I don't know about the rest of you... but for me (age 42) I dont have as much "spunk" as I used to.. and the thought of hopping on that cob web ridden ten speed behind the 4 stack of snow studs in the garage,.. doesn't appeal to me any more. Not like it used to..

So I heard a lot about these new bikes that are electric, you know,.. electric assisted..

My first thought was "Oh how ridiculing.."

But I picked one up for a fair price, and let me tell ya...

I'm riding it a lot, and I end up getting much more of a workout...

I guess it's a mental thing ya know.. Knowing that at any time you can just crank the throttle and give your legs a rest makes it easier.

Just my two cents on "getting old", and "alternatives"..

Rodger

It's amazing the bad reputation electric bikes have. People don't realize that you actually get MORE exercise at a healthier less strenuous level having an electric bike because you tend to ride your bike more.

I'm 39 with sciatic nerve problems weakening my left leg and I would not be riding even 1/5 as much without the electric bike. Even if I was completely healthy, I know I'd be too tired some days to take the bike out because I know it's one of the 30+ mile hilly route days.

I'm 51, and the number of times I've ridden my 10-speed in the last 10 years, is, um, maybe twice? I got an eZip about a month ago, and now I ride almost every day. In fact, I find myself making excuses for riding across town to get something I don't really need just to ride my bike!

ditto here. Medicare will embrace me in a few days and eZip will be my boon companion. I ride my 10 speed some too. I think of my eZip as my comfy, plush pickup truck and my 10 speed as my sports car. Love them both. If I'm going to pull my trailer, take a lot of stuff with me, eZip's my choice.

I jumped on the e-bike band wagon in Oct '07 and couldn't be happier. I use my eZee Quando bike for all my errands within 5 miles of home and seldom use my car anymore. I only fill the tank every 1 1/2 to 2 months. I just ordered another kit (eZee) for my Breezer.
I gifted my first e-bike to my 40 yr old son and now he's hooked! We have great conversations while cruising the 'hood.
I'll be 68 this year and the fresh air and just enough exercise fits me and my quadruple bypass just fine.

Hi. I just got my Bionx kit installed on my Trek 7500 last week, and it has been great. I wanted to ride to and from work, as it is only a couple of miles, but the trip home is uphill, and at 63 my legs are not quite what they used to be I usually go home for lunch, but it being summer in Florida with 90+ heat it was just too much of a sweaty trip. Now with my E-bike it's no sweat (excuse the pun) and I find I am using it for most of my short trips also. And it is just more fun to ride. I am now going to get one for my wife so that we can ride them to football games this fall, we'll save $40 per game just in parking fees.

I figure just riding to work and back that this thing will pay for itself in less than two years. The only problem so far is that the wheel I got had a 13t small gear, the wheel I replaced had an 11t, so I had to replace my front crankset with a larger set, otherwise my feet were flying too fast. Oh, I also went into the computer and changed the code to eliminate the governor, now it tops out at about 23 mph, and cruises there comfortably.

I think electric assist is the best thing since, well, sliced bread! I don't have it so I'm not speaking from first hand experience, but...

I view it as a travel envelope changer. It makes possible what isn't already possible, like riding to work without sweat/exhaustion or travelling farther/faster than you normally could or tackling routes you wouldn't normally want or be able to. What the heck could possibly be wrong with that - especially if the alternatives are not going out, less exercise and/or driving a car? :)

You think that is nice? Try an electric recumbent. Very comfy.

You think that is nice? Try an electric recumbent. Very comfy.

I've come close! I tried a non-electrified recumbent trike and it was indeed very comfortable. Actually, I can't ride a regular bicycle for health reasons so recumbents are my only choice!

I think electric assist is the best thing since, well, sliced bread! )

Some people are just stuck with closed minds, and only think of the mold on the bread... :lol: In 2001 a motor kit was available. It would spin like crazy on a 20" recumbent trike wheel. I could lock one front wheel and spin 'donuts'- I loved that! I mentioned that on a trike list and got nothing but rudeness and scolding from the cycling crowd. But that was a spare trike, so I dropped it and wrote only about my HPV only.

6 years later I was so pleased (and yes- older: 55- 56 soon) with the assist that I went electric with both enclosed trikes. I no longer spin donuts (after 2 years; the small chain snapped; so I have a hub motor on the newer trike) but the experience with motors set me up well for this part of my life!

I see it everywhere. It seems to be human nature to want to make everyone else think like you do. It always surprises me how much of this extends into adulthood. A little more teaching of rational thought would go a long way. Oh well...

Back on topic. Burn outs? Sounds like you've got a little too much electric assist! :)

I've got a bit of an embarrassment of riches when it comes to batteries, chargers and the like. Seems like the perfect opportunity to apply them to a power system for an aging cyclist (me).

Sunday I did an interesting experiment, by chance, not by plan. Early on, I rode my ebike to church 7.5 mi each way. Later for fun and other stuff I rode my ten speed the same route.
Some observations: With my ebike I got to church with only a little sweat (there are some good size hills), my heart had been beating good, my breathing had become heavy at times.
On my 10 speed I sweat hard. Those hills with no assist are a work out. My heart was pounding trying to keep above 12 mph uphill. My breath was in gasps at the top of the one big hill.
But looking back 1) My time for the two trips was nearly identical. 2) I think the energy I expended on the two was nearly the same. Sure the motor made the hills easier. But the 32 lbs of SLA that I carry on my eZip made the level more work.
I think the difference is in curve of the rate of energy used. On the ebike the energy out rate is nearly constant hill or flat. On the 10 speed there are intervals of brutal effort followed by whoopee fun.
I started 2008 riding season almost exclusively on my ebike. I commute to work. They say I'll be authorized to use the shower soon. After riding quite a few miles on my ebike, it was time for some fun longer tours on the 10 speed. Guess what! I was in pretty good shape. The steady continuous work on the ebike had had good effects.
There's no better/worse, they are just different. I'm sure glad ebikes are around.

That's good to hear Don! I was hoping that my ebike riding would lead to easier 10-speed riding. I'm gonna give the old girl a tune-up! (not me, the bike, beat you to it)

Hey Don, your post made me think of something. Are you riding an eZip? I guess you easily got 15 miles out of it with hills, do you know how many miles you can get out of the battery with fairly constant pedal assist?

lynnala Yes, I'm riding an eZip. The furthest I've gone w/ 2 batt packs is 23 miles of rolling hills. But that was early in the season, before I conditioned. I do 20 miles, rolling hills w/ 2 and charge left over regularly now.

Back on topic. Burn outs? Sounds like you've got a little too much electric assist! :)


Just a 24V "can" motor; but it did not have any of the newer governers. The kit was for a 26" wheel, and my wheel is 20"- the lower gearing and full power acceleration was fun for a while. Below is a pic of how the trike was in 2001. My newer 20" hub (avatar) is a 36V, much more utilitarian- but is smooth and slow acceleration (took a lot of fun away :D)

My mom is 71 and this is her bike:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Zeuser/Electric%20Bike/sport.jpg

She can ride a full 20 kms into town and back thanks to the Bionx. On her old 10 speed (non electric) should would barely make it off the island, which is only 2kms long.

For the aging cyclist, Bionx and other electric bikes, really do work!

My mom is 71 and this is her bike:

She can ride a full 20 kms into town and back thanks to the Bionx. On her old 10 speed (non electric) should would barely make it off the island, which is only 2kms long.

For the aging cyclist, Bionx and other electric bikes, really do work!Yahoo! Good for your mom! Got a pic of her riding?

I'll get some when I go and see her in two weeks.

42? htfu, had to be said, sorry...:o

I'm 60 and ride just under 50 kms a day to work and back. I could never do that without electric assist. I've got 2 big hills to go up in the morning, and I still arrive sweaty but not soaked.

As to the statement that e-bikes have a bad rap with other bikers, I've never experienced that because my e-bike is an actual bike with a brushless hub. It looks like a bicycle, it pedals like a bicycle, and I sweat like a biker, so it is a bicycle first.