I've been playing with the idea of buying an e-bike for almost two years. Saturday I finally caved and decided to lay out some big money. Been more than 10 years since I bought my last bike. Been eye-balling ebikes on the web for a long time. Came close to buying one last year but didn't quite have the money. Currently I have a MTB bike and a hybrid / flat bar road set-up.
For me owning an ebike is about peace of mind. I just can't do the type of riding that I used to do. Now if I could lose 40 lbs that might change but so far that ain't happening. I turned 64 back in March. I wanted an ebike for two reasons; one...I now may be able to commute to work on a bike. No showers at work so I don't want to arrive all sweaty not to mention at the end of the day the road home has me climbing one of he steepest hills in the area. Last time I climbed that hill on my triple road setup I had to stop 4 or 5 times just so my heart wouldn't blow a gasket. Then after a short reprieve I then have to climb a more moderate but longer hill. With my ever waning energy levels no way was I going to commute to work on a regular bike. Second reason; With my ever worsening health as I get older, I still want to be able to do some rides that are longer than twenty miles and not worry about killing myself when I start to do the hills.
I could of bought something cheap on the internet but decided to give the LBS my business. Besides if something goes wrong with this bike I want to be able to have it serviced where I bought it.
I chose the Trek Conduit. Looks like a very nifty ebike. Trek only sells ebikes that "power assist" so there is no throttle or option to just sit and ride without pedaling. You still have to pedal to make it go. Mine has three levels of assist., eco, moderate and high. I ended up doing two rides today although I had to cut the second short due to some rain moving in. No doubt the motorized assist is a game changer. I've got 10 gears and three assist levels. The funny thing is the new bike looks almost like my current road setup.
Anyway, today was my initial day with the Conduit. So far I'm very impressed. First thing I did was test it on a fairly steep hill. Never broke a sweat or had to do any heavy breathing. On eco-mode it is suppose to have a range near 50 miles. High mode is listed at about 37 miles. Since my commute is only 12 miles one way a 24 mile round trip should not be a problem. Now the only problem I have now is getting the bike setup with some type of saddle bags so I can carry work clothes, shoes and other stuff to work...not to mention rain gear if it decides to rain after I get off work. Also need a good bike lock. I'm hoping my boss will let me park the bike inside the office and let me lock it there. I really don't want to leave it outside while I'm away from the office and in my work vehicle.
So far I really like the bike. Interestingly Trek designed the frame to include a front light on the head tube and two little red rear lights at the very end of the chain stays. I already own a plethora of bike light stuff but that little front light does a half decent job. Not as good as my Raveman's but nice to know it's there if I need it. Yep, now I have to also figure out what accessories I need. I'm contemplating buying a good suspension seat post but I'm also very fond of the Thomson set-back seat posts which I have on my other two bikes. I'll need to think that over a bit before I decide to buy something else. ..FWIW...a stock photo below of he Trek Conduit. I'll include a photo of mine once I get it all dialed in.
