Brian's GTech. Part two.

[LeighPing]

After meeting Brian on his GTech bike, 10 months ago, our paths crossed again today.

 

[Gaz]

Brilliant

He obviously still likes it, given they get a bit of a ribbing on here

Gaz

 

[mxer]

Bless him, pretty cool he's still out and about on it.

Think he needs to dig out his cycle proficiency tho

 

[LeighPing]

Bless him, pretty cool he's still out and about on it.

Think he needs to dig out his cycle proficiency tho

Yes, he's a bit wobbly at times. I couldn't help but suppress a chuckle when he went into those nettles. At the time he was avoiding an overhanging branch. You can hear us both laughing out loud at 04:00 in the video, as I just about manage to duck another one.

Brian cycled around a big field on mine as he likes it's cross country ability. He came back sweating buckets. I've noticed that many try to ride ebikes as if they're a regular bike and intentionally work way too hard. Assuming that the harder you work, the faster you'll go. My son is also guilty of that basic ebike / pedelec riding mistake.

Has anyone else noticed that?

 

[Gaz]

Has anyone else noticed that?

Yep, I still do it from time to time

I also rode into a hedge/bracken/nettles a couple of days ago while looking up admiring a buzzard. I'm normally quite focused on the quality of the road surface in front of me, but it was a nice quiet country lane

Gaz

 

[Croxden]

Yes, he's a bit wobbly at times. I couldn't help but suppress a chuckle when he went into those nettles. At the time he was avoiding an overhanging branch. You can hear us both laughing out loud at 04:00 in the video, as I just about manage to duck another one.

Brian cycled around a big field on mine as he likes it's cross country ability. He came back sweating buckets. I've noticed that many try to ride ebikes as if they're a regular bike and intentionally work way too hard. Assuming that the harder you work, the faster you'll go. My son is also guilty of that basic ebike / pedelec riding mistake.

Has anyone else noticed that?

I find if I don't peddle I don't go anywhere.

 

[LeighPing]

I find if I don't peddle I don't go anywhere.

 

[GLJoe]

I've noticed that many try to ride ebikes as if they're a regular bike and intentionally work way too hard. Assuming that the harder you work, the faster you'll go. My son is also guilty of that basic ebike / pedelec riding mistake.

Ok, I'll bite ...
So why is that a 'mistake' ?

 

[LeighPing]

Ok, I'll bite ...
So why is that a 'mistake' ?

It's not necessarily a mistake, just my own personal observations really, and it could be totally different for others. Hopefully they'll chirp up with their own thoughts. However, in Brian, and my son Sam's case, I noticed that they were working very hard whilst 'pedaling'. Looking at the video footage of the camera from Sam's handlebars I could see the bars going from side to side as he grunted along on a powerful bike, not letting the motor do as much work as it could.

I didn't think too much of it with my lad, as he always overdoes everything, work, weights, women.. I just put it down to him being a lummox . When Brian took my bike around a big field I noticed that he was sweating, unnecessarily I thought.

All I do, as the terrain or riding surface changes, in the case of going off road, is drop the gears down and up the power assistance level, sit pretty and the slightest movement of the legs propels the bike with more ease than being in the same gear and a lower level of assistance. Those adjustments let the motor do much of the work. Up the gears as the speed requires. My 3 bikes tend to reach optimum speed, with not a lot of input from me, in this way. Maybe other bikes are different. But give that a try if you find it hard work. If it could be called a mistake, I suppose the mistake is that when it's easy on the flat, we try and 'work' harder on an upward incline to retain some speed. Instead of using the tools at hand.

Of course many want it to be hard work. It's nice to have that choice too.

Or maybe it's just me?

 

[Gaz]

....not letting the motor do as much work as it could.

Bloody lazy motors, when are they ever going to learn!

 

[Croxden]

I have motor to assist me, not to do the work otherwise, I'd have a moped.

 

[LeighPing]

I have motor to assist me, not to do the work otherwise, I'd have a moped.

Being a seasoned rider, of course you do. It's common sense. But sometimes we forget to use that feature too.

I just tried it myself. The bike was already in 2nd gear, as we were just coming back from up the woods for a run. It's cooler in there @19C.

 

[basicasic]

I've noticed that many try to ride ebikes as if they're a regular bike and intentionally work way too hard. Assuming that the harder you work, the faster you'll go. My son is also guilty of that basic ebike / pedelec riding mistake.

I ride my ebike exactly like that and work far harder than I need to. It's not a mistake. For me the essence of cycling is pedaling and I enjoy working at it. The only thing I don't do is slog up long, steep hills and I click on the assistance for that.

However I do agree that for folk who are pedaling at a workload that is obviously making them feel uncomfortable, hot or sweaty then it does seem a bit pointless when they can just increase the assist or go down a gear.

My days of slogging and gasping for breath on a bike are over but I do enjoy a bit of a workout.