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E bikes, what do you have and why? Thoughts?

Abacinator said:
If you want exercise, why choose a bike with an assist motor? Not a dig, genuinely curious.

Edit: I may be misreading your post
Click to expand...

I never understood it, until I rode one. For mountain biking at least - normally you can do 1 or 2 "loops" of a trail depending on the length. Climb up (exercise), descend (fun), repeat. When you consider the climbing and descending time, it's like 30 minutes of climbing for 5 minutes of descending. Depends on your skill of course.

Now with an e-bike you can spend 15 minutes climbing and 5 minutes descending, a much better ratio. Also you can do more loops because it's less tiring. So in a given few hours of riding, you get the same amount of exercise and have way more fun.

For a road bike, I guess the concept is going a further distance for a given amount of energy.
 
Abacinator said:
If you want exercise, why choose a bike with an assist motor? Not a dig, genuinely curious.

Edit: I may be misreading your post
Click to expand...

I will begin by stating that 30 years ago, my wife and I used to road and mountain bike a lot. This was on old-school rigid frame bikes.

My son took me with him today to El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, which is to the North of and just past Alice's.

He was on his 2021 Stumpjumper aluminum Comp, and I was on my Turbo Levo SL Carbon Expert, bought yesterday. Thanks Santa (I have a fantastic wife, and no, she is not interested in more shoes or jewelry!) Her only ulterior motive may be that I have a heart attack and she is set. Teasing.

The ride was awesome, the trails amazing, and the company was great. Lots of single track, downhill and some F U C K I N G steep, L O N G climbs (and some that were super steep and short. Had to walk a few.

He is just shy of 30 and I am just shy of 62. I would have had an utterly miserable day if I was not on an e-bike.

I felt guilty a couple of times when I passed him going up some grinder ascents, but I quickly got over it :)

Believe me, I worked damned hard, and my heart rate was way up there on the climbs in spite of the e-assist. One thing I learned today is that with e-bikes, when climbing, one can select too low a gear with a detrimental effect. Until I sorted that out there were a number of stupid-steep bits on which I lost the front end by way of a wheelie, which caused me to step off the bike. Except the time I fell off the bike..... I accept that part of the problem is my technique, not weighting the front end enough.

One thing that was really cool; during a long undulating descent that felt like a fast downhill ski run, we swapped bikes. Specialized and various reviewers have said that the Levo SL closely mimics the Stumpjumper. I must say it does. I fully expected to have to adjust the way I rode but I didn't. Specialized have done an amazing job with this bike. I did tell him that as soon as we started climbing we would swap back!!! He really dug the Levo SL and is looking forward to taking it on some of his favorite longer trails.

If anyone is close to San Jose/Campbell and wants to try this thing out, let me know and we will see what we can work out. Don't blame me if you are forever spoiled!

Merry Christmas!
 
Abacinator said:
If you want exercise, why choose a bike with an assist motor? Not a dig, genuinely curious.

Edit: I may be misreading your post
Click to expand...

My son took me with him today to El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, which is off 35, a few miles to the north past Alice's.

He was on his 2021 Stumpjumper aluminum Comp, and I was on my Turbo Levo SL Carbon, bought yesterday. Thanks Santa! I have a great wife, and no, she is not expecting more shoes or jewelry.

The ride was awesome, the trails are amazing. The company was good too; my son and I don't interact very much anymore. Lots of single track, downhill and F U C K I N G steep, L O N G climbs. Some were short and extremely steep.

He is just shy of 30 and I am just shy of 62. I would have had an utterly miserable day if I was not on an e-bike.

I felt guilty a couple of times when I passed him and got way ahead going up some grinder ascents, but I soon got over it :)

Believe me, I worked damned hard, and my heart rate was way up there on the climbs in spite of the e-assist. One thing with e-bikes that I learned today is that when climbing, one can select too low a gear with a detrimental effect. Until I sorted that out, there were a number of stupid-steep bits on which I lost the front end by way of a wheelie, which caused me to step off the bike. Except for the time I fell off..... I realize and accept that a big part of the problem was due to my poor technique.

One thing that was really cool, during a long undulating descent, was when we swapped bikes. Specialized and many reviewers have said the the Levo SL closely mimics the StumpJumper. It absolutely does. I fully expected to have an adjustment period on the Stumpy, but there was absolutely none needed.

If anyone is interested in trying this thing out on your favorite MTB trail, let me know and I will see what we can work out. Don't blame me, however, if you are forever spoiled and your bank account depleted. Ahem.....

Merry Christmas!
 
Mine even with instant torque is so heavy it doesn't feel like I'm moving at all but clearly it's possible:

[youtube]5bmVnsmizBo[/youtube]
 
900ss said:
Which part? That I was knackered afterwards? :teeth
Click to expand...

Entire post. Haha. Literally.

After this covid thing I might take you up on the offer.
Would be nice to see how it feels before plunking $$.
 
Won one in a raffle (Benno Boost). It's bigger and heavier than my regular bike (Giant Escape 2) so I find I don't ride it that often, though like Jordan said I do find myself running short errands on it.

There are some days I know I *should* commute to work by bike for fitness but I'm not quite feeling it - the e-bike is cheating, yes, but it's still more exercise than I'd get on the moto. And I can pick how much assist I want so I can turn it back into a workout.

The assist motor cuts off at 20 mph, and the gearing is such that it takes some effort to go above that speed.

Anyone in SF who wants to take it for a spin, let me know. Ideally when it isn't raining.
 
900ss said:
I will begin by stating that 30 years ago, my wife and I used to road and mountain bike a lot. This was on old-school rigid frame bikes...

If anyone is close to San Jose/Campbell and wants to try this thing out, let me know and we will see what we can work out. Don't blame me if you are forever spoiled!

Merry Christmas!
Click to expand...

I accept! I’m by Alum Rock Park and like to ride during the week between 10 and 2... I have a Marin Mt Vision that I suppose is pretty old school at this point. Also Ciocc Mockba 80. Campy sidepulls man!
 
Butch said:
I accept! I’m by Alum Rock Park and like to ride during the week between 10 and 2... I have a Marin Mt Vision that I suppose is pretty old school at this point. Also Ciocc Mockba 80. Campy sidepulls man!
Click to expand...

Let me know when and where. Perhaps I could deliver your garage door opener as well if you are still interested?

Merry Christmas!

Ken
408.499.9430
 
I honestly don't get it. I have been doing the same 20 mile loops with >800ft climbs in the East Bay hills for the last 25 years.

I'm 63 and my times for those loops are pretty much the same as 25 years ago - IMHO mostly BECAUSE I ride 20 mile loops in the East Bay hills :deadhorse
 
Butch said:
I accept! I’m by Alum Rock Park and like to ride during the week between 10 and 2... I have a Marin Mt Vision that I suppose is pretty old school at this point. Also Ciocc Mockba 80. Campy sidepulls man!
Click to expand...

My wife and I just returned from riding in Alum Rock. She impresses me with her technical skills, being on a Turbo Vado SL, which is a commute bike, with gravel tires on it. She's 67, and when we used to ride off-road 30-odd years ago, on old-school mountain bikes, she was just as technically adept.
 
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