Do ebikes take the fun out of cycling ?

[Izzyekerslike]

When you are 73 like me an ebike is essential



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Well at least you do what it says on the tin

 

[oldgroaner]

Well at least you do what it says on the tin

Mocking the elderly is an easy target,
juvenile. But not unexpected.

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[Croxden]

Plus I get great mileage from a charge.

I do well when charging downhill, but not much mileage when go up the other side.

 

[Danidl]

So better question is being old and unwell take the fun out of...everything.
And then having assistance get it back.

As Leonard Cohen said. I ache in the places where I used to play

 

[IR772]

As Leonard Cohen said. I ache in the places where I used to play

Viagra?

 

[anotherkiwi]

Another activity where you get out of breath, sticky & sweaty is also classed as fun, without laughing.

That's because you are English here in France you laugh before, after and even during!

 

[D8ve]

That's because you are English here in France you laugh before, after and even during!

No it's the women who laught before during and after, unfortunate if it's on a single breath

 

[timidtom]

[. So do ebikes take the fun out of cycling what do you think ?[/QUOTE]
With Angina+Asthma+Back pain I'm afraid that cycling had been taken out of cycling! Ebikes put it back again. I've been off road (in the wrong sense) for a little while, having cataracts replaced with clear lenses - brilliant result, the world looks newly polished! I'll be back on track with Lucy very soon, I hope!

 

[BillyBoy88]

Do ebikes take the fun out of cycling ?
No they don't, they put fun back into it for me, I had a normal MTB and was struggling on distance because of muscle ache due to fibro myalgia and being an old geezeer, now I can do 30KM with no problem off road, and I look forward to every opportunity to go E Biking,

 

[tisme]

After a m/c accident and loosing 1/2 my left calf mussel I had to stop riding. Today on my new e bike I done a lap around bedgbury and really enjoyed it. To all those who ask why an e bike I say why do you have gears?

 

[Birger Bulukin]

Well at least you do what it says on the tin

Having run 6 marathon in my forties at 3hrs plus, now being 76 still trekking in the forest, I see that there are mostly younger guys being skeptical to ebikes. Having the possibility for adjustment both of motor power and gear ratio on my bike with mid drive and torque sensor, I make up for age degradation in the hilly country I am fortunate to live in. My wife is of the same opinion, riding a bike she hadn't touched for four years until I fitted a Bafang to it.
Now we are 7 neighbours all in their seventies all riding ebikes.

 

[mountainsport]

A very good question.

For my use they don't take the fun out and have opened up many opportunities to me that I wouldn't have otherwise be able to do.

That isn't to say that I think that they are in any way better, as they aren't.
They are very convenient though.

I get far more satisfaction out of tackling a climb on a pedal bike than I ever do an EAPC. The sense of achievement just isn't the same, and contrary to what SW believes, the pedal cycle will never be a thing of the past. The simple reason being, that some/many of us enjoy the challenge, and get more pleasure out of knowing that 100% of effort has come from the body. But then many of us are equally content with using an EAPC for their intended use within the letter of the law.
The exception in volume of pedal bike sales could well be for commuting, and city use aside, an ebike makes a lot of sense, so sales could escalate in that direction, whilst pedal bike sales fall. But generally commuting could hardly be considered fun use. Having said that, I love my off road commute to work, and look forward to it, so there will always be exceptions.

Sadly though my constant battle to fight muscle wastage in my legs, and the strain that it puts on my knees is a depressingly constant reminder that I cannot physical do, or achieve what I want without generally using a level assist. Even sitting here writing this, the pain certainly isn't great. It bugs the crap out of me, as my fitness is very good.
This year hasn't been a good one in respect of my time in the saddle, and I am at least 1.5k miles down on where I was last year. I continue to ride almost every other night off road, and commute two days a week off road, but the pleasure riding distance has gone from 20-25 miles in an evening, down to a very poor average of about 12 miles per evening. This frustration is compounded by the fact that I love pushing for elevation gain, and if I could, I'd quite happily sit spinning my way up a climb all day long.

So cutting this short, as I am out of time, for me it isn't the ebike that has potentially taken the fun out of riding, it is health and frustration of not achieving goals..

To be fair though, I still love every second of being out riding, be it assisted or non assisted, and only yesterday whilst riding in the rain, covered in mud and freezing cold, I was thinking that I wouldn't swap for anything. I just love being in the saddle, and nothing compares to the fix that it gives, and all too often I will go to bed after a ride, and just want to get back out of bed because I can't sleep, and want to do it all again.

I like you very much EddiePJ and I like the way you think. just to add though Ive suffered from insomnia since having my bike, so this is my downfall.

MS.

 

[mountainsport]

Please don't get me wrong my good friends but I think that I like ebiking more than copulation.
If you totally agree with me and not ashamed to admit this, please hit the like button and subscribe. That also includes you flecc .

MS.

 

[flecc]

Please don't get me wrong my good friends but I think that I like ebiking more than copulation.
If you totally agree with me and not ashamed to admit this, please hit the like button and subscribe. That also includes you flecc .

MS.

There's no button for "It depends on the weather".

Suffering Reynaud's syndrome, when it's cold like today I prefer indoor activity.
.

 

[Gubbins]

Ha!
Just googled that as it sounds posh..
I am also a sufferer which didn't help me much when I worked outside..
Also suffer badly now with chilblains if I am not careful.
Shimano insulated cycling boots have made a massive difference.

 

[craiggor]

For me the crucial ebike development was "pedal assist", even by just a simple rotation sensor on the cranks.

You still feel as though you're powering the bike, as you indeed are, to a certain extent.

For a couple of years I tried a Dutch Spartamet 35cc petrol powered bicycle, thinking that I could get almost unlimited range and still pedal, but the crank gearing was lower, only suited to hills, so you tended to just sit there and use the throttle, (and still be limited to about 18mph). It may have been ideal for regular commutes, (no dressing up or sweating), but the enjoyment of "pedelecing" was gone.

I'm 65, too fat (95kg), but I still enjoy my regular 25 mile cycle rides around country lanes on my pedelecs. The few hills are less steep, I get to see much more countryside than on a non-powered bike, and yet I'm still getting a certain amount of exercise without ending up in an exhausted sweaty state.
View attachment 16456

Nice bike,I would like one with a triple chain wheel.

Having run 6 marathon in my forties at 3hrs plus, now being 76 still trekking in the forest, I see that there are mostly younger guys being skeptical to ebikes. Having the possibility for adjustment both of motor power and gear ratio on my bike with mid drive and torque sensor, I make up for age degradation in the hilly country I am fortunate to live in. My wife is of the same opinion, riding a bike she hadn't touched for four years until I fitted a Bafang to it.
Now we are 7 neighbours all in their seventies all riding ebikes.

Well at least you do what it says on the tin

 

[IR772]

Please don't get me wrong my good friends but I think that I like ebiking more than copulation.
If you totally agree with me and not ashamed to admit this, please hit the like button and subscribe. That also includes you flecc .

MS.

I can easily spend 2-3 hours on the bike but not on the ....., any more.

That's a hard nine for you !

 

[mountainsport]

There's no button for "It depends on the weather".

Suffering Reynaud's syndrome, when it's cold like today I prefer indoor activity.
.

Hi flecc I do remember you suffering from Reynaud's syndrome and I hope that your sickness has improved over the years.

MS.

 

[flecc]

Hi flecc I do remember you suffering from Reynaud's syndrome and I hope that your sickness has improved over the years.

MS.

Unfortunately Reynaud's just gets worse with age, the temperature at which it operates rising. These days I can start to lose the circulation and feeling in fingers at as high as 15 degrees C.

Not too much of a problem in retirement though, since I can just choose when to go out and for how long.
.

 

[flik9999]

I think ebikes are equally as fun as a normal bike tbh. Except they make you feel better than you are.

I always hated been sped past by litterally everyone from an old 1980s workhorse to people on carbon racers.

Now my ebike is a stock legal one, it does however cut out at 18-19 mph maybe the manufacturer should look into that. But if I push really really hard I can reach a speed of 22 mph which I couldn't do on a normal bike.

Riding them also has a bit of a motorbike feel with the way they accelerate.

You might feel like you are cheating but for normal going about the road it is fun to not be the slowest in a pack of riders.

Only thing i've found takes adjusting to is that they dont feel as safe as a normal bike. Probably because they accelerate faster but most drivers think you are a normal bike so you have to be more careful.