Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Prev Next
What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for?
Quote | Reply
Just read an article in Outside Magazine about Specialized new high end e-bike targeted at road cyclists and I’m wondering who would buy this. I can understand e-bikes for commuting or for non-cyclists who want eco friendly outdoor activity with some assistance, but what’s the purpose of electric assist when you are riding your bike for training purposes? I use to ride with a cycling team but they are out of my league now, still don’t think I’d rejoin with an e- bike, but I might be missing something.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I am a little unsure of the price tag on the Creo. But I will say, as someone who commutes 30 miles to work when I ride in, I would do it more often if I had an ebike (I think at least, I have never been on a high end one) But I have 0 interest in a 40 lb beast (and that is before I put on fenders lights bottles ETC) as I also have to take it up a few flights of stairs. I do think the Creo would be an awesome bike for my commute.
Now 16k and 10k for the for the models. Not worth anywhere near that to me. But if they were say 2,500 (which at some point they likely will be) I could see it.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It's so you can brag about how far you ride rather than buying a smaller chainring.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I also question in general who "reasonably priced" E-bikes are for. And I mean the ones that look like cruisers but cost ~$6k. Most dedicated roadies will stick to traditional road bikes, and most novices probably don't want to shell that out as an intro to the sport. Then there's people like my girlfriend, an intro cyclist who would love an e-bike to keep up on long rides, but wouldn't pay $4-5k more than the cost of her current bike just for that luxury.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
vonschnapps wrote:
. . . but what’s the purpose of electric assist when you are riding your bike for training purposes?

There's not one. Training is not what an e-bike is for.

But a friend went on vacation this summer to ride the Alps. His wife is a cyclist, but not a strong cyclist. She was able to rent an e-bike and enjoy the cycling vacation alongside him the whole way. If not for the e-bike, one of them would have missed out.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I used to be strongly anti-ebike (still am on dirt), but as RA erodes my knees to the point that I can no longer put pressure on them after 30 or 40 miles (on a good day), and long climbs or steep hills are slowly becoming no fly zone (I live in the Rocky Mtns, so this limits my ride options), I can see where this might appeal to some. But at $10k, I'll just limit my rides to my trusty old cervelo for now.

in short, to answer your question... rich old people with bad joints who want to ride longer distances or do hills.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The people that I know that own to 4k-6k e-bikes basically know that they purchased a scooter that they have to pedal.

They are not technically allowed on the urban trail system my city has, but most people can't tell the difference between it and a bike. So in their eyes, it's more versatile than a scooter that is comparably priced.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Here's at least a small part of the potential market:


https://www.velonews.com/...elong-cyclist_470738

"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
e-bikes are for everyone EXCEPT people that aim to train hard on bikes. That's like literally everyone except us triathletes and our roadie/MTB peers.

There's a range of e-bike assist as well - you can go from a 80+lbs motorized scooter equivalent that you would pretty much never pedal on its own for propulsion, to much lighter versions that give you assists but still require decent input.
Last edited by: lightheir: Sep 20, 19 11:47
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [FlashBazbo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
FlashBazbo wrote:
vonschnapps wrote:
. . . but what’s the purpose of electric assist when you are riding your bike for training purposes?


There's not one. Training is not what an e-bike is for.

But a friend went on vacation this summer to ride the Alps. His wife is a cyclist, but not a strong cyclist. She was able to rent an e-bike and enjoy the cycling vacation alongside him the whole way. If not for the e-bike, one of them would have missed out.

This is a great reason for an ebike, and one that I can relate to. My wife also cycles and does triathlon. She often bikes with me and can keep up on flat terrain by staying in my draft. However, throw hills into the mix and she has a really tough time.

We did a trip to Colorado this summer and rented an ebike for her. Perfect - she could keep up and I actually spent a lot of time drafting off of her. She really enjoyed being out front and setting the pace for change, rather than having to look at my back side the entire ride ;) If she turned up the power too much, I couldn't keep up. And the battery lasted surprisingly long, although she had it set on lower power so she wouldn't drop me.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
lightheir wrote:
e-bikes are for everyone EXCEPT people that aim to train hard on bikes. That's like literally everyone except us triathletes and our roadie/MTB peers.


except that's not accurate at least for mtb peeps. We'll use the Pivot Shuttle to session various aspects/features of a trail before an event/ after a workout/ on recovery days. Don't believe me? ask Annika perhaps
Last edited by: Tim_Canterbury: Sep 20, 19 12:18
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [Squidly] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
My Father-in-law signed up to ride Ragbrai with his sons. He ended up with some pretty serious health complications, but really wanted to be able to do the ride with them, so he got an e-bike and did it.

-------------
Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [Tim_Canterbury] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Don't have one, but my bike commute is only about 11-12 miles each way. If I was going farther on a daily basis, I would definitely switch over. I do a lot of my commuting on the Washington Old Dominion trail (west of Washington DC) and as it is now, I see fellow bike commuters with ebikes a couple times a week. Especially when the price point drops, I can see ebikes becoming a fairly common option for commuters.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [PatMcNichol61] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The ebikes that I have ridden stop adding power at speeds above 20 mph.
And the bikes themselves are heavy, not very aero and lacking in good gearing.

I would find this extremely frustrating on descents and extended flat sections.

My current commute would take about 10 minutes more (each way) on an ebike.
It would also cost an extra $1,000/year.
And would not provide good training.


Who would prefer ebike over a real bike?
Answer- people who are less interested in training and physical activity, and who have more time and money available to them.
Last edited by: Velocibuddha: Sep 20, 19 12:46
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Not everyone wants to suffer just so they can enjoy a ride.

I think it would be pretty cool to hop on a e-bike at 6:30 am, do a 80 mile ride, go explore all the fun places to ride in my area, climb over some big hills and descend, and be back home by 10:00-10:30 am. I still got in some decent pedaling, and I don't feel like I need a 3 hour nap afterwards. I can go about the rest of my Saturday and do other things.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
missing the fact that a vast majority of people who own bikes arent racing, or even training, e-bikes are awesome
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
When they start showing up on our local training rides,then we may have a problem! No Motorized Vehicles on bike path,Another potential problem.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [Jason N] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Jason N wrote:
Not everyone wants to suffer just so they can enjoy a ride.

Precisely. Riding bikes is fun. People buy ebikes because riding them is fun.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [Warbird] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Warbird wrote:
Here's at least a small part of the potential market:


https://www.velonews.com/...elong-cyclist_470738
The current print version of Velonews has an interview with Mike Woods. He talks about using an e-bike in order to get in some easy days while living with all of the climbs in Andora.

Then there's an article on electric mountain bike racing with comments from Christoph Sauser and Xavier Marovelli.

And another article on "performance road category" e-bikes.

I can see the point of getting one for commuting. Otherwise, you're riding a scooter with an electric vs. a smokey 2-stroke gas engine. The electric mountain bike racing seems especially whacky. Sort of motocross lite.

"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I don't have one but I would consider getting my wife one so she could keep up with me on rides. And I would also consider getting one for myself for my bike commute to work. It is horrendously hot and humid here and we don't have showers, so it would be great to enjoy a nice ride in by bike instead of in car traffic jams and show up not drenched in sweat for the next hour. Pedal when you want, e-power when you don't. Loads cheaper than burning gas and/or a Tesla.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
My training partner and I were doing a run bike run bike run bike workout at the Great Dismal Swamp (16 mile loop) there was a guy riding a R5 and his wife was motorpacing him on her E-bike. He rode with us for a few miles and said it allowed her to ride with him without having to work hard, plus the added training benefit for his training.

All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [dktxracer] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
dktxracer wrote:
FlashBazbo wrote:
vonschnapps wrote:
. . . but what’s the purpose of electric assist when you are riding your bike for training purposes?


There's not one. Training is not what an e-bike is for.

But a friend went on vacation this summer to ride the Alps. His wife is a cyclist, but not a strong cyclist. She was able to rent an e-bike and enjoy the cycling vacation alongside him the whole way. If not for the e-bike, one of them would have missed out.


This is a great reason for an ebike, and one that I can relate to. My wife also cycles and does triathlon. She often bikes with me and can keep up on flat terrain by staying in my draft. However, throw hills into the mix and she has a really tough time.

We did a trip to Colorado this summer and rented an ebike for her. Perfect - she could keep up and I actually spent a lot of time drafting off of her. She really enjoyed being out front and setting the pace for change, rather than having to look at my back side the entire ride ;) If she turned up the power too much, I couldn't keep up. And the battery lasted surprisingly long, although she had it set on lower power so she wouldn't drop me.


Yep, both great examples. Will be part of healthy lifestyle and more of a desire for people to be outside. There will be pockets for competition integration for sure. Wife, kids, and I did an e-bike tour of Asheville and everyone loved it. Everyone can get up to the Grove Park Inn and enjoy the view but still enjoy the active side of riding along river on the path.



I miss you "Sports Night"
Last edited by: Quo Vadimus: Sep 20, 19 14:57
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
dfroelich wrote:
Jason N wrote:
Not everyone wants to suffer just so they can enjoy a ride.


Precisely. Riding bikes is fun. People buy ebikes because riding them is fun.

Yeah...it's kind of like golf. There are a lot of people who like to play golf but simply are not capable of walking 18 holes...or if they did, they would get fatigued to the point where it would be detrimental to their golf game and they wouldn't enjoy it as much. Introduce the golf cart...and now more people can just focus on actually playing golf without the portion that they don't really care about...the walking.

Or the golf cart allows someone who is able to play 18 holes walking a much easier way to play 36 holes in one day, or maybe 36 holes on back to back days.

Some golfers are super serious...insist on walking and carrying their bag whenever possible. Play by all the rules, and putt their ball into the hole every time. If that's your cup of tea, because you are golfing with the intention of playing in sanctioned tournaments...then that's fine. Just realize that most people don't take golf that seriously, play by the rules *loosely* and are more than happy to take a gimme when their putt ends up 2.5 feet from the hole.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
vonschnapps wrote:
Just read an article in Outside Magazine about Specialized new high end e-bike targeted at road cyclists and I’m wondering who would buy this. I can understand e-bikes for commuting or for non-cyclists who want eco friendly outdoor activity with some assistance, but what’s the purpose of electric assist when you are riding your bike for training purposes? I use to ride with a cycling team but they are out of my league now, still don’t think I’d rejoin with an e- bike, but I might be missing something.

Not answering your question directly, but e-bikes in general are selling more than traditional bikes in arguably the country that has the most bike riders per citizens, the Netherlands. They are selling more adult ebikes than adult bikes now, and the revenue from ebikes far, far, outstrips traditional bikes.

This article is very interesting, and surmises that the mechanical adult bike will go the way of the Dodo bird, with the majority transitioning to ebikes. I live in an area with a very large employer nearby and I see people commuting on ebikes to work on a daily basis. Parking at the employer happens to be $700 a year. I think it’s great that people who always commuted by car are now on ebikes.

https://www.forbes.com/...ts-now/#50bea2c2e4aa

When Will E-Bike Sales Overtake Sales Of Bicycles? For The Netherlands, That's Now

There are now more e-bikes sold in The Netherlands than non-electric bikes. But let me qualify that. According to new market statistics 40% of all bicycle sales in The Netherlands last year were e-bikes. However, when you strip out of the total the 11% of all bicycle sales that account for childrens’ bikes then the majority of adult bikes sold were e-bikes.

This tipping point is even more impressive when you see the growth between 2017 and 2018 – the e-bike market grew by 9% in a single year. This is the steepest increase to date.

According to figures from Dutch industry organizations RAI Association and BOVAG more than 1 million bicycles were sold in 2018, with revenues of €1.22 billion of which €823 million were from e-bike sales. The average price of a bicycle in the Netherlands is now €1,207. In 2011 the average was €734, when e-bikes were 15% of bicycle sales in The Netherlands.

In a research note, BOVAG and RAI Association state that electric bikes are starting to become the “new normal” in The Netherlands.
Quote Reply
Re: What am I missing on e-bikes and who they are for? [Warbird] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Warbird wrote:
Here's at least a small part of the potential market:


https://www.velonews.com/...elong-cyclist_470738

And here: https://www.bicycling.com/...riding-trails-again/

Plus, wasn't there an ex-pro mountain biker who was partially paralyzed who has been able to get back on the trails with an electric bike? I can't find that article right now.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Quote Reply

Prev Next