I'm getting an E-bike!

[Jilly]

My cottage neighbours live in Sarasota Florida during the winter. I can rent an E-bike and do a tour when I'm down there later in the month. Yes, I am going to try it for sure!!

 

[Jenny]

Those look great! How upright do you sit?

 

[ski diva]

Those look great! How upright do you sit?

Pretty upright. More so than a road bike, that's for sure.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I was interested to see your post and experience. I bought an REI Co Op bike last year but with one thing and another I find it tiring to ride and since I am a little unsteady it’s frightening on some roads. REI sent out an email to members about the e-bikes somewhere in the last week or so. I am going to go to the store this week and poke around and talk to the people there. I have the feeling a little bit of help would be good for me. Of course figuring out how to get it anywhere besides my neighborhood could be an adventure! I don’t even have a rack for my current bike as I have a full-size spare tire on the back of the car. There are a couple of possible racks but they cost about half what I paid for the whole bike! I can’t justify that!

It’s an E bike….ride it where you want….

 

[geargrrl]

It’s an E bike….ride it where you want….

There are rules regarding use of e-bikes for mountain biking. So for *that* it is definitely NOT ride where you want. It varies by jurisdiction and management. If in doubt, contact the agency that manages the area you wish to take on on trails. For example, they are allowed on trails at state parks in my state, but in USFS managed lands they are only allowed on trails designated for motorized (like motor cycles) and are not permitted on non-motorized trails.

 

[ski diva]

There are rules regarding use of e-bikes for mountain biking. So for *that* it is definitely NOT ride where you want. It varies by jurisdiction and management. If in doubt, contact the agency that manages the area you wish to take on on trails. For example, they are allowed on trails at state parks in my state, but in USFS managed lands they are only allowed on trails designated for motorized (like motor cycles) and are not permitted on non-motorized trails.

There are different classes of e-bikes, so the one you have can make a difference on where you ride, too. Mine is Class 1, which is essentially "a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour." Class 2 and 3 are more powerful.

Trek has a pretty good explanation of all that here, as well as some stuff about the state and fed rules that apply.

 

[annieshawn]

I am SO excited! I'm getting an e bike under 700!

Many of you know I used to be an avid road biker -- that is, until a few years ago, when I had a pretty bad bike accident. Since then, my road biking has become pretty much non-existent. The roads here in Vermont are very hilly, narrow, and winding, with little or no shoulders, so not something I want to do anymore. On the other hand, there are tons of dirt roads. And while these are also hilly and narrow, at least they don't have cars whizzing by at 50 mph. Trouble is, they're really not good for road bikes, and they're far too difficult -- at least for me -- on a hybrid or mountain bike. (BTW, I tried mountain biking, and no, not for me.)

Which leads me to the E-bike. A friend of mine let me try out theirs on the dirt roads, and it was SO MUCH FUN. It's not like a motor bike -- you still have to pedal; you just get a "friendly" assist whenever you need it, like when you're going up a hill -- which is great for me in my advancing years. So I began looking around. I wanted a fat tire bike for the dirt roads, but nothing too monstrous ; some of these bikes can weigh 75 pounds, too big for me to lift onto a rack. And I wanted something I could take places. Which led me to the Aventon Sinch, a lighter weight, foldable fat-tired E-bike. I tried one the other day and it was a blast! So today I ordered one, and I can't wait for it to come in!

Here's a pic:

View attachment 18796

And yes, I'm getting the red!

Doesn't it look like fun?

Anyone else have an e-bike? What do you have? And how do you like it?

Do you have still this e bike?

 

[ski diva]

I do! Just rode it today, and it is STILL so much fun!

 

[Tennessee]

Thanks for the info @ski diva ! I have been riding my bike (old lady cruiser with 3 speeds and basket, lol) a lot lately on a local “rails to trails” trail near me (Tweetsie Trail). This is the best exercise I have found to try and rehab my knee. I developed pain in my knee this past Winter after driving out West for an extended ski trip. Great timing! Turns out it’s just osteoarthritis so exercise helps and biking is my go to. I do see an e-bike in my future and so I am trying to educate myself. The rules for e-bikes are all over the place depending on your location it seems and the “class” of bike you have.

 

[geargrrl]

I just returned from 2.5 months biking in Europe. I would say that on the cycle paths, both touring and other, it's 70% e bikes. There is absolutely zero stigma associated with riding them, unlike in the US. People were amazed we were touring with loads on regular pedal bikes. Germany and Austria have incentives for purchase and absolutely everyone is riding them. They are pretty well behaved in countries with a strong cycle-everyday culture like Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria.

(note to self, get trip report up on the Other Sports sub board. 8 countries, 2200 miles)

 

[racetiger]

I want to get one of these. I started a new job a couple months ago that's 5 miles from home. I can use a bike trail for about 80% of the route. I've taken my regular road bike to work a couple times but some assistance on the hills would definitely be nice.

 

[SqueakySnow]

I bought a Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 last fall and it is fantastic! It has all the gears of a standard commuter bike, so you can put as little or as much effort in as you want. If you're late for a meeting or just need to get home fast, the turbo mode is an absolute dream. Nice wide tires for traction, racks to bring home groceries, integrated lights, comfortable riding position, all the power you need for steep hills – it is an absolute joy.

I did a bit of research and the only other bike I really considered was the Gazelle Madeo – also an excellent choice. I test drove quite a few while in San Francisco/Santa Cruz (Vado, Madeo, VanMoof) last year, including the Santa Cruz Bullit mountain bike through the redwoods. That bike made me feel like a superhero ‍, but it will set you back $14k!

 

[geargrrl]

.... The US Federal gov't is considering a bill that would give a tax credit of up to $1500 for the purchase of an ebike....

 

[racetiger]

.... The US Federal gov't is considering a bill that would give a tax credit of up to $1500 for the purchase of an ebike....

I'm waiting to see what comes of this. There's a little bit of information out there about this . I was reading about this last week as I know a couple people that have ebikes already. Supposedly it's going to be Next year on an income scale and up to 75% of the bike. The more $ you make the lower the % would be.

 

[VickiK]

I'm starting to warm up to the idea of an e-bike

 

[RachelV]

Well, DH has had one for a good 3 years now, and the other day I finally caved and got an ebike. I don't know why I waited so long, really. I think I was just hesitant to spend the money.

Back when I lived in NYC, and for the first while living in Boulder, I was pretty serious about using my bike to get around. Then, slowly, I just started biking less. We moved a bit further from downtown, just far enough to get a little too sweaty on the way to dinner. I basically stopped road biking because distracted driving freaks me out, so I'm less bike fit. I MTB less since we got our dog in 2020, because if I'm doing cardio on a given day, it's probably to hike her (will she EVER have less energy? so far: no).

And then what sucks is the less you bike, the less pleasant it is to bike commute, so it's kind of a cycle, and then you're just out of the habit.

So this is what I think is so great about ebikes: they make it possible to enjoy using a bike to get around without being a ~~ CYCLIST ~~. Plus, they are ridiculously fun. Really brings out that little kid joy of riding a bike.

Anyways, here's my new bike. It appeals to my simple bike sensibilities. Plus I'm confident there will always be a Trek store within 30 min of me if it ever needs service I'm not capable of doing myself. It's one of these:

Dual Sport+ 2 - Trek Bikes

Discover your next great ride with Dual Sport+ 2. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

I'm looking forward to reminding myself of how lovely the bike path network is around here, and how nice it is to bike places.

 

[VickiK]

Will you keep your other bike(s)?
If I get an e-bike, that makes 3 bikes for me and 1 bike I'm storing for a friend, and my garage doesn't have those expandable walls that buildings in Disney movies have.

But anyway, congrats! Looks like fun.

 

[RachelV]

Will you keep your other bike(s)?
If I get an e-bike, that makes 3 bikes for me and 1 bike I'm storing for a friend, and my garage doesn't have those expandable walls that buildings in Disney movies have.

Hah, I definitely have to get rid of some bikes. My road bike is getting donated for sure -- it's pretty old at this point, anyways. I have one geared commuter bike that's pretty nice and one nostaglia fixie from my NYC days, and those are the ones I'm having a hard time convincing myself to part with for purely emotional reasons. Need to have a little Marie Kondo sesh where I thank them and set them free, or whatever it is.

 

[ski diva]

So glad you got one!

 

[echo_VT]

Great stories here thanks for sharing. At some point I envision myself having to use one but not at the moment. Glad y’all are sharing and seeing what is to come with regulations etc. Have an enduro MTB and a light-touring bike that is my gravel bike/commuter. They are great but I definitely know what is meant when you say body totally destroyed. Lol. Oof!