electric bike

[Deleted User]

I am not knocking them just advising the OP not to bother with them or at least try one out for a few days before stumping up serious money. I bought mine for the wife to go to work on as a home carer on. she took one look at it and point blank refused. It was a folding bike made by IZIP .. really pathetic performance anyway. Maybe the better ones with more power and longer lasting lithium batteries may have been less pathetic and at least got moving faster than I could pedal myself. I like the poster who recharges his batteries with his solar panels, pity the new batteries and chargers are so expensive. I think a lot of people rush in and buy these bikes without a trial ( like the original buyer of the IZIP ) not realising how boring and cold they are in use.

brat

sacsquacco wrote: »

I am not knocking them...

You might be fit, my friend, but your memory's slipping. Seems you can't remember what you wrote...

[Deleted User]

brat wrote: »

You might be fit, my friend, but your memory's slipping. Seems you can't remember what you wrote...

You ve got to learn to take a bit of criticism matey without taking it too personally. Just because I call electric bike users tight skinflints and that they look ridiculous it does nt mean I dont like electric bikes. I am a tight skinflint and look ridiculous on my ladies folder bike I use all day, its just that I m not bothered what other people think of me. I am proud to be riding a bike, its healthy and keeps me fit. Perched up twisting a throttle is a bit anti bike really, they are nearer to a motorbike than the best and most efficient mode of transport there is.

Richard53

sacsquacco wrote: »

I m 64 mate, dont give up, you are just a kid. I spend most of my working week on a bike 8 hours a day 5 days a week as I do my meter reading work on a bike rather than the car. Electric bikes are hopeless up hills. The one I had virtually stopped when asked to go up much of a gradient. I really dont understand the mentality of anyone who is half fit to go out and spend a thousand pounds and more on one of these jokes , they must be either too knackered and heavy or just too lazy to get pedaling. In cold weather you would have to really wrap up , whereas if you cycle you are your own power station and create your own heat.

Hehe, no danger of giving up just yet! You obviously cycle a great deal and are (compared to most your age) extremely fit. When I was cycling daily I was the same, and couldn't imagine not being able to (for example) ride a mile in three minutes, or tour 200 miles in three days. But that kind of fitness goes off quickly, and these days I would struggle with half of that.

What I am saying is, you are in a fortunate position, but we are all different, and some of us, through illness or age, are not likely to achieve those levels of fitness again, if we ever had them. Just saying that electric bikes are for the disabled (and by implication that the rest of us are just lazy) is not really helpful.

I agree with your comments about hills etc, by the way. All technology has to be used with an understanding of its limitations (see satnav stories etc), but as a way to allow some people to keep riding who might otherwise have to stop, I think electric bikes are a great idea. I might even get one.

Richard53

sacsquacco wrote: »

they are nearer to a motorbike

Oops, my hidden agenda is revealed :D:D

On an eco-holiness scale, with a gas-guzzling car at 0 and walking at 10, and a bicycle at 9, I would put a motorbike at about 5 (considering issues of congestion, emissions, use of finite resources). I would then slot the electric bike in at about 7. From an eco point of view, I would say they are worse than some, but better than most.

Kernel_Sanders

sacsquacco wrote: »

I am a tight skinflint and look ridiculous on my ladies folder bike I use all day, its just that I m not bothered what other people think of me.

And yet you ridicule the way people look on electric bikes.
So, is it important the way people look on their bikes or isn't it?:undecided

brat

sacsquacco wrote: »

You ve got to learn to take a bit of criticism matey without taking it too personally. Just because I call electric bike users tight skinflints and that they look ridiculous it does nt mean I dont like electric bikes. I am a tight skinflint and look ridiculous on my ladies folder bike I use all day, its just that I m not bothered what other people think of me. I am proud to be riding a bike, its healthy and keeps me fit. Perched up twisting a throttle is a bit anti bike really, they are nearer to a motorbike than the best and most efficient mode of transport there is.

I don't think you've criticised me. I'm critical of your argument and logic, because it's all over the place. You slag off electric bikes remorselessly, then say that "doesn't mean I don't like electric bikes".

I agree that fitness is a beautiful thing to possess in middle age.
I have bikes and running to thank for keeping in the top 1% of fitness for my age. I can still run sub 40 minute 10k runs and last week was 16th of 850 averaging over 18mph on a 100k hilly Lake District sportive. Not bad for someone in his 57th year.

But not everyone has that good fortune. It's something you should feel blessed to possess, rather than be critical of those who cannot attain your exacting personal standards.

[Deleted User]

brat wrote: »

I don't think you've criticised me. I'm critical of your argument and logic, because it's all over the place. You slag off electric bikes remorselessly, then say that "doesn't mean I don't like electric bikes".

I agree that fitness is a beautiful thing to possess in middle age.
I have bikes and running to thank for keeping in the top 1% of fitness for my age. I can still run sub 40 minute 10k runs and last week was 16th of 850 averaging over 18mph on a 100k hilly Lake District sportive. Not bad for someone in his 57th year.

But not everyone has that good fortune. It's something you should feel blessed to possess, rather than be critical of those who cannot attain your exacting personal standards.

Thanks for deeming me "middle aged " thought I d slipped into the "old " bracket now. You are def fitter than me with those figures, I can t do that now. ( did a half marathon a long time ago in 1 hr 26 ). Tremendous 100k hilly terrain speed at 18 mph average. when I retire next year I m splashing out on a state of the art carbon fibre job to keep fit. I enjoy a nice light bike, lighter the better

brat

sacsquacco wrote: »

Thanks for deeming me "middle aged " thought I d slipped into the "old " bracket now. You are def fitter than me with those figures, I can t do that now. ( did a half marathon a long time ago in 1 hr 26 ). Tremendous 100k hilly terrain speed at 18 mph average. when I retire next year I m splashing out on a state of the art carbon fibre job to keep fit. I enjoy a nice light bike, lighter the better

The beauty of cycling is you can keep it going into "old age". I think of old age as +75 . I'll keep fell running until my hips need replacing, because that's my main buzz.

I spent a month in South Germany (Black Forest and Bodensee) this summer, cycling there is magnificent. Everyone of all ages cycles and a high proportion use electric bikes. There is absolutely no sense of inferiority or embarrassment by the electric bike user. Granted the temperatures are warmer, but it's a marvellous spectacle to see the way comfort bikes are accepted over there, and are ridden by people of all shapes and sizes. No snobbery. Very refreshing.

Johnmcl7

I think the only place where there's snobbery and suggested inferiority/embarrassment with electric bikes is online in forums, I've never seen it amongst people in real life. I have a couple of friends who have electric bikes and they're absolutely delighted with them, they're keen to talk about them and highly recommend the bikes. One uses the bike for commuting, the other is retired and uses the electric bike to go cycling with her husband. As he's fitter than her, the electric bike balances it out so they can both enjoy the cycle, the only issue with hills is that the electric bike climbs it a bit too quickly but that's more a source of amusement.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to consider an electric bike in future if I had a requirement it suited.

John