How many people are using there e-bike off-road?

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
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Crowborough, East Sussex
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There are too many variables that effect the overall mileage from a full battery charge. Wind, rain, mud, and lovely sunshine etc, each throw up different challenges.
Then there is the terrain itself and elevation gain. Many of my rides are pretty steep, and often slippery. Start throwing rooted sections into the equation where you can't get a smooth flow together, and things change again. Often my rides might end up just having an average speed of say 7-8mph over a 20-30 mile distance, but the top speed might be in the mid forties.
Personal fitness level also plays a massive part, and obviously the less assistance that you are able to use, the greater distance that you are going to cover. I do try not to labour the motor though.

I reckon that I could pretty much guarantee that if you were to come on a ride with me, that you bikes performance wouldn't be any better, and in the case of some that have joined me, their performance has been significantly worse, and have needed the use of a second Bosch battery to finish the ride, when I have returned after having only used half of my capacity.

I've not ridden off road for a couple of weeks now due to knee injury caused from a fall, and whilst I am on Naproxen to keep the swelling down, I still need to cycle to keep my fitness up, in readiness for the Swiss trip. I have been going out on the ladies KTM Macina road bike with it's active line motor, and even on that, with my current level of injury, I'm struggling to get much more than 30 miles out of a full charge of battery. At my normal fitness level, I reckon that 50 miles, might just about be obtainable if using eco and no assist. Riding somewhere flat such as your cannel two pathways could see this reach perhaps 100 miles, but as the ride average speed would be over that of the assist level, so this wouldn't be surprising.

Get Strava and show your rides to compare terrain etc, or even better join me at an organised event. I reckon that you will be shocked by the poor range that you would get.

Conditions like this, murder the battery.




The stats for this year aren't really that interesting yet, and my knees can't hack anything much over 40miles. If they could, then I wouldn't even be bothering with an e-mtb. As it is, I already switch between pedal and e-mtb, and prefer pedal power.



If and when I get the motor back, the real test will be in a couple of weeks time, when I return here.



I puked up, riding up this last year on the pedal mtb.



Not the easiest of climbs!

 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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see dealers thats how a demo bike should come back from a test ride ;)
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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well i got the 19t back on and it seems to work better with the righting facing the motor so just flipped it round and seems a lot better.

still getting some grinding tho from gear 7-8 but then goes when in the 9-10-11 gears.

not added any links to my chain so could be that??

on riding round with it i now get to 30mph with some left to peddle as well just my dongle cuts out at 30 and at that speed feels like being sucked back when it cuts out and back in like flicking a switch on and off ;(

not nice at that speed lol so think ill go back to the 16t for now till i get the 75kph dongle and try it again tho ill prob get a 22t one just to try it ;)

ill also be lucky to get 15 miles from the batt at these speeds or a free trip to hospital ;)
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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:( An injured Eddie, Did you hit the deck or get a smack in the chops from a branch ? Off roading I always wear mine.
 

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
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Face planted the ground at about 25mph.

I was also wearing new set of safety glasses. Just as well, as the lens is scratched right up.

I know have a bit of a black eye, bruised hip, other cuts and grazes, black toe which had to x-rayed, and an elbow which had the same treatment, and needs a further specialist one, as it might apparently be fractured.

 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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i crashed as well lol



still went back out tho ;0
 

Bigdaddyuk666

Pedelecer
Feb 25, 2015
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Leicestershire
Ouch war wounds for the win wishing you guys a speedy recovery . The last time I came off a bike was at least 10 years ago I was hurtling down the road and some scrote kick a sponge football at my front wheel it compressed between my front forks and wheel acting as an instant brake and head first over the handle bars face planted the floor at about 25mph ended up breaking my jaw in 2 places and my teeth have never been the same amusing thing was hospital said if I was wearing a helmet on this occasion I could of snapped my neck
 

RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
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hospital said if I was wearing a helmet on this occasion I could of snapped my neck
Mentioning helmets is like mentioning the war in some cycling circles, but since two of you appear to have got away with doing so....

I don't wear one because I think there is a low risk of bad injury riding at 10/12mph on a cycle path.

I would wear one if I did any proper off-roading like Eddie.

It probably makes sense to wear one for fast road riding, but as Bigdaddy was advised, they can cause harm in some types of crashes.
 

EddiePJ

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Jul 7, 2013
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It is a tricky one.

The biggest down side as I see it, is that taking yesterdays fall as a classic example, it certainly saved me from receiving a nasty blow to my forehead, but at the same time, it really wrenched my head backwards and has jarred my neck.
 

Croxden

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2013
2,134
1,384
North Staffs
I had a boss who refused ever to wear a seatbelt because on one occasion he was thrown out of the car and escaped a further catastrophe.

A one in several million chances, just no accounting for folk.

I rarely wear a helmet and so far managed to keep my head out of the way.

My shoulder gets the impact and that still hurts years later.

But you are wise Eddie doing what you do, I wouldn't dare.
 

Bigdaddyuk666

Pedelecer
Feb 25, 2015
155
50
38
Leicestershire
I mainly stick to leisure trails ie easy off-roading if I was doing some serious speed yh il wear one I'm not saying for any one not to wear one tbh I don't like wearing one never have .
 

RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
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It is a tricky one.

The biggest down side as I see it, is that taking yesterdays fall as a classic example, it certainly saved me from receiving a nasty blow to my forehead, but at the same time, it really wrenched my head backwards and has jarred my neck.
Certainly is tricky.

The helmet, while protecting on impact, can 'catch' on something during the crash.

Some reports of helmets causing neck injuries because of friction with the road surface.
 

RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
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Rain early here but now dry, so I shall have one of my usual trundles along the C2C path a bit later.
 

Sherman

Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2014
141
173
Helsinki, Finland
I suspect more head injuries happen on cycle paths and roads due to inexperieced riders and inadequate protection.

My worst accident happened on slow speed on cycle path, the front tyre of my cyclocross bike slipped due loose gravel and I hit the road head first. Luckily I was using a helmet, mild concussion, couple of cracked teeth and stiches here and there.
 

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
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Crowborough, East Sussex
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My one fear is cracking teeth. I really hate thought of that one. Thankfully I only have cuts in my mouth from where I bit into my lip.

I couldn't resist a little ride on a mates Yeti demo bike while I was in shop earlier. Damn that was a nice bike, but at 6K so it should be.


.
 

Sherman

Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2014
141
173
Helsinki, Finland
Back on the single track after few weeks of travelling. Evening ride in the Helsinki Central Park.

Mud & roots, perfect for fat bike with 0.6 bar tyre pressure
1mud.jpg

Nice and smooth. Usual sight here, the log has been chewed up by bikes 2rock.jpg

Selfie time
3s.jpg

There used to be a track here..
4heina.jpg

No, I did not ride down here. 4m vertical drop.
5drop.jpg

Back to the civilization
6civ.jpg
 

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