My biggest surprise after switching to an e-bike

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Buzzyear10@reddit

That's the main reason I got one. I could make the ride to work on a regular bike but how long until I give up? On the days its too cold, or I'm tired or sore?

Ebike means the mental barrier to ride when i dont feel 100% doesnt exist.

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

Tbf, the cold still makes me want to give up as soon as it starts touching my face.

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Silverback_S5@reddit

Wear a balaclava under your helmet & hey handlebar mitts, they might look funny, but at least you hands won't be cold.

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

I totally read that as "wear a baklava" at first 😂😅

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SquirtinMemeMouthPlz@reddit

I have a Buff merino wool neck gaiter. It's amazing.

Merino Lightweight Neckwear Solid Light Grey BUFF®️ https://share.google/yIc5rJvPcsYd0sKLD

Pull it up to your nose and the cold wind is no big deal anymore.

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How do I keep my eyes from watering? I have an eye sheild on my helmet, but it still lets some wind in my eyes. And when it's cold, my eyes water. Does that just stop with time, or do I need to approach it differently?

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SquirtinMemeMouthPlz@reddit

Hmm, my eyes water a bit too, but I wear eyeglasses which helps. I suppose you could always get biking goggles.

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

Do they mess with peripheral vision? Maybe I could just throw on my blue light glasses, and with the windsheild on my helmet, it may eliminate most of the issue to a bareable degree. 🤷

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SquirtinMemeMouthPlz@reddit

No idea. I haven't used them.

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rdmusic16@reddit

I still bike on cold days, I just bought a special one with four wheels, doors and a gasoline engine.

Really helps during the winter.

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

I'm not able to drive due to a medical condition :/

My first day riding though, I didn't have gloves yet, and I think I almost got frostbite. I had to run my hands under cool water to bring them up in tenp a bit once I got to work before turning on hot water.

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gotitaila31@reddit

Oh man I remember my first cold day. I thought gloves were optional. HAHAHAHAHA.

I wore two layers of latex gloves each day until mine were delivered from Amazon. 🫪

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

Yeah, that one day was AGONY. But thankfully, a coworker let me borrow a pair of gloves for the two days while waiting for mine to get delivered. These ones are windproof and water resistant. So, they've been a huge help so far. (I still haven't had to ride in the rain yet)

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CautiousPerspective@reddit

I thought it was funny 😄

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AwarenessUnhappy7153@reddit

Haha, give this person a free ebike. That was great.

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m2keo@reddit

Absolutely. The mental block is the main thing u overcome with an ebike vs a regular bike. If all u had was a regular bike and a car and u having to go 10 miles to get to work every day, u would choose the car nearly every time.

If u now had an ebike and a car, it has become nearly 50/50 on which u choose to get to work(at least for me). Ebike is a near equalizer to a car. Something people don't think about until they've ridden one.

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IntelligentOkra41@reddit

It also just makes more sense in a city with a ton of stoplights, and speed limits of 25mph. Sure, I'm normally only going 20mph, but I'm generally keeping up with traffic because of the stoplights. But this way, there's no additional gas cost. And an ebike only costs around $25 per year in electricity, charging it every other day.

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Spirited-Leg8107@reddit

And way more fun

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robob3ar@reddit

I has total fatigue crashes and I couldn’t ride - and it was 15 more minutes of torture

Body remembers and I don’t feel like riding a day after that

With e bike it gives that additional adrenaline push/speed that makes you feel like you’re doing it.. feels like you have more power

Body likes this feeling - it makes me want to ride it again

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CassiopeiaNQ1@reddit

No worries about getting up that hill and into my neighborhood on the ride home!

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Hugh_Pharted@reddit

There's on hill I used to face on the way home from work that 100 percent meant I was getting off and walking up 3/4 of the way up. Now I power through with ease.

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ethandede@reddit

This, exactly.

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CassiopeiaNQ1@reddit

Yes!

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bgross42@reddit

Seriously. It’s a 450’ elevation change and it’s FUN! And I’m nearly 74!

Keep pedaling.

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albertbertilsson@reddit

Great! There is only one more level to unlock: Marvel at your surroundings as you go.

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ethandede@reddit

My rower can suck it, for this very reason.

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Jay_Beel@reddit

Especially if your older and had given up riding. I'm now out and about again because of my electric bike.

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RegisterCalm6835@reddit

I'm older too and am debating getting an ebike. What sort did you end up with and why? Thanks.P

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ethandede@reddit

Same boat, I’m older and used to race so…I’m fat with an ego and live in a hilly area and some combo of all 3 kept me from riding. Yesterday, I got the Specialized Vado on sale for $2800 and it’s perfect so far, took it on the 8-9% 1/3 mile climb back up to my house and it was easily manageable, and I can scale back the e-assist as I get fit and lose weight. I still need to make that happen, of course, but the barriers to do so have been vastly mitigated.

Why Soecialized? Recognized brand name, LBS support, great deal, great tech, great warranty, hub drive, still like to control my shifting, no throttle requires that you pedal, which forces me to move. Don’t mind that part.

Whatever you decide to get, I’d get one. Keep that body moving.

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Jay_Beel@reddit

We bought a couple of earth bikes. They can fold up and go in the back of the station wagon. They had great reviews and had a long enough distance for us. They are not the cheapest but we wanted reliability. We wanted a bike that wasn't too heavy and just for riding on the bitumen for a bit of exercise, we now go to the local shops, because we can. The electric assist helps us tremendously for the couple of small but long hills. We can turn the assist level right up for the hill and back down to 1 or 2 along the flatter streets. If there is a headwind we turn the assist level up again. It has helped our fitness, heart and breathing levels greatly.

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Vast_Specialist_4129@reddit

I’m a little long in the tooth myself, depends what your budget is. I got a Freesky Alaska and my wife got the Wildcat. Seriously good stuff for the money! https://www.freeskycycle.com/?ref=rrqrtxjf&utm_campaign=affiliate_promotions%28example%29&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=goaffpro

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Kyron4030@reddit

I’m nearing 70 and it’s a great way to get around and get some exercise.

The only thing I hate is that I will never leave it out of my sight even when I lock it up.

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SpawnicusRex@reddit

I passed a 73 year old gentleman hauling firewood on his adorable little work horse of a scooter. I offered to help load the trailer and he wouldn't let me 😆 Said he had it under control!

E Bikes absolutely empower folks to get and stay moving!

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Hashtag_Labotomy@reddit

Wow, he def wasn't messin around lol.

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SpawnicusRex@reddit

No kidding, he put one more log on before I left!

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Hashtag_Labotomy@reddit

I almost feel bad for that hub motor. Lol.

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AbstinentNoMore@reddit

The only thing I hate is that I will never leave it out of my sight even when I lock it up.

This is why I like having a cheap, crappy ebike.

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steveonski50@reddit

If schwalbe marathon e plus fit your rims and you can afford $100.00 tires, your flats will become a thing of the past!

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JeremyFromKenosha@reddit

Yes! They're SO versatile! We can get to work not sweaty, wearing regular clothes. We can get 40 lbs. of groceries on the way home and it doesn't change much. We can show up to a bike club ride, even though it's Recovery Day. The list goes on and on.

The old guard don't want to accept them, but the younger generation don't care. I do worry that the younger generation will never get fit though...

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Unlikely-Flatworm815@reddit

This is why I’m so happy I got one, too. I’m chronically ill, and this has brought so much mobility and adventure back into my life!

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wlexxx2@reddit

just dont; have a rear flat, on a rear hub drive bike

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wlexxx2@reddit

mid drive flats are not that bad but

a. the bike is still heavy and awkward

and

b. mid drive costs about $1500 minimum

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pirategavin@reddit

EXACTLY.

It’s a fucking ordeal x 10 getting that wheel off [and then back on!].

I carry tire goo and a small electric pump in a pannier now.

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wlexxx2@reddit

i mean - this was my biggest surprise,

a. that these huge low pressure tires could even get flats

b. i had one about every 300 miles and

c. SO HARD TO FIX ON THE ROAD [even if you have a spare tube]

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wlexxx2@reddit

i lived in fear of flats, and i had been riding road bikes for 20 years first

finally the cheap bike broke and i am back to 10 minute flats for acoustics

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dafrenchfrog@reddit

I make up excuses to ride my e-bike. Sometimes I even go out in the middle of the night—like at 2 a.m.—because there’s less traffic in Paris, just for the fun of it."

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Brother1962@reddit

Absolutely, everything you said is spot on! It gives you options including the ability to ride as a regular pedal bike or use the motor to assist with the ride. I am 64 and it’s a Godsend to be able to get help pedaling or let the bike do the work when I feel fatigued! I love my Celotric Discover 2!

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pxnolhtahsm@reddit

Which means you're using it as unregistered electric moped. When I added electric motor to my bicycle, the main thing that changed was speed and acceleration.

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Street_Cod_4336@reddit

what the hell does this mean?

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pxnolhtahsm@reddit

It means that if you are getting less tired, you're one of those jackasses who are not pedaling with motor assistance but instead are sitting motionless while using ebike like electric moped.

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Dook23@reddit

Wait, so you seem to think having some electric assistance means you would be equally tired as if you rode without it? That’s a moronic statement.

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Street_Cod_4336@reddit

Oh you're an arsehole. Got it.

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stormdelta@reddit

They're just another asshole that can't seem to handle the idea that people use bikes for transportation and not just fitness/recreation.

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pxnolhtahsm@reddit

Well, I'm sorry pal - the asshole here is you, who are using loopholes in law, using device which is anything but unregistered electric moped in places where only bicycles are allowed, without care that you are screwing up ebike use for everyone, because you don't give a shit. Yes, I can't handle this level of selfishness and carelssness. Currently, thanks to assholes like you, who are "uSiNg EbIkEs FoR tRaNsPoRtAtIoN", we just got changes in law, where now I have to think if I might need to switch to direct drive hub motor to hide the fact that I'm actively using electric propulsion, because now technically riding with ebike that's going faster than 25 km/h means riding unregistered moped. Also, unfortunately, almost any bicycle use I'm doing is transportation, very often with big bags attached to luggage rack.

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ralphdeonori@reddit

Yep, I have asthma and the times I remember riding before I got one I would taste blood in my throat if I exerted myself too hard. Now it’s my main mode of transport

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Exact-Client-9250@reddit

I'm old and fat with bad knees and buying my Velotric Nomad 2X is the best money that I have spent in a very long time. It gets me out of the to enjoy the beauty all around the area where I live and get some much needed exercise without hurting my knees. My only complaint is that it is a very big bike I needed a truck with a tailgate ramp if I wanted to go out of town with it, so I ended up buy the Velotric Fold 1 Plus that easily fits in my trunk.

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zen_master_EZ@reddit

I love ebiking and hate to admit that it's way more fun than acoustic biking

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riverSmith283@reddit

Are there reasonable price american e bikes?

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myelodysplasto@reddit

Lectric is quite reasonable

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YellowsBest@reddit

I got my first eBike in 2018, before which I never got out of my village on my old ‘analogue’ bike. What I soon discovered is that I would ride further for longer with confidence that I could ride the distance and get up any hill and still arrive home wanting to do more. I’m 60 now, and still love getting out on the eBike, but now tend to wait for warmer weather!

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BWWFC@reddit

this. the main benefit for me is that i don't have to worry about where to call my "can i get back home??" point.
now explore my city with abandon, with same exercise but longer rides.

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well-filibuster@reddit

Yep! In subreddit speak, my usage is basically: /r/ebikes + /r/CargoBike + /r/bikecommuting

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nivaOne@reddit

I made my first ebike 14 years ago. Everybody said that it’s just a hype, meant for the elderly, younger people will never use one… I predicted that e-bikes would become the transportation mean of the future. It would extend the range from a few kilometres up to 15 -20 kilometres at least. Finally I convinced companies to provide charging points for e-bikes at no cost. Combined with solar panels to reduce their cost. The idea is that the sun shines during the day (while at work) and if you can drive back and forth on a single charge, one may as well charge it a work. This is one of the most eco-friendly means of transportation one can image.

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Livid_Paramedic_6973@reddit

With the high prices of gas I figured a small investment in an ebike would eventually pay off. And it did. Taking the car for errands in my city was expensive and with traffic created headaches. I live in a city with many dedicated bike lanes and trails. I can zoom past standstill traffic and get to my destination faster than a car during rush hour.

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Street_Cod_4336@reddit

Great to hear this. I've been thinking about an ebike and was hoping that it would make getting on the bike easier. I was worried it was wishful thinking but this makes me feel hopeful.

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stephenmakesart@reddit

Do it. I have bad mobility with my legs and I can still ride. It's incredible

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donguppy@reddit

I'm considering getting one for my commute. But I fear the 25 kmh limit will be a problem - that I won't gain much, since I'm already comfortably doing 25 kmh average on a road bike. Is that true?

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Some-Attitude8183@reddit

It’s not to ride faster, it’s to ride with less effort so you arrive at work not sweaty and tired.

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drkodos@reddit

pure myth

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trtsmb@reddit

You aren't going to gain anything beyond maybe being a little less sweaty in the summer. You will lose some fitness though making the switch since the bike will be doing most of the work.

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Financial_Pick3281@reddit

It's kinda true (I have the same experience) but not completely. On my ebike with two panniers I can carry about 30kg of stuff before it starts feeling like a burden. My road bike, even though it has pannier racks and fenders, really doesn't seem to like this added weight to the rear too much, the handling and especially the speed suffer much more on the road bike. In addition, you become wind agnostic. When I had a job about 12km away and I had to go against a 7bft headwind I knew it would cost me 30% of the battery instead of 8, but also that the time would be roughly the same, so you need to do less planning around it.

I will say though, if the weather is nice, 20 degree ish with maximum 2bft wind, there are not that many benefits that a 25kph ebike has over a road bike or even a normal good quality city bike. It's just that with the larger tires, higher carrying capacity, and higher tolerances against variable weather conditions, an ebike has more days where its usable than a normal bike.

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RXrenesis8@reddit

An ebike also encourages non-required usage, errands and pleasure trips, more than a pedal bike does. On my analog it's just to and from work, on the ebike it's "oh, I haven't checked that place out yet, let's see what it's like!"

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ParsleyOdd7599@reddit

In my youth I cycled to work and just for fun. I took bike trips and just loved exploring the city and surrounding neighbourhoods. Then life moved on and kids, different jobs and cycling became just a memory. Now the kids are grown and work is again changing and slowing down so I bought an e-bike. I’m in love with cycling all over again. My Aventon Adventure M bike is amazing. Smart and comfortable, I had no idea these things could bring so my joy. My third time out I did 49km and craved more. Just do it.

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StillPurple8683@reddit

I’ve had a Velotric E-bike for about 4 years. It’s part of my daily routine… in fact, I usually schedule my day around my bike ride. My cycling is part of who I am and you are right, it feels natural and joyful.

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New_Riley@reddit

King tha vibe hard like it’s just so chill now no pressure to ride, just flowin

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slacknsurf420@reddit

Frankly there's more time in the week to relax, I don't have to stress about battery levels, I can take my time or blast my ass off and irregardless it's a good time

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Fair-Discipline-1005@reddit

I'm glad, You feel so,e bike is a life changer...👍

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Sheshirdzhija@reddit

I switched to a manual bike because of weight, I have to carry it up and down big stairs on my train station. Now, I just use the bike when I HAVE to, like going to work/train. When i had an ebike, I also used it for short trips to store and stuff. Now I'm just lazy and take the car.

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KostyaFedot@reddit

Lucky you.

I still struggle on insane and long hill to commute. Charging just after three return rides maximum.

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godzillabobber@reddit

I no longer think of it as an ebike. It's just my bike. I can shift gears with a derailleur or a button or both. Big panniers and a cart make it all I need.

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shishamo_@reddit

Yep, its a great way to commute