Feeling 40-45 years younger on my new bike.
I know BF has an Electric Bike sub-forum, but this post has more to do with age than the type of bike. About a month ago, I purchased a Pinarello Dyodo. It's a pedal-assist electric bike from the Pinarello family, (you only get a motor assist if you are pedaling, the harder one pedals, the more assist it provides). The frame is the same layup as the Prince and Dogma. Riding it, you can feel the pedigree. Same carbon quality as the Prince. The Dogma is the best and the highest quality, (and lightest).
Today, I rode a 50-miler, and this evening, I'm not totally exhausted or physically destroyed as I would be if using one of my older "analog" bikes. It dawned on me, around 40 miles into the ride, that I felt the power I used to have when I was in my 20s and 30s. When I wanted a burst of power to crest a little rise, the electric assist felt like the days of old when my body was young and strong, (I'm currently a few weeks shy of age 69).
The Dyodo has four assist modes, none, low, medium, and turbo. Today's half-century was mostly flat, but did have a few hills and a 15-mile stretch with a stiff headwind. Used all four power modes today. In heavy beach traffic, I went no assist as the speeds needed to be slow because of kids and dogs. With no assist, it just feels like a heavy bike. The low power assist mode is pretty worthless, but did use it some on pancake-flat stretches when there were other riders nearby. The middle power mode is the most useful and a good compromise between power usage and amount of assist. The turbo mode was most useful on the hills and into the headwind.
At times, it felt like I was "cheating", especially when I passed riders on "real" bikes and then left them in the dust. At least I wore my Velo Poseur/Charlatan kit today. That was appropriate.