[dhs1963]

@rcannon100 164303 wrote:

Not sure about your weight, but my weight isnt really variable at all. It is quite persistently at X.

But, person to person, the weight varies a lot.

For example, if I buy a 15 lb road bike, I will be pushing 275 lbs up the hill. On the other hand, a 30 lb bike will have me pushing 290, which is a 7% difference.

On the other hand, someone who weighs 135 will have total weights of 150 and 165, or a 10% difference.

[dhs1963]

@Judd 164249 wrote:

This is interesting. So when pedaling it feels like a normal bike? Can you turn the pedal assist on and off?

Yes. It has five levels: Turbo, Sport, Touring, Eco and off.

On flat:

Turbo feels like riding down hill (3% grade)
Sport is more like a 2% grade,
touring is like a nice tail wind
Eco makes it feel like a regular bike (no extra weight)

Off is hard because of the extra weight.

Trek makes a good product.

And it has fenders.

[dhs1963]

I think every can agree that I am good with my e-bike.

I can not ride the hills anymore. I am 53, have 4 cardiac stents, and am a cancer survivor. I stopped exercising during the cancer struggles about 5 years ago because of general exhaustion. Because of my cardiac issues, I can not let my pulse get over 120. I bought the e-bike so that I could get some exercise and so I can ride with my teenage daughter. Also, on occasion, commute to work (too hot in the summer though).

When I am with my daughter, I am going her speed, which is between 12 and 16 mph. When I am alone, I am going an appropriate speed. If I am the only bike on the trail (say at 6 AM on a Tuesday morning), I might average 20-22 on the flats. If it is crowded, I will only pass when it is safe. One advantage of the e-bike is I am not as invested in my momentum.

I am usually tired when I get back from a ride, which varies from 6 to 20 miles, so I know I am getting exercise.

My bike is a Trek XM 700. It is a speed pedalec, with top assist speed of 28 mph. It will go faster, but I am doing all the work above 28. My bike does not have a throttle; instead, sensors measure the torque applied to the crank and assist based on that; when riding, it feels like a bike.

[dhs1963]

@lordofthemark 163875 wrote:

Are you looking at the friends of the WOD page? Because on the NVRPA rules page https://www.novaparks.com/sites/default/files/RULESRevised.pdf on page 25 it says “Paved and gravel surface trails are open to all forms of non-motorized transportation unless posted
otherwise.”

and in the park regs it says

“(3) Motor-assisted bicycles (commonly referred to as “mopeds”) are permitted only in areas
where motor vehicles are permitted.”

Ebikes clearly ARE motor assisted bicycles. But are not commonly referred to as mopeds. So, not clear.

Mopeds have a different legal definition. The fact that they call out “Mopeds” means bikes are ok.

[dhs1963]

Assuming I ride my e-bike safely and courteously, does anyone care what type of bike I drive? Or do I have to get a hidden motor / battery? I will ride on the W O & D and Custis. But I promise not to be a jerk. And feel free to draft behind me.

[dhs1963]

@americancyclo 163865 wrote:

I thought it was the opposite. That’s why the City of Falls Church can ticket you for running a stop sign on a trail even though it’s not illegal in the VA Code.

Only if the commonwealth has allowed the local jurisdiction to do it. By default, they can not.

I do not know about stop signs in falls church — I assumed it was a state law.

[dhs1963]

@dasgeh 163821 wrote:

C’mon. Entitlement? Many of us did the legal research, found it unclear, even discussed it with the police (July ABAC meeting – they said the law was unclear, which to them means no ban to enforce), and thus make informed decisions on how and where we ride currently. And now we’re saying the better public policy for everyone on bikes and using trails is to change the laws and how trails are built so that ebikes are legal and bad behavior is illegal and discouragesd as much as possible. That’s not entitlement.

If there’s any entitlement in this debate, it’s the people who are able to ride at high speeds for long distances on non-ebikes saying they should be allowed on the trails, but that we should ban the ebikes that enable others to do the same.

I researched the laws before buying an e-bike. The law is very clear in virginia. An e-bike is not a motorized vehicle unless it can travel more than 28 mph assisted or has more than a 750 watt motor. Because of the way virginia law works, a local jurisdiction can not over rule that. The “Motorized Vehicle” is a legal statement. I have also talked to law enforcement personnel in my town (Vienna). There is no ambiguity in virginia.

[dhs1963]

@Harry Meatmotor 163778 wrote:

I’m sorry, I’m calling BS. Dasgeh, I’m calling you out personally. Strava or it didn’t happen. Show me the ride where you hit 30mph (easily) on the Custis riding a normal (not 100lb cargo bike). Otherwise, you’re spouting misinformed conjecture.

“Easily hitting 30mph” without pedaling is not possible on a regular hybrid or road bike along the Custis with average folks making 250w (Max!).

I’m also calling BS on the whole “more e-bike users = better average cycling behavior”. The second you give some trailboss, CAT6, pathlete an extra 750w, he’s gonna be a d*ck.

I’m laying out my hand here: There are too many people on this board that think that anything faster than them is “30+ mph”. Yet, at the same time, I see the same folks trying to defend e-bike use on the trail where 25+ mph is ACTUALLY EASILY attainable with only (roughly) 200w of rider input on top of 750w+ of e-assist.

I’m trying to get this straight: It’s okay for an e-bike user with limited bike handling skills to “easily” hit speeds in excess of 25mph on a bike/ped trail (because, hay, they’re out riding, at least!), yet the second some dirtbag on a road bike does that under his own power, zooming past other trail users, he’s lambasted for being an “MF-r” or an “A-hole”?

Hello! Hypocrisy!

first wit is not the speed, it is the context. When it is congested, no one should be going that fast. They are an a-hole, whether they are on a road bike, a mountain bike, an ebike, or a jetpack. Pedestrians on both sides, with kids means you slow down.

With my e-bike, I only go fast (20+ mph) when it is safe to do so. That is the thing. If you are complaining about me going fast when I am alone, how do you know that? The thing that gets dangerous is the people going too fast for the conditions, i.e., congestion. Pedestrians are allowed to use the trail. So are kids. So are kids learning to ride.

One more comment, on the day when I way going 20 mph into a 20 mph head wind, the road bike behind me seemed quite happy to draft. Even thanked me at the light….(crossing lee highway.)

[dhs1963]

@Harry Meatmotor 163782 wrote:

1,000W is your magic number. Rider input = 200W (average recreational cyclist during a hard effort of 5-15 minutes) + 750W+ (which is on the low end of the scale for most current gen e-bikes from large OBMs) = enough power to do 25mph on the flats “for days.”

1kW = ~1.35hp. To put 1kW in perspective, the lycra-clad goons in TdF sprints will usually put out about 1.5–2.0+kW for about 30s during a sprint finish.

1kW for 30 seconds to a minute is A LOT of power.

You are showing your ignorance. Most ebikes are 250 or 350 W. Now, there are some american brands that use larger motors (e.g., Pedego), but globally, the majority of ebikes are pedal assist (no throttle) with lower power. What the US needs to do is adopt the european standards for ebikes. Problem solved.

As for the “for days” it is really until the battery dies. When I bought mine, it was apparent that, at high assist, the throttle-based bikes will only last about 20 miles at higher speeds. Anyone that uses an ebike knows this.

For my bike, in the “turbo mode”, for each foot-pound of torque I apply, my bike will give about 2.5 foot pounds. And yes, I can cruise at more than 20 mph easily. However, my battery will drain in about 17 miles.

[dhs1963]

I ride my e-bike on the W O & D. My bike requires me to pedal; I do not have a throttle. Instead, it measures the torque applied at the pedals and provides assist depending on the mode I am in (anywhere from 0 to 200%). Without the ebike, I could not ride anymore because of physical limitations (I can not allow my heart rate to exceed 120 bpm).

Yesterday (Sunday, 8/6) my daughter and I were riding the trail in Vienna. We were riding slowly. At the Mill Street entrance, I watched a family exiting the path. Some MF was booking down at 30+ MPH, and nearly hit a guy carrying a baby, then proceeded to curse him out. He was on a road bike. No motor. He was more of an A-hole than any ebike rider I have seen.

[dhs1963]

I can deal with people encouraging me to ride. And yes, the bike does have fenders. Sorry, non-fender people.

Friday may be a bad day for biking to work, as I may be going to multiple offices. I will see out it (the day) breaks down. But, I will see y’all on the trails.

The best part of biking to work will be no longer being a slave to traffic. I commute from Vienna to Ballston. I would like to leave for work at 7:45 or so, but if I do, I do not get to work until about nine. And I have to stay to five, so I don’t get home until 6.

Instead, I leave at 6:15, and get to work 6:45, leaving a around 3.

With a bike, the commute — WO & D to the Custis Trail to N. Fairfax Dr. should be 30-35 minutes. Maybe 40. But never more.

That will be nice. And I will have gotten a light-moderate workout (certainly more than I do today).

[dhs1963]

@baiskeli 159525 wrote:

If you really need to, get a t-shirt that says “I have 4 cardiac stents, deal with my e-bike, bitches.” Or something to that effect. Because with those it’s great that you are on a bike at all.

I take delivery of the bike on Tuesday if all went well with medical tests (will not know until Tuesday). I put a deposit down on the bike. I am excited.

[dhs1963]

@Judd 158671 wrote:

No one is going to look down on you as long as the above statement is true. The only e-bikes that tend to raise everyone’s cackles are those ridden by people that go zooming down the trails at 20-25 mph making close passes.

I think it’s awesome that your motivation is to ride with your daughter. Hope to see you out on the trails or at a coffee club.

Thank you. These replies are helpful. I was worried of being shunned. My other reason for wanting to ride is I need to get in better shape…I currently have a collection of 4 cardiac stents. I am in my mid 50’s, and because of genetics, I have to worry about stressing my heart.

By the way, If you have been at the coffee shop right off the WO & D in Vienna (Caffe Amouri), you may have seen me….

[dhs1963]

@cvcalhoun 158060 wrote:

I’m always happy to see it’s an ebike passing me on the hills. That way, I can tell myself it’s just an unfair advantage. Now, when all the other bikes pass me on the hills…

If it is me on the bike, any advantage brought on by the electric assist is lost becuase of me.

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