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Is it worth buying an electric bike?
Comments
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If you already have a bike (or can borrow one) then perhaps you could try some local hills over a few weekends to see how you get on. A big hill can look daunting and by the sounds of it you mightn't get all the way up at first but if you persevere you will find that your stamina increases pretty quickly.
If you still want an e-bike then that's fair enough but being as one of the main reason you've given is to save money then I'd suggest that you give your legs a go before you opt for the battery.0 -
Depending on what area you're in I'd have a look and see if there's anywhere that hires e-bikes as I think being able to get a shot of one would probably answer your questions better than reading the information online.
Personally I think e-bikes are awesome and well worth considering for what you're wanting to do, I don't think it's worth skimping on them and you have to be careful when buying second hand as a poorly performing battery is usually expensive to replace. I've been going out riding with my mum who's been hiring an e-bike and it works well for both of us as I get a pretty good workout as does my Mum (since she's still pedalling and her bike fitness isn't great) and I can choose any route since I don't have to worry about hills.
Unless the route is particularly short, I wouldn't agree on the road bike advice at least not straight away - I think an e-bike is a great way to get started and build fitness up if the commute is longer then people can progress to a lightweight road bike. I've been riding alongside the e-bike on my road bike and set a fair few personal bests on segments trying to keep up as 15mph doesn't sound like much but it can do that up hills, into headwinds etc. As I'm primarily a mountain biker, hills are usually the easiest part of group road rides for me but on my first hill climb against the e-bike even though I pushed hard, the e-bike went sailing off with ease up the hill.
John
I started cycling again for a work charity ride having not done any cycling since my paper round, cycled 9 miles each way to work initially on a 18kg mountain bike and then got a cheapy road bike after a few rides ahead of the charity ride and just got on with it - I was fairly fit but the bike had a 12-25 so wasn't great for hills and rather have a 10kg alloy bike
Sam Vimes' Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:
People are rich because they spend less money. A poor man buys $10 boots that last a season or two before he's walking in wet shoes and has to buy another pair. A rich man buys $50 boots that are made better and give him 10 years of dry feet. The poor man has spent $100 over those 10 years and still has wet feet.
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I started cycling again for a work charity ride having not done any cycling since my paper round, cycled 9 miles each way to work initially on a 18kg mountain bike and then got a cheapy road bike after a few rides ahead of the charity ride and just got on with it - I was fairly fit but the bike had a 12-25 so wasn't great for hills and rather have a 10kg alloy bike
I prefer a non e-bike as well (which is what I use) but I don't think that means it's the solution for everyone particularly if someone is wanting to cycle regularly on a route with big climbs - it's a big hurdle to get over that initial 'hump' when cycling goes from being a pain to enjoyable and in my experience, a lot of people just don't make it that far. That's where I think e-bikes work really well as they give people that taste straight away and the e-bike isn't doing all the work plus they have the option to gradually work down the assist as their fitness improves.
John0 -
A 30 minute cycle commute is nothing... and it'll get quicker over time. I'd forget the idea of an ebike and go for a good normal bike. It'll be much more useful, simpler, durable and fun.0
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I hired a ebike in Morocco, it was a french make called Lapierre, not cheap to buy but was amazing and brought the fun back to cycling, and I loved blasting past the lycra warriors going up the mountains the traditional way.0
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I hired a ebike in Morocco, it was a french make called Lapierre, not cheap to buy but was amazing and brought the fun back to cycling, and I loved blasting past the lycra warriors going up the mountains the traditional way.
I don't think the "lycra warriors" really care about being passed by someone with a motor in their bike just like they don't care about a car or motorbike going by, we climb hills for the achievement of doing it, there is only an issue if you start trying to get KOM on Strava using the ebike Sam Vimes' Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:
People are rich because they spend less money. A poor man buys $10 boots that last a season or two before he's walking in wet shoes and has to buy another pair. A rich man buys $50 boots that are made better and give him 10 years of dry feet. The poor man has spent $100 over those 10 years and still has wet feet.
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I don't think the "lycra warriors" really care about being passed by someone with a motor in their bike just like they don't care about a car or motorbike going by, we climb hills for the achievement of doing it, there is only an issue if you start trying to get KOM on Strava using the ebike
Shame Strava didn't exist when I lived near Holme Moss, the lycra warriors used to get very miffed when I blasted past them on a Raleigh Chopper made from pig iron. (I was much fitter back then)
Also didn't care what they thought recently I was far too busy enjoying myself in the Atlas mountains as they sweated out their "achievement". For me its a great innovation and will bring me back to the cycling fold, all the fun but without the dull bits.0 -
Shame Strava didn't exist when I lived near Holme Moss, the lycra warriors used to get very miffed when I blasted past them on a Raleigh Chopper made from pig iron. (I was much fitter back then)
Also didn't care what they thought recently I was far too busy enjoying myself in the Atlas mountains as they sweated out their "achievement". For me its a great innovation and will bring me back to the cycling fold, all the fun but without the dull bits.
Oh I agree, getting people out is a good thing, I was just taking issue with you using the phrase "lycra warriors" and seeming to have a sense of achievement of beating people up hills because you have a motor, that's allSam Vimes' Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:
People are rich because they spend less money. A poor man buys $10 boots that last a season or two before he's walking in wet shoes and has to buy another pair. A rich man buys $50 boots that are made better and give him 10 years of dry feet. The poor man has spent $100 over those 10 years and still has wet feet.
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Shame Strava didn't exist when I lived near Holme Moss, the lycra warriors used to get very miffed when I blasted past them on a Raleigh Chopper made from pig iron. (I was much fitter back then)
Also didn't care what they thought recently I was far too busy enjoying myself in the Atlas mountains as they sweated out their "achievement". For me its a great innovation and will bring me back to the cycling fold, all the fun but without the dull bits.
Simple pleasures...
...destroyed when the alarm goes off... :whistle:Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.0
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