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If you could afford an e-bike, would it be your "go to" commuter?

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If you could afford an e-bike, would it be your "go to" commuter?

Old 10-25-15, 10:02 PM
  #126  
jgadamski
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Folks do what works best for them. I don't believe an e-bike is the be-all, end-all decision in whether one would commute by bike, or use a bike as transportation in any sense. It is, I believe, a metric of desire,professional image, safe facilities, efficiency, perception, status, the number of cute members of the opposite sex also commuting, and the quality of bakeries and coffee shops on the route. This is MY list. Others list may vary, My point is that the e-bike, in and of itself would probably not be the deciding factor.
There IS an ebike store on my commute.. I peeked in once, but for me, it is of little interest. That could change of course. It is an option.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:04 PM
  #127  
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Originally Posted by Dacino3
3. Environment- A My E-Bike will use about 5% the energy my car does. An electric bike does use energy, but way less than a car designed to transport 5 people at 55 mph. The EPA estimates that one gallon of gasoline is equal to 33.7 kWh of electricity. My E-bike will use about 2 kWh to make the 40 mile trip.
I doubt your e-bike would take even 600Wh for the roundtrip which would cost under 10c.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:30 PM
  #128  
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I don't have a drivers license & my commute went from 4 miles round trip to 33 miles roundtrip when the job moved so an ebike was my go to solution because I didn't feel like I could do this commute everyday year round. I did go back to my regular 32mm 700c cx bike this summer & found out that doing this commute 5 days a week was quite doable, but will likely stick with the ebike for winter if it's not mild in Chicago this year because I do not see being able to to this commute everyday on a mountain bike with studded tires like I did when it was only 2 miles each way.

My $1900 bionx equipped bike has over 6000 miles on it now through 8-9 months of use & has been fairly reliable with only the freewheel & chain needing to be replaced so far (charger too, but due to being carried on bike through rough roads causing mechanical failure of solder joints). If my garmin 305 GPS HRM is correct I burn over 800 calories through the 16.5 miles oneway.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:43 PM
  #129  
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Originally Posted by InTheRain
It's the rider's option. I can ride a my carbon fiber road bike on my commute or I can ride my wife's hybrid. The road bike minimizes the amount of work between the two bikes, however, I would choose the road bike each and every time over the hybrid. It definitely has more appeal than riding a hybrid. Would that be considered cheating?
My primary commuter weighs almost 70 lbs when fully loaded, I have a 1/4 mile 12% grade to climb in the am, and a mile long 15% grade to climb in the pm.

IMO everyone riding a lightweight road bike is cheating too.








Well.....not really.....long steep hills are work even on my light bikes.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:44 PM
  #130  
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Originally Posted by InTheRain
There are plenty of folks on the commuting forum that are looking for lighter bikes, looking to carry less, go faster... all looking to minimize the work of riding on their commute. I've done it myself. It's rare that I see a lot of posts where someone is looking to make the work harder. Most people aren't looking for a heavier bike or heavier load for their commute. If that's the case, I don't think you'll find many bikes that have the option of making your work harder than you imagined... but an e-bike can do that. It will weigh between 45-70 lbs. Just turn the motor off... or put it into regen mode and it will feel like your riding with your road bike with the brakes nearly locked up. On an e-bike, it's the rider that decides how much "work" he wants to do... not the bike.

It's the rider's option. I can ride a my carbon fiber road bike on my commute or I can ride my wife's hybrid. The road bike minimizes the amount of work between the two bikes, however, I would choose the road bike each and every time over the hybrid. It definitely has more appeal than riding a hybrid. Would that be considered cheating?
I like a fast bike. If I had a carbon fiber time trial bike, you can bet I'd commute on it at least once in awhile. While I don't currently own something like that, I do have a road bike, a fixie, and my winter bike which is sort of an urban, rigid framed 29er. The road bike is the fastest but it has not been my first choice for commuting in the last couple of years. My first choice is the fixie. It's the cheapest, ugliest, and oldest bike I own. It's also the most fun, and while not the fastest, it is fast enough.

Fitness is one reason I commute by bike. I realize that I could get more of a workout with a slower bike, but I want to be rewarded with speed for hard work, and I want the speed to come as a result of my hard work, not the work of a motor. I'm also not interested in working harder in order to charge a battery and I don't want to get a harder workout by carrying some extra dead weight (a battery and motor that I've switched off).

For a long time, I just never understood the appeal of fixed gears and single speeds. I thought they were just a weird fad. My feeling was that a geared bike allowed you to ride in a single gear if that's what you really wanted, so why not just use a bike with gears and give yourself the choice? The answer is that it's not the same.

Now, I'm not trying to convince anybody they should be riding fixed. However, you need to realize that people do make that choice, so obviously for a whole bunch of people, choosing the ideal commuting bike isn't just about the cost, the speed, or getting from A to B with the least amount of effort.

You asked the question, "If you could afford an e-bike, would it be your go to commuter?" For a lot of people the answer might be yes, but for a lot it is "no". That should be OK, right? Why is it so hard for you to accept?

Last edited by tjspiel; 10-25-15 at 10:57 PM.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:51 PM
  #131  
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
Fitness is one reason I commute by bike. I realize that I could get more of a workout with a slower bike, but I want to be rewarded with speed for my hard work, and I want the speed to come as a result of my hard work, not the work of a motor.
Is it safe to assume your job isn't physically demanding? If so, do you think your outlook would be different if it was?
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Old 10-25-15, 10:53 PM
  #132  
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Originally Posted by kickstart
My primary commuter weighs almost 70 lbs when fully loaded
What are you carrying to work? I feel heavy when I add a 4 lb laptop yo my backpack.
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Old 10-25-15, 10:58 PM
  #133  
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Originally Posted by InTheRain
There are plenty of folks on the commuting forum that are looking for lighter bikes, looking to carry less, go faster... all looking to minimize the work of riding on their commute. I've done it myself. It's rare that I see a lot of posts where someone is looking to make the work harder. Most people aren't looking for a heavier bike or heavier load for their commute. If that's the case, I don't think you'll find many bikes that have the option of making your work harder than you imagined... but an e-bike can do that. It will weigh between 45-70 lbs. Just turn the motor off... or put it into regen mode and it will feel like your riding with your road bike with the brakes nearly locked up. On an e-bike, it's the rider that decides how much "work" he wants to do... not the bike.

It's the rider's option. I can ride a my carbon fiber road bike on my commute or I can ride my wife's hybrid. The road bike minimizes the amount of work between the two bikes, however, I would choose the road bike each and every time over the hybrid. It definitely has more appeal than riding a hybrid. Would that be considered cheating?
I don't understand this fixation with cheating. I have not used that term; why do you?
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Old 10-25-15, 11:12 PM
  #134  
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Originally Posted by kickstart
Is it safe to assume your job isn't physically demanding? If so, do you think your outlook would be different if it was?
It is a safe assumption and yes, my outlook might be much different if my work was physically demanding. It might also be different if my commute were much more difficult or if I had a bad knee. So I'm not knocking e-bikes. Just explaining why cost isn't the reason I don't use one, - which was the question that was originally asked.

I also recognize that a traditional bike is a pretty marginal form of transportation in the winters we get and that a velomobile type thing with e-assist might appeal to a lot more people (but cost would definitely be a problem).
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Old 10-25-15, 11:14 PM
  #135  
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Originally Posted by gregf83
What are you carrying to work? I feel heavy when I add a 4 lb laptop yo my backpack.
My Dutch bike weighs a little under 60 lbs as equipped with front and rear heavy duty racks, rear centerstand, IGH, dyno lights and hub, frame lock, adjustable stem, spring seat, rollerbrakes, frame pump, ding-dong bell, flashing rack light, Schwalbe marathon plus tires, campus pedals, ergon grips, computer, mudflaps, chaincase, heavy duty stainless steel rims with 13 gauge spokes, parcel rack on rear rack with bungee net, sometimes a folding crate for the front rack if shopping.

In a large seat bag I carry a tube repair kit, spare tube, pressure gauge, 3 tire levers, small crescent wrench, small allen wrench set, 8, 10, 13, 15mm wrenches, double tip screwdriver, plug in chain for frame lock, water bottle, rain pants, backup battery light, wool cycling cap, hand wipes, spare bungee cords.

In my work bag which is a 24l Ortlieb rack pack, I carry a insulated soft cooler with the days food in it, wallet, phone, high-viz vest, work shirt, extra socks,

I don't have anywhere at work to store things other than a basket in the break room, and even though I have a bid tractor, it can be taken by a road driver if needed for an indeterminate time, so leaving things at work is limited.

Last edited by kickstart; 10-25-15 at 11:41 PM.
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Old 10-25-15, 11:28 PM
  #136  
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
It is a safe assumption and yes, my outlook might be much different if my work was physically demanding. It might also be different if my commute were much more difficult or if I had a bad knee. So I'm not knocking e-bikes. Just explaining why cost isn't the reason I don't use one, - which was the question that was originally asked.

I also recognize that a traditional bike is a pretty marginal form of transportation in the winters we get and that a velomobile type thing with e-assist might appeal to a lot more people (but cost would definitely be a problem).
FWIW, my question was asked without ulterior motives. It just seems that in one of life's little ironies, those who could benefit the most from them, and those who can afford them often aren't the same.

Last edited by kickstart; 10-25-15 at 11:44 PM.
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Old 10-25-15, 11:39 PM
  #137  
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Originally Posted by caloso
I don't understand this fixation with cheating. I have not used that term; why do you?
Its a term consistently used in association with E-bikes, I doubt one can find a find a thread about E-bikes on BF outside the E-bike subforum where it isn't mentioned.
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Old 10-26-15, 06:37 AM
  #138  
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Forget the whiners !
I don't think they're sold in the US, but I tried those while in Europe:
Moustache Bikes - Saison 5 | samedi 28 Black

They're based on a Bosch system, pedal assist only, with a torque sensor. The system adds a certain %age of the torque you produce directly on the crank (something from 20% and 300% in believe). Riding around the Alps on one of those was awesome, and I could do it with friends who are not enough in shape to do it with a standard bike.

Apparently a ton of people use them for commuting, as you can get through difficult climbs without sweating too much.
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Old 10-26-15, 07:22 AM
  #139  
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The way I see it, most commuter fall into one of two categories: 1) bike enthusiasts who also happen to commute with their bikes and 2) those who use bike as a mean for commuting to work. For the first group, e-bike makes little sense and as for latter, e-bike would be one of the option. I happen to be in the first category.
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Old 10-26-15, 07:46 AM
  #140  
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Originally Posted by hyhuu
The way I see it, most commuter fall into one of two categories: 1) bike enthusiasts who also happen to commute with their bikes and 2) those who use bike as a mean for commuting to work. For the first group, e-bike makes little sense and as for latter, e-bike would be one of the option. I happen to be in the first category.
What about a third group: Those who use a bike as a means for commuting to work, and found that they liked it, and then got more into cycling and became enthusiasts.

Well, for full disclosure, I was an enthusiast some 25 years ago. So perhaps born-again enthusiast would be a more apt descriptor.
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Old 10-26-15, 07:58 AM
  #141  
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Originally Posted by hyhuu
The way I see it, most commuter fall into one of two categories: 1) bike enthusiasts who also happen to commute with their bikes and 2) those who use bike as a mean for commuting to work. For the first group, e-bike makes little sense and as for latter, e-bike would be one of the option. I happen to be in the first category.
I'm also in the first group but I end up spending about 10 1/2 hrs/wk commuting and not a lot of energy left for riding on the weekend. I'd prefer to cut my weekday riding down to about 8 hrs or so and the only way to do is to not ride every day or get some assistance.
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Old 10-26-15, 08:08 AM
  #142  
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Originally Posted by InTheRain
There are plenty of folks on the commuting forum that are looking for lighter bikes, looking to carry less, go faster... all looking to minimize the work of riding on their commute. I've done it myself. It's rare that I see a lot of posts where someone is looking to make the work harder. Most people aren't looking for a heavier bike or heavier load for their commute. If that's the case, I don't think you'll find many bikes that have the option of making your work harder than you imagined... but an e-bike can do that. It will weigh between 45-70 lbs. Just turn the motor off... or put it into regen mode and it will feel like your riding with your road bike with the brakes nearly locked up. On an e-bike, it's the rider that decides how much "work" he wants to do... not the bike.

It's the rider's option. I can ride a my carbon fiber road bike on my commute or I can ride my wife's hybrid. The road bike minimizes the amount of work between the two bikes, however, I would choose the road bike each and every time over the hybrid. It definitely has more appeal than riding a hybrid. Would that be considered cheating?
Yes to the original OP's question.

InTheRain hits on something I have thought of often, and that is the fitness aspect of riding a bike. I have spent many thousands of dollars "upgrading" my bikes over the years so I could go faster and longer with less effort. I do not compete in races, etc. So, I felt that was a way to allow me to enjoy riding more, but when I was "training" I did suffer a lot (very stressful workouts). What gives with that? On that same note, why would someone put aero bars on their bike for training (as just one example)? Wouldn't it be best to ride a Huffy for training and then ride the 18 pound aero bar bike for the tri?

I think we are very confused in the US, and are often times in "competition" mode - even though we have no intention to compete. I just enjoy the riding more now, even though I am on a Big Dummy with pedal assist, or my Mezzo, or my Velo Orange while wearing cotton shorts and a button up shirt - no more jerseys.
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Old 10-26-15, 08:34 AM
  #143  
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No, it wouldn't be better. If you turn up to a TT or triathlon without having spent anytime training in the aero position, you will not have a good day. It's not just how many watts can you push; it's how many watts can you push in the aero position. You have to spend time on your TT bike and for many racers, there are only so many riding opportunities during the week. Which means that they will occasionally ride the TT bike to work.
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Old 10-26-15, 09:08 AM
  #144  
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Originally Posted by Ridefreemc
Yes to the original OP's question.

InTheRain hits on something I have thought of often, and that is the fitness aspect of riding a bike. I have spent many thousands of dollars "upgrading" my bikes over the years so I could go faster and longer with less effort. I do not compete in races, etc. So, I felt that was a way to allow me to enjoy riding more, but when I was "training" I did suffer a lot (very stressful workouts). What gives with that? On that same note, why would someone put aero bars on their bike for training (as just one example)? Wouldn't it be best to ride a Huffy for training and then ride the 18 pound aero bar bike for the tri?

I think we are very confused in the US, and are often times in "competition" mode - even though we have no intention to compete. I just enjoy the riding more now, even though I am on a Big Dummy with pedal assist, or my Mezzo, or my Velo Orange while wearing cotton shorts and a button up shirt - no more jerseys.
Originally Posted by caloso
No, it wouldn't be better. If you turn up to a TT or triathlon without having spent anytime training in the aero position, you will not have a good day. It's not just how many watts can you push; it's how many watts can you push in the aero position. You have to spend time on your TT bike and for many racers, there are only so many riding opportunities during the week. Which means that they will occasionally ride the TT bike to work.
Caloso's reasons are very valid but another one for me is that if training and exercise were pure misery, I'd likely not do it very much. Being able to go faster with the same effort makes it more enjoyable. I typically worker harder on my faster bikes for that reason.

However, pedal assist is using a hyrbrid form of power and that's not something that interests me for my current commute.
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Old 10-26-15, 09:15 AM
  #145  
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Originally Posted by caloso
No, it wouldn't be better. If you turn up to a TT or triathlon without having spent anytime training in the aero position, you will not have a good day. It's not just how many watts can you push; it's how many watts can you push in the aero position. You have to spend time on your TT bike and for many racers, there are only so many riding opportunities during the week. Which means that they will occasionally ride the TT bike to work.
Just to play devil's advocate, I think one could make an analogy between a mildly-powered road bike and old-school derny training, where you practiced higher-speed riding than you could ordinarily do for very long. Not that I'm itching to buy an e-bike either, but the thought has occurred to me.
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Old 10-26-15, 09:23 AM
  #146  
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For several years living in San Diego I commuted about 18 miles each way to work on my bike (I am retired now, so no longer commuting). At work was lucky enough to have a shower facility and could store professional style attire in my office. 18 miles got me good and sweaty (some good hills along the way). If I didn't have a shower available really couldn't have done this riding my bike. If I had to commute in wearing my work clothes an e-bike would have been a good solution, where I could keep my HR down, sweat less, but still get some exercise and get to work in a reasonable amount of time.

So much would depend on work conditions (what you where, can you shower, OK to smell, secure parking etc) and route you take, distance etc. I can see e-bike make sense in some cases, but not make sense in many more.
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Old 10-26-15, 09:25 AM
  #147  
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i could afford an e-bike, but my commute is so short (5 miles one-way) and so flat (chicago), that riding a regular old bike seems to work just fine for me.

i like being my own power. it's the same reason why i own a kayak and not a speed boat. i could afford a small speed boat, but kayaking is simply way cooler in my opinion. i have more fun doing it.

that said, were my commuting circumstances different, i might consider an e-bike as an option.
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Old 10-26-15, 11:21 AM
  #148  
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Originally Posted by caloso
No, it wouldn't be better. If you turn up to a TT or triathlon without having spent anytime training in the aero position, you will not have a good day. It's not just how many watts can you push; it's how many watts can you push in the aero position. You have to spend time on your TT bike and for many racers, there are only so many riding opportunities during the week. Which means that they will occasionally ride the TT bike to work.
I get that, but then how about putting on heavier tires with lower pressure? Or wear a floppy shirt? The aero bars were just an illustration of my point/question.
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Old 10-26-15, 12:32 PM
  #149  
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Originally Posted by loky1179
I've been passed by e-bikes on the MUP. Guess what - I can tell there're e-bikes in about 2 seconds. And it pisses me off. Not because they're going faster than me - but because they're riding a MOTORIZED vehicle on the bike trail! You want to ride a motorized vehicle - get on the road.

This seems to me to be the main attraction for e-bikes - to be able to ride them on infrastructure built for bicycles. And since there are very few e-bikes out there, the rules haven't caught up to them in many cases.

If you want exercise, you'd be riding a normal bike. If you want speed and convenience, you'd get a scooter, motorcycle or automobile. The e-bike seems like a solution in search of a problem.
In my state and local community, e-bikes that meet a specific criteria are classified as bicycles... the same as your road bike and a bike with 20" wheels. The bike trails and bike lanes were built specifically for all bicycles... not just the one that you choose to ride. If I wanted really hard exercise I'd ride my 50+ lbs e-bike in regen mode and burn about 1500 calories per hour doing it. However, my e-bike is for commuting... not necessarily exercise. I have a scooter. I have an automobile. I have an e-bike. I have a road bike.
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Old 10-26-15, 12:39 PM
  #150  
AlmostTrick
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Originally Posted by caloso
No, it wouldn't be better. If you turn up to a TT or triathlon without having spent anytime training in the aero position, you will not have a good day. It's not just how many watts can you push; it's how many watts can you push in the aero position.
As we've already seen in this thread, e-assist bikes with drop bars are available. It would not be difficult to set one of these bikes up in an aero position very similar to the TT bike.
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