Bosco-d-gama Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 The Mrs and I are bike enthusiasts but encroaching age is limiting length and character of the hobby. I just bought us Raleigh electric augmented off-road bikes so we can cheat the aging processes. We’ve had them for just a short time but find them very impressive. If you choose to maximize the electrical power assist even the steepest hills are effortless. The bikes have 5 levels of assist and 11 pedal gear levels. The 4 pound battery pack provides up to 50 miles of powered drive. The best part is that you no longer dread getting too far from home base and the trudgery of a tedious ride back. There are several manufacturers of electrical bikes. Some are regular bikes modified for power. Others are designed ground-up as an electric vehicle a-la Tesla. If I were still working I would use an e-bike to commute..... if that commute was roughly 10 or so miles. They make biking seriously easy. No traffic problems. No parking problems. Let your employer recharge the battery while they underpay you 😁. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 I've been very intrigued about e-bikes. Lifelong bike rider / racer but like yourself on getting up in age. I look at my carbon frames and wheels then I wake up in the morning and everything hurts. I used to commute 22 miles each way to work two to three times a week in the summer time. Now I can hardly find the motivation to ride. It feels like cheating but I think there might be an e-bike in my future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windashine Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 convenience associated with rain, eventually lead's to one or two new hobbies... albeit mud lead's to pressure washers or maybe parasailing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I never got too much into biking after having my green, banana seat Schwinn in elementary school Perhaps it is because a friend of mine (avid biker) wanted me to ride with him one day in a 30 mile (something) race. I thought what the heck, he's a good guy....he had an extra bike....would be a nice afternoon together. Little did I know when the bell rang, he would leave me in the dust making my day a loner day. Ok, I can deal with that..... I agreed and didn't realize after all, it was a "race" and he was racing. (why he wanted me to go along is beyond me) Turns out it was something like a 10 OR 30 mile race and at the 10 mile mark, it happened to go very near my home, the rest of the race was to the finish line....and of course, I'd have to ride back to my house. Well....for someone who'd not ridden a bike in 10 years at the time, we have a couple issues. Strength/stamina... I was okay in that department as we were both wrestlers so were in decent shape (maybe not "bike riding" shape but we weren't slobs. No....no.....no..... that wasn't the issue. Take my tender thighs that were not battle hardened and chaff them against a seat for 10 miles straight and this boy was in PAIN!! At the 10 mile mark, I said heck with it, no way was I going to willingly inflict such pain on myself. I cut to the left and rode home to recover. I think I walked like John Wayne for the next 3 weeks.... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I thought this thread was about these bikes....https://lightningmotorcycle.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco-d-gama Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 I did quite a bit of bike riding when a ‘kid’ myself. Was hit by a car once. That was sobering. All that ended when career took over. Started back with bikes several years ago. Today’s bikes are well engineered. They are smooth and relatively comfortable. Still with an ever creakier aging body full time pedaling is taxing. Just getting on and off a bike can be an adventure. The 2 of us wanted to get out more but with less stress and a more assured safe outcome. Truly the e-bike fills the rx perfectly. Go ahead and test some and decide for yourselves. They also come in adult sized trikes and perhaps recumbent configurations too. We were told that e-bikes are assist limited to 28mph so they are not considered a ‘motorcycle’ requiring licensure, etc. The bikes we chose are set up for trail/mountain biking. We have a daughter that mountain bikes and we will be able to accompany her on her more arduous treks now. For as costly as 4 wheeled transport is becoming I have got to think that these products have a bright future. Our e-bikes were not cheap but compared to any new car they were cheap to buy and dirt cheap to operate. And just being able to enjoy the outdoors so effortlessly is a major mental boost. Not much downsides to this deal imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Not exactly what your talking about, but these things kick butt. The Ojo commuter scooter. 25 miles and 20 mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 On 10/26/2018 at 6:06 PM, Bosco-d-gama said: The best part is that you no longer dread getting too far from home base and the trudgery of a tedious ride back. Still no fun if you have a flat 25 miles from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted April 18, 2019 Moderators Share Posted April 18, 2019 Downhill both ways is ideal. imo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtmudd Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 3 hours ago, CECAA850 said: Still no fun if you have a flat 25 miles from home. 1 hour ago, dtel said: Downhill both ways is ideal. imo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 E-bikes are getting popular in my town. Now the cool trend is retro e-bikes that look kind of like motorcycles from the 1920s. I talked to a guy with one, and he showed me that the the part that looked like a long slim fuel tank was a storage compartment, and there was plenty of leather and brass on the bike, no chrome. It had a definite steampunk look to it. I also saw an E-bike that really, really, looked like a 300cc sport motorbike, complete with fairing, windscreen, and soft/stiff saddlebags. The pedals were kind of far back, and looked like a legal afterthought, rather than the main source of propulsion. Instead of a licence plate, it had a placard stating "E-Bike! No Licence! No Insurance! No Gas!" The no insurance bit seemed to me like a bad idea, since a friend of mine had his electric scooter stolen twice, and he was really bummed about how badly the thieves damaged it. Basic fire and theft should definitely be seen as a necessary expense, unless your home insurance covers the bike. It might, or it might not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 E bikes are expensive... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnKuthe Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 24 minutes ago, Schu said: E bikes are expensive... Everything, especially NEW technology, is expensive! When my father passed away Jan 2017 and I received a substantial inheritance one of the FIRST things I bought was a 100% electric Nissan Leaf for just under $10,000! And I'll tell ya, I am coming to HATE Fire Belching INternal Combustion Engine FART MOBILES more and more! THEY STINK!!! 😞 And they FART as the run!! Put, put, put, FART, FART, FART!!!!! Stinky farts too! Granted I only get about 80 miles on a charge in my Leaf, but I rarely drive anywhere daily more than 80 miles! And I LOVE driving in rush hour traffic! I can drive CIRCLES around every Fart Mobile on the roads! Heck, those 5000lb FART MOBILES can't even get up out of their own way!! And I beat EVERYONE off the line, every time! Hee hee!! I LOVE shutting down big aggressive fart mobiles driven by young aggressive drivers! ROFL!!! John Kuthe, Climate Anarchist and Aspiring Audiophile! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 19 hours ago, dtel said: Downhill both ways is ideal. imo Someone told me, a long time ago, that the cyclist who complains that rides are always uphill or into the wind is either very fast or has a bad attitude. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiva Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 Biking is a great way to explore the sights. I prefer mountain bikes, though I am a tad less adventurous than the guy in the vid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted April 19, 2019 Moderators Share Posted April 19, 2019 3 hours ago, Shiva said: Biking is a great way to explore the sights. I prefer mountain bikes, though I am a tad less adventurous than the guy in the vid. He is very good, and crazy, people with a death wish aren't as brave as him. I got tired just watching it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted April 19, 2019 Moderators Share Posted April 19, 2019 3 hours ago, Edgar said: Someone told me, a long time ago, that the cyclist who complains that rides are always uphill or into the wind is either very fast or has a bad attitude. 🙂 You forgot one, old and not enough energy, I want mostly downhill or flat in between and good brakes. Not a bad attitude just old and out of shape. We thought about getting some bikes since we live in the country but figured we would get run over the way they drive around here, I do like to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 58 minutes ago, dtel said: You forgot one, old and not enough energy I didn't forget it - at the time I was young and just didn't know about it! Just turned 60 and just had heart surgery; the good news is that I feel better on the bike now than I have in a very long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted April 19, 2019 Moderators Share Posted April 19, 2019 Turned 61 7 months ago and apparently don't get enough exercise, regularly enough anyway, part of the reason it kicks my butt when I do. No heart surgery so far but have a feeling it's not out of the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 2 minutes ago, dtel said: No heart surgery so far but have a feeling it's not out of the question. In my case it was this year's strain of Influenza that took out one of my heart valves, though there is some evidence that it was on its way out anyway. But before that I was in pretty good shape so I have bounced-back very quickly. Getting old is proving to be unpleasant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.