Cycling UK Forum

Due to persistent lack of fitness I have finally conceded and bought an eBike.

I can now take part in U3A Group Rides of around 20 miles, and keep up with the group again.

I am pretty sure my fitness is improving as I still work at the cycling; most assistance is used on really steep hills.
At some point I would like to move back to a human powered bike for some rides, but the prospect is still a bit daunting.

Has anyone moved to an eBike for fitness reasons and then gained enough fitness to move back to leg powered bikes for some rides (that is, similar distance to eBike rides)?

I don't think anyone has mentioned Komoot yet.
I don't use it for mapping, but most of the group that I ride with does.
It provides route planning and also turn by turn navigation.
Most use a mobile phone with voice prompts.
It seems to work for them.

I download the Komoot route on my PC then transfer to my Garmin Edge Explore which I use for navigation.

If I am planning I use cycle.travel.

stodd wrote: ↑26 Aug 2024, 9:21am

Tudes24 wrote: ↑25 Aug 2024, 10:22pm It's very buckled. Would that be an option?

Rebuilt with old hub but new rim and spokes should be ok?

That was what I had in mind.
The main problem for the OP is the hub safely fitting the forks.
Retaining the hub should address that.

531colin wrote: ↑15 Jun 2024, 12:54pm <snip>
There is now tolerable clearance for Schwalbe 700 x 40 G one allround tyres, run tubeless on the original wheels at 30/45 psi which are more comfortable than the original tyres and suitable for mixed road and tracks.

I've geared it down a bit with an ordinary Stronglight 38T ring which was knocking about.
<snip>

(1) I have found the tyres fine on road and firm bridle ways but absolutely hopeless on forest tracks, especially soft sand. I am planning on changing them but not sure if tubeless is the way for me. Far too modern technology.

(2) I assume that your gearing down may confuse the speed limiter? Again I assume that the "intelligence" knows which gear you are in and knows your crank revolutions and calculates the speed, so a smaller front ring may make it think you are going faster than you are. Not that cutting power at 15 mph against 15.5 mph (for example) is likely to make much difference.

Have you considered having the wheel rebuilt?
This would solve your hub problems.

There are good reasons why front wheels with disc brakes have through bolts not quick release skewers, as you have mentioned, so I would be very wary of this option.

Most important question is do you want to look at any data whilst riding?

Mobile phones are notoriously flaky in the rain.
An old Samsung Galaxy was waterproof, but as soon as there was a drop of rain on the screen it was off assuming finger presses and making all sorts of random decisions about what App you wanted and what data you wanted to input.
If you want a phone on the bars and expect even a spot of rain on a ride then you really need a phone case.
This (in my case) makes it difficult to read the phone and is also very bulky.

If you just want to analyse the data post ride then connect all your sensors to the phone and put it in a pocket (or bag).

I ride with a Garmin Edge Explore which has an under performing battery but it records route information and speed and distance information if I am pootling, and also provides navigation when I am on a group ride.
The routes are many and varied so I do need navigation on these rides.

I haven't yet integrated sensors, or Garmin with Komoot, or other stuff.
One day, perhaps.

New Balance do some shoes in wide fitting.
I have used them for decades, long before they became a fashion trend.

I wear 11 4E and use older ones for cycling with toe clips.

You would have to scout for the colours you like because some are a bit garish.
Then again I have no idea what is acceptable for work wear these days.

Brings back memories.
We used to use it as a car ferry late '60s and early '70s instead of, for example, the Blackwall Tunnel when we were going sarf of de river.
Long, long time since I've been in the vicinity, and sorry to hear it has stopped running.

Audax67 wrote: ↑17 Aug 2024, 9:52am

LittleGreyCat wrote: ↑13 Aug 2024, 1:24pm Riding in the heat yesterday I wondered how you would monitor to make sure that you weren't over heating.

Forget about it. Humans have excellent temperature control built in at the factory. If you wear sun block and drink before you get thirsty you'll be fine. It's when you stop getting thirsty or stop sweating that you're at risk - it means you're already beginning to dehydrate. Old buggers like me fall into this trap easily because we don't feel thirst as much any more.

So sweat and be joyful.

You seem to be contradicting yourself there.
Humans have good temperature senses until they get old?
So if you are old you may need additional help, logically.

I had a bad experience with overheating a few years back.
Ended up with heat stroke, which isn't funny.
I couldn't tell that I was over heating.
Just that I suddenly wasn't at all well and could barely pedal.

Out riding in the heat the other day I started to feel a little off centre.
Stopped, drank, rested a bit, poured water over myself to aid cooling.
I made it home OK but still felt a bit off for a while until I properly cooled down.
So having demonstrated that my built in temperature sensor may not work as expected I was considering other options.

JohnR wrote: ↑14 Aug 2024, 10:32pm How about a Garmin Tempe https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Externa ... B0092ZMXBS fixed on a strap (HRM strap?) next to your body?

Interesting.
I assume that this is supposed to be just for ambient temperature.
I also assume that if it was supplied for medical style use it would have to go through a lot more testing and certification.
Possibly worth a try.
At some point.

I might be tempted to get it for measuring ambient temperature and also have a play with it as a strap on.
Or just with some Kinesiology tape.

Just read through this thread with interest.

One question; the more cogs you have on the back, the thinner the chain has to be to fit between the cogs. As the chain gets thinner, do the front chainrings also have to get thinner to match the thinner chain?

I note that there is a stick on monitor for babies which fits in the armpit.

If the major risk of heat stroke is over heating of the head, then a cap with built in sensors could help.

As noted, surface temperatures can be very different from core temperature.
I was just wondering if there could be some kind of early warning system for dangerous over heating.

There are plenty of heart rate monitors which can be strapped to the chest and then talk wirelessly to phones and other kit.

Riding in the heat yesterday I wondered how you would monitor to make sure that you weren't over heating.
A thermometer strapped to your chest could do that.
Give your core temperature, or at least the surface temperature of your main body, and warn if it starts to rise above a safe level.

Anyone heard of such a thing?
Quick search on Amazon didn't turn anything up.

On the subject of "walk" mode and legality; as I understand it this is limited to 4 mph and is legal.
I would be surprised if Specialized sold a standard bike that was illegal in the UK.

I also understand that you can get a twist throttle eBike legally upgraded and certified to use the twist throttle when you are not pedalling.
I assume a 3rd party has to verify that the speed limiter works at the correct speed.
Good if you are of limited mobility and/or fitness and gets you on a bike instead of in a car.

Anyway, that is not my reason for buying an eBike.
I just want to be able to ride out a reasonable distance without being completely exhausted.
Like I used to be a few years back.

colyer wrote: ↑6 Aug 2024, 5:32pm I bought a Boardman HYB 8.9E to allow me to get back to riding worthwhile distances (on-road) despite partial paralysis (I no longer have full use of my left leg, which seriously hampers my riding ability).

Like your Vado, the Boardman's Fazua drive has 3 configurable power modes. I can set up multiple profiles with different levels of electric assist. On my main profile I've set mode 1 to minimum assist.

I've settled into a pattern of mostly riding with the assist turned off on descents and on the flat. I use mode 1 on gentle hills, mode 2 on steeper hills and mode 3 only when I really need it.

On my latest ride I met a couple of equestrians coming down the only hill that I needed mode 3 for. After stopping to wait for them I wasn't able to get going again, so ended up walking the rest of the way. Since then I've set up another profile with the maximum possible assist, to kick in as soon as possible, on mode 3. I hope that that will allow me to do steeper hill starts.

Couple of things:

The Specialized has a "walk" button which you can press to get you started before you start pedalling.

The Specialized also has an automatic boost option which gives you a higher power band when setting off.

Anything similar for your Boardman?