Will your next bike be an E Bike - GoTrax EBE2

[@CLipscombe]

You touched on this, but it is a big point … for me anyway … Hills … I am 57. I am a bicycle commuter. I live in the area of my city that is one of the highest points. Getting anywhere is great. Going home sucks. I found myself skipping trips and driving instead because of the uphill trip home. My wife was the same, skipping trips biking to work because she didn’t feel like tackling the hill on the way home because the weather forecast said it would be too hot. We both upgraded to folding electric bikes this year. The fold allows easy storage in our home. Allows putting both bikes in the car and hitting a rail trail for something different to do. We no longer worry about the uphill ride home. Even though it is electric, I tend to leave the bike in its lowest setting just to take the weight of the bike away. I generally cruise at about 25 km/h in this mode. I crank up the assistance when on those hills. Or when in heavy traffic to better control my acceleration with the traffic. With the electric bike, I find myself choosing the bike for errands more often, and travelling more often and farther on the bike than I did with my old acoustic bike. … Which segway’s into health benefits … with the electric bike, sure, you may not be getting as intense of a work out, but I find that I am getting in more work outs for longer durations on the electric bike.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

I am glad that it is such a great solution for you.

[@hdkdanny]

I use the ebike when I don't have the energy or willpower to ride long distances, otherwise I would have taken the car. My wife uses it to commute on days where she's tired from riding the day before. I've also met someone who has been riding for decades and their knees aren't quite the same as they used to be, they used the ebike to continue going on 250+ km rides. If it gets more people outside riding a bike as opposed to driving, I think it's a win.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

It is great to see it being used to extend people's cycling life.

[@ScubaSteveCanada]

Bike riding actually helps my knee by building up the leg muscles.

[@Seppster58]

As a MTBer, I have both an "analog" MTB and an EMTB. I typically run the EMTB in ECO mode and pretty much compensates for the weight of the bike. However, I love to climb and the range of assist I get helps me up those places that present itself as 'a wall". I wear a HRM and can attest that I regularly get into Zone 3 and Zone 4 a lot. I get the workouts for sure. I can get more places now and have increased my adventure level for sure. Thanks for this insight into e-bikes. I very much enjoy your channel!!

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

It is good to hear from someone who has taken their bike up some severe terrain. My bike (or should I say my wife's bike) has only tackled the tamest of trails.

[@robiam506]

I don’t think it would be my next bike but it’ll be a future one.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

That is pretty much where I am at. I won't be stealing this from my wife often, but it's fun now and then.

[@theepimountainbiker6551]

Best purchase I ever made. I have had epilepsy since 1996, always biked. I can drive with active seizures but morning after Ive had 1 Im a little dizzy so not so smart. Im also REALLY sore all over. Pedaling a bike is not easy when it hurts to walk, enter the ebike. Thanks to an ebike the 3 or so days a week I have a seizure I can still get to my chiropractor a mere 12km away. Every other day of the year I have 3 fractures in my spine to worry about, cant even walk 200yards to the store so I bike. Ive had 3 doctors now recommend a bike or ebike for my health. Chiropractor and physio say bike for the good of your back, use an ebike to lessen the work but still get the excercise. Epilepsy specialist says bike for your mental health, do it every day the less stress you have the better your seizures will be. Use an ebike when everything hurts, it’ll stretch those swollen muscles and hurt less, you’ll still get your stress reduced and best of all it beats doing nothing which only makes things worse! Currently my ebike is a fat bike, Im looking to add a motor to 1 of my mountain bikes so I can still hit trails when Im sore all over. Its a lot more peaceful than being around cars, safer too. I hear a lot of funny things about speed with them, on my ebike I bike no faster than on my mountain bike. Average about 15km/h, I can even bike on the sidewalk without inconveniencing anyone walking.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

That is so awesome!!

[@ScubaSteveCanada]

I rode single speeds, 10-speeds, 27-speed front suspension mtn. bikes, 27-speed full suspension bikes and downhill bikes but, for the last 5 years, exclusively fat tire ebikes (one front suspension, current full suspension). Full suspension are always heavier and my ebike is 65 lbs without the battery. Tack on another 7 lbs for the battery). I love the ebike when I am tired and heading home or riding against a strong wind. Where I live(d), since buying the ebikes, there are minimal hills (south eastern Ontario and now, south western Ontario) so not a factor. Studies have shown that riding an ebike is beneficial. Tariffs are already in place in the U.S. and I suspect Canada will implement them too so get one before that happens if you're considering one.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

Good to know.

[@uhu69]

Great video Andrew! I think e-bikes are the way to go when we get older ie. my knees & hips bother me a bit now at 55. By the time I retire at 65, I think I'll be looking into something like the Specialized Creo (one can turn on assistance when needed, but otherwise, a 27lb bike can run fine on the flats). In the meantime, thank God for great bikes like the Giant Defy 🚵 Alex

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

It is definitely something to have in mind for later on in life. In my opinion anyway.

[@BrianthatiscalledBrian]

Totally agree with all your points. My e-bike is the fat tire variety and weighs 70 pounds. Great ride but such a pig to move. I've run out of battery twice and it's brutal without power. I find my normal bike easier to ride.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

70lbs!!!! oh boy that is a monster!!

[@CLipscombe]

My ebike is also 70 lbs. With zero assist, it is easy to ride … on level ground anyway. I can easily maintain 15 km/h with no assist … but I would not want to try to ride it uphill. I only replied just in case anybody is considering an ebike, if this is a concern, zero assist is something they can try during their test ride.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

@@CLipscombe 70lbs would be a beast to get uphill without assist!!

[@pintofbuttermilk]

Hey, are you on the Hamilton/Caledonia trail today? Thought maybe I just passed you while you were on a water break???

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

Ah, unfortunately that was not me.

[@pintofbuttermilk]

@@cardiaccyclist7477 Ah, my mistake. Ride was glorious today all the same, rain showers not withstanding.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

Fantastic.

[@rodmilankov8966]

Physicians have already documented that injuries in e-bike riders are no different than those riding a motorcycle. Both machines have a motor, are heavy and fast, so an electric bike is a misnomer. It is a motorcycle with electric motor. I have not seen a single e-bike rider wearing motorcycle gear and using their horn. They are quiet, fast, heavy and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. They should have the same status and traffic rules as motorcycles: road test, insurance, no usage of bicycle tracks. When you get old, consider using a recumbent tricycle instead of e-bike.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

Very good arguments Rod. I am hoping others may want to jump on this.

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

I have not come across the term e-file rider yet. But I am very new to this.

[@theepimountainbiker6551]

Fast? To be legal in Canada a ebike must be pedal assist, max 34km/h motor assist speed and 500watt motor. Hardly sounds like a motorcycle. What youre talking about is a moped sold under the name of a ebike

[@theepimountainbiker6551]

Rod 1 question, how is a 60lb bicycle capped at 34km/h to be legal more dangerous than a mobility scooterer that is bigger and can weigh 300lbs with no speed limit to be used?

[@marleyorange]

active?

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

I'm sorry, what do you mean?