By Stan Purdum
I had what seemed like a milestone moment last week: I sold my 1995 Trek 520 touring bike on Ebay. It was a milestone in that it solidified for me the reality that, at age 80, I’m not going to be riding any more multiday, self-supported tours, at least not on an analog bike. I have one non-electric road bike left in my garage, which I occasionally ride for short runs, but I have now accepted that I am almost exclusively an ebike rider for the remainder of my cycling run.
The Trek served me well. Besides providing me with a reliable, solid and surefooted ride on long-distance tours, while carrying me and all my gear, it also was my only steed for several years of daily cycling. More recently, it became the bearer of a motor and battery as my first foray into the DIY electrification of a bike. When that motor failed — no fault of the 520 — I purchased a new ebike and reconverted the Trek back to its analog glory.
But actually, I feel good about the sale. The buyer is a woman in Oregon, and while I don’t know why she wanted my particular kind of bike, I was pleased to be able to hand off the Trek in good working condition, as I’ve kept it maintained over the years.
When boxing the bike for shipment, I also tucked in a copy of my book, Playing in Traffic, with an attached note telling her that the book is an account of the first major journey I rode on the 520 and expressing my hope that she will get as much pleasure from the bike as I did.
So okay, I’m still a cyclist, but now I ride an ebike, with the emphasis as much on the “e” as on the “bike.”
Thus, I’m living into that reality. In my last column, I explained that I frequently ride with friends who are pumping regular bikes, and I named three measures I practice to fit seamlessly into our rides together. You can read that column here, but in that piece, I invited readers to weigh in, and several of you did, and you suggested a few additional practices that are worthy of mention, so I am including those below as a “Part 2” of that previous article.
The three practices I stated in the last column are:
Actively avoid being “king of the mountain.” It’s bad form to trounce your analog bike riding companions on every climb.
Keep your battery range from being a group limitation. I offered some suggestions about how to do this.
Work at not interrupting the ride with mechanical issues that are primarily ebike problems. Here, as an example, I explained how I dealt with a dropping-chain problem that can happen on bikes — including ebikes — that have only a single chain ring in the front. (A few of you, including a couple who emailed me directly through my website, made some comments and suggestions about that problem. Thank you! I will discuss this chain ring problem more in an upcoming column.)
Here are the other practices you suggested that ebikers could helpfully observe when riding in groups that include riders on regular bikes:
Don’t initiate conversation with non-ebike riders while the group is climbing. As one reader put it, on climbs, “it seems if [ebike riders] slow down to stay with the group, they want to hold a conversation while I’m sucking air.” Remember that riders of regular bikes are still working harder than ebikers on upslopes.
If you do get to the top of the hill first and want to wait for the group to catch up, move to the side of the road so as not to block the riders who want to continue without stopping. This suggestion came from a cyclist who rides a regular bike and is often in the lead bunch and seldom wants or needs to take a recovery stop at the summit.
If your group is pacelining, and you take a turn pulling at the front, match your speed to the pace the group has been maintaining; don’t outdistance the line. If you go faster, you defeat the purpose of the paceline.
If someone is suffering or falling behind, offer to “pull” that rider, but speed-wise, be sensitive to what that rider can attain even with help. You can be an angel of mercy, mounted on an ebike.
All of this said, I believe the day is coming (and is already here in some places) where, whether we are leg-powered or leg-and-e-powered, we will all just consider one another cyclists, and we will enjoy riding together.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
I don’t understand the term “analog bike.” Are there digital bikes? My bike uses digital communication between shifters and derailleurs and to my bike computer. Do I unknowingly have a digital bike?
You are right to be confused by the term. It’s a loose use of “analog” to mean “regular bike” vs. “digital,” which is also a loose use of that term to mean “ebike.” Writers, including yours truly, have been using the two words to avoid having to overuse “regular bike” and “ebike” in every paragraph. But perhaps it is too loose. Can you suggest some more accurate synonyms? Thanks.
I prefer plain old bike and ebike. No confusion and cannot be interpreted as derogatory.
r-bike and e-bike
I refer to my 2007 Novara as my tradbike or my acoustic bike. But not everyone understands how funny I am.
So many other issues.
First, we have 4 inch tires so that we can go around other bikers on turf. NOT interacting wtih other bikers works out the best. So, why are we interacting with regular bikers ? . There is safety in numbers but that doesnt actually work out with regular bikers as the article details. maybe with motorcycle rides like toys for tots. I will look into it.
Second, as the article mentioned, I can maybe do fifty miles on one charge, but I would be going about 15 mph. at 25 mph that is one hour of a 1000 watt battery and 25 mile limit. I might be able to do a considerable distance if I have a dedicated team with me for recharging multiple batteries.
Third, about sixty percent of the time, any repairs my ebike has needed were ebike specific, there are no ebike repair people; the one in Lancaster…60 miles from my house, blew up my ebike and still charged me for the non-repair.
and last, when I started ebiking 3 years ago, ebikes were 1 in 10 in my small rural town. They are now the majority. No ebike group events so far. I will make some next spring. and perhaps ONE on the December Solstice.
“we have 4 inch tires”
eBikes and eBike riders are not a singular category. My Domane+ is running with 32 mm road tires and is very much an assisted road bike that integrates well with analog road riders. At 79, it allows me to continue riding with friends that I have ridden with for decades. Contributing to that are years of well developed group riding skills.
I too have a Domane+ HP and run 35 mm tires. As you say it allows me to ride with younger and faster non ebikers I have ridden with for years. They have no problem we me riding with them. Usually on some of the weekday group rides I’ll do the led out for the final sprint in and they enjoy it telling me so.
Ride an e-bike like any other bike. All the comments above app;y to any bike rider. I bought my ebike so that I can continue to ride with my much younger friends, Problems come up when the e-bike rider is new to riding & hasn’t a clue to bike culture, or “He was a poor rider before, worse with an e-bike”.
Analog bike is a stretch. How about p-bikes, for pedal powered bikes? Yes, I understand that assisted e-bikes have pedals too, but this construction has a bit more clarity. Also catchy and easy to say, unlike “analog” or “regular”. Marketing, you know.
The problem I’ve had with e-bikes in group rides is that the assist removes the built-in control of high effort. The net effect is that e-bike riders don’t realize how hard the p-bike riders are working on hills, into the wind, or on high speed flats. It takes serious empathy to recognize the group dynamics and most just don’t. The result is resentment from the p-bike people.
Riding experience is always a good thing. However, experienced riders are just as likely to show the same behaviors because effort and fatigue were always there to control your speed and power.. Now it’s not. I don’t have any good ideas for solutions, although separate rides for each group may help.
Education.
P-bikes is ridiculous. The original doesn’t need a new name. When people put gas motors in bicycles and created motorcycle bicycles remained bicycles. E-bikes are modified bicycles and bicycles are still bicycles. Currently we have bikes, e-bikes & motorbikes. That’s clear.
Maybe not everyone can do this as the author mentioned, but when I ride my e-bike with a group of folks on p-bikes, I take my battery out and truly join them. No resentment, infact, they respect me more, and I’m not being held back. If I want to ride assisted, then I ride solo, or with the one or two guys I know with e-bikes.
Wow, most ebikes weigh 30 lbs or more and you can maintain the pace of p-bikers with bike 1/2 that or more weight. I’m wondering why you would need an ebike.
Yeah, my hardtail e-mountain bike is about 37lb without battery. I’m still easily able to keep up with all the folks my age riding fully suspended bikes.
Like I said earlier, I ride solo a lot, I have limited amount of time to enjoy myself and want to cover as much ground as possible. I also use my ebike to commute to work. I was recently commuting using an eSk8, but I had two bad accidents, and at 50, I don’t heal like I use to. Switched to bikes as they are a little less risky when riding in the rain and at night.
First accident I lost control in the rain when I got on the brakes hard, second accident I hit a pot hole I saw too late, and bucked me off my board going 20. Both of those accidents, and potential future ones would have been avoided if on something with larger diameter wheels. Thats why I own an ebike.
Not sure why I have to justify why I own one to you, but there you go buddy. You, using the word “need” triggered me. Nobody in the entire world “needs” an ebike, or an eSk8, or a full size truck, or a motorcycle, but I own all those because it’s what I “want” as I work hard, and I enjoy my hobbies.
I was just referring to the fact that most ebikers ride with younger and faster groups. I’m with you buying what you want because it’s what you want not what others think about you. Ride On
I can’t keep up with racing bike groups l have an Ebike 20inch wheels pedal assistance on number 1 low mode so l can do 130kls in that mode