Smaug1

What is The Ultimate Commuter Bike? The Aventon Level.2.

Why?
1) It’s electric. No need to arrive to work sweaty

2) It’s got rack and fenders. There are three rear lights: one on the fender and one on each seat stay. They are running lights AND brake lights. The ones on the stays are blocked by saddle bags, but it’s nice anyhow.

3) The front suspension is nice, since the standard riding posture is leaned forward. It pounds the wrists less on bad pavement.

I did do light mods to address what I see as shortcomings.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EJXlc-j73rw&feature=sharec

bikemig 

Your bike sounds neat and e-bikes undoubtedly have their advantages. That said, I've always liked rehabbing old bikes to turn into a commuter/lock up bike. This is my current commuter; I reckon I have all told around $350 (bike, new consumables, fenders, pedals, rack, etc.=total costs) invested in it. Unlike your bike, I do have to use rechargeable battery lights. The bike is a late 80s Specialized Stumpjumper Comp.

Derailed

Wow… I have such clear memories of lusting after this bike (i.e., the Stumpjumper Comp from that era). I managed to get a used Rockhopper Comp, of similar vintage, that I absolutely loved. Great to see one still getting such good use!

SkinGriz

What bars are those?

Thank you.

Darth Lefty 

Ultimate changes. I was really enjoying my single speed with one brake, but then I got a commute with some small hills, and gears and both brakes seemed like a good idea. I'm not ready for an e-bike yet. Exercise is part of the purpose for me

bikemig 

They're a no name set of bars that I pulled off a bike that I ended up selling. They look a lot like Soma sparrow bars.

Derailed

Ah, just noticed that you still have the original Biopace chainrings and "shark fin" chainstay protector. Great stuff!

Smaug1

With an eBike, you can get as much or as little exercise as you want, so that's not really a valid argument against one.
Cost? Yes.
Weight? Yes.
Extra complexity? Yes.
Not getting exercise? No. It is a choice.

The Catch-22 about eBikes is that in order to add the electric system, weight needs to be added. Then, it becomes harder to pedal without electric assistance, so the reality is that you ride SLOWER with an unpowered eBike, compared to purely mechanical.

Example: I went on a fast group ride Monday night. Legs were shot Tuesday, but I still wanted to go on another (much slower) club ride. So? I took the 70 lb. eBike. I did get one comment: "Getting a little help today, eh?" but I didn't mind and neither did he. They were all on road or hybrid bikes in the 20-30 lb. range with 28 - 32 mm tires. I was on that 65 lb. beast with 2.4" tires. (53 mm) When I pedal that bike unpowered, I'm usually going at about 13 mph on level ground at an easy pace and any kind of climbing is a b1tch. On my road bike, I'm at 15-16 with the same effort. This group was going about 15-16, so I just had it on PAS1 and enjoyed the ride. Got a little exercise and saved my legs for the faster ride the next day.

Darth Lefty 

That's not true. With an e-bike you can choose little. Without an e-bike you are stuck really doing it and not just feeling good telling yourself you could have. Like the salad at McDonald's gives you moral permission to go in, and then you get the nuggets. You have enough psych being used against you, it helps to use a little on yourself. I have plenty of excuses not to exercise without buying another. My wife has an e-bike, a nice Gazelle. For her it's a different psych trick. The e-bike gets her out there, when she might not at all without it.

Smaug1

Yes, there is definitely accountability, but I said you get as much exercise as you want. The decision to actually get the exercise is something else.

If you don't have the willpower to get exercise when you have an easy option, I guess it's not a good choice. You also have a similar option on a mechanical bike: you can always get off and walk, or ride slower than your ability allows. It's just the next level.

I rode my mBike to work today. Didn't want to get sweaty, so I just went 12 mph. I'll hit it harder on the way home and on the club ride this evening.

There's ALWAYS some sort of personal accountability in getting exercise.

sweeks

This is probably the main reason I have no plans to get an e-bike for commuting. My round-trip on a bike would be close to 100 miles, so I use a folding bike that I can take on the local commuter rail. Therein lies the problem. I have to carry the bike up several steps to get it onto the train. My current bike weighs about 30 pounds, but the comparable folding e-bike is about 20 pounds more. I'm almost 73, with some limitations in how much I can lift, so 50 pounds is pretty much a non-starter. Luckily, the longest part of my commute is 2.5 miles (total about 7 miles a day), so I rarely get too sweaty.

Classtime 

…is the one you pedal. The ultimate electric commuter bike belongs on the electric bike forum.


39.48 mile round trip 4 days a week. I hate e bikes.

Darth Lefty 

^^^ this subforum has always welcomed an enormous variety of conveyances and I wouldn't care if someone showed up electric rollerblades

Smaug1

That's cool that you commute on a classic road bike. (what do you do for changes of clothes and luggage? Bring it by car on the 5th workday? Courier bag?

I disagree that this thread belongs in eBikes, since the point is that it being electric is a large part of why I consider it The Ultimate Commuter. (and I DO pedal it) It is better because one doesn't have to arrive sweaty, even on a hot day. Not everybody can shower once at work or is willing to sit around being disgusting all day. Quick Dude Shower can help, but I wouldn't be that comfortable with just that, day-in and day-out.

I got into eBikes to get back into biking in a fun way, and I really enjoy the utility of them. Shopping and errands are a lot more pleasant on an eBike with luggage than a purely mechanical bike.

SkinGriz

Hating e-bikes is a bit strong.

My dad passed away a month and a half ago. His health was too far gone to ride a normal bike toward the end.

A year ago when I was visiting him he was so happy to show me his small e-bikes he got from Costco for him and his wife. We rode them around the neighborhood and it was nice that he could enjoy something outside.

My wife took a pic of us. I was like, “You can be Fonda, I’ll be Hopper.”

They’re not for me. But I’m glad they exist.

Schlafen

Damn, no retirement plans?

downtube42

I've had several commuter bikes over the decades; crit bike, rigid MTB, 70's Schwinn, belt-drive internal-hub, a few others. Currently my official commuter is a Focus CX bike, but most mornings I pass that for the fixed gear bike. Because it's fun.

The perfect commuter for me is the fun bike.

sweeks

Oh, they're slowly materializing... probably about a year away. For me, "retirement" means cutting back to one or two days a week, but I'll keep up the "multi-modal" commuting as long as possible.