was unable to do a 5 day a week commute due to health problems, she was cycling to her much nearer previous place of work most days, but could only manage the longer distance once a week (5 miles each way with a hill). I've had a go on hers and also a couple of others. I imagine I will get one at some point but as I'm a lazy cyclist I might come to rely on the assist too much so for now I'm sticking to the non assist.

I see them daily, multiple ones, they really are getting quite common. My only couple of negatives are:

One unfit person got one then used the assist the whole time so gave it up as it wasn't making her fitter (surprise surprise )

Ones where the assist restriction is removed.... I've seen some go very fast and on a cycle path you aren't expecting that.

And one of the ways you can often tell it's an electric bike is the fairly constant speed, and how they don't seem to slow at natural points where as normal cyclist might ease off on the speed/pedals, so taking a few extra risks and I'm not sure if that is through a lack of cycling experience or not.

 

[biking_fox]

Given their weight and 15mph limit, I'd be very surprised if any kind of cyclist out on club runs would be unable to leave them in the dirt, I've certainly never had any trouble dropping them on my commute. However they really do open up the cycling potential for many people who consider themselves too unfit to cycle normally. It's far more about perception than might be expected. OtherHalf wouldn't cycle without one, so they've been a great benefit to us, such that we're considering an electric tandem as an n+1.

 

[nickyboy]

as long as e-bikes are labelled as such, no problem. what i don't want to see is 'normal' road bikes retro-fitted with the kind of motor found by the UCI at a cyclocross event pitching up on the club run…

Why would you care, it's just a friendly bike ride?

If it's some sort of race then you should have a level playing field. But if someone I know comes for a ride with me on an assisted bike it's absolutely fine

 

[Tin Pot]

However they really do open up the cycling potential for many people who consider themselves too unfit to cycle normally.

In certain circumstances. But I suspect the vast majority of mature adults who don't cycle now would assume they need assistance when all they really need is a few weeks to get used to it.

Otherwise, agreed.

 

[ufkacbln]

Labelled, you say LABELLED?
They should have bleepers on them, the kind that reversing lorries have, that way real cyclists would know there was an ebike in the vicinity and would not break sweat trying to catch up, or be shocked out of their minds when overtaken by an ebike.

Years ago we bought my MiL an electric "Cruiser" from Encycleopedia

It was legal, but as built for a large American, a small pensioner gained some fantastic acceleration on it. she used to love "burning up" teenagers