Would you install a weightless motor to your bike?

[youngoldbloke]

I can imagine; but if there is little/no flat, you might have an easier life than "the group" I think?

Yes but mostly no. it's the false flats that are the most difficult, long smooth stretches where the speed drifts up, and once dropped it's well nigh impossible to catch up if no-one notices. Undulating routes are the best, as long as the flats are not too long, you can get back on on the hills, but it's not a very satisfactory way of riding. Perhaps unexpectedly long downhills can be hard work too. Most times of course folk are more accommodating, but sometimes some will 'go for it'!

 

[Baldy]

Just a thought experiment - would you install a weightless motor to your bike

NO, for me the whole point of cycling is to be self-propelled. To travel without any engine.

 

[matticus]

Undulating routes are the best, as long as the flats are not too long, you can get back on on the hills,

that's exactly what I meant.

 

[youngoldbloke]

that's exactly what I meant.

Yo-yoing is not ideal*, it's more enjoyable to stay together. (*But better than not at all!)

 

[rogerzilla]

It's probably an exaggerated version of taking a fixie on a group ride. Skips up the hills but lags badly going down the other side.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Interesting thought experiment. You've raised a few things beyond the motor from the first post: motor / bike upgrades / 'medical technology'. Personally, I'm not about to use either a weightless motor or PEDs, but both would only* be 'cheating myself' since I don't compete with anyone else. And given that I'd have chosen to do so, it wouldn't be cheating so the word 'cheating' is something of a red herring. ( * They'd be cheating people on Strava if I consequently did better on segments and failed to declare the motor, but that's another debate.)

If I was obliged to choose though - and assuming both that the motor is weightless and that the PEDs do no harm over any timescale - I'd go with the drugs as, to me, that feels more like it's still me doing the work. As soon as I added the weightless motor I'd feel that I was being helped by an external force (and, literally, that would be true). It would be rather akin to taking up powerlifting and supplementing my ability with one of those exoskeletons modelled by Ripley in 'Aliens' (but less fun perhaps).

Most, possibly all, of the 'better bike' things, such as lightness and aerodynamics, I'd have no qualms about since those are simply making the machine more efficient, and/or more effective. I think that's a very different class of improvement from either medical assistance or a motor.

All that said, at the moment, I can ride the distances I want to and get up the steepest of UK hills, albeit slowly, but, once I can't, I'll certainly welcome a motor, weightless or otherwise, in order to keep being able to do the overall activity of 'cycling in the countryside for recreational purposes'.

 

[matticus]

It's probably an exaggerated version of taking a fixie on a group ride. Skips up the hills but lags badly going down the other side.

... except ebike will be faster (assuming heavier) on any noticeable down-grade.

 

[youngoldbloke]

... except ebike will be faster (assuming heavier) on any noticeable down-grade.

Not always. My leg muscles can't put in the additional power to carry on gaining speed on a long downhill. I'm around 60kg and the ebike about 13kg so all up weight around 73Kg ....

 

[matticus]

Not always.

OK, I give up! Nothing wrong with your stamina at the keyboard ...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

No, I ride the bike to keep fit. I can see a leisure use for e-bikes to keep up with group rides when you're old, but I don't think I'd do it; it would feel like cheating.

If you use it to keep fit - and actually do it - then obviously an ebike is less good than a normal bike

but going out on an ebike 3 times a week gets you more fit than going out on a normal bike once a month!
Personally I find that the more I go out the lower the power assistance level I need (want!)
after a few week of going out several times a week I end up switching the motor off for long distances
Last summer there were a few occaisions where I got home and found it switched off and realised I had switched it off a few miles from the start due to walkers on the path and clearly needing to go slow for a while
Then just forgotten to switch it back on!!

still - it just depends on what suits you , your body ,m your life and your needs/wants

 

[Saluki]

I wish my Bosch motor was weightless. 15kg of bike is a heft, but the motor is in the bottom bracket area so the handling is not really affected hugely.
I am happy to ride all summer with my normal bikes but this time of year and up hills (little ones on the Cromer Ridge but even so), I adore my E-bike. E for Enabling. It’s not cheating.
Weightless though. That’d be awesome for getting the dang thing in the car, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

Having read different comments, I think it comes down to this: a motor is an external source of power whereas other upgrades like faster tyres and lighter frames only make your own power more efficient. So there is a qualitative difference between these two things, even if the quantitative effects are exactly the same. It sounds like we're more OK with making the bike more efficient, but less OK with installing an external source of power. Performance enhancing drugs are interesting because it's like installing a motor not on the bike but on your legs. Consequently we're not OK with them even if no negative health effects are suffered due to them. Overall this tells me that we value analog cycling for being a self-powered activity, even though I acknoweldge there are huge benefits of e-cycling for utility cyclists. Thanks for listening to me stating the obvious.

 

[MGman]

No, I ride the bike to keep fit. I can see a leisure use for e-bikes to keep up with group rides when you're old, but I don't think I'd do it; it would feel like cheating.

Old - given some luck and health we/ you, will hopefully, get there
From a personal OAP perspective; and just having returned to cycling 3 years ago after a "break" of 30 + years and now with two road bikes (Genesis & Ribble) the recent addition of an Orbea Gain has opened up a new world and enabled me to extend my routes from 15/18 miles to 25 plus - and on hilly roads. These aren't group rides, but an a solo effort to maintain fitness even at the age of 82.
Cheating? No, definitely not. Horses for course's I guess; but the Gain gives me considerable pleasure on routes which would otherwise be beyond my ability with the other two bikes.
"Magically fitter" not really; but there is definitely an exuberance on those longer rides which, frankly, would be beyond me without the battery's 'assistance'.
So if you find yourself around the New Forest back roads just give me a wave as you go past.

 

[rogerzilla]

Old - given some luck and health we/ you, will hopefully, get there
From a personal OAP perspective; and just having returned to cycling 3 years ago after a "break" of 30 + years and now with two road bikes (Genesis & Ribble) the recent addition of an Orbea Gain has opened up a new world and enabled me to extend my routes from 15/18 miles to 25 plus - and on hilly roads. These aren't group rides, but an a solo effort to maintain fitness even at the age of 82.
Cheating? No, definitely not. Horses for course's I guess; but the Gain gives me considerable pleasure on routes which would otherwise be beyond my ability with the other two bikes.
"Magically fitter" not really; but there is definitely an exuberance on those longer rides which, frankly, would be beyond me without the battery's 'assistance'.
So if you find yourself around the New Forest back roads just give me a wave as you go past.

I'm already pretty old - I'm retiring this year! Might as well ride a motorbike, though.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I'm already pretty old - I'm retiring this year! Might as well ride a motorbike, though.

It's your choice.