randynewmanscat
Veteran
- Location
- Vienne, Poitou-Chrentes
Rubbish title but the best I could manage. A friend brought his electric bike over at the end of last summer. There is no cut off for assistance and if I remember correctly the thing has a motor in excess of 400W so it is quite fast.
So for the first time in my life I went out on a ride with my riding partner using an ebike, I doubt it is something I will repeat. I use a circuit of small lanes round and through the forest I live in, there is a descent to the river and a few undulations, about 180 metres total climb and 25km for the circuit.
We set off the easy way saving the climb from the river until last and the first thing I noticed was the sound. His bike being a utility/mountain bike has fairly fat tyres and of course they make some noise, add to that the sound of the motor, it was noisy.
He sat on my wheel for a while before he rode alongside when he realised there was no traffic, it is remote countryside here.
About 5km in I began to feel irritated at the smug face and total lack of effort on his part which caused me to put some serious effort in from then on. It might have helped if he had at least pretended to pedal the thing. It took about a minute to realise that psychological warfare by half-wheeling was a useless tactic, he would just twist the throttle ever so slightly.
My friend smokes and he could only have annoyed me more if he had lit up and puffed away on a cig in an affected manner while sat bolt upright alongside. I lost him on the descent to the river as he is a timid descender, I waited for him while sweating profusely from the heat and the effort.
We set off again along the valley before turning for home up the long drag from the river and I thought to show him the inferiority of his transport. I shook him off on the steepest section but sure enough he was back with me when the gradient slackened, as though he had a rubber band attached to the carrier of my bike. We arrived at mine and he told me how much he enjoyed the ride as I dripped sweat and got my breathing under control. After that I sent him out to enjoy some of the forest tracks on his own and cycling for me was off the menu for the rest of his stay.
When I ride with others I'm not combative, I used to be but all rides ended up as a race. However, riding with someone who has a motor brought out the worst in me.
Have you been foolish enough to go on a ride with someone who is riding an ebike and if so did you enjoy the ride?
So for the first time in my life I went out on a ride with my riding partner using an ebike, I doubt it is something I will repeat. I use a circuit of small lanes round and through the forest I live in, there is a descent to the river and a few undulations, about 180 metres total climb and 25km for the circuit.
We set off the easy way saving the climb from the river until last and the first thing I noticed was the sound. His bike being a utility/mountain bike has fairly fat tyres and of course they make some noise, add to that the sound of the motor, it was noisy.
He sat on my wheel for a while before he rode alongside when he realised there was no traffic, it is remote countryside here.
About 5km in I began to feel irritated at the smug face and total lack of effort on his part which caused me to put some serious effort in from then on. It might have helped if he had at least pretended to pedal the thing. It took about a minute to realise that psychological warfare by half-wheeling was a useless tactic, he would just twist the throttle ever so slightly.
My friend smokes and he could only have annoyed me more if he had lit up and puffed away on a cig in an affected manner while sat bolt upright alongside. I lost him on the descent to the river as he is a timid descender, I waited for him while sweating profusely from the heat and the effort.
We set off again along the valley before turning for home up the long drag from the river and I thought to show him the inferiority of his transport. I shook him off on the steepest section but sure enough he was back with me when the gradient slackened, as though he had a rubber band attached to the carrier of my bike. We arrived at mine and he told me how much he enjoyed the ride as I dripped sweat and got my breathing under control. After that I sent him out to enjoy some of the forest tracks on his own and cycling for me was off the menu for the rest of his stay.
When I ride with others I'm not combative, I used to be but all rides ended up as a race. However, riding with someone who has a motor brought out the worst in me.
Have you been foolish enough to go on a ride with someone who is riding an ebike and if so did you enjoy the ride?