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A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 25th, 2021, 2:57 pm
by EssDeeAitch
Second ride out today on my Specialized Creo SL Road eBike and I can say that I am impressed, very, very impressed. Today's ride was 56 miles (which would not be a problem on my analogue bike) but the route was hillier than usual and no-one had to wait for me up those hills. Marvellous, my mental torment has been assuaged!

So is it "cheating" to ride an eBike? Yes and no. Yes because it clearly gives an advantage over riders on a standard bike; no because the motor cuts out at 16mph and anything on the flat or slightly uphill is more difficult due to the additional weight of the bike. But seeing as both rides that I have done on it are at one mph faster than I would expect on my normal bike (17mph on Sunday, 16mph today), then obviously, overall it is easier on the eBike.

But what a beautiful bike! The comfort and riding ergonomics are fantastic and the way it glides over the ground is wonderful.

It made me feel like I was 55 again (a reduction of 13 years). Highly recommended.

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 12:00 pm
by NotSure
That is a very beautiful machine you have got yourself there! At a glance, you wouldn't know it was electric, and the weight is amazing for an e-bike.

Just one point - I have an e-bike by a reputable make with a well-known and respected motor (Bosch). However, I had a batter failure under warranty. On my clunky bike it was very straightforward to replace the detachable battery. It looks like the battery on the Specialized is totally integrated and as such, difficult (expensive) to replace. Can you get an expended warranty such that if the battery fails after the standard warranty period, it could be replaced under the terms of the extended warranty?

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 12:17 pm
by bungeejumper
Gulp. Did I read that price right? £11.5K?

BJ

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 12:59 pm
by MaraMan
I am hoping that with the improvements in battery tech and manufacturing that they will come down in price to something I can justify. I would really like to get one though, my carbon framed road bike is going on ebay soon.

MM

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 2:39 pm
by EssDeeAitch
bungeejumper wrote:Gulp. Did I read that price right? £11.5K?

BJ


Cold sweat! No, it was £4,000 and they reduced the price of the additional range extender from £350 to £200.

A very close friend who bought the carbon version with electronic shifters, carbon wheels and higher spec groupset reckons my bike is far better value.

Not cheap but great value.

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 2:44 pm
by EssDeeAitch
NotSure wrote:That is a very beautiful machine you have got yourself there! At a glance, you wouldn't know it was electric, and the weight is amazing for an e-bike.

Just one point - I have an e-bike by a reputable make with a well-known and respected motor (Bosch). However, I had a batter failure under warranty. On my clunky bike it was very straightforward to replace the detachable battery. It looks like the battery on the Specialized is totally integrated and as such, difficult (expensive) to replace. Can you get an expended warranty such that if the battery fails after the standard warranty period, it could be replaced under the terms of the extended warranty?


The warrenty is two years. When I take it in for its six week health check I will ask about an extended warrenty - good suggestion.

As for the bike. I simply cannot believe how well it rides and how comfortable it is. 28mm tyres with the resultant lower pressure helps of course. Did my biggest week (240 miles) since 2015 this week - because I can!

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: May 30th, 2021, 3:46 pm
by bungeejumper
EssDeeAitch wrote:
bungeejumper wrote:Gulp. Did I read that price right? £11.5K?

Cold sweat! No, it was £4,000 and they reduced the price of the additional range extender from £350 to £200.

LOL, I must have got the wrong end of some sort of stick. But which one?
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes ... sl-review/

I do have an in-law who rides his bike up Welsh mountains in the dark. (He's a wildlife photographer.) He once spent £2K on a headlight, and that was twelve years ago. Since then I've been relatively hard to shock. Well, I thought so till today. :lol:

Have fun with the new bike!

BJ

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 2nd, 2021, 12:50 pm
by daveh
bungeejumper wrote:Gulp. Did I read that price right? £11.5K?

BJ

£4k to £11.5K having just looked at the range on the internet. Top end of the price range for e-bikes (that I've seen) and a bit above my price range. Paid £2.7k for my Cube reaction EXC I use for commuting. Must be pushing 4500 miles on it since I bought it at the beginning of last year. Picked it up just before lockdown, but didn't use it much until we went back to work in July. During lockdown used one of my normal bikes for exercise rather than the e-bike.

Interestingly I'm actually slightly faster on my normal road / cyclocross bike* than on the electric bike for my commute, as the electric bike is very heavy and has knobby fat tyres so higher rolling resistance its harder to get to good speeds once the motor cuts out at 15.5mph. Big advantage of the e-bike is I don't have worry about the weather or strong winds as I've got the back up of the assistance. I've definitely done a lot more cycle commuting since I've gone electric.

* Looking at my HRM data looks like I'm working harder on the non-ebike as my average heart rate was higher, though max heart rate was similar and I should also say I use the E-bike on the lowest power setting bar once section of uphill (from the Haudagain roundabout) where I often have to go for extra power to stay at 15mph in the contraflow section to minimise how much I hold up other road users who can't pass me in the contraflow.

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 2nd, 2021, 1:44 pm
by daveh
Snorvey wrote:from the Haudagain roundabout

Going up NA Drive?

Jesus thats epic/brave.


Yep, and since covid/the AWPR opening the traffic up North Anderson Drive isn't too bad. Its not so busy that drivers can't overtake by pulling out into the outside lane of the dual carriageway*. Most do - just the odd one or two every day who can't bear to put all four wheels over the white line. I've had very few obvious complaints from other road users about me holding them up on the contraflow section and none have tried to overtake through the contraflow. Most I've noticed is a couple of drivers shaking there heads as they passed and two close passes that looked to be done on purpose because I held them up (that's since start of july last year).

Not sure if I'll be able to cycle the route once the road works to make the Haudagain Roundabout improvements are complete. The improvements look dangerous for cyclists from the artist's impressions I've seen.


* for those not in Aberdeen its a dual carriageway limited to 40mph (30mph through the road works)

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 3rd, 2021, 6:28 pm
by EssDeeAitch
10 days into my new eBike and I have ridden my first 100 miler in four years or more.

101 miles, 7200 feet of climbing and average speed od 15.8mph. This on top of 63 miles on Tuesday and 230 miles last week. Not too shabby considering I am 68.
The bike is a true enabler; my legs just do not get so fatigued from the hills although I work damn hard but the difference is that instead of slowing to (say) 11mph I slow to 14 or 15mph.

Highly recommended

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 12:40 am
by UncleEbenezer
EssDeeAitch wrote:10 days into my new eBike and I have ridden my first 100 miler in four years or more.

101 miles, 7200 feet of climbing and average speed od 15.8mph. This on top of 63 miles on Tuesday and 230 miles last week. Not too shabby considering I am 68.
The bike is a true enabler; my legs just do not get so fatigued from the hills although I work damn hard but the difference is that instead of slowing to (say) 11mph I slow to 14 or 15mph.

Highly recommended

I hate to think how long it's been since I could do 11mph on the uphill. Or even sustain it for long on the slight-uphill! Those are mileages I might have done at 28 or 38. Maybe 48 with preparation, though by then I was already becoming susceptible to ride-limiting aches and pains, not least the tennis elbow and various leg cramps.

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 9:18 am
by Gerry557
It's only cheating if you hide the fact it's an ebike or race others unknowingly. It's great that it allows you to get out and about without holding up others too much.

I like the effort (at the moment) but I'm sure my time will come. It's more than just fitness though, the wellbeing from the wonderful views and the camaraderie.

Mostly it's about the journey rather than the destination.

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 11:00 am
by servodude
Gerry557 wrote:It's only cheating if you hide the fact it's an ebike


It's never cheating if your using your legs.
There's no cheat in getting a bit of help; a tail wind isn't cheating!

I'm getting closer every year to getting an e-bike
- the steed discussed earlier in the thread would be ideal...

...and about 20x the price of the current daily commute (bought when I was cycling to nursery in Corstorphine with a wean on the back before heading in to the centre of Edinburgh)
- the odo on it is at 63 thousand km (I reset it in 2008 when I left Scotland) So I'd feel like I was putting a beloved pet to sleep!

But looking at the ease I'm being overtaken going uphill by these leccy things - it might be time!

-sd

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 8th, 2021, 3:00 pm
by EssDeeAitch
Just an update.

Having ridden 550 miles on my eBike in two weeks I thought I should go out on my analogue bike today (Giant TCR Advanced - 2017). Had a spin of 42 miles and found the following.

1) The false flats and uphills are a real drag. Same effort for between two and five mph slower (what did I expect?)
2) The flats and downs are 10 - 15% easier and faster than on the eBike
3) Its the effort on the hills that make the legs sore (and exacerbate the "hot-foot" that I suffer from)
4) The Giant geometry is not as conducive to comfortable riding as the Specialized Creo
5) The lower tyre pressure that 32mm tubeless tyres on the eBike (70psi) compared to 100psi for the 23/25mm standard tyres provides much more comfort
6) The disk breaks on the eBike are much. much better than the caliper brakes on the Giant
6) I see no reason to own the Giant any more. Any offers?

Re: A move to the dark side - I just bought an eBike

Posted: June 9th, 2021, 10:22 am
by Gerry557
EssDeeAitch wrote:Just an update.

Having ridden 550 miles on my eBike in two weeks I thought I should go out on my analogue bike today (Giant TCR Advanced - 2017). Had a spin of 42 miles and found the following.

1) The false flats and uphills are a real drag. Same effort for between two and five mph slower (what did I expect?)
2) The flats and downs are 10 - 15% easier and faster than on the eBike
3) Its the effort on the hills that make the legs sore (and exacerbate the "hot-foot" that I suffer from)
4) The Giant geometry is not as conducive to comfortable riding as the Specialized Creo
5) The lower tyre pressure that 32mm tubeless tyres on the eBike (70psi) compared to 100psi for the 23/25mm standard tyres provides much more comfort
6) The disk breaks on the eBike are much. much better than the caliper brakes on the Giant
6) I see no reason to own the Giant any more. Any offers?


Send it to me, Ill rag round the hills for you. It might also explain why all these 85 year olds can out climb me. I dont race but I do enjoy the views at the top, it would be a shame for your old bike to miss out.