Disclaimer: I'm a diehard "regular" cyclist. I commute 30km per day. I like the fact that I am the "motor" of my vehicle. That said, I'm getting old (64) and it may be that some day I'll appreciate a pedal-assist electric. And as you said, anything that gets folks on bikes is a good thing. I appreciate the information in this video.
I used to be a hardcore cyclist too. I used to ride 80 kms (50 miles) per day. I've had a motorcycle accident and now have trouble riding. I'm going to get an electric bike.
Cheating? Ask those who were against the motorcar coming into town when they all had horses and carriage. Great video as always and your set is always looking better.
Great video. I bough an ebike (pedal assist) bike last March and covered over 2000 miles. I go out for full days and cover about 50 miles each day and yes my heart beat goes up to about 130 so yes definitely get exercise and I know I can always get home and do any hill that comes along.
e-bikes can help negate the need for lycra and sweating hard. pedal softly, be on the bike and be out and doing, but not get overheated which would require 'sports' clothing. I see the benefits as follows. ebikes = cargo carrying and inner city family transport. eMTB is a whole other world. There is a class of eRoad bike that imitates the racing bike but has pedal assist. Here I really wondered why, but then I see as older riders (70+) become less powerful over time, the eRoadbike has the ability to assist them into staying IN the bunch and with friends. This means they can still go riding and all the fun and health benefits even when they are losing power over time. This is particularly so on long climbs.
Getting an e-bike has got me back cycling again in my 60’s after a long break. I enjoy so much that I now get out to do 10 to 30 mile ride every day that the weather and work allows
I bought an ebike late last year, it is awesome. It just sucks that I have to have a 250 watt ebike in Aus. Sometimes I'm going 26km round trip too get a coffee. Its been great for my mental health after going through the bushfires and last year in general. Stay safe peeps!
My wife has fairly severe rheumatoid arthritis and she is so happy every day with her hours long ebike adventures. Without the ebike she suffers from depression. Great video, Chris. And inspiring life story
Indeed, and also for covid-vulnerable people with chronic illnesses such as myself, who are not able to take public transport anymore as people have stopped masking.
and that's what really matters, is running on a treadmill cheating? is using an elliptical cheating? unless those are going to have a valid method in cross country cheating, I just see it as getting people more active and TBH, USA needs more safer places for people to just... ride for miles.
A year and a half ago, july 2019 I bought a qualisports volador. Oh my god, it was such a transforming thing in my life. I have enjoyed the 5100 miles i have traveled on it so far and will continue to do more trips with it. i like the versatility it provides.
If the e-bike is the thing that make you go out and move instead of sitting inside thinking about it, then that is a fantastic thing. There are people who need this support to be able to move, as time goes on most people can take longer trips with less use of the motor assist. Some people can make a short ride on an e-bike, others will proudly say they never used a e-bike. Lucky for them having the health to do so.
When you first get an e-Bike, you blast around in turbo. As the novelty wears off you switch to tour mode. And once you get fitter you switch to eco mode. And you can vary it depending how you feel, the terrain, the wind speed and direction etc. There’s so much flexibility that you don’t get with regular bikes.
@@Propelbikes I think for me I want it to always feel like I’m riding in a realistic way to how I would on a regular bike, but with a much more comfortable bike. But for people like yourself who love blasting around the city at 28mph on cargo bikes with the speed motor version, that’s just another one of the many ways you can ride e-bikes and have a lot of fun :)
If you do a follow up video, would be great to include a section on security. One of my main fears is locking up my (very expensive) bike in the city and leaving it for a while. Recommendations on best locks and where to park would be great.
There are a lot of films here on RU-vid about that. I would recommend you to look a several film from different sources (to avoid the film that want to sell to you) and get a wider view of the topic. Buy the good locks and don´t try to cheap out. Learn how to think when parking and you have decent odds to keep that beauty.
I think the comment above is a great one. We also made a video on the security topic which I listed below ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j99HdeFh0DE.html
Hi Chris, I think it is very important to discuss basic issues like this as well. It reminded me of my wife's initial concerns and questions, such as: 1. am I able to handle the motor power? 2. how complicated is the operation? 3. can I handle the 2 hand brakes? I am only used to back pedal brake? 4. my wife also did not believe me that she could make longer tours with the ebike than with a normal bike. Today she is enthusiastic about her Riese und Müller Culture, has already driven several 1000km within less than a year and does not shy away from steep stretches, slippery forest trails and single-trails. She was also surprised how effortlessly and unsweaty you can get to your destination.
I will show up to group rides as the only person wearing pants, boots, and a coat thanks to my ebike while everyone else is in lycra. I guess I'm not cheating when I'm also carrying everyone's gatorades. lol
I've always been an "I don't mind biking, but if there are going to be hills, I won't be very happy" person. Our neighborhood is called Linden Hills, and they're not joking about the hills, so I've often declined to bike when I knew there would be a steep hill involved. I recently got an ebike and now I love biking around. I use my bike for as many errands as I can, and I bike for pleasure now, too. I love being able to kick in some additional pedal assist on a steep or long climb. I'm finding that I need an extra boost of power less often than when I got the bike, just because I'm biking more and I'm in better shape.
exactly what are you cheating? I explain to my customers that you still get the same cardio from riding and ebike then a regular bike. Ive rode my ebike on the same 30 mile ride as my normal bike and my BPM were almost identical. Biggest difference is that with and ebike, ill ride multi days instead of 1 long ride a week on my normal bike. Put a bosch motor on eco mod and keep the speed around 18mph and yo'll get a great work out.
When someone says riding an electric bike is cheating, I ask them if they have a car? if the answers yes, I say well that's cheating why not use the bus!
Very good, straight forward, and easy to understand overview of E-Bikes👍Just purchased two new “entry level,” E-Bikes for RV that I have on order this summer.... really neat experience riding an E-Bike for the 1st time - decided on folding E-Bikes, but had to order online since all the vendors in my area only sold full-size, non folding E-Bikes. I’ve been involved with government agencies over the decades that DEMAND peak conditioning, and the question(s) regarding exercise you managed much better than I would have. You can integrate EXERCISE in just about everything you do. Carry the 40-60 pound E-Bike around or push it without Pedal/Walk assist up a hill and you will see it’s a workout🧐😂
My only electric bike has been my Specialized Stumpjumper/FreeRadical/Stokemonkey Frankenstein bike. I love it and always have. When I bought it I thought of it as a car replacement and hence, not a bike I necessarily ride for exercise but for utility and just damn good logistics. I feel like I get to places faster in town and park more easily than I do in a car. It is my in town commuter. I dont use my car unless it is a longer trip. I’m a believer. E-bikes are the SH#T!
Here in the UK all ebikes have to be pedal assist only no throttles allowed and limit is 15.5 mph for the assist , above that you are on your qwn. i use mine in eco and get just as much exercise i just go a bit faster.
I bought an ebike 2 months ago and have done 500km on it already. I love it. The motor averages about 2/3 assistance. So you could say I cycled 170km myself. I would not have done that 170km on my old bike. I see that as a win. And I come back smiling every time. And my knee joints ache less.
Chris, this is another great video. Visually, I loved the lemon hoodie and the peace sign. Cerebrally, you answered questions I would never dream of asking. This is because I'm a simple person. To illustrate my simplicity I've composed a haiku which encapsulates my concept of the electric bike. A Simpleton's Soliloquy To The Electric Bike Push on the pedals. The motor hums, wheels go round. You go down the road. Whilst Matsuo Basho, Kobayashi Issa, Masaoka Shiki, and Yosa Buson will, doubtless, be spinning in their respective graves, at least I had a bash‼️
I like the all of the above or all three. Pedal, pedal assist, throttle. I think it's more customizable or adaptable to the needs I run into as I go along.
I think that you may want to carry bikes that also have a throttle option. I know that my own situation may be anecdotal... however, I'm sure that I'm not the only one. I am 69 years old, and I've had multiple MIs (myocardial infarctions, commonly known as heart attacks), but like you and everyone else, I also need to exercise. These MIs have left me with occasional bouts of angina (heart pain, which is exacerbated by continued exertion). Temporarily stopping exertion allows that pain to go away. These pass after several minutes, and the throttle option would allow me to continue until the angina abates. Having both throttle and pedal capability will still let me get exercise safely. I know of at least three others in my situation. Perhaps, you could include this in an upcoming vid. One of the fastest-growing segments of e-bike market is the over-50 crowd, and a lot of us have certain limitations. :-)
I agree that the throttle option is a disability issue. I have a middle drive pedal assist (Tern GSD named Clementine,) and I love her. However, there are many people out there like you who need a throttle. I have high praise for Chris, and I fully understand why he would want to limit the types/brands of ebikes he sells. If he can't find throttle assist drive trains that meet his quality standards it doesn't make sense for him to carry those products. The criticism I have for the anti-throttle crowd is related the idea of "cheating." Even if someone never peddles a stroke and throttles all the way, they are still using a mode of transportation with lower operating costs and a smaller environmental footprint. Making this available and mainstream means that more people of any ability level are out on two (or three) lower speed wheels. That encourages the Powers That Be to improve and expand cycling infrastructure. It also teaches automobile users to share the road.
I think you summarized this well. I certainly don’t hate throttles. If there was a throttle bike out there that was of the same quality as the other bikes we offer i would carry it. I do have to say that it pains me to know that I can’t assist those that truly need a throttle, but there are many out there that are assisting here.
You got the limitations part right! All those breaks and knocks I took when younger are haunting me now. Bike riding is the best thing for me. Even walking by itself is uncomfortable anymore.
If you have a wall outlet you can charge it anytime. How long it will take to charge up a battery that you rode to work on depends a lot on it. If you want to know how long it will take to top off the battery at work you're going to have to find out yourself. Even the same brand, make and model battery will differ. Just keep an eye on the temperature of the battery, (hot to the touch ) There have been reports in England and Europe of batteries starting fires when left unattended or monitored.
In Poland e-bike is considered bicycle when having limitation of electric support at 25 km/h. Above that it is an electric moped and none of the bicycle laws applies to it (you can't use bike lanes etc)
E-Bike designs are improving every few months while battery improvements are creeping alone at a snail's pace, if that fast. I look forward to the long range single battery that is reasonably priced.
Taking about “cheating” whilst riding an e-bike makes me laugh. I have a electric cargo bike as my sole mode of transport. My bike weighs 54 pounds before I add a battery pack (my bike has 2 batteries). I fill 2 panniers with groceries, wine, beer, etc. I am not cheating. I live in SLC. We have HILLS and I am glad for the PAS when climbing from the supermarket to my house. I also carry my bike up and down a short flight of stairs.I also have a road bike and a mountain bike which I ride for completely different purposes.
I am 27 and never learned to drive because I'm from a city with public transport, but I recently moved to the burbs. After learning the expenses of owning even an electric car ( insurance, upkeep, financing) I'm completely turned off of it. E-Bikes are such a great option.
I ride my ebike more and go further than I would on my non ebike. And i live in a very hilly area, The ebike allows me to do more and use it for transportation. .
I ride my eBike to my preferences of having battery last very long so I pedal a lot and notice the 7 gear Hubs you ride of shifting like a Clutch of various speed and terrain. Say I have 9 levels of PAS on 350watt, Im at PAS5 only on 5th gear GOING 21 MPH but I need to slow down so I go to PAS6( 6 TO 9 IS DOWNSHIFTING POWER,but you can go from 4 to 3 ect) with switching to 4th gear, then PAS7 3rd gear, PAS8 I start applying my disc brakes of the speed slow down I safely stop of 7 feet braking to full stop. It is really fun to learn this as it gets me more knowledgeable of how to use besides looking at specs. From there of re start I stay on 3rd to go on PAS1 than at 10mph I go 4th gear, at 15mph I go 5th gear( Ive yet to use 6 and 7 gear on PAS5 because Im new to ebikes) Shifting reduces the blunt power boost of exerting less power as speed picks up , besides that downshifting SEEMS THE MOST OVERLOOKED TIP, EVER. Downshifting controls handling of speed slow down to give safe space to use brakes without wearing them down.
Ugh! year old comment, but I've had my e-bike for 1 year. I love it and I miss a regular bike so I just bought another. E-bikes are heavy and may not fit your needs every day. I will spend less on all my bikes than on a car, and my life is so much more efficient without having to take my car out every day. I'm elderly and I truly believe that my investment in my bikes is keeping me young.
Great video and (obviously) very informed opinions. The one case I would generally not recommend an electric bike is if someone is biking almost entirely for fitness or as sport and they have no interest in any other use for it. Certainly if what you want is just the effort of pedaling, and you have no physical condition that makes it difficult on a conventional bike, then the best assist is no assist, and why would you get an electric bike? But for virtually everything else, as long as one can afford it and deal with some of the possible logistical issues (increased weight, possibility of theft, etc) I think the net effect is almost guaranteed to be positive. It really makes biking a more pleasant activity, and you really nail down why: You have control over how much effort you put in. And even with a throttle, in my experience the ideal amount of effort is never zero, even a leisurely ride provides some exercise. My e-bike makes even short trips for errands much more pleasant (even in the middle of a heat wave, I find going for groceries on my e-bike a lot more pleasant than doing it on my ordinary bike used to be on a good day!), and I've also just been going out on it for fun a lot more often. Obviously an e-bike ride provides a lot less exercise than an ordinary bike ride, depending on how you use it. But it provides a lot more than staying inside, which is often what the real comparison is. I would generally say that, putting aside the price and potentially the lower portability (and ecological concerns; right now an e-bike is a big improvement over most things so more e-bikes is generally good news, but an ordinary bike is always better ecologically), an e-bike is fundamentally a better vehicle all-around than an ordinary bike. Of course, price and portability are super important and that means many people do not need or want an e-bike. A bicycle is already one of the best vehicles for simplicity and reliability.
The cheating question always comes up , normally from other bike users , simple fact is i always reply , have you ridden one ? and explain, what you put in, the bike will give you back , more so for me With my R&M supercharger full loaded for long tours that involves a lot of big hills , and the fact that i can go a lot further quicker which leads onto their next big question ! how far, with duel batteries which surprises most folks , the other thing that interests people, is the bikes on board computer and are some what amazed with the new Bosch Nyon display i use and its numerous features , more so the navigation system , as for security and insurance, the idea that you can have a tracker fitted into the motor appeals , plus more and more UK insurance companies are offering E- bike insurance as part your household insurance and includes overseas touring ..
White subtitles can’t be read when the background is a light color. Your yellow sweater washed out most of the words when reading the questions from your readers. It’s just a pet peeve of mine because it seems to be an industry wide problem. Just a thought to help hearing impaired listeners. Thanks for all your great videos, very informative, Always fun to watch and your love for the ebike industry is seen in every video.
Cheating? If it's not a competition, there is no "cheating". Exercise? You're moving, balancing, and putting your mind to work. So sure. Exercise. Do either of those matter regardless? Not one single bit. For me, if it's fun, gets me out, let's me see things I might not have seen, even if it's just down the block, then it all good and worth the effort. My advice, get an electric bike, feel the magic of them, embrace your inner kid and just go enjoy yourself. If it get's you hooked on bikes as a whole, what's not to like?
Super great video, with many topics covered! Perhaps the lower speed limits are good in European countries, because of more pedestrians and bicycles. If the US didn't have so many automobiles, I could get to my work (7 miles away) with a 20 mph bike in 15 minutes.... Almost 40 minutes of pure horror....
i rode regular bicycle Everywhere i went for 18 yrs in Austin Tx - not easy - now i dont want to peddle any more - twisting e bike throttle is enough for me
That is a big and real concern. The only thing you can do about that is to educate yourself about bicycle locking systems and make a good choice. Check some videos about cycle safety here on youtube (not nessesary films from lock salespersons) and hope for the best. Never let fear rule your life, good luck.
US National Forest lands are managed by the US Department of Agriculture. Within the National Forests, there are many thousands of miles of gated Forest road that are closed to motor vehicle traffic, but are open to foot, horse, and bicycle travel. The US Department of Agriculture considers an ebike to be a 'motor vehicle', therefore prohibited from those gated roads. Concurrently, most state parks and state game lands classify ebikes as regular bicycles and encourage their use.
@@Propelbikes but your website says it has one demo version for sale . Why don't we use that one . Iam sure people will get aware of this model and it will instantly go especially if it's Chris approved and ridden.
yeesh, 12mph in japan? whats even the point? I could do that all day on a non ebike and not even raise my heart rate much more than a leisurely stroll would. personaly I love my class 3 even if I spend most of my time at around 20mph. I commute at 16 with the motor off, in eco mode its 20-22 on the flats but I have the option to push 28-30 should I need to merge with traffic
It was alarming when I heard it as well, but if you see how crowded their streets are it seems to make sense. I also think that many eBikes are made to carry kids so speed isn't the priority really.
The question of “cheating” indicates just how twisted the American perspective is regarding bicycle riding. I’m not racing, I’m just trying to go to the grocery store. Americans equate riding a bicycle with sporting and not transportation, and that’s where the problems start.
TBH, I would spend $1500 on a bike and put a $150 bike chain on there if I'm going to leave it unattended, normal bikes that aren't electric, $500-700 and the same chain, I honestly don't trust those cheap things unless I am wanting something disposable for the weekend and if it lasts longer than that I got me a bargain.
E-Bikes shouldn't be considered "cheating" in the realm of transportation - they're still bikes but can go farther without tiring out the operator. It's more efficient and safer than a larger vehicle. Now if there was a competition that had strict rules against electric motors? Then yes, it's cheating.
I ride E Bike for around eight years. You won’t believe the stupid comments I got. Mostly from regular bikers. Now, most of them gone quiet and got one too.
Are eBikes cheating? IMO, absolutely! Lightweight alloys and materials? Also cheating! Gears? Totally cheating. For that matter using any kind of bike is cheating, as opposed to walking. For me, a fundamental concept for any kind of biking is maximizing efficient transportation. EBikes allow you to choose the amount of effort you put into your cycling. This is a very good thing. It allows people who otherwise might not bike to be able to ride. It allows some people to commute to work without becoming drenched in sweat. For some people, it just means they are going to have a more enjoyable ride and an increased opportunity to enjoy their surroundings along the way. So yeah, eBikes are cheating. More cheating for me, please!
I wish we ( the persons of this world) could agree to NOT call the throttle type of cycle "a E-bike". That is in most countries a moped/motorcycle or just illegal. Only Pedelecs should be called E-bike to remove a lot of missunderstandings, myths and problems about the topic. Let´s distinguish different types of vehicle from each other to make things clearer.
Why would we want to limit who is able to use low speed bike and shared path infrastructure in this way? Low speed electric vehicles like ebikes, standing e-scooters, and mobility assist seated scooters are a modes of transportation that have lower operating costs. They allow people who, for a variety of reasons, cannot use pedal assist bicycles to travel farther and faster than they could on their own. Increasing the volume of people using low speed vehicle infrastructure drives demand for low speed infrastructure. Throttle bikes are not the problem, and classifying low speed throttle bikes as mopeds that shouldn't use cycling infrastructure or making them illegal is counterproductive.
@@HarryLovesRuth I am not talking about limiting anyting. What i mean is that we should define the word "E-bike" to only indicate pedal driven, electric assisted, cycles to avoid a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about e-biking. As you can see in the film a lot of different vehicle types is bunched together inder the name "e-bike" which brings confusion. Furthermore: There are different legislation in different countries. Throttle bikes is not legal for road traffic in EU as far as i know. RU-vid is global, you know. :-)
RU-vid is indeed global, but Propel is a US company selling ebikes to a US audience. My parochialism is appropriate to the situation. Speaking of parochialism, it's a great big globe out there, which means that EU regulations are not the standard by which these decisions should be made, either. Setting that aside, according to the information available Radpower's website* Class L1e-A ebikes with throttles are legal in the EU. It isn't clear if that is a "throttle to start" or "throttle to go" situation from the website, and the other articles I found are either highly technical or geared to the UK, which has Brexited. (I think? Have they? Hard to keep up.) Here is my main issue. Whether you intended to imply that throttle powered bikes should be illegal or regulated as motorcycles, your original comment asked that people refer to throttle ebikes as mopeds is advocating for throttle ebikes to be classified separately from pedal assist bikes. I strongly object to this. Here is why: Classifying throttle assist e-bikes as mopeds moves them from the category of low speed powered transportation to that of high speed transportation. This nomenclature does not clarify their status, it reclassifies it. Reclassifying throttle ebikes into the same category as high speed mopeds and motorcycles will prevent their use in cycle lanes and on mixed use paths. This forces low speed throttle assist e-bike users into sharing the road with vehicular traffic using higher speeds, which is often unsafe. Reclassifying throttle e-bikes as mopeds/motorcycles or making them illegal removes this transportation option for people whose disabilities prevent them from using pedal assist e-bikes as a transportation option. This is discriminatory. I suppose that a carve out could be made for throttle assist e-bikes targeted to disabled people. However, that creates stigma and added expense. When assistive technologies are available as general consumer products, they become unremarkable and the price of purchase is lower. I believe that this is an issue of equity. As a person who seeks to be a helper, I believe that I have an obligation to encourage other people to consider this point of view. As a person who hopes to live long enough to perhaps need a throttle e-bike, I want them to be available and legal. (I don't want to drop a link to a competitor into the comments in Chris's video, but a quick Google will get you to this as the first result.)
@@HarryLovesRuth Please reread my comments. I am NOT talking about LEGAL classifications at all. I am talking about nomenclature, what we call thing in the language. Since the legal classifications wary over the world, as we both agree about, it is useless to debate that here. BUT a bicycle is in it´s fundamental form something that is muscle powered. A motorcycle is motor powered. A bicycle shaped object that is fully motor powered, as a motorcycle is, is confusing if it is, IN THE LANGUAGE, called the same as a cycle. Do you get my point here?
I oppose this nomenclature for the reasons I have already stated. Language shapes our choices and our policies. The language we use has immense power to alter the way we understand the world around us. Using a nomenclature that defines a throttle controlled ebike as not a bicycle has the potential to regulate these vehicles differently than other vehicles of similar speed an application. Whatever minor inconvenience is created by using the term throttled e-bike is vastly outweighed by the reclassification of throttle e-bikes as motorcycles or mopeds.
Electric bike should be bike first electric second weight with motor battery whole ensemble no more than 35lbs ,gonna mean carbon fiber and solo motorcycle type seat formed plastic sprung by bungee for weight .Look at old motorcycle in Guggenheim Imme Riedel.big wheels no scooters.
