Althouse: I took my first e-bike ride today — 20 miles, along a route I've ridden many times on a traditional bike.

March 1, 2018

I took my first e-bike ride today — 20 miles, along a route I've ridden many times on a traditional bike.

It was great fun, not having to worry about the various hills and not needing Meade to slow down for me. I loved it!

Here's Trek's video about the bike. The orange one ridden by the lady in shorts is exactly like mine:

65 comments:

madison mike said...: You should get a finder's fee for every bike they sell to you readers; 3/1/18, 5:29 PM
tcrosse said...: Electric bike conversion kits are available from the Althouse Amazon Portal.; 3/1/18, 5:42 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: When did "girl's bikes" become "Low step" bikes?

John Henry; 3/1/18, 5:42 PM
MacMacConnell said...: Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Go girl!; 3/1/18, 5:46 PM
tcrosse said...: Presumably girls bikes are that way to facilitate mounting while wearing a skirt. No true Scotsman would ride one.; 3/1/18, 5:47 PM
Ann Althouse said...: The b-cycles around here are all "low-step." So you don't want to discourage men from using them. And women may like the -- whatever they're called now (high step?) -- boy's bikes.

Consider that some less-able persons may want a less challenging bike.; 3/1/18, 5:50 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Very exciting. Sounds like it will make riding together much more enjoyable.
Nothing like a new bike whether you're a kid or a grown up.
They did a good job on the video.; 3/1/18, 5:51 PM
FleetUSA said...: I agree with Madison Mike, you need to have a link so you can get a small slice of the action. You are a great promoter for the bike and you'll be blogging even more about it this summer.; 3/1/18, 5:55 PM
Robert J. said...: Bicycles of the 1%.; 3/1/18, 5:59 PM
Art in LA said...: I rode my neighbors Faraday brand "pedal assist" bike recently ... really great, especially with the hills around here. Pricey though. The Faraday advantage is that a lot of the electric assist pieces are more hidden. I think the Treks look sportier though.; 3/1/18, 6:00 PM
tcrosse said...: BTW the Brits call that style of bike sit-up-and-beg because you don't have to hunch over to ride it.; 3/1/18, 6:03 PM
Lekha Rao said...: Good for you Ann! The main thing is that you and Meade can share something super fun and active together without that dread of ...can I keep up.; 3/1/18, 6:05 PM
Sean Gleeson said...: No “Men in Shorts” tag? The dude is wearing shorts.; 3/1/18, 6:11 PM
chuck said...: > The b-cycles around here are all "low-step."

My next bike will probably be "low-step", aka, step through, and maybe electric. I considered both last time, but ended up with a low end Sirrus.; 3/1/18, 6:12 PM
jwl said...: I am a lifelong bicyclist who knows nothing about e-bikes - does the motor work all the time and help rider continually or does motor only kick in when the rider not pedalling and needs assist? My partner sounds like Althouse and I wonder if I could convince her to try e-bikes.; 3/1/18, 6:27 PM
John Borell said...: “Women in shorts” tag; 3/1/18, 6:42 PM
Linda said...: Sounds like a great day on the bike. Without it - you would likely not have been out riding today. This allows you to get outside for some good exercise and enjoy your time together. I am a stronger rider than my husband and have encouraged him to get one - but he says he isn’t ready yet. I ran into you and Meade a few years ago on the Cap City trail - hope to see you out again!.; 3/1/18, 7:02 PM
wild chicken said...: Greatest rock record ever.; 3/1/18, 7:07 PM
rhhardin said...: It's not true that putting the weight low helps. The higher the better so long as it does not wobble. If it wobbles, then you want it low.

The higher the weight, the slower the bike falls over.; 3/1/18, 7:15 PM
rhhardin said...: You want low step if you've got a rear bike rack with stuff on it. You can't swing your leg over it.; 3/1/18, 7:16 PM
rhhardin said...: Minor hazard of speed, is the road rash is worse. You'll have to learn what are dangerous corners. A little tire rubber on pavement at a busy intersection can be quite slippery. Take no corners fast.; 3/1/18, 7:18 PM
Rockeye said...: Althouse always had a "performing athletics" exemption.; 3/1/18, 7:26 PM
Ann Althouse said...: “I am a lifelong bicyclist who knows nothing about e-bikes - does the motor work all the time and help rider continually or does motor only kick in when the rider not pedalling and needs assist? My partner sounds like Althouse and I wonder if I could convince her to try e-bikes.”

There are ebikes that you can sit on and not pedal, but this bike only has power assist while you’re pedaling. You can coast just like a normal bike and you have 4 level of power, so you can choose to rely more on the motor or more on yourself. You can also turn off the motor and ride it enton your own.

You really have the feeling of riding a bike, but like with the wind at your back. It most helpful in getting up hills and in helping with might be a negative attitude about hills.

I’m not affiliated with Trek and don’t make money recommending their bike.

The Madison store is great, btw.; 3/1/18, 7:40 PM
Lucien said...: Bob:

If there’s anything to the comment the other day about 200 Million Chinese riding e-bikes, then it’s for more than 1%.

Of course the Chinese bikes probably have a lower price point.; 3/1/18, 8:05 PM
L Day said...: I thought sure you'd love it. I picked up my new bike today too, a Salsa Timberjack, it's a nice hardtail mountain bike with 27.5+ tires, disc brakes and front suspension but no rear suspension. That way I can fit panniers for my fly fishing and camping gear. It will replace my old school Trek hardtail with 26' tires and old style brakes. Even though I broke my leg back in January (first serious injury in 40 years of skiing) and haven't yet been cleared to give put more than 20 lbs of pressure on my left leg, I put the seat down real low, somehow managed to move from crutches to bike, and did a couple of laps of the driveway. The bike is put away safely now, but come April I'll be ready to go. Can't wait.; 3/1/18, 8:15 PM
L Day said...: 26" tires, not 26 feet. :); 3/1/18, 8:17 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Where I live their are a lot of hills. Typical grades are 3% to 6%, and my usual ride is ten miles or so, mostly on paved roads but occasionally going off onto short dirt or gravel paths. I wonder how well one of these ebikes would work for that kind of ride?; 3/1/18, 8:20 PM
SteveBrooklineMA said...: Great video! I would really like a folding version. I bought a folding bike recently and it has been great. It makes getting to trails around Madison much easier. No need for a bike rack, it fits easily in my minivan’s luggage area. But my legs aren’t what they used to be. E-assist seems like a fine solution.; 3/1/18, 8:22 PM
Henry said...: Just wait until you do it by chariot!; 3/1/18, 8:33 PM
Henry said...: @SteveBrooklineMA -- There is some kind of e-folding bike. I saw a guy with one on the MBTA today. DIdn't catch the make or model.; 3/1/18, 8:34 PM
Henry said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/1/18, 8:35 PM
Henry said...: Of course the Chinese bikes probably have a lower price point.

And the people who buy them won't ever be able to afford a car.; 3/1/18, 8:35 PM
rhhardin said...: You don't need power for hills if you don't mind going slowly. That's what all the gears do for you.

You can get deep granny gears, suitable for pulling tree stumps, as well as hills.

The limiting thing is how slowly you can go and still balance, though I once did a hill where the limit was the bike going over backwards.; 3/1/18, 8:45 PM
RBE said...: Very cool. Thanks for sharing.; 3/1/18, 8:47 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: I wonder if anyone is working on a motor assist pogo stick?
That would be so cool!
In the future, all outdoor travel will be done by jet pack, and people will use motor assisted pogo sticks for mobility in indoor spaces, like shopping malls and office buildings.
It's the future. And it's coming for you, fast and bouncing.; 3/1/18, 8:48 PM
320Busdriver said...: I've been searching for the right bike for my wife. That just might be the winner.; 3/1/18, 8:53 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: I once bicycled out of Waipio Valley on the Big Island. The grade averages 25% over 3/4 mile. I was younger than, and I did it in spells by stopping & resting at each of the many switchbacks.
Going down is much more dangerous than going up. The advice I got from a more experienced rider was to walk the bike down. If you did try to ride it down and lost your brakes (they get very hot & might melt), jump off immediately. If you wasted a few seconds trying to control your descent with no brakes you would end up going so fast you would break bones on the inevitable involuntary dismount.; 3/1/18, 8:55 PM
jwl said...: Thank you Prof Althouse, I am going to look into e bike for my partner because it sounds like something she would like. She was not regular bike rider before I met her and she complained about hills the couple of times I managed to talk her into going for bike ride with me.; 3/1/18, 9:02 PM
jwl said...: "I asked Robin Williams why he loved riding a bicycle so much. I'll always remember his answer, because it was wonderful and true.

He said it was the closest you can get to flying." Wall Street Journal, Aug 2014.
----------

I had no idea R Williams rode bicycles but when he died I read quote about how he thought bicycling was like flying and I thought he was spot on. I am going to convince my partner that feeling the wind is best sensation, other than sex of course.; 3/1/18, 9:18 PM
TravelingHerrings said...: I've had a similar Trek pedal assist bike for the last 4 years. It can get me up the largest of hills with little effort. I also rented one when we biked in Acadia National Park last summer. You can go all day as the battery charges as you brake on going down hill. Pricey? Yes, but totally worth it to me to be able to continue to bike all around my hilly city/neighborhood.; 3/1/18, 9:28 PM
Spaceman said...: Was in Tel Aviv 3 years ago. Standard mode of transport there. These things whizzing around everywhere; 3/1/18, 9:31 PM
Ralph L said...: I once did a hill where the limit was the bike going over backwards.
I did that when I was 5 and landed with my head on the school parking lot. A mere flesh wound. Little kids are indestructible, until they aren't. First saw the place again 35 years later and it wasn't much of a hill at all.; 3/1/18, 9:50 PM
L Day said...: I read that most e-bikes don't have regenerative braking and on those that do it's a rather crude affair, nothing like on a Prius. Maybe someday.; 3/1/18, 9:51 PM
tcrosse said...: Instructional video from Bafang, who manufacture conversion kits:
How to retrofit an existing bicycle.; 3/1/18, 9:51 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: What clever marketing. Women will want an ebike device in all aspects of their lives where keeping up with men is a problem. But, what if the man you are keeping up with also gets an ebike?; 3/1/18, 9:54 PM
glacial erratic said...: I think most e-bikes are pedal-assist. Bikes that run continuously without pedaling are more likely termed scooters; 3/1/18, 9:59 PM
Unknown said...: Do you still feel like you're getting a good workout?

On a side note, I haven't ridden my bike since I had a bad crash five years ago, on the one ride when I wasn't wearing a helmet! I took it out last weekend to inflate the tires and one of them exploded (OK, the inner tube burst). Startled some college girl neighbors.; 3/1/18, 10:14 PM
Danno said...: After seeing your post last night, I had looked at your link to the Trek website and saw they made an e-bike version of the Cross-Rip I was falling in love with at the Trek shop the other day.

It has an even higher output e-motor than the Verve+ so it can go up to 28 mph. I could really smoke my spandex buddy with the Cross-Rip+. He'd probably quit riding with me if I bought one.; 3/1/18, 11:44 PM
Jack said...: my first thought was what about the shorts?

In Australia, the middle aged blokes in Lycra get together and cycle for hours and finish off with a coffee, generally at open air venue, its all very French and Italian.

The little lycra onesies are unflattering enough when worn on the bike but sitting or standing around have an espresso, let's just say they are not for the squeamish.

is this behaviour endorsed by our Professor?; 3/2/18, 12:10 AM
ArtM said...: What do our state statutes say about electric assist bikes these days. It used to be any motor or engine assist made bicycle a moped or motorcycle and so had to meet MVSS (motor vehicle safety standards) for such to be used in WI. They could not be used anywhere except on private property with owner permission.

What about OUI? A disabled person riding his electric wheelchair scooter home from the bar in Milwaukee several years ago was prosecuted for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and for operating a MV with a prohibited BAC. If they can charge that I would think that driving after revocation or without a license charges could be filed too for those that had OWIs in the past.

Most states do not treat them that way. Has WI changed its laws? When the Segway came to WI the changes to the statutes were written very tightly to not allow their competition to be included in the changes.; 3/2/18, 12:16 AM
chickelit said...: So why are these things ubiquitous in China but relatively rare here in the US? Is capitalism keeping the prices higher here? Are wages higher in China?

The concept looks cool, but I would never buy one for myself -- my bike commute is about 6 miles one way, but pretty flat. These should be a major hit in the San Diego market which is pretty hilly.; 3/2/18, 1:00 AM
Danno said...: Her's the Trek video for the Cross-Rip+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idM_abALzT4; 3/2/18, 1:26 AM
MayBee said...: Is there a good way to lock it up when you get somewhere? I've seen more people steal bikes or wheels out on city streets (London mostly).; 3/2/18, 6:57 AM
rhhardin said...: The secret of not having your bike stolen is make it look very underireable and lock it up.

I add duct tape to the frame on mine when it's new.

It's just a $150 bicycle though so maybe it's easier.; 3/2/18, 6:59 AM
Mad Dog said...: Total weight of the beast = 45.6 pounds. Have fun wrestling that onto a car bike rack by oneself. Regarding hills on bike paths/trails -- learn how to shift gears.; 3/2/18, 8:07 AM
chuck said...: > Total weight of the beast = 45.6 pounds.

Yeah, that is one reason I didn't get one. Bus fare here is zero and the buses have bike racks, so the combination of bike and bus is a good deal. Lifting 45 pounds, plus a load of groceries in the panniers, on and off the racks would be a pain. Likewise, I ended up with a simple steel front fork instead of shocks.; 3/2/18, 8:20 AM
Henry said...: @chicklet said... So why are these things ubiquitous in China but relatively rare here in the US? Is capitalism keeping the prices higher here? Are wages higher in China?

People in China can't afford cars.; 3/2/18, 8:35 AM
Curious George said...: "Mad Dog said...
Total weight of the beast = 45.6 pounds. Have fun wrestling that onto a car bike rack by oneself. Regarding hills on bike paths/trails -- learn how to shift gears."

You can't lift 46 pounds?; 3/2/18, 8:58 AM
tcrosse said...: @chicklet said... So why are these things ubiquitous in China but relatively rare here in the US? Is capitalism keeping the prices higher here? Are wages higher in China?

I'm just guessing that the Chinese bikes are more utilitarian than those demanded by upper-middle-class Americans.; 3/2/18, 9:02 AM
Caligula said...: Electric bicycles might have a great future as urban transportation, if only the theft problem could be solved. That, and exposure to the weather.

When it comes to energy efficiency, it's difficult to find any transportation technologies that can beat a bicycle. And, availability of better batteries and better controllers has certainly made the electric-assist type far more attractive than it once was.; 3/2/18, 9:05 AM
chuck said...: > if only the theft problem could be solved.

Property is theft, comrade.; 3/2/18, 9:24 AM
mtrobertslaw said...: The electric bike is only the first step. Ann is moving, and not very slowly, towards becoming a full fledged Harley woman. The question is will she be able to talk Meade into becoming a biker.; 3/2/18, 9:36 AM
Rick.T. said...: "Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way"

John Kay lives down the road from us. Never met him but we've shared a handyman.

I wonder what the torque is on that motor. The half-mile drive coming back up to the house is multiples of the 2-3% grade mentioned above and the entrace to the nearby Trace Parkway is almost as steep.; 3/2/18, 9:38 AM
tcrosse said...: I wonder what the torque is on that motor.

Read all about it; 3/2/18, 11:15 AM
kwenzel said...: My favorite trail at the moment is Captain Jack's, in the Cheyenne Canyon area. I usually end up parking at either the Upper Gold Camp lot or the Captain Jack's trailhead (actually at the bottom of the trail, dirt bikes ride up from there), but either way there's a long gradual climb from right to left on this map between the two along Gold Camp Road:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.796714,-104.89119,2804m/data=!3m1!1e3

(the trail itself is hugely fun downhill)

Last time I was there, I was huffing back up that road, slow and tired, and some fellow flew by me like I was standing still, pedaling slow. I spent the rest of that section really, really grumpy at how out of shape I am compared to him, and got back to Upper Gold Camp to find him loading his e-bike. Sigh.; 3/2/18, 2:22 PM