Why don't people want to pedal anymore?
#301
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No, not excruciating, just discomfort. Damage is unhelpful. You do get it, of course. A fellow on BF a number of years ago related how he had developed some sort of butt problem, probably 'roids, but I don't really remember. I do remember that, similar to what you say, he removed his seatpost and kept trying to ride. Eventually he was able to go back to his 40 mile group rides, standing the whole way. It worked.
Lactate build-up in the legs happens, even if it's not really lactate that causes the pain (or should I say discomfort?). I remember racing a couple of friends to the top of a local pass, about 90 miles into a training ride for a much harder ride. We stopped at a store at the pass and we all cramped our legs solid after a bit. Out in the parking lot, one of us had emptied a soda bottle which fell over in a wind gust and no one could get their legs to work well enough to chase it down. We were falling-down laughing. The rest of the ride went fine as did the event ride. I don't remember who got to the top first - it didn't matter. We all got a good bump from that 10 miles of hard work.
Lactate build-up in the legs happens, even if it's not really lactate that causes the pain (or should I say discomfort?). I remember racing a couple of friends to the top of a local pass, about 90 miles into a training ride for a much harder ride. We stopped at a store at the pass and we all cramped our legs solid after a bit. Out in the parking lot, one of us had emptied a soda bottle which fell over in a wind gust and no one could get their legs to work well enough to chase it down. We were falling-down laughing. The rest of the ride went fine as did the event ride. I don't remember who got to the top first - it didn't matter. We all got a good bump from that 10 miles of hard work.
I don't think that puts us in a position to demean the value of riding to people who ride ebikes, though. They're just riding differently than thee or me.
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I actually like most of your posts very much, you just drive me nuts from time to time. If I have one piece of advice, it would be to discard the post as soon as you realize you're referring to yourself as "we". It's like a tell that " evil Maelochs" has risen. Basically, I think you have really good practical advice for people, and you're very helpful to beginners with sensible "here's a way to get started" advice. I admire that.
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#303
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At the start of the this I mentioned the paved bike path I ride a few times a year. I even have a few rail trails that I like to ride. I've been riding these trails long enough to notice an increase in users and those users are e-bike folks not acoustic folks. Had it not been for e-bikes I guarantee I would not see the increased amount of people on these trails.
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#305
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Considering the folks on e-bikes previously didn't ride or had no interest in riding it's kind of obvious why they are riding an e-bike...It doesn't take as much physical effort.
At the start of the this I mentioned the paved bike path I ride a few times a year. I even have a few rail trails that I like to ride. I've been riding these trails long enough to notice an increase in users and those users are e-bike folks not acoustic folks. Had it not been for e-bikes I guarantee I would not see the increased amount of people on these trails.
At the start of the this I mentioned the paved bike path I ride a few times a year. I even have a few rail trails that I like to ride. I've been riding these trails long enough to notice an increase in users and those users are e-bike folks not acoustic folks. Had it not been for e-bikes I guarantee I would not see the increased amount of people on these trails.
Consider the fact that who you happen to see is not necessarily a representative sample. Where I ride, ebikes are kind of unusual--I actually encounter more recumbents than I do ebikes, and definitely much fewer than pedal-power two wheelers.
And what do you care what their motivation is? I see some fit people riding ebikes--for all I know, they're using it as transport to the gym.
What the hell is the point of this thread?
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As I mentioned previously....these are recreational trails only that traverse through very rural areas. They are not trails that you ride to get from home to work or home to the store or home to the gym. This isn't big city stuff.
#308
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And that relates to answering the question you quoted how?
Why do you care about their motivation? You keep not answering that question.
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It's not their motivation...or lack thereof in this case. I'm not amused by the increased users on the trail. Especially ones with poor bike handling skills. If it were not for e-bikes there wouldn't be an increase of people on the trail systems. That's a fact. It doesn't have to always be about having more people.
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It's not their motivation...or lack thereof in this case. I'm not amused by the increased users on the trail. Especially ones with poor bike handling skills. If it were not for e-bikes there wouldn't be an increase of people on the trail systems. That's a fact. It doesn't have to always be about having more people.
Gotta say, I ride a fair amount of rural paths and trails, and I rarely if ever see ebikes on them. I honestly am very skeptical of this whole rant.
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The most popular electric assist bikes I see around here are fat bikes and also fat tire folding bikes with 20 inch wheels and 4 inch wide knobby off road tires. Most people use them for commuting and just getting outside and enjoying the outdoors. I never seen one on singletrack but I do see them regularly along rail trails and MUPS. Personally I don't have a problem with them as long as the riders behave responsibly and don't buzz people.. I like the concept of electric assist bikes but the battery range is way too short to justify buying one. These bikes need to be designed with some kind of integrated charger inside the hub that recharges the battery while riding, similar to a vehicle alternator.
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Be skeptical all you want. I speak the truth. The paved path I refer to is 52 miles and connects to 5 different touristy towns that have quaint little coffee shops, restaurants and gift shops. The rail trail (all gravel) I refer to 21-1/2 miles long connecting 2 touristy towns. They are touristy trails that are used heavily on the weekends by recreational riders. Not for transportation to get to and from work etc. While they are rural, they are destinations trails that draw people in from 3-6 hours away.
Last edited by prj71; 09-23-22 at 03:43 PM.
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I won't pooh-pooh the e-bike and I'd rather for my sake and the planet's sake have people on e-bikes as opposed to cars (really, SUVs and trucks), but it doesn't make sense for those who already can bike the old-fashioned way. The e-bike is good for the person who drives and would like to bike, but doesn't have the skills, and would consider ditching the car if e-bikes were affordable and practical. But it's not going to be good for most of us. The e-bike doesn't solve any problems for me. Conditions in winter bad? Then the town needs to plow more and have safe and segregated bike lanes. The e-bike won't change much. It can jump up in speed and help me more competently weave through cars, but if the conditions are such that I can't ride an old-fashioned bike, then it's too icy for anyone to safely do any high-speed weaving on a two-wheeled bike or e-bike.
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The paved path I refer to is 52 miles and connects to 5 different touristy towns that have quaint little coffee shops, restaurants and gift shops. The rail trail (all gravel) I refer to 21-1/2 miles long connecting 2 touristy towns. While they are rural, they are destinations trails that draw people in from 3-6 hours away.
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I live in Wisconsin, and there's a fair amount of bike tourism. People drive into the rural areas (including from out of state), park, and ride on the paths. Sometimes this is done in conjunction with an overnight stay somewhere. I have relatives from Illinois who do this, and they're all getting e-bikes. When I ride on the trails and go past parking areas, I see people loading bikes on and off their cars.
#316
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I live in Wisconsin, and there's a fair amount of bike tourism. People drive into the rural areas (including from out of state), park, and ride on the paths. Sometimes this is done in conjunction with an overnight stay somewhere. I have relatives from Illinois who do this, and they're all getting e-bikes. When I ride on the trails and go past parking areas, I see people loading bikes on and off their cars.
Hayward is the CAMBA MTB trail system. ~120 miles of mountain bike trails in that area. Also draws people in from all over and out of state.
Last edited by prj71; 09-23-22 at 04:10 PM.
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The way to increase range is bigger batteries and all the things that make bikes faster like lighter weight and better aerodynamics. Oh, and more power from the rider.
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Perhaps you are in the UK?
Cheers
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#320
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This is a straw man. No one here is saying that "ebikes are ALWAYS cheating" or that "the ONLY valid type of cycling is a suffer fest" or that "you CAN'T use a bike to just get around/have fun/see scenery". In fact, people here have been very clear that they agree with you on all of your points.
I do not see this as a straw man argument at all. The message in this thread is clear. There are a bunch of cyclists in this thread that look down their noses at me because I ride an E bicycle exclusively and do not share their view that a bicycle is primarily a piece of exercise equipment. In fact, I look at an E bicycle as just the opposite. Yeah, I know it "does not apply" to me but I get the clear message that it does from this thread.
Today I went out and rode my cadence sensed E bicycle with the dropper post all the way down while ghost pedaling. For you casual observers: "I was an ignorant newbie" instead of a guy using his E bicycle to loosen up stiff joints after working under a piece of machinery. With the saddle all the way down and no pedal pressure, I can roll my hips, knees and ankles through a wide range of motion. On a regular bike I would be cramping in a couple of miles. Instead, I could walk normal without stiffness and pain after two miles.
Last edited by KPREN; 09-26-22 at 01:12 PM.
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#321
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Be skeptical all you want. I speak the truth. The paved path I refer to is 52 miles and connects to 5 different touristy towns that have quaint little coffee shops, restaurants and gift shops. The rail trail (all gravel) I refer to 21-1/2 miles long connecting 2 touristy towns. They are touristy trails that are used heavily on the weekends by recreational riders. Not for transportation to get to and from work etc. While they are rural, they are destinations trails that draw people in from 3-6 hours away.
And we're supposed to believe that 80% of the riders on these are ebikers? Sorry, but that's just way out of line with similar paths I've been on..
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