Cycling/Bike Advice Needed

[Grey]

Hello, I wonder if anyone here can help advise on something.

I've recently changed jobs and now I'm working about 3km from home, so perfectly reasonable cycling distance. A few years ago I had some heart trouble (I'm mid-fifties) and although I'm now fine, I'm 'banned' from doing anything too strenuous, so cycling up a steep hill would be too much. I'd really like to get back on two wheels though and would actually get some health benefits from that.

So... I've seen the G-Tech bike which has motor assist i.e. when you need some extra push, the motor cuts in and takes the strain. My commute would be on forest tracks, mostly uphill there and downhill back. That bike has a 30 mile range on one charge, which is fine. This seems ideal for someone like me, who doesn't have the leg power or the cardiovascular strength to be entirely self-propelled.

Is this a good solution to get me back in the saddle?, are there any alternatives I could look into?

[531colin]

Oh come on!
3K is less than 2 miles, at a gentle stroll it would take half an hour.
Buy a bike, walk up the steep bits until you get used to it.
Manhandling an electric bike with a puncture on a forest track would be harder work than cycling.

[Grey]

I would like to get back on two wheels again but your advice is to walk? I can't walk very far and certainly not uphill without a break, my heart muscle is about 40% depleted compared to a normal person and that will not repair itself. If I can cycle then I could also go to other places too, go for a ride at the weekend, up the shops instead of driving.

Alternatively, I could just drive and it would take 10 minutes. Guess cycling was a stupid idea, maybe I'm stupid too, at least that's the way you've made me feel.

[roubaixtuesday]

I've no expertise with ebikes, but they are both heavy and very expensive. For such a short ride even with medical issues you'd struggle to take more than 15 mins, 20 absolute tops on a normal bike. Any slower and you'd not be able to balance.

Can you borrow a bike, anything with gears would do, and try a short way in a low gear, just to see how it feels?

Best of luck

[531colin]

I would like to get back on two wheels again but your advice is to walk? I can't walk very far and certainly not uphill without a break, my heart muscle is about 40% depleted compared to a normal person and that will not repair itself. If I can cycle then I could also go to other places too, go for a ride at the weekend, up the shops instead of driving.

Alternatively, I could just drive and it would take 10 minutes. Guess cycling was a stupid idea, maybe I'm stupid too, at least that's the way you've made me feel.

No, my advice is to buy a bike and walk the steep bits until you get stronger. If exercise won't make you stronger then there is no point doing it.
If you can't walk up a hill, what will you do on a "forest track" with a heavy electric bike with a puncture, or any other mechanical problem?

[Vorpal]

I'm sure Colin didn't mean to make you feel bad. He clearly didn't understand the extent of your heart trouble.

I think a bike with electrical assist is a great idea, however, be aware, that you may still need to work to get up the hills. If you really can't do that, maybe you should consider a bike that can do all of the work for you when you need it, rather than just assist. I haven't tried the G-Tech, but have ridden some similar bikes, while they can certainly make a difference, they just make a hill easier, not easy, if you understand the distinction.

Secondly, if you are going to use this bike for commuting, I recommend getting one with lights and mudguards. They will save you a lot of hassle, wet, and muck.

Lastly, take some medical advice. It's great if you can improve your fitness little by little. It's possible, with care and an easy pace, to ride some distance on a normal bike with less exertion than walking for the same length of time.

[david7591]

Give it a go. I assume your steep hill is in an urban environment, therefore very unlikely to be off Hardnott difficulty, an electric bike sounds just the ticket.

[Haribo]

Hi there,

I'd actually suggest you ask this question over on the Pedelecs forums ( pedelecs.co.uk/forum ) rather than here, especially given the rather unhelpful replies so far.

You wil get much better advice regarding ebikes and conversion kits, and probably better support from others with similar health issues.

For what it's worth, in my opinion an ebike conversion would be an excellent choice for you, it would get you back on two wheels without any over-exertion worries, and if you go for a pedal-assist model ( where you have to keep pedalling to keep the bike going, even though no force is actually required ) they can be a great way to get back in to cycling, without any worries if you have a bad day. With new hub motors in wheels, a ebike conversion can be almost indistinguishable from a standard bike, and if you only need a relatively short range, the battery pack can be small and lightweight enough to pass as a water bottle. With a good base bike choice, they weight difference over a normal bike is no concern, given the advantages for anyone with health issues. And modern hub motors are practically silent.


And ignore any jibes here. I am lucky enough to have had remarkably good health for all my adult life, but spent a good chunk of my early childhood with a very debilitating heart condition (thankfully cured with surgery once I was old enough). Most folks are lucky enough to not understand just how limiting a heart condition can be.

[Grey]

Haribo, thank you very much for your advice. Exactly the type of input, ideas and advice I was looking for. I guess the "Health and Fitness" area of CyclingUK is the wrong forum for anyone with a disability to come to (not much "Help for Heroes" here!). I shall visit the site you suggested; I had a quick look and that site appears much more friendly, positive and supportive and much more likely to help me back on two wheels, wind my hair, flies on my teeth etc. Many thanks.

[531colin]

If you can't walk very far, have you even been down this "forest track" you want to use for your commute?
Many tracks look inviting for the bit you can see from the road on summer's day, but on a spring day when it hasn't dried out after winter can you get all the way through dragging a bicycle?
Do you intend to commute this way in the winter, in the dark?

[531colin]

I'm sure Colin didn't mean to make you feel bad. He clearly didn't understand the extent of your heart trouble.......

We weren't exactly told the right story first time, were we?
When somebody says they are "banned from strenuous cycling up steep hills" and goes on to suggest they can use an electric bike for a short trip on "forest tracks", I think its reasonable to assume they are fit enough to walk the trip.
It turns out he can't even walk 3km, and yet people on here are suggesting its a good idea to commute off-road with an electric bike, with lights, presumably to do it in the winter. What happens if he gets a mechanical problem in the woods? What happens if he gets to work, they have some rain, and the track is flooded when he wants to go home?

Oh, and I'm sorry if trying to inject a little realism makes anybody feel bad, perhaps the time to think about stuff like this is when you find somebody with a heart condition marooned in the woods with an electric bike.

Just to be crystal clear.......if you can't walk 3km, you need to have a comprehensive rescue strategy worked out before you embark on a 3km off-road journey with a bicycle.

[freeflow]

+1

[horizon]

especially given the rather unhelpful replies so far.

I thought Colin's response was spot on - most people underestimate how far they can go on a bike. And getting off to walk the uphill bit until you get fit is, as someone said, just the ticket.

However not revealing you have a serious heart condition that requires (or appears to require) medical supervision until you get some replies is in itself a bit unhelpful. No-one can give advice of that nature on a cycling forum.

As the OP said, they could drive it but wanted to try cycling. My personal opinion is that electric bikes are a red herring in this case and that we are talking about an extremely fine line between wanting to cycle and needing to avoid a medical emergency. But, as I said, that's my personal opinion and I agree with Colin that if it's that fine a line, an electric bike will have its own issues. Using an electric bike that will simply do the whole trip does indeed beg the question (IMV) whether a cycling forum is the best place to ask.

[Trail Beater]

I thought cycling and walking were positively encouraged after heart problems.
It's a case of gradually building up to doing more as the months go by.
I think an ebike would give you a false indication of how far you have come in recovery IMO.
So I don't think Colin's advice of getting off and pushing up the hill(for the now) would be a bad idea.
Only you will know when you feel fitter and stronger to actually tackle the hills,you will just know when.
Don't fall into the learned helplessness way of thinking,and stop yourself from trying the hills after a period of a few months.
Just get on your usual bike and take it from there.

[Grey]

To answer the questions...

(a) I don't need medical supervision, I had a piece of shrapnel go into my chest, out the other side, taking a chunk of my heart with it. My heart works but it's under capacity, it won't get any better because part of it missing, I did the proper rehab years ago, so I'm ok but I get tired quickly and need to take breaks. I have to avoid strenuous activity because I'm likely to pass out.
(b) I know the forest tracks very well and that would be my preferred route during the drier months, it would be an on road route (or I'll drive) in the wetter/colder months.
(c) If I incur a mechanical failure, I'll call my Mrs or my neighbour, who will come and get the bike. I doubt that will be very often but yes it could occur, but in my mind that's not a reason not to cycle.

I'm not being prickly here, but when someone incurs a disability of any kind, that person wants to be as 'normal' as they can be, they still want to do the things they want to do and they find ways of doing them albeit differently. I've known people who lost limbs that subsequently climbed mountains, or participated in sports that people said they never would, or did the London marathon etc. Something such people push back against is being told "no", "can't be done", "waste of time", "you're not capable", "forget it", because it makes us feel useless, which is a downward spiral. Conversely, we like to hear "yes", "should be possible", "yes, but you'll need...", "there is a way", "how about", "try this" and so on because it makes us feel positive, fist pumpingly good and that's an upward spiral.

Don't get me wrong, I do actually appreciate the comments, but one thing you tend to discover with a disability is that many people don't share in the same determination. I guess I'm programmed with a "never give up" mindset and "nobody's going to stop me" kind of attitude. I guess that's not always a positive trait.

So sorry if I'm not communicating well or seem abrupt but I love cycling and I want to do it again, in fact I WILL do it again, but I need to find the best way.