I've just taken advantage of the UK Cycle to work scheme to get a e-bike. Giant explore E +2 GTS. Hopefully should arrive next week.
My journey to the office was always just a little too far but the ebike should give that extra boost to make it doable in terms of both effort and time.
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What motor?Originally Posted by Rob s
I've just taken advantage of the UK Cycle to work scheme to get a e-bike. Giant explore E +2 GTS. Hopefully should arrive next week.
My journey to the office was always just a little too far but the ebike should give that extra boost to make it doable in terms of both effort and time.
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It's the Giant SyncDrive Sport 70Nm model
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Nice looking bike china, pick this up next weekend. Would never have considered an emtb till my girlfriend got one the other month, lazy has always crossed my mind but you can actually put in as much or little as you want and still have a good physical workout
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I saw a sign in a bike shop recently asking about eBikes being cheating. It then pointed out that this is usualy said by people who drive to the supermarket!
Good practical looking machine.
After a long day, when it’s *issing down, and there’s a headwind, you will be glad of it. Especially the headwind, when they excel and pushing you through.
That's a great looking bike too! I've noticed that I get a similar average heart rate with the e-mtb, higher cadence too, but I use less power as the bike assists.Nice looking bike china, pick this up next weekend. Would never have considered an emtb till my girlfriend got one the other month, lazy has always crossed my mind but you can actually put in as much or little as you want and still have a good physical workout
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That too looks great! I considered the M-Team LTD too, but got the M-Team spec bike quicker. I've not had any issues with the battery in the cold (it's worked even at -10), but I've not really ridden super long rides due to the cold temperatures. ;) I don't think the battery will be an issue for me anyway, I like riding the eco and trail modes and pushing myself too. Two hours ride usually leaves me with 60% in the battery.I've got the M-team LTD which with the Vittoria tyres is probably lighter still. Although less power, I've no problem keeping up with people on full-fat MTBs. I've noticed a reduction is range over the winter months, so guess even more so for you in Finland?
Gratuitous photo -
Yes, really looking forward to getting out there more regular, I know its worked wonders for my partner, she loves her new lease of life :)
eBikes aren't cheating. People are just becoming confused. Using eBikes is motor cycling. Cycling is a human making a bicycle move with his/her body.
F.T.F.A.
…only if the ride goes on Strava….but I lose plenty of KoMs to car drivers as well
That reminds me of the time I was riding from Braemar to Aberdeen on my overloaded touring bike. It’s almost flat for most of the trip, and only 60 miles, but I was really bored with the ride so I stopped along the way and put the bike in the luggage part of the coach that was running on the bus route that day. I completely forgot to turn off my GPS, and the bike being in what is practically a tin tube on wheels, I assumed that it wouldn’t have recorded the trip when I uploaded the ride to Strava. It was soon that I got a message from Strava to complain that I had been doing 30mph along the part of the route where I was in the coach, and I was asked to edit the ride.
Well I’ve been out hooning around the local woods on this, got the suspension set nearly right, little bit more work to do on the forks but what a machine. The capability of these long travel enduro bikes is insane. It rides down hill like my old DH race bike with 8 inches of travel but comes back up the hill like a hard tail. Love it.
50 years ago after finishing our O'Levels my mate and I cycled from Shropshire to Harwich and took the ferry to Holland. We had a great adventure on The Continent (as we knew it then). I've barely sat on a bike since but to mark the trip from half a century ago, we're planning a week long cycling holiday in Suffolk and Norfolk this summer. I bought this lovely Reynolds 725 steel framed beauty today - I think it will do nicely :)
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That looks like a nice machine. Recent upgrades re brake / shifters. Relaxed fork angle just the thing for all day comfort on bumpy roads. Two items I would check, the tyres and the brakes. Just make sure they are in good condition before you start your training for the holiday.50 years ago after finishing our O'Levels my mate and I cycled from Shropshire to Harwich and took the ferry to Holland. We had a great adventure on The Continent (as we knew it then). I've barely sat on a bike since but to mark the trip from half a century ago, we're planning a week long cycling holiday in Suffolk and Norfolk this summer. I bought this lovely Reynolds 725 steel framed beauty today - I think it will do nicely :)
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Ps I would reposition the bottom bottle holder unless you are going to use it as a tool bottle. Mucho muck will surely get down there as you traverse picturesque farmyards :)
Last edited by higham5; 15th March 2022 at 18:28.
Slack doesn’t even begin to describe that! I bet it smashes the downhills.
Last edited by higham5; 15th March 2022 at 18:38.
Thanks H5 - it's actually a new bike, made up from parts. I took it out earlier and it's all working well - the brakes aren't as sharp as I imagine discs would be, but I didn't want the strengthened forks associated with discs. I totally agree about the lower bottle - I'll take it off in the morning. I liked the idea of a single front cog but realise that three will suit my fitness level much better! Brifters are new to me but they work well - hopefully they will stay like that because fiddling with them is way beyond my ability. All in all I think I was lucky to find something that matched my wishlist so well.
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Just getting the machine prepped for its first outing of the year (been only road biking so far).
We are are all spoilt by disks, I have them on my gravel bike and mountain bike ( Hope 4 piston) so you can imagine the feel I get when I go back to rim brakes on my carbon in summer! It certainly takes some getting used to especially on long muddy/ gritty descents
I certainly dont fiddle with the new gen shifter brake levers I find a quick squirt of GT85 keeps them sweet
I would stick with triple for this season and look to upgrade when time allows. Panniers bar bags will add some weight, especially on long drags. You may be glad of that little ring.
It feels bottomless and the forks were way oversprung to start with so I’ve played around with the air pressure and compression(s) a bit and can’t wait to get back out on it. I’ve got a rekindled love for it 👍🏻
Very wet and very muddy but a great time at Whinlatter this morning. Road bike tomorrow:
e-bikes are cheating. And yes I do drive to the supermarket! There's only so much you can get into a backpack.
Cheating implies there must be someone else "cheated." Unless there is a competition involved, I fail to see how riding an ebike is "cheating" anyone.
Personally, I ride my GoCycle because pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema prevent me from riding a traditional bike to get exercise.
Plus...I'm 75 years old with a hip replacement, a knee that's scheduled for replacing, and coronary artery disease. Other than that, I'm in perfect health!
Last edited by pacifichrono; 16th March 2022 at 19:50.
Ebikes are great IMO, in the sense that they get people cycling.
eBikes are to be encouraged ... anyone on a bike is a person not in a car ... ebikes could really change commuting habits for many.
With the price of fuel ebikes could play a big part in our nations transport habits.
I know a couple of good die hard cyclists who are very fit for the age (70s) but really struggle on the hills now ... I keep trying to get them on a high end road eBike but they just can't get their heads around this "cheating" concept which just seems daft ... if they buy an ebike they can sit in the group on the flats and get a bit of help on the hills and then still enjoy a group ride with younger riders. As it stands they drill themselves into the ground and struggle ... ebike for me one day.
You can go every day like I do, although I am only shopping for one admittedly, or buy and fit panniers or get a bigger backpack!! Excuses are easier though in my experience. I work with people who won't walk the 400 yards from the office to the supermarket for a bag of shopping.
As an eBike owner (Moulton TSR8) I would be the first to admit that they get you out on a bike for longer and easier rides, but when I then hop on one of the other un-assisted bikes (Thorn eXp (14), Moulton ABP (21) LR, Tern Verge (21), Strida SX (1), Moulton Mk2 (4) - number of gears in brackets), I really notice how hard the climbs are, but the 18 mile ride to work just kills me now that I am in my 60s. Bear in mind that we have got the added winds of this remote archipeligo and I have a self inflicted lung disorder.
I also have to smile at the poster that says "You're not stuck in traffic, you are traffic".
This is a cycling thread but we don’t mind Motor Cyclists
RIAC
I think eBikes are a great thing, if it means people, who would struggle with a normal bike, can still get out and about then what's not to like. Don't get this whole "eBikes are cheating" thing. I'll be selling my road and mountain bikes when the legs and lungs have finally had enough and be buying electric.
That summarises it spot on for me
Quite a collection. I used to have an APB 21. Sold it to a guy in Japan.
The Japanese seem to love the Moultons and pay silly money for them. I have only once used the separable nature of the Moulton (although it was my TSR30), but it is impractical unless you are putting it in a car boot. I do enjoy the wide gear range of the APB21. The combination of hub and derailleur gears is only one step from the perfection of hub gears to my mind, and preferably Rohloff, although I have been tempted by Pinion before.
I must admit that I almost went over to Brompton whilst I was away on the mainland. I was looking at a new flame lacquer, C Line, mid height handlebar, 6 speed Explore. They would be great for taking on the buses, but there is nothing like a large wheeled bike for riding comfort, which is why my Thorn gets ridden more than any of the other non-assisted bikes. Moulton like to boast the quick acceleration of small wheels, but they don't mention the pothole discomfort!
An eBike has enabled a couple I know to enjoy long (eg 30 miles) bike trips that simply wouldn't have happened before. He is a keen cyclist and his wife could not keep up with him (or slowing down so much took the pleasure out of the ride for him). Now she has an eBike and they can go at a pace that works for both of them. Job done!
This sums my wife and I up. Earlier this week my wife accompanied myself and a friend on a 38 mile route with 2500 ft of climbing. She did this on her e bike and enjoyed and rode the entire route. 18 months ago, on her conventional bike she would do 25 mile max and dread the last 5/8 miles knowing how tough ( we live on a hill) it would be. Since April 21 to Dec21 she did 1200 enjoyable miles with either me or solo.
E bikes are liberators and really bring the enjoyment back to occasional cyclists. Ironically its long flat sections that give my wife the greatest workout. Since on her bike ( Specialized Vado 15kg SL) the moto tapers at 15.5 mph. So if we are bumbling along at 16/18 she is pedalling a bike not far of twice my carbon bike weight.
I no longer have an ebike (have had 4) but that really is a lazy, unqualified statement. Sorry but it is. They have a large number of use cases.
ebikes got me back out on the road and increased my fitness. I now have a non eMTB and had I not had the ebike I wouldn't be in the position i am now. I used an ebike for areas I used to struggle (hills) but to build my fitness and strength. I can now do those hills. My last ebike was 22kg (specialized) and I rode it in eco or off mode. Riding something that heavy counteracts the argument as you have to work harder quite a lot of the time. Last year I did c2c on my carbon mtb - again had I not had an ebike to help me develop, I'd not have done that.
ebikes are growing in usage, popularity and fulfil a great need for many people. Many professional riders are now using them
Glad I provoked a bit of discussion, anyway.
Let me see if I can quality my remark, a bit.
For some, cycling is about speed and improving personal bests over particular stretches of road. For me and no doubt many others it's about the distance - over a month, a year, or a single day. In that light, using a motor would certainly be cheating. Although I doubt an e-bike would be useful on a 150+ mile ride; I assume the weight of the motor would be a hindrance once the batteries have given their all.
But the real point of my comment was that it's reasonable to hold the view, even if in a strictly personal sense, that e-bikes are "cheating" - while preferring a motor vehicle to go to Tesco and back.
I bet it is less than 1% of non-assisted bikes that are doing 150 mile days. I considered myself a keen touring cyclist, with a a very heavy touring (expedition bike) very heavily loaded I was only doing 75 miles a day.
I see you prefer to drive to the supermarket whereas I cheat when I am riding an e-bike to a supermarket
This statement makes no sense whatsoever.
I always find it funny that e-bikers (Motor Cyclists) say things like ‘well I wouldnt be able to ride as far or fast on a normal bike’
Well guess what ‘yes you could’ if you got a bit fitter by not using assistance and you might feel a far greater sense of achievement and not have to worry about flat batteries and heavy bikes.
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RIAC
The real world is waiting. Whenever you’re ready.
Well my ebike arrive today and after a quick set up I went out and loved it. Maybe its not for everyone but what is, if it works for you then do it.
I'm sure I'll be using it a lot more than my normal bike as I can cover distance quicker which means a cycle to the gym or the shops or work is now possible.
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I’m not sure what the real world is but if the real world is convincing a man that he is faster and stronger than he actually is I don’t wanna live in it
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RIAC
I don't think anyone is so deluded they are comparing themselves on an ebike to their normal road bike times/distances.
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Exactly. They get people out riding who otherwise wouldn't. Research has shown (as far as I remember) that ebikers ride far greater distances than they otherwise would do.
How can anyone object to that?
As I have said, I have ridden to work by unassisted bike and I felt "fatigued" by the time I got there. It's only 18 miles, but I find it hard as I am against a deadline. I desperately need a shower and a sit down for half an hour before I go into work. On the eBike I arrive in feeling OK. No shower needed, just a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits.
I really don't understand the judgementalism against eBiking. One less car one the road is one less in the traffic jam. An eBike is just a labour saving tool, much like a washing machine. I don't expect many of the anti eBike crowd are doing the weekly wash by hand, but isn't washing machine usage cheating by their standards? I think that they are probably peeved because they have gone to all that trouble shaving their legs, learning the meaning to words like bidon, measuring everything to be put into Strava so that they can show their mates how close they are to being a pro, slapping a pletora of creams on their crotch and shovelling themselves into lycra body suit, only to be overtaken on a hill by some granny on her eBrompton.
You were doing OK until the second half of the last paragraph.
I’m certain that I’d be a LOT slower on an ebike than on my road bike. Unless the ebike was chipped.
Edit: my best time for 100 miles on a non-ebike is 3:32:58, ave speed 28.2mph
Last edited by trident-7; 17th March 2022 at 21:37.
I guess it all depends on the route and your average speed at the moment since the assistance stops at 15mph. At that point your just on a heavy bike. If you spend most your time above that as you are then yes you'll probably be slower overall.
Might arrive at your destination less tired though which for some might be important if you have a full day of work ahead and a return cycle.
I couldn't even imagine going a 100miles at any speed so well done
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Definitely not recommended if you want to arrive fresh at your destination :-)I guess it all depends on the route and your average speed at the moment since the assistance stops at 15mph. At that point your just on a heavy bike. If you spend most your time above that as you are then yes you'll probably be slower overall.
Might arrive at your destination less tired though which for some might be important if you have a full day of work ahead and a return cycle.
I couldn't even imagine going a 100miles at any speed so well done
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You would be very surprised, ive lost 11 KOM’s in last 2 years all to ebikes, I drink with ebikers who come in bragging of how many miles they have done and dont get me started on facebook posts about a ‘great day MTBing’. Thats like riding a moped and thinking youve done a track day.
I get ebikes totally, they create the ability to ride beyond physical capability, but they are motor cycles not bicycles.
I ride to add life to my days not days to my life and I love the feeling as its all self generated. I have to grind that hill and create the watts to cover the distance at speed and I even feel guilty with wind behind me.
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RIAC
People brag about all sorts. So long as they've had a good day out on a bike, who cares?
I have lost a KOM or two to a moped or car. It's not like they've cheated to win a race so somehow I've got over it. Really, it doesn't matter. Worry about you, not everyone else. If they are chuffed with what they've done why put a downer on it?
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