dgk02

First, my bonafides - I've been bike commuting in NYC for 12 years, 30 miles r/t, 2-3 days a week. I usually don't do it below 20F or if we're having heavy rain or winds over 15mph. I'm now 58 and was no longer finding the hills and headwinds fun, and I was having difficulty getting myself psyched to bike each morning. I can, after all, drive to the subway. Or, yikes, take a bus to the subway. So don't post back telling me to just work harder or buy a motorcycle, or that somehow I'm cheating. Unless you're 58 or older; then feel free.

I've been looking for a bike that is a real bike but one that provides a bit of assist for the really tough parts, or for when I just don't feel up to working hard. I found that in the Trek Valencia+. The Valencia by itself is a nice commuter bike, and the + part means that Trek worked with Bionx to fit the Valencia with a rear hub motor and battery. That means instead of costing around $600, I paid $2300. I just passed my first 1000 miles using it. It does, by the way, look very cool, especially with my bright yellow panniers on the back of a pure black steed.

There's no throttle; it operates in Pedal Assist mode, which means the computer allows me to select how much assist I want: none, 25%, 50%, 100%, or 200% of whatever effort I put in. Much of the time I use none since, while relatively heavy, it's a regular bike. The whole system adds about 12 lbs to the bike. The motor only helps up to 17 mph, then the assist drops away and you're on your own.

I can also select from the same four levels in battery recharge mode, and I often do that coming down hills. The rear brake lever has a contact switch that puts the system in regen mode 3 (100%) which is sufficient to do most of the braking; only rarely do I have to squeeze it hard enough to engage the disk. I don't use the front brake much since the recharge mode does such a good job braking.

I find that I'm biking more often than ever since I no longer care about hills or high winds, and it has been very windy the last few years. I was biking home in 35 mph winds the other day. No problem. I'm getting as much exercise as before, because I sometimes flip it into 25% resistance mode while on the flats, sort of like having a spinning bike. There are some days, those very rare tailwind days, when I actually get home with more battery power then when I left work.

You know how you're coming down a steep hill and get pissed off because there's a stop sign or light at the bottom and you lose all your momentum for the uphill? And you wish there was some way to store the momentum and use it going up? Well, that's what this does for me.

My commute, which used to take me 1:25 each way, now takes around 1:10, and I have not been pushing it. I've set the alarm clock to give me 15 minutes more sleep, which is a great health benefit.

There have been some problems, like any new product line there are burps. I broke two spokes on that rear wheel and it took 18 days for my dealer to get a full set to rebuild the wheel. Hopefully I won't break any more. And Trek used a fairly weak battery, the standard Bionx PL350 kit comes with a 10AH battery, Trek used 6.4AH which limits the range to a maximum of 40 miles using some assist.

All in all though, I am very pleased with this bike. If you're older or have any physical problems that prevent you from commuting by bike, or you just live pretty far from work or in a hilly area, I seriously recommend that you look into the Valencia+ or the FX+. Or, you can just get a Bionx PL350 and have it installed on another bike.

69tr6r

Nice post dgk02. I recently installed an electric assist to one of my bikes and it's great! You're absolutely right about biking more now than ever. I live where there are some really long 6-7% grades and, while they are manageable with no assist, it just takes too long. Now I just hit the throttle and motor up those hills, while pedaling of course. Glad you're enjoying the ebike.

Just_Ryan

I kind of feel like you're cheating, and that you should just work harder... or just suck it up and buy a motorcycle

Just kidding, I think those setups are a great solution! I see them around here occasionally. The odd rider seems to have forgotten what it's like to be a no-motor cyclist and will pass without warning way too fast or too close, but for the most part they get around great.

sseaman

What a great write up, sounds like good bike and you are using it to make cycling more enjoyable.

wunderkind

Could've been worse. At your age, some folks are already using this!

dgk02

That must be one of those trikes I've heard about.

One of my goals is to avoid that as long as possible. My mom could use one but hates the idea. She is still biking; it's the only thing that helps her spinal stenosis. I bought her a new bike for her 78th birthday. She really can't walk much though. I've never found that biking does anything for the body above the waist, but she says that it really helps her back. Only light riding of course; she won't be joining Lance this year - he has a different team now.

I started using the Valencia in March and joined a gym near my job in April. My legs and cardio are in great shape of course, but the upper half was turning Pillsbury Dough Boy-ish. I do a lot of the classes (abs mostly, pilate) and have been doing resistance stuff, weights etc. I lost ten pounds since April 1st. Biking is great of course, but not the only thing we need to do as we age. I used to say that, because I bike three hours a day I don't need to go to the gym when I get home. Of course I was too tired to go to the gym, but it also isn't true.

ShinyBiker

Interesting about the rear spokes. How much do you weigh?

dgk02

Now, around 185. When I broke them around 190. They should not have broken, which is why my dealer wanted to rebuild the wheel. Someone in the ebike forum said that Bionx wheels were known for breaking spokes, but I don't see that on a quick internet search.