Bikewolf

Imagine you’re so lucky to have one regular ‘classic’ bike, and an ebike at your disposal. You them both :-)

Now... You wake up, and begin the ritual of choosing your bike for commuting.

What makes you grab the ebike today?

Is it a particular type of weather that makes you pick the ebike? Or, perhaps it’s about how you feel that morning? Random choice? ...

Joe Remi

I have a very nice lugged steel regular bike and two ebikes. I always pick an ebike.

linberl

I've only one bike, my Bike Friday, but I swap out the front wheel when I want motor power. Since I ride for exercise and transport, I only put the hub motor on when I know I am going to be climbing hills on my route. My knee no longer quietly revolves as I pedal - it b1tches and moans when I have more than a "rolling" hill. I've also been known to pop the motor on when I make a big Costco run on the bike; 50 pounds of groceries in a headwind just sucks. Other than that, I ride with the regular wheel. I actually can go faster than the motor when I ride unencumbered.

allan6344

Ebike for the commute. Road bike for the weekend rides. When I was just commuting on the road bike I was not motivated to ride on the weekends.

Robert C

What most here are saying, for commuting. As far as weather, heavy wind. That is why I got the e-bike in the first place. I was commuting in heavy wind and was about to give up and get a car. I decided to get an e-bike instead.

Joe Remi

To be more specific about my riding, both ebikes are pedelec mid-drives. My folding bike from Luna Cycles is light enough to pedal without assist, so I vary between several levels from 0 to 5, with occasional jabs at the throttle. This gets me through nice recreational​ rides in my very hilly neighborhood​ with a decent aerobic workout, but I don't have to do the really tough climbs unassisted if I don't feel like it. I ride a lot more now that I have these options.

slomoshun

HILLS. If I have to ride a lot of hills, electric power-assist rules.

If there is time to ride around the hills, or there is a MUP, I prefer a lighter weight standard bike. Except for hills, pedaling everywhere is easier than walking.

350htrr

I only have the one bicycle, but the reason I use the E-assist is for hills and fun... I usually ride my bike without assist on flat ground or when the wind is at my back, even pedal DOWN hills to use max re-gen, but use level 1 assist going into the wind and or when I want to go faster...

2702

I only have one bike my ebike. I like not having to sweat, change to bike clothes. Its great to ride in jeans and not sweat at all.

kickstart

E-bike for transportation when time, destination, and load dictate my choices.

Regular bike for recreation when I'm free to choose according to mood, and desire.

dozen_bullets

It's fun!

northtexas

I have a 23 LB Trek FX and a 50 LB ebike so I usually choose my Trek because it's so much easier to load in the back of my SUV and only ride the ebike when winds are 25+ mph.

PatrickGSR94

My utility e-bike happens to be my most comfortable bike. It's steel frame and set up to be upright riding, with Dutch-inspired features like a double kickstand and steering stabilizer spring. My other bikes are an aluminum/carbon road bike set up for commuting, and an aluminum 90's MTB converted to all rigid.

I initially started commuting 2 days a week on the road bike, and then used the utility bike on weekends for grocery runs or just tooling around town to the bike shop, relatives' houses, pulling kid, etc. I physically can't handle more than 2 days a week commuting 31 hilly miles round trip on the road bike, so by converting the utility bike to e-assist, I can now supplement my road bike commuting with the e-bike, and also do grocery runs and pull my son much easier than before. Basically I can now use my car even less than before, which was one of my goals for doing the e-bike conversion.

NoPhart

What makes you (want to) grab the ebike?

Escape, adventure, and simply getting out of the house; out from in front of a TV or digital screen of any kind. The desire to experience real life and nature as it is meant to be experienced. Get the blood flowing...

Bikewolf

Some of you guys also grab your ebike in winter?

PatrickGSR94

I probably will, if my battery can handle the round trip to work. When it's below freezing my toes start to feel frozen after about 45 minutes, so the faster I can get to work the better.

Robert C

I kid you not, yesterday is was snowing and the wind speed at a steady 44mph with sustained gusts to 59mph. I had to go to the office. Yes, I rode my e-bike.

NoPhart

My daily driver got rear ended recently on the freeway. The E-bike is now my "go to" commuter for anything that doesn't require passengers or hauling stuff like groceries or Home Depot runs. The insurance company has agreed to pay me the $25 per day that would normally go to a rental car company too.

I mentioned this once before, but stating it again here seems appropriate. When I take my car in for service, I put my E-bike on the rack and ride it home. Once the work is completed, I ride the E-bike back to the repair shop to pick up the car. Saves time and doesn't require shuttle service or having to rely on others.

An E-bike is a great addition to your transportation stable if you have a rack!

digbyblack

Yep, same this exactly. I've got a 25min ride to the station in the mornings, quite hilly as well. It just makes everything easier, especially after a long day when I'm knacked or gone to pub straight after clock-off.

Bikewolf

You’ve just won the Bikewolf badge of courage :-)

I hope your ebike didn’t suffer too much as well.

PatrickGSR94

I almost always do everything on our cars myself. But I can't mount/balance tires or do alignments. So I took my wife's car to get new tires and alignment last Fall on a Saturday morning and took my gravel bike with me. It was raining, but when there was a break in the rain I just got out and rode around, stopped by Sonic for some breakfast, and then came back when they were done with the car. So much better than waiting around in the Firestone waiting room!

InTheRain

Rain and/or cold. It's a matter of hauling clothes - rain gear, layers, extra socks, extra gloves.

spinnanz

I don't need to choose. My classic IS my ebike

linberl

My analog bike converts in 10 seconds to my e-bike, so I guess the question for me is when do I do that? I'll pop the motor/battery on if I am planning a very long ride (2 hours+), or heavy headwinds are projected, or there are big hills in my ride - that is for recreational/pleasure rides. I ride with the system paused on flats unless winds are bad or there's big hills. Since my bike is also my car, I also pop the motor on if I am running errands under time constraints, and when using my trailer for big Costco loads. But I ride analog if the ride is under 90 minutes and for recreation/exercise. The nice thing about my system is it weighs 4.5lbs so I can have it on the bike turned OFF, with absolutely zero drag (friction drive off the tire), and challenge myself as much as I want, all the time knowing I have a fail-safe if and when I need it. A good example of that was one day when I was out riding analog and enjoying the weather; I got a call on my cell about a family emergency and needed to get home FAST! I was able to turn on the motor and reduce the ride home by 20 minutes, where every minute counted. I love the flexibility because it means there are no excuses ever for not taking my bike and reconsidering having a car.

Bluesfrog

I grab the ebike due to storage problems. She-who-must-be-obeyed says I take up too much room with my stuff. My other commuter, 10+ years old with over 6,000 miles on it, sits downstairs by the furnace. A Trek 520, it has gone through two bottom brackets and innumerable tires. It still has studs on it. If I need it I can thread it up some stairs and go. Maybe if the battery is down on the Verve. But in my little berg for Spring and early Summer the trip to the prison has a headwind from the North in the AM and from the South in the PM. I decided as a semiretired worker I would use the assistance on a low level. But when I'm tired in the evening and there's a bit if traffic I like the Turbo setting. I usually turn it down upon getting on a side street. I guess I won't be in quite as good shape that way but it makes me feel like still working. That pays for my old retired guy's health insurance. Be Well, Bluesfrog.