E bikes - do you secretly want one?

[Cyril Haearn]

The problem seems to be thoyling a new machine
Or space

[Audax67]

I always imagine the roads in France and Italy are a lot smoother than they are in England

Pardon me if I say HAH ! ! ! In recent years chip & seal is all the rage, in our neck of the bundók anyway. There's a rare pleasure in sweating up a 1000-metre col to find that the way down, being in a different département from the nice smooth way up, is resplendent with 2 cm of chippings and even the motorcyclists are muttering sweet nothings into their Darth Vader Shoeis and turning back. They're contemplating a true road-tax here, and some twerp has even suggested GPS-tagging every car and charging per kilometre.

[mercalia]

yes it seems a few people in London are hacking them to remove the pedaling requirement - I saw one guy wizz by along Leigham Ct Rd in Streatham, he was doing atleast 20 mph probably more, and wasnt pedaling

[Username]

When my glucose levels plummeted 12 miles from home today and knowing I had a good 6 of them to go on a 50mph hilly bendy road I'd have given almost anything for an ebike.
One day when my legs are close to falling off I'll consider one.
I don't think its cheating though. Better an ebike than stuck indoors on the couch.

and better to be stuck on the couch than attend yet another speed awareness course for trying to drive somewhere before your hair grows too long. You might as well let your belly grow too .

I dont want an Ebike, I do want something that can change the climate tho. I mean like instantly

[francovendee]

I always imagine the roads in France and Italy are a lot smoother than they are in England

Pardon me if I say HAH ! ! ! In recent years chip & seal is all the rage, in our neck of the bundók anyway. There's a rare pleasure in sweating up a 1000-metre col to find that the way down, being in a different département from the nice smooth way up, is resplendent with 2 cm of chippings and even the motorcyclists are muttering sweet nothings into their Darth Vader Shoeis and turning back. They're contemplating a true road-tax here, and some twerp has even suggested GPS-tagging every car and charging per kilometre.

Different around here (Vendee), roads are generally very good, even the small lanes. Villages are another matter, often very rough as a result of numerous bad repairs in the past. I think funding for roads within a village is different than funding for departmental roads.

[Gattonero]

in 2012 I saw some of the Paralympic cyclysts. Having witnessed a guy that though completely missing a leg, would dismount from his bike and go around, it makes me more and more convinced that all you need is to stop whining.
That guy had one leg only, and he had no motor! Everyone else should be ashamed by the inner strength of this people that despite having severe body limitations, will overcome things that seem such a problem for other people that are simply lacking the good attitude.

[reohn2]

in 2012 I saw some of the Paralympic cyclysts. Having witnessed a guy that though completely missing a leg, would dismount from his bike and go around, it makes me more and more convinced that all you need is to stop whining.
That guy had one leg only, and he had no motor! Everyone else should be ashamed by the inner strength of this people that despite having severe body limitations, will overcome things that seem such a problem for other people that are simply lacking the good attitude.

Whilst I agree with you about the inner strength of some individuals able bodied or not,a bad attitude isn't the reason all people use ebikes and to suggest that is the wrong attitude.
There are many reasons people use Ebikes and I'm struggling to understand your point within the context of the thread,unless I'm missing something.In which case I'll need it explaining to me

[mercalia]

well for any one interested there is a 20% off sale here - 50cycles.com

http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/kalkhoff-bikes.html?utm_source=Active+Emails+from+Zoho+Campaigns&utm_campaign=5f4b197619-Boxing-Day-2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1772e7e28-5f4b197619-58370799

This one looks interesting?

http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/kalkhoff-bikes/durban_compact_8g.html

with the discount code £1200
Weight 19.6kg
1100 cycle battery lifetime, more than twice that of the Bosch battery. So 50% extra capacity

[squeaker]

This one looks interesting?

http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/kalkhoff-bikes/durban_compact_8g.html

"Magnesium alloy forks" would sound alarm bells for me...

[rmurphy195]

Not for me - yet.

I used to turn my nose up at these, then one day when on holiday in Wales, we were aqt the cafe at the bottom of Cader Idris, where an ebike was parked. Anyone who knows this area knows its a tad hilly!

Nearby was a gentlemen in his 80's, having a nice cuppa - as did we, we'd just been for a "healthy" walk! It was his bike - he'd cycled all his life around these hills but in his 80's he wasn't as strong as he used to be and thought that he 'd have to give up cycling.

Then he discovered ebikes - and hadn't looked back!

If I survive Birmingham traffic, that'll be me one day

[Gattonero]

in 2012 I saw some of the Paralympic cyclysts. Having witnessed a guy that though completely missing a leg, would dismount from his bike and go around, it makes me more and more convinced that all you need is to stop whining.
That guy had one leg only, and he had no motor! Everyone else should be ashamed by the inner strength of this people that despite having severe body limitations, will overcome things that seem such a problem for other people that are simply lacking the good attitude.

Whilst I agree with you about the inner strength of some individuals able bodied or not,a bad attitude isn't the reason all people use ebikes and to suggest that is the wrong attitude.
There are many reasons people use Ebikes and I'm struggling to understand your point within the context of the thread,unless I'm missing something.In which case I'll need it explaining to me

Electric bikes have their place: cargo vehicles, some city bikes and the likes, but I cannot stand the "I can't go fast up that hill" or "I can't keep up with my friends" thing. The former, is what I've said "do all that you can and you will go up that hill", the latter means that those are not really your friends.
Cycling it's not only legs, it's also brain to use. And the roads are shared. The one that needs to "bump up" his speed should actually ride within his possibilities. Then, of course, there are people with severe problems that can benefit from an assisted bicycle to get them around, it's a very good thing but very different from the Pinarello Nytro e-bike, is it?

[reohn2]

Electric bikes have their place: cargo vehicles, some city bikes and the likes, but I cannot stand the "I can't go fast up that hill" or "I can't keep up with my friends" thing. The former, is what I've said "do all that you can and you will go up that hill", the latter means that those are not really your friends.
Cycling it's not only legs, it's also brain to use. And the roads are shared. The one that needs to "bump up" his speed should actually ride within his possibilities. Then, of course, there are people with severe problems that can benefit from an assisted bicycle to get them around, it's a very good thing but very different from the Pinarello Nytro e-bike, is it?

I suspect the people you have in mind are a very small minority indeed,which IMO needed clarifying in your previous post.
People who've ridden with a club/group for some time and are now finding it harder to keep up and don't like the thoughts of the group they ride with waiting for them but enjoy their company,may feel an ebike a good choice for their social life.
Whatever,ebikes are here to stay and whatever the reason for people using them no amount of complaining on a thread such as this will change that,people ride ebikes for many different reasons,who are we to judge them on those reasons.

[Cyril Haearn]

The lucky ones who are in Wobbly Wheelers (a large traditional club) can just upgrade to a slower group ride

[Paul Smith SRCC]

The local club riders who have them love their E-bikes, for some there comes a time when they reach an age and perhaps with health issues that mean they found they were often driving to the cafe instead of cycling! For them the assistance an e-bike gives them is the difference between cycling with their life long friends or not, it has simply extended their cycling life with their mates.

When I reach that point in my life; then I will definitely want one.

[Grandad]

The local club riders who have them love their E-bikes, for some there comes a time when they reach an age and perhaps with health issues that mean they found they were often driving to the cafe instead of cycling! For them the assistance an e-bike gives them is the difference between cycling with their life long friends or not, it has simply extended their cycling life with their mates.

When I reach that point in my life; then I will definitely want one.

We have a number of these on our slowest club ride and it's great to see them.

My turn in the not too distant future