Is an electric bike cheating?

I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx


Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx


Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

I don't know much about electric bikes. You still pedal the thing,
right?

As long as it requires some sort of physical exertion to operate,
you're not cheating.

Cullen
Appleton, WI

On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

Looks like great fun! People **** away twice the street price of the
Tailwind just to make their HD look like a bad lamp or 15X to get the
luxury of a tokenist P***s that fails to impress at Trader Joe's. The
design is stellar and Dutch and love the quick charge battery. Just
check on how much it will cost to eventually replace it.


There are a few electric bikes around here--most often people in their
50s+ that want to keep up with a fitter or faster partner on our
rolling hills. I hear nothing but raves, TBH. Makes sense as the motor
effectively turns any landscape into Holland.

On 27 Oct, 13:01, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

No it's not cheating. 80 minutes at each end of a working day must
feel bad when you're not up to it. I'm thinking that perhaps you
should be making a little better headway, perhaps 60 minutes for the
15 miles. Just try riding to work once or twice a week and maybe your
speed will improve. Try to find a non-exposed route when you are
otherwised faced with a headwind (or make this an off day). Drop
handlebars will help against winds and supple tyres will improve your
speed for any day. i always wonder, "but what if the motor fails",
I'd have to lug that as well.

On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

I rode one of those around the LBS parking lot a bit about a year ago.
It was a weird feeling when the motor pushed, it would take some
getting used to. I think I would prefer a straight up throttle
control rather than the way these Schwins work, sensing when the
pedals were turning and all that.

On Oct 27, 1:00*pm, DennisTheBald wrote:
On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:



I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

I rode one of those around the LBS parking lot a bit about a year ago.
It was a weird feeling when the motor pushed, it would take some
getting used to. *I think I would prefer a straight up throttle
control rather than the way these Schwins work, sensing when the
pedals were turning and all that.

Oh, yeah - the cheating bit:
without a doubt, no.

if you only ue the electric assisyt to help you through those parts of
the ride that you can no longer handle on your on, then no, it's not
cheating.

As to whether you'll become a "mobile couch potato", that's up to you; I
don't know you well enough to judge your resolve..

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:10:16 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

I don't know much about electric bikes. You still pedal the thing,
right?

As long as it requires some sort of physical exertion to operate,
you're not cheating.

Cullen
Appleton, WI


There seem to be two kinds. One has a throttle that really seems like
cheating. The Schwinns are "pedal assist" so at least you have to be
pedaling and then the assist kicks in in varying amouts depending on a
setting somewhere on the handlebars.

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:49:34 -0700 (PDT), landotter
wrote:

On Oct 27, 8:01*am, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

Looks like great fun! People **** away twice the street price of the
Tailwind just to make their HD look like a bad lamp or 15X to get the
luxury of a tokenist P***s that fails to impress at Trader Joe's. The
design is stellar and Dutch and love the quick charge battery. Just
check on how much it will cost to eventually replace it.


There are a few electric bikes around here--most often people in their
50s+ that want to keep up with a fitter or faster partner on our
rolling hills. I hear nothing but raves, TBH. Makes sense as the motor
effectively turns any landscape into Holland.

The deal with that quick-charge battery isn't only a quick charge.
According to Toshiba, the number of recharge cycles is like 5000 or
something. You shouldn't have to replace it for many years. Folks in
an EBike forum are dying to get them but Schwinn seems to have an
exclusive deal right now. The WorldGSE bike that I prefer (because
it's 24 speed with real components) does not have that battery. It has
a very good one, but not that one.

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:47:35 -0700 (PDT), thirty-six
wrote:

On 27 Oct, 13:01, dgk wrote:
I hate hills. I hate headwinds. I'm in my late 50s. It takes me 80
minutes to commute in and the same going home. That's a lot of time
(15 miles at 10.7 mph or so). So, maybe I can shave 25 minutes off and
bike even more often if I get something like this:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/Tailwind.aspx

Looks like a decent commuter bike. Of course, it's at least $2000 and
is about the weakest motor I've seen, but I'm not looking for a moped.
Or maybe the WorldGSE model which seems like a real bike, but oddly
only comes in 17" or 21" sizes:

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/Bikes/WorldGSE.aspx

Decent components I think; it would be a good bike if non-electric.

Well, is this cheating? Will I end up being just a mobile couch
potato?

No it's not cheating. 80 minutes at each end of a working day must
feel bad when you're not up to it. I'm thinking that perhaps you
should be making a little better headway, perhaps 60 minutes for the
15 miles. Just try riding to work once or twice a week and maybe your
speed will improve. Try to find a non-exposed route when you are
otherwised faced with a headwind (or make this an off day). Drop
handlebars will help against winds and supple tyres will improve your
speed for any day. i always wonder, "but what if the motor fails",
I'd have to lug that as well.

I suppose I could put more effort into it, but I'm thinking less, not
more. Much of my ride is along the water (East River) and wind can be
pretty wicked there. The other option is riding with lots of traffic
and I prefer to avoid that. It just isn't pleasant.