Athlete Vaporists?

[Marlon Rando]

I'm really feeling the E-Bikes as of late, been scouring around looking for the most efficient, affordable AP style, then vacillate between a ho hum commuter to a class 3 style sports bike, specialized turbo's are nice, RAD Power looks affordable with massive knobby's like all terrain type rig. some of the Bull'sTwenty9 models with full suspension are $$$ like $5K and up! Trek is always pricey.
the tech (batteries) seem to be getting lighter, smaller, more power and less obtrusive fitting into the frame rather than a chunk of solid block onto it. Anyone here care to offer pros and cons? was always of the school 'Burn fat, not gas' so pedal assist is new to me.

 

[vapirtoo]

Anything that gets you out and moving is a plus! Electric means no pollution or noise
on the trail so it's all good IMHO. I'm still a hard core spin my ass off biker, but I have no problems
when you guys blow pass me, sometimes I get a real good draft on the streets. Then they get annoyed!
I guess trail degradation might be an issue. I guess my old motocross days make me happy to see E-bikes.
Anything that gets us off the couch and into the light is good. Ride on! HELMETS ALWAYS please.
I ride an old 1978 Raleigh professional road bike, a Specialized Rockhopper Mountain bike and my father's
ancient truck bike ( for errands and shopping).

 

[His_Highness]

I use my mountain bike mainly for cross training with running as the primary exercise. Occasionally hit a trail with my kids and SIL but now that they have kids of their own it's becoming rare. I have 6 bikes in my garage including a restored antique bicycle built for two, a beach cruiser and a miniature Trek mountain bike for littles that's around 20 years old. Waiting for one of my grandkids to get old enough to use the mini. Hope I'm healthy enough to ride with the grandkids when they become double digits.

I picked up the working two seater 30 years ago at a garage sale for $40 and had it restored over a decade ago. Originally picked it up because my wife never learned to ride a bike because her father thought it wasn't lady-like. At one point I put a child seat on it and it was a bicycle built for 3. Thing is built like a tank.

 

[Ramahs]

I have an aluminum frame Windsor Wellington 2.0 road bike (nothing fancy, a bikesdirect.com special. It was all I could afford at the time) and a steel frame Jamis Sputnik fixed-gear road bike that I've really come to enjoy for local city riding.

They've both been sadly neglected in the last year. I need to clean them both up, re-build and re-grease everything, and get them back out there. Y'all are inspiring me to do so.

 

[west-elec]

I'm really feeling the E-Bikes as of late, been scouring around looking for the most efficient, affordable AP style, then vacillate between a ho hum commuter to a class 3 style sports bike, specialized turbo's are nice, RAD Power looks affordable with massive knobby's like all terrain type rig. some of the Bull'sTwenty9 models with full suspension are $$$ like $5K and up! Trek is always pricey.
the tech (batteries) seem to be getting lighter, smaller, more power and less obtrusive fitting into the frame rather than a chunk of solid block onto it. Anyone here care to offer pros and cons? was always of the school 'Burn fat, not gas' so pedal assist is new to me.

I am new to electric but have just done some expensive purchases so happy to offer what little I learned. I am in Aus so models available won't be relevant. You might be ahead of this info so sorry if it's too basic.
I bought 4 for the whole family so needed to keep budget tight, aimed for best specs but lowest price, ended up about $3k each.
The ones with batteries integrated into the frame are all higher end and you are not getting much change from $5k and way higher. Didnt see much advantages to integrated batteries except aesthetics and maybe balance, but too pricey.
Unless you are hard core off road, full suspension will also step you up to high end, but front suspension is good for smoother ride.
Mid mount motor is best because you get torque advantage from the gears. Hub motors tend to deliver too much when you don't need it- on the flat, not enough when you do- up hill.
Type of sensor makes big differenc. Cheap bikes just have a cadence sensor, turns on when pedalling. Better is torque sensor that adds more power when you pedal harder. These are much smoother and mimic normal push bike riding just with assistance.
With mid mount and torque sensor the street legal (in Aus) 250w motors are powerful enough to assist you up all but the steepest hills. They don't have enough to do it alone, you need higher power for full electric up hill, 750 minimum or 1000w best. Bafang make kits that can be fitted to standard bikes for custom creations if you are handy.
Hybrid road/mountain bikes are good and fat tyres are fun but more tread means more friction, so they are a bit slower and noiser on road. But off road a little bumpy tread makes a big difference to stability and front tyre slip outs.
Don't let anyone tell you e-bikes don't give enough exercise, my heart rate is up within minutes and stays up the whole ride, I just go longer and farther with a little backup. If it gets you up and out there then do it.

 

[Marlon Rando]

Type of sensor makes big differenc. Cheap bikes just have a cadence sensor, turns on when pedalling. Better is torque sensor that adds more power when you pedal harder. These are much smoother and mimic normal push bike riding just with assistance.

This is the info was looking for, Thank you West!

750 minimum or 1000w best

here Stateside i dont think its legal to (without a permit) to go above 750w. don't quote me on this, will need to recheck this little deet.

Hybrid road/mountain bikes are good and fat tyres are fun but more tread means more friction, so they are a bit slower and noiser on road. But off road a little bumpy tread makes a big difference to stability and front tyre slip outs

agreed, Gravel bikes look good too a bit of both, want to save my limbs these days not as bold as i was 10 years ago lol.

Don't let anyone tell you e-bikes don't give enough exercise, my heart rate is up within minutes and stays up the whole ride, I just go longer and farther with a little backup. If it gets you up and out there then do it.

 

[MinnBobber]

Anyone here care to offer pros and cons? was always of the school 'Burn fat, not gas' so pedal assist is new to me.

I will offer up my ramblings on ebikes, just my experience.
Electric assist motors plus bicycles are the greatest combination ever. They make the experience so much more fun, efficient, and vastly expand the every day usage for such bikes.
I get much more exercise with my E bike, going faster and farther and allowing me to use it for many more trips.
Being able to cruise at much faster speeds allows for much better cooling, being able to use it on even the hottest days.
At 72 years old I do not need to redline going up hills anymore, so have E assist is a blessing in that regard.
For me, ebikes are a big step up over regular bikes. In comparison, I do not find the E cars to be there yet.

Hub drive versus mid drive: you need to avoid gross generalizations and compare quality hub drives to quality mid drives!!!

.For my use, I find Stromer to be the ultimate ebike. They use a direct drive hub motor with the torque sensor and offer the most natural feel of any E bike I have ever tested. The power delivery is so natural and smooth, you feel like you’ve got the legs of a tour de France sprinter.

The one area mid drive bikes are clearly better is for mountain bikes. The electric motor power can be multiplied going through the drivetrain, For strong power in those low gear applications.
—-The huge downside for me with mid drives is:
All of the torque multiplication through your drive train sprockets and chain can cause these items to wear out much much faster. You are multiplying the torque by 2X, 5X, 10 X.

Conversely, hub drive motors can substantially decrease the drivetrain wear and tear .
A quality hub drive can be much quieter, much smoother, and much more reliable in the long run.
A hub drive motor is also a little more efficient with less power lost.

I love Stromer, the Swiss Mercedes of E bikes, but they are pricey.
I just did a 60 mile ride yesterday and still had 55% battery left. I usually have the power assist level dialed to max as that is so damn fun, but that drains battery much faster.
I was testing lower levels as an experiment.

Shop around and test drive for the feel of the power delivery and go for an ebike.....

 

[420_fitdad]

Has anyone ever just found that perfect pre-workout strain? I just did and stocked up... Durban walker for the win here!

 

[Marlon Rando]

Shop around and test drive for the feel of the power delivery and go for an ebike.....

Great Read, looked up your bike, sexy and $$$..
you know it

Has anyone ever just found that perfect pre-workout strain? I just did and stocked up... Durban walker for the win here!

don't know the name of current strain, coined it ZIPPY shit, works great with focus and Coordination.
Durban strains are always great to stock up on, indeed FTW

Today will be a swim day in the pool, 75 laps min.

 

[Polarbearboy]

RE Ebikes: The NYT had a story a few days ago from a small study comparing health outcomes of ebiking vrs "real" biking. The study found essentially no difference. Both had similar positive cardiovascular effects. I'm pretty sure that was with pedal assist only bikes rather than throttle bikes, which you don't have to pedal to move.

I've been a fairly serious biker for more than 50 years, mountain biking and road biking. Commuted to work on my mtn bike for nearly ten years typically six months per. Last ten years I've fallen in love with my 29er, which with Schwalbe Big Bens rides like a dream on and off road. I love riding up hills; the notches are my favs. And I love the wild gravel roads I've discovered. But I both got old--73--and had moved to New England's most mountainous area when I retired eight years ago. So last fall I started thinking about getting an ebike then noticed several rentals for sale at the Mt Washington AutoRoad. And that's what I bought.

I'd been looking at step throughs and at Aventons and Rads, and I studied the BikesDirect ebike offerings obsessively. For where I live, I am so glad I got the used fairly high-end emtn bike for $2k(msrp $3750.) rather than anything else. My bike has the strongest Shimano motor...and I need it here, with all the hills, some quite steep, both on the road and in the woods. I realize that many of the bikes I had been considering have motors that would have struggled to get up the hills, rather than flying up. Most ebikes may be good on the flats and rolling terrain, but get a bike for your more extreme adventures. I took off the knobby tires and put on more all around tires(Schwalbe Supermoto Xs) that are great on the road and fine on gravel and all but the most extreme off-road. Also got riser handlebars for a more upright riding position.

I love my ebike and love riding it. There is no doubt in my mind that I am getting just as much aerobic exercise without the burning calfs. I ride mostly on the lowest of three settings, using the mid setting to help me get home after a long ride or up long hills, and use the biggest boost only on the steepest hills. Still I love the big boost because I can explore and if I find myself at the bottom of a steep hill I can get back up. The ebike has let me explore side trails and gravel roads that were too much for me even eight years ago. I've found some places that are almost amazingly quiet and beautiful that I didn't even know existed.

As noted above, the thing can be frighteningly powerful at first. I rode for two months last fall and another month this spring without even one puff before hand. Now that I've gotten used to it, I enjoy a couple of puffs at the start of a ride and another refresher session after an hour or so.

Being a long-time biker I understand the criticisms of ebikes, but for us oldsters its a great way to stay out there and to keep exercising.

 

[vapirtoo]

Great mental scenery on those quiet places never explored before!
Movement keeps the chemicals stirred!
Great area to ride.

 

[GetLeft]

Thanks for all the insight regarding the ebikes. Easy to see their appeal and why they are becoming so poular. Nothing liek riding a bike! I also know that there have been many trails I have admired but haven't been strong enough a rider to do as frequently as I'd have liked and still others that I simply don't bother with. And I miss out on some fun-looking trails due to energy maintenance (there's only so many hills these legs are gonna get me up). Some day down the road I'll get one but I'll stick to analog for now. I bought a nice bike (for me) just a few seasons ago. Got new tires and a complete cleaning before I started this season so it's like new right now, just got to dial it back in. Better than new even 'cause of the new, beefier tires. It has lots left to give before it's time for my next purchase, especially at the prices you all are talking about here. Maybe in the interim prices will drop.

I'm not an endurance rider. When I was younger I took my road riding fairly seriously, but tended to lose interest when the drive to constantly get stronger and faster, which required more time in the saddle, started to outweigh the simple pleasure I took in riding. My mtb riding became my joyful riding especially as I got better at it and invested in better bikes, and over the past 5-7 years it has replaced my road riding almost entirely. I'm happy so far this season despite my late start. Got out for my first ride a week ago yesterday and got my fourth ride in today, a nice hour-long, overcast, slow-rain ride. Kept me super focused on the trail while hustling to finish before the rain picked up. Started off last week with a dreadfully painful how-did-you-not-lose-your-lunch ride but I got up the hills and showed that my start-of-season fitness is just as good as it ever is. Which is not good but not declining with age yet, either (60 going on 61). Actually I'm better on my first ride now than I was 15-20 yrs. ago when I remember having to take breaks up hills on my first rides. I'll consider myself to be in ok shape this season when I can drive to the state park where I learned to ride my first mtb when I was around 23 (a solid little Trek rigid that cost me $500 and that I still have down in my basement) and spend a couple hours riding in the a.m. followed by a lunch and a couple more hours riding in the p.m. That park is my mtb heaven. Hope to go down within a few weeks

 

[vapirtoo]

GetLeft!
That was my brief road racing experience, to the tee. Loved riding fast in the peloton,
but those long hours soured my passion. Now at 68 I ride for pleasure and blood
pressure control. I have a great new State park, Shirley Chisholm, built over a landfill garbage site near
JFK airport that has gravel trails and short, steep hills that are perfect for Flying Dutchman type riding.
I find the uphills challenging and fun as traction becomes loose, but on the downhills I cruise
sometimes sliding the rear around corners with the rear brake. Nothing rad, just a taste.
I've become a real wimp with speed. Even on my road bike over 30mph and I'm dragging
brakes, bleeding off speed. WTF Safety first!

 

[His_Highness]

All us older folk are killing it in this thread!

My parents/family weren't big on physicality but I got hooked at 13 and the addiction has stayed with me. I'd try different things just to see how my body would react....like not eating for 4-5 days, carb loading, running long distances without eating first to find out where the "wall" was (Found that fucking wall at mile 20 when I was 40). Many of the things I experimented with when I was younger were due to wrestling and making weight. I'd restrict liquids and carbs prior to weighing in and then I'd drink milk and honey right after weighing in and would go from 129 lbs to 139 lbs before my match.

My Mom was 80 when she came to visit and she wasn't shy about how her opinions...... I had just come back from a run and she asked "Do you think all that exercise is worth it"? I replied "I'll let you know when I'm your age".....

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Cool nights, crystal clear warm sunny days- winter in Queensland. Best weather of the year and everything is lush from recent rains. Only a mug would be indoors.
View attachment 8164
I have upgraded to a 1000watt e-mtb for those days when you want to go deep but your body says, "You want me to go up where?". We call it the beast and my 17yr old son seems to have taken possession. He rides it like a motor bike, all throttle no pedal. Lazy youth.
Maybe it doesn't qualify for this thread quite as much but it sure is fun and it has me thinking about places I wouldn't even dream about on a push bike. Lots of state forest trails are within range now. Might take her and the FW7 out for a little high flying now.

View attachment 8163

Those hybrid bikes are pretty cool, because you can get the same bike workout done while seeing twice the scenery. Either use assist, or bike one way and cruise home, rather than biking half the distance and pedaling round trip.

 

[CANtalk]

Lots of great reads... keep it coming .

Big kudos to all the bikers. Here's where I'm currently at... this last week the weather turned nice again and I went for it. I've ridden ~ 90 miles in 5 days on the MTB... with lots of challenging trails . Five days in a row, and today was so nice, I got out early... before 7 am (top notch imo). I ended up riding 22.5 miles over 2.5 hours.

Every ride is a different trail combo, easy to hard, clockwise or counterclockwise, low vs high mile, etc... very engaging and rewarding. And it's always an adventure . Fwiw, I'm not as old as many of the inspiring posts here, but I'm no spring chicken either .

After this ride today, I had to take a couple hours to recover ... but TGIF got to vaping and was all very worth it. I enjoyed two strong sativas (exercise and sativas are amazing), first Strawberry Cough, then Super Lemon Haze; it perked me up big time again. And it all typically ends up very potent, since I haven't vape Mon-Thurs and have a low tolerance.

I planned on a shorter MTB ride today, thought I probably needed a recovery day from the last week of riding (w/ significant effort)... it turned out different and good. My endurance and stamina is steadily improving . Even calorie restricted, I'm seeing notable improvements . IMO, it's simply about just getting out there as much as literally possible... the more you do it the more the more you'll see everything... improve. Ride ride ride, pace pace pace, rhythm rhythm rhythm, go go go... and enjoy every time out as it all uniquely unfolds in front of you. You'll never regret getting out there and living the outdoors with some exercise ... incredibly rewarding as well as synergistic .

My appetite is suppressed again, so I've been riding that bonus and losing more weight. It's a tough combo (to recover from repeated high intensity cardio and endurance exercise) with aging, but it's always worth the effort .

Cheers to TGIF and athlete vaporists. Strong vaping f/x currently, sorry for any grammar/spelling...

What's going on out there in the athlete vaporist world?

Have a great weekend.

 

[VapeEscapist]

I would like to offer a more critical perspective on e-bikes.

I'm an avid all weather lifestyle cyclist in NYC for 11 years now riding 200-400 miles a month. I ride a Trek FSX4 Hybrid. I was 320lbs in 2010, and I'm now 250 and do endurance rides for recreation (50-100 miles).

https://imgur.com/FqJD3Nj

Let's be clear here, no matter what the NYT says (and the findings in that article may be suspect) there is no way an e-bike will give you the exercise a ride on a real bike can. I have ridden a pedal assist bike on a 2 hour long ride I usually do to Harlem which includes climbing the triboro bridge and I barely broke a sweat. There is no way I would be a fraction as strong as I am now if I had started with a motor. The sense of accomplishment I had after doing my first century (actually was 126 miles) on a 30lb bike was overwhelming. Doing a self sustained camping trip 70 miles up into NY wilderness also would not nearly have been as satisfying for me had I used a motor for any part.

https://imgur.com/oVQLu4k

I love all the people getting out on bikes, my friend got an e-wheel and it's awesome to have him out on some 30 mile rides. Another good friend is getting an e-bike soon and it will be nice to have him along as well. But there's a huge difference in the physical and mental side for mechanical cyclists and e-motorists.

In my experience mechanical cyclists are more likely to be safety advocates, stewards of the environment, and fitness enthusiasts. There's a reason the employees for all of our national parks came out against the last administrations thrusting e-bikes into the parks. They tear up the trails more, ride around at unsafe speeds around hikers and mechanical bikes, and are the people who do not practice pack in pack out when enjoying nature.

A bike mechanic I hired to do some home repairs during the pandemic told me that e-bike riders he services act and talk like motorists. They almost always ask him to find a way to remove the speed limiter on their bike. This is exactly how I see them ride in the lanes here as well. They have little appreciation for the speed they carry and often ride in terribly reckless fashion. When I reach 25mph, it is due to great personal effort or a large hill, and I'm not on a dangerous 70+ pound machine. After over 100 years of literal blood, sweat, and tears, by mechanical cyclists to carve out a few safe feet (bike lanes) now we have to share them with motor vehicles all over again and the addition of Revel and Lime scooters is insult to injury.

I'm training for a century next week. Tomorrow I'm doing another 60 miles to the Rockaways and back. I'm curious to see if e-bikes are permitted (you can choose to do less mileage) at the event...

RE: cannabis while cycling, I always dab before my rides, and if I'm riding more than 30 miles I usually take a strong edible (at least 40mg), and I can ride very well under the influence but I do not recommend it to anyone unless you are confident in your skills on the bike and ability to function while high. I believe cannabis helps my muscles fatigue less and recover more quickly, and the mixture of the runners high and cannabis is most excellent.

Whatever you ride, I merely implore that you ride safe, wear a helmet, and yield to the guy who sweats for every inch.

 

[MinnBobber]

@VapeEscapist ,
Thanks for critical perspective on Ebikes but I will offer an opposite perspective.
Road cycling comparison for me...

First, you do lump all Ebikers /stereotype them, which can be a problem/ misleading.

I only speak for me but I love the Ebike experience as it elevates cycling to a new level , more fun, better exercise, can serve as real transportation vs recreational and short trips.

This comes from a former serious road cyclist, at age 60 , while working full time, and living in Minnesota (7 month season) , I rode 6,000+ miles in a season.

My ebike enables me to ride faster, farther, be more comfortable and safer on the road.
Cruising at a higher speed helps immensely with heat issues, can ride in higher temps and longer distances without overheating.
I ride 10 miles to play pickleball a few times a week and get there more timely and can ride at a max sustained rate cuz I get 10 mph more of cooling wind.
The fatty E tires handle our shitty streets with potholes and debris , without flats and smooth ride.
In traffic, E boost can be your friend for helpful acceleration in some situations.

I usually ride solo but just started club rides again and did 40, 50, and 60 mile group rides.
I was exhausted afterwards as I dialed the assist down.

For me, E bikes are “there”, new level above regular bikes.
As a comparison, I test drove E cars and they are not “there” yet.

E bikes expand the horizons of the cycling experience and I am thankful they are here.

 

[VapeEscapist]

@MinnBobber

It was not my intention to lump together all e-motorists. I am aware of the wide spectrum of users including former mechanical riders who are aging or otherwise not interested in or capable of longer rides unassisted. And I'm glad e-bikes have reinvigorated your love for cycling.

I was merely relating my own experience in my own (extremely dangerous) city and I tried to be careful in how I said so but must have failed.

I have thought that when I am older I might want to own an e-bike but for my purposes now, it's counter productive. As a formerly morbidly obese person I have very passionate motivations for being purely people powered on the road.

RE: overheating while riding - my 60 mile ride tomorrow will be in 90+ degrees and I'll have a 3 litre camelback bursting with ice water and there are many many places to cool in NYC in many ways (water spitting frog in a kiddie park anyone?) so I have never ran into too much of a problem in the heat. I find the cold -20 degree rides far more challenging personally.

 

[CANtalk]

Very cool history @VapeEscapist. I see similarities to me and am pure personal powered too. But there's lots going on and I see a number of people here on FC (even septuagenarians) ebiking country roads and trails significant distance, which gets a huge thumbs up from me . Yes, ebikes are abused, I've seen it firsthand and it is what it is. That's not what I've seen posted here.

I hope I'm physically able enough to bike and MTB ride at many of the ages/condition members here share. I feel a comradery with all the cannabis vaper hippies who've posted many great personal experiences . Lots of good stories, it's great . How many of these conversations about athletes and vaping are going on out there on the internet? I only know of one .

 

[vapirtoo]

VapeEscapist,
Kudos being out on Randalls Island at night and in the snow!
I just spin my old ass as much as I can for health. Most NYers
drive like, WTF ME FIRST!, and cyclist are just the same, assisted or not.
Rode for years with no helmet and paid the price, opening up my head
on metal grating over the Bronx river. I've pounded on taxi doors yelling move
the fuck over way back in the 80's.
Oh yeah, weed and cycling are only for the really skilled bike handler.
I mean, I can do breakies on bikes and motorcycles, wheelies not so much,
but I have a huge toolbox of muscle memory that keeps me away from
fucking up, like seeing that parked car's door is about to open and
can I go around or must I slow down. That is why I try to stay on trails.
Anyways, assisted or not be safe and may the maker keep the fools at bay!

 

[VapeEscapist]

@vapirtoo I love that you recognized Randalls island from that shot.

That night turned into a survival adventure of carrying that bike over the triboro through ankle twisting pitted ice after the wheel taco'd when I tried to climb the 103rd street bridge. I think gliding through all that fresh powder seized up the cassette.

I'm not sure what "breakies" are but I can trackstand nearly endlessly.

That's my only stupid cyclist trick, but some people really appreciate it. I like to trackstand the lights. Gives me something to do.

...getting caught at the drawbridge on the Pulaski bridge, trackstanding the entire opening and closing while making the normals and hipsters around me hear Primus booming from my mini speaker, I'm that guy.

 

[Ramahs]

In reading this thread from the start, I am lead to assume that when many here say "biker", they mean "cyclist".

"biker" = motorcycle enthusiast
"cyclist" = bicycle enthusiast

 

[GetLeft]

@VapeEscapist you make a good point. The reason I don't do some things on my bike is 'cause I know I can't. And if I want to be able to do them, I'll have to work harder to do so. An e-bike eliminates that aspect of riding and that aspect is an essential aspect to riding a bike. What do I have? What can I give? What do I want to give? These kinds of questions define most of my rides. The answers tend to be less complicated with cannabis. And like @CANtalk suggests the more you ride the more able you are to ride and keeping that moving forward can be a good thing

 

[Ramahs]

I have a fixed gear bike based on a Jamis Sputnik steel frame with a carbon fork that I haven't ridden in a few years. Y'all are making me want to tear that apart and return it to peak condition. That was fun to ride around the neighborhood.