E-Bikes

[olbriar]

I went ahead and rode again tonight. I put another 27 miles on the bike. The North wind was ripping so I simply hit the + and changed to mode 3 while riding North. It was an equalizer. Assistance is a beautiful thing and as easy to change as shifting gears.

 

[puppykickr]

There are some for sale seasonally at some of the local car dealorships.

The ones there are no joke, costing thousands of dollars.

They are about as fast as a small moped, can be pedaled, and would be great for a short commute if it were not for all the dumbass pick-up 'trucks' around here.

 

[olbriar]

They are a riot to ride. I've never rode for any other reason than enjoyment. They could be used to run to a store for a few items. Some use them to commute to work. They could be used for a delivery service. They could be a tool but for me it's exercise and the thrill of riding. I've ridden bikes since I was five and I'm now almost 71. I can still ride a traditional bike but the assistance the E-bike lends keeps the riding in the enjoyment range. If I get tired I can add more assistance. If I'm all rested up I'll ride with very little assistance. It's a perfect solution for me and I can see many more years of riding in my future.

My son and his wife are in their forties and in great physical shape. They bought E-bikes and take leisure rides just to get out and get some sunshine and fresh air. They take the bikes when they vacation. They find great enjoyment of exploring new places from their bikes. They have been up and down surrounding hills of lakes and have had them in the mountains of Colorado. They love their bikes for the ability to ride to establishments for lunch or drinks and not be all sweaty for their effort. They use their bikes differently than I but the enjoyment is the same. Work less and enjoy more for greater distances.

 

[olbriar]

I've been riding daily. I have to take advantage of the cooler weather. Mid to upper 80's is perfect riding weather and I know it won't last long. The bike has been perfect since the derailleur adjustment. It's proved to be the best sixteen dollars I've spent on a bike.

 

[olbriar]

I rode this morning and just got in from riding tonight. 86° with 82% humidity is not pretty. No wind so it was still fun riding.
I've been riding the new bike since July 20th and have averaged riding 18.5 miles a day. You can safely surmise that I'm having fun.

 

[olbriar]

I got in a ride this morning but it was cut short. I managed to run over a nail that turned fun into misery quickly. That's the second flat I've had in almost 2K miles of riding e-bikes. Both flats were on the back tire which is far more involved in repairing than the front tire. (Murphy's Law) I met friends at noon for bs and brews at the cabin so I didn't get my flat patched until I got home. I'll mount the tire in the morning and hope it's another thousand miles before I find another nail.

 

[olbriar]

I have a theory about my flats. Riding in town and always at the far right puts the bike in the least traveled area of the roads. It is also the lowest part of the road and engineered to drain away rain. Whatever hazard that is on the road is most likely to be in that area. I've encountered countless flats on my mowing tow vehicle and trailer through the years. The flats are nails and always on the passenger side. The far right side of a city street is the danger zone.

 

[olbriar]

My tube patch held pressure over night so I first took it for a short ride, then put on my riding gear and did a couple of my normal loops. It was good to be riding again though it was hot and very humid. Putting the back tire on the bike is no fun. Not only to you have to get the chain around the derailleur and gear rings, you have to get the disk brake between the calipers. All the while you are hold up the rear end of the bike and wishing you had more hands. A bike rack would make the job so much easier but something you need so seldom that it's not something most cyclists own. If I could find one on the cheap, after this morning's chore, I'd be a buyer.

 

[olbriar]

After my fiasco of having a flat and basically stranded, I ordered a cargo bag to mount on the back rack of my bike. I have a bike backpack but I just don't like riding with it. I hope I'll like the bag. I'll put a few tools, a battery powered air pump, a spare tube, patch kit, some form of ID, lip ointment, handkerchief, cash, a spare key for the bike, and a bike lock in the bag. I seriously doubt I'll like the looks of the bag on the bike but I need to be better prepared. I was fortunate that my flat happened on the weekend and my son could come and get me. I can't count on being that lucky again.

I worked in a good ride after mowing my lawns this afternoon. It was considerable cooler but darn windy from the North. Going with the wind was quite easy but going into the wind I had to up the assistance a notch. That's the beautiful thing about an e-bike. The assistance is an equalizer for hills and wind.

I'm not trying to sell e-bikes but Juiced is having an end of season sell on their bikes. A couple of bikes are being discontinued and are ridiculously cheap. I suspect other bike names are also having sales. I never thought about nearing the end of prime bike riding season and the sales they might have to move inventory. It is probably the best time of the year to buy.

 

[olbriar]

I received my bag today, put it on the bike, loaded it, and gave it a test ride. Nothing special but it's okay. It didn't effect the balance of the bike. I need to buy a patch kit. I used the last of the glue the other day patching my flat. Other than that, I think it's good to go.

 

[olbriar]

I bought a new patch kit and a valve removal tool and added it to the bag. I think my bag is fully stocked now. It's a small bag that is in the 8L range but has lots of room. I might stuff a windbreaker in it when it starts cooling off. I logged another 21 miles today and will likely do the same tomorrow. I'm on a pace to put over 700 miles on the bike in it's first month.

 

[olbriar]

I've recently bought an ebike but I think that I also need a good tool kit, just in case. So, thanks for sharing your experiences.

I recently joined an e-bike forum. It seems that the consensus of the members that slime or a similar product is great insurance as well. I've never been a fan of the product in tubeless tires but I'm going to try it in my bike tubes. Years ago, I walked my road bike home a couple of times and then I carried a patch kit and never needed to use it. Now that I'm older and the bike weights 70+ pounds, walking the bike home is not an option. Leaving the bike and walking home is not an option either. Tools to fix the flat and some preventative slime is the answer.

Congrats on the recent e-bike purchase! I bet you love your ride. What bike did you buy? I can't imagine anyone that enjoys riding not buying one. I'm a bike nut so an e-bike is the answer for me. I'm back on the road like I'm a kid. I ride with less assist as time goes by so not only am I having a great time riding, I'm regaining lost muscle mass. It has to be good for me and everyone looking for a low impact exercise that they look forward to doing.

 

[olbriar]

I received my bottles of slime today. I plan to slime my tubes in the morning and get in a ride before it gets too hot. My weather app predicts nineties before 11 AM. I plan to be home in the cool before eleven.

 

[DonB]

I received my bottles of slime today. I plan to slime my tubes in the morning and get in a ride before it gets too hot. My weather app predicts nineties before 11 AM. I plan to be home in the cool before eleven.

Interesting, I thought the slime was to be injected when you have a flat, and then fill the tire up, you learn something new each day.

 

[olbriar]

It can be used either way, as a fix a flat or as a preventative. As a preventative it will last for a couple of years in the bike tube.
I'd rather have it working for me in the tubes than to carry a bottle with me.

 

[olbriar]

Today was actually the day that I slimed my tubes. I didn't get around in time to slime and ride yesterday before it became intolerably hot so I just rode without slime. Today I went straight to the task. It's an easy process but takes some time. I put 8oz in each tube. I tried to find a definitive amount for my tire size but fell short. 6-12 oz is what I found on the net and being I had 16 oz bottles, 8 oz per tire seemed just right. They want you to spin the tire after the application so that the product doesn't pool. I rode 21 miles after sliming.. that should be enough spinning.

While trying to find the correct amount of slime on the net, I found another product that I'll likely invest in at some point. It's a tire liner called Mr. Tuffy. It's made of a layer of urethane that creates a barrier between tire and tube. It's not a cheap product and will be a major pain to install. I'll invest in the product and install it when I have to replace a tube.

While riding this morning, I met and passed a number of cyclists. It was nice early today with temps in the low 80s and zero wind so I well understand the number of riders out. One group that I met caught my attention. I was paying attention to staying on my side of the sidewalk but I'm guessing at least six and perhaps eight riders, all dressed in like jerseys riding road bikes in a line. The group consisted of both male and female riders that looked to be in their late teens or early twenties. I would like to know their story. Most of the cyclists I see are single riders or what look to be a husband and wife out enjoying the day. That's the first time I've seen a group of riders.

 

[olbriar]

I rode 21 miles this afternoon after mowing four lawns. The weather is brutal here and is taking the fun out of everything outside. I stayed half cool while riding but when I stopped I had sweat dripping everywhere. 102° when I came in with an index of 112°, I didn't see anyone out riding.. I wonder why lol. At least I got my ride in and it wasn't brutal with the wind in my face.

 

[olbriar]

It was just too hot to ride yesterday. It was just too hot to ride today but I took a short loop anyway. I waited until the temp dropped below 100° and rode to the next town South and back for a 13 mile ride. Knowing I was going to run short on daylight, I rode extra hard in hopes of making a second loop. I tried. Even though my ride was short it sure felt good to be on the bike again.

 

[olbriar]

It was nice this morning and I had my week's work behind me so a bike ride was a must. My normal ride takes me by two schools before I get to the edge of town. I waited until school started before heading out. It's a shame kids don't walk to school anymore and must be transported by auto. The traffic around the schools blows my mind. I got in my 21 miles of fun and put my bike up.
I plan on riding again tomorrow.

I may be buying a bike rack sometime this winter. My son is planning of transporting his two E-bikes next April when we are staying around Broken Bow Ok to see the eclipse. There is a lot to see there and all would be more fun from a bike. He and his wife both ride so a rack for my bike or bikes if I don't sell my older bike would be sweet.

 

[olbriar]

I rode this morning and had the chain jump off of the crank ring. That's the first time I've had the problem since the derailleur adjustment. I wasn't going fast for I was in the city South of my home. The chain has jumped off at that exact spot before. I cross a side street and then up a ramp onto the sidewalk and bridge. It must be the perfect storm... the bump as I'm coasting then pedaling to go up the ramp. I'll oil the derailleur tomorrow before I ride again.

 

[DonB]

What is the latest on your old bike, did you finally here back from him, if not just list it on Craigslist, I'm sure you'll sell it quick, before the cold weather gets in, LOL

 

[olbriar]

I have not heard from the guy. I should try to sell it. It's taking up shed space but worse than that is it's just sitting there. Someone could be having a great time riding it at a bargain. I'm not very fond of having potential buyers coming to my home to see / test ride the bike and I lack the means to haul it to some parking lot for a inspection / transaction. I see no work-a-round so I'll just have to suck it up and hope for the best. The bike needs a new home.

 

[olbriar]

I just got back from riding. It was a beautiful morning to be out. Just a gentle breeze from the North and temps in the high seventies. Lots of bikers out but why not. I ended up abandoning my normal loop and once down the side walk was enough. Once I got over to the highway, I rode back and forth between the towns on the state highway. No traffic and and a good ride. I logged 27 miles of fun before putting the bike up.

 

[olbriar]

With the weather so desirable and me eating too much stir fry for dinner, I decided to ride again tonight. I was the only person I saw riding tonight. My fellow bikers missed a great evening. I logged another 24 miles. I was down to just one bar of battery left and I could feel the assist lessoning when I pulled into the shed. Fifty one miles on a charge is not bad. Very few times can I imagine riding that hard for over fifty miles. All of the riding I did today was in the level two. The levels are ECO, 1, 2, 3, and Sport.
ECO is advertised as basically compensating for the weight of the bike and each progressing level adds that much additional assistance. There is a sixth level that can be obtained by accessing the controller settings called Race. It's not street legal and is simply crazy power. Naturally there is a decrease in battery life with each increase of assist. Level 2 is the sweet spot for me. Younger legs would probably enjoy level one. Sport level is for someone wanting to feel super human. Race is for speed freaks.

 

[DonB]

I have not heard from the guy. I should try to sell it. It's taking up shed space but worse than that is it's just sitting there. Someone could be having a great time riding it at a bargain. I'm not very fond of having potential buyers coming to my home to see / test ride the bike and I lack the means to haul it to some parking lot for a inspection / transaction. I see no work-a-round so I'll just have to suck it up and hope for the best. The bike needs a new home.

Make sure of a few things, in your ad, you mention cash only, serious buyers and no spammers. This way you can weed out the some of the bad seeds.

Add a link to the bike's website, so they can see the full value of the bike, and Don't give your personal phone number, use a Google Voice number, and mention to contact you by SMS Text only, this way you can choose the serious one out.