Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Topic started by: Wowbagger on 01 July, 2021, 10:40:11 pm
-
I've lost a lot of weight over the past year - about 4 stones (25 kg). This has been deliberate. However, yesterday I went out for my first >40 mile ride for about 2 years and, somewhat to my disappointment, my average speed over the entire ride was about 8.6mph. This is hardly any different from previous rides when I was a great deal lardier than I am now. I have been on beta blockers for the past year, which I wasn't before, but I don't know how much difference they are likely to make.
One of my motivational factors in losing weight has been to promise myself some sort of treat when I reach a particular milestone, and I was thinking of getting myself a bike of a rather faster style than my trusty old Thorn for me to ride a bit quicker - I might even take up audax, I thought...
But if the 67-year-old me, even without the unwanted half-hundredweight of extra lard just isn't going to be up to the job, then I might as well save my money.
As ever, thoughts from the panel would be very welcome.
-
'You don't go any faster, it just gets easier' :)
Over the last few years I've gone from almost 90kg to low-60s, with most of that happening over the course of 2020. My 'audax' riding pace hasn't changed noticably. I think climbing's got a bit easier, and I'm certainly noticing the effect of wind in a way that I previously wasn't. My resting heart rate's gone down a bit. My 'flat out racing' pace seems slightly better, but I think that's more to do with fitness than weight.
Given the pandemic, I assume most of your riding has been close to home, and therefore lacking in the serious climbing where lower weight really makes a difference.
-
Your first >40 mile ride in two years? Think how slow it would have been if you hadn't lost weight!
Otherwise what Kim says, it get easier and that's most noticeable both on the hills and the recovery time. If you want to go faster, you need to train to go faster, the weight loss will have greatly improved the chances of that being successful.
-
and how much climbing was in that 65kph?
Without more data it's hard to say.
J
-
I'd expect riding solo with no time goal is probably going to tend to the same speed number whatever your fitness level.
One of the things I like about group cycling, club cycling (and Zwift) is you get to find out "how well can I keep up with these people who are much faster than me". I don't know what options you have open to you to test yourself in this vein.
-
Well done on getting out on your bike. And really well done on losing so much weight, a huge achievement. I note you've been running a fair bit which will keep your cardiovascular system in good condition, but cycling uses very different neuromuscular systems. Give yourself at least 10 rides out over 3 weeks and I'm sure you'll be quicker. Another thing is the route you take. You may get baulked by traffic, road layout and topography.
Yours is a good news storey. Mods, relocate this post. Thumbs up here and good luck. Remember, N plus 1 Newbike awaits
-
Firstly congrats on the weight loss, that’s a heck of an achievement! I’ve been cycling much more since the pandemic struck and although I’ve lost some weight (a few kg, nothing like the 25kg you have achieved) in all honesty I can’t say I noticed any real difference in speed across much the same terrain as I normally ride on. My average speed is a plodding 13-14mph and I’d say it’s easier to consistently achieve those speeds now. The other day I thought I’d give it a real go and the result was 14.5 and I arrived home dripping in sweat. Curiously enough, when I go out on my Audax bike (about 3kg lighter than my Croix de Fer) I achieve much the same type of speed improvement but with far less effort but I still haven’t managed to break or even get near to the 15mph level. I think there is a strong law of diminishing returns on this topic :thumbsup:
A
-
'You don't go any faster, it just gets easier' :-)
Over the last few years I've gone from almost 90kg to low-60s,
That's remarkable! :thumbsup: Over how many years? Pretty much eating less and exercising more.
-
Peter, well done on losing the weight. But, in doing so, you will also have lost a considerable amount of muscle and, unless you were doing a significant amount of other strength-developing exercise, your ability to move yourself and your bike will have stayed the same or - given that you haven't been riding much - will have reduced. As you have a long history of riding bikes, it shouldn't take long to get some cycling form back, but if you want to be significantly quicker you're going to have to train for it.
-
'You don't go any faster, it just gets easier' :-)
Over the last few years I've gone from almost 90kg to low-60s,
That's remarkable! :thumbsup: Over how many years? Pretty much eating less and exercising more.
Not sure, because I wasn't in the habit of measuring my weight until I noticed how skinny I was in 2020. My mileage went up a lot in 2019 due to sorting out the bio-mechanical problems that were causing Achilles pain.
But mostly it's the stress of the rise of fascism (as a queer person with disabled family, this shit is real), compounded by the pandemic. Not all weight loss is good, and I certainly trend towards the anorexic end of the spectrum.
-
Definitely diminishing returns. You might put 30% more effort in, to gain 10% more speed. After a break, fitness it bound to take a dip. But give it time consistently riding and it’ll come back to something you are used to.
-
I've lost a lot of weight over the past year - about 4 stones (25 kg). This has been deliberate. However, yesterday I went out for my first >40 mile ride for about 2 years and, somewhat to my disappointment, my average speed over the entire ride was about 8.6mph. This is hardly any different from previous rides when I was a great deal lardier than I am now.
Firstly well done on the weight loss and secondly well done on an average speed the same after two years off bike.
Go up some hills once you have more bike fitness back and there should be a noticeable differnce from before.
A friend recently lost similar weight this last year and went from back of the pack on climbs to whizzing up them. She was riding continuously whilst dropping weight too.
-
@ Kim
I was very sorry to read your post. i wish you both all the best.
Peter
-
@ Kim
I was very sorry to read your post. i wish you both all the best.
Peter
Yes Kim, I also don't want you to think your posts weren't noticed. I know you both know you are appreciated, valued and - dare I say - loved here. I'd hope this is a safe space for anyone, but I know that, even here, sometimes it isn't. I'm not (as far as I know) on any spectrum, neurological or social, but my family has representation on both at several 'levels' (not the right word, but it'll do for now). I've seen the damage that anorexia can do, along with the various circumstances that prompt it. I know that the whole topic of weight loss can be very tricky, and that celebrating weight loss can put some people in an uncomfortable situation, especially when the weight loss isn't good for them. I don't think that's the case for Peter, but you don't have to be thin to be anorexic/bulimic.
-
You're right, Tim, I haven't got weight problems* - just upset that people I know are having a hard time, or should I say a worse time than usual.
Cheers
Peter
* Have to confess that carrying the shopping's more difficult these days!
-
You're right, Tim, I haven't got weight problems* - just upset that people I know are having a hard time, or should I say a worse time than usual.
Cheers
Peter
* Have to confess that carrying the shopping's more difficult these days!
Me too Peter!
-
@Wow, well done with the weight and don't worry about the speed; it'll get better.
-
.......but I still haven’t managed to break or even get near to the 15mph level. I think there is a strong law of diminishing returns on this topic :thumbsup:
Quite literally - The drag of air resistance increases by a square of your speed.
Baggy clothing is not your friend on a bike for this reason.
-
And there's me worrying about getting close to 80kg.
Speed won't change much on the flat, but you should find a difference on hills (strangely, only the ones that go upwards).
And yeah, @Kim, the nascent fascism is unnerving.
-
I'd expect riding solo with no time goal is probably going to tend to the same speed number whatever your fitness level.
This is true, I think. A thin Wowbagger is still a Wowbagger and behaves like a Wowbagger.
Is the 8.6mph a moving average or overall? If the latter, then you're not far off audax completing pace already, and I'd expect the spur of time limits and some faster people to draft behind and reduce some faffage would mean that you'd get round within the time limit. And even if you get back after the cut off, you've still had a good ride and some cake.
-
As an hexpert on weight fluctuations (and yeah, fluck you blitish, too) who is currently spending far too long with the scales needle pointing to full, I can confirm that everything up there ^^^ is true, especially loss of muscle condition. But crucially with lower weight comes greater possibility. When heavier there is some shit you just can't do, and recovery takes longer, too. The great thing about Teh Shiny is that it makes you (or at least, me) feel good and - if you allow yourself - ride more. There's a pleasure in the mechanical efficiency of new gear(s) where everything clicks into place smoothly and efficiently that can put an extra smile on your face. I say, go for it, whatever it is. Maybe it is time for something like this (https://www.halfords.com/bikes/electric-bikes/boardman-adv-8.9e-mens-adventure-electric-bike-2021---s-m-l-xl-frames-439294.html)?
-
I'd expect riding solo with no time goal is probably going to tend to the same speed number whatever your fitness level.
This is true, I think. A thin Wowbagger is still a Wowbagger and behaves like a Wowbagger.
I find there's a bike factor, too. ICE Sprint and Streetmachine are more or less the same weight, more or less the same tyres, and both a bit more aerodynamic than a standard upwrong. Conventional wisdom is that the trike would be about 12% slower because of the extra wheel. If I give it full beans, I climb at the same speed on either, and the Streetmachine rolls a bit better downhill. However, if I'm just aimlessly pootling along, I go a *lot* slower on the trike. I think it's psychological, because it feels faster, being low down and more inclined to vibrations.
The Red Baron on the other hand is also low down, and extremely inclined to vibrations. It's not a bike you pootle aimlessly on, though. The handling encourages speed, and riding slowly requires an element of concentration.
Similarly, I'm always surprised by my relative speed on tarmac and off-road on the mountain bike. On tarmac it's a slog, as you'd expect for an upright riding position and knobbly tyres. But on decent singletrack, or disintegrating towpaths I'll blat along, because it's fun to ride.
-
Definitely uphills where you can make the biggest difference to your average speed. You’re going slower uphill so aero penalties aren’t as much as going full pelt in the flat. Plus you spend quite a bit longer going uphill than flat or downhill for the same distance. So you get more return on your investment.
Let’s say I do a ride of 20 km. At an average of 20 km/h that takes an hour. At an average 21km/h it takes 57 mins 8 seconds.
If I go up a 1km hill at 10 km / h that’s 6 minutes to go up it. If I go up at 12 km/h that’s 5 mins to go up it. If I go up 3 such hills during my 20 km ride and go at 12 km/h up each. I’ve knocked 3 mins off how long the 20 km ride takes. Without changing my speed elsewhere on the route.
I’ve managed to increase my average speed from 20 km/h to 21 km/h over 20km by increasing my speed by 2 km/h over 3 km of uphill.
Now let’s say that I keep to my 10 km/h uphill. That means I spend 18 mins on the uphills and have covered 3km. To hit 21 km/h I need to hit the remaining 17 km in 39 minutes. That means averaging 26.2 km/h over the rest of the route. To hit 20 km/h average I would need to average 24.2 km/h over the next 42 mins.
For an all up weight of 90kg for bike and rider (which is about me on my recumbent).
To ride up a 3% hill at 10 km/h is 94 watts. To ride up the same hill at 12 km/h is 115 watts. To ride on the flat at 24.2 km/h comes up at 97 watts. To ride on the flat at 26.2 km/h is 117 watts. I played with gradient to see where the effort levels would match for the speed up 3 hills between 10-12 km/h and overall average around 20 km/h.
So I can either put out 117 watts for 28.57 minutes on the flat bit of the route or I can put out 115 watts for 15 minutes on the uphill part of the course to achieve the same average speed of 21 km/h over 20 km.
If the hill gets steeper say 5% then at same power outputs. I get 6.63km/h for 94 watts and I get 8.06km/h at 115 watts. On a 1 km/h uphill that translates to 9 mins 3 seconds and 7 mins 26 seconds respect . A saving of 1 minute 37 seconds by increasing my effort / power output to 115 watts. A saving of 4 mins 51 seconds over three such hills.
If I do same as before and ride uphill at 6.63km/h. It takes 27 mins 9 seconds to get up the 3 hills. To hit that 21 km/h average I’ve got to cover the remaining 17km in 30 mins. That is an average of 34 km/h for the flat bit. According to the calc that requires 220 watts of power on average. Quite a difference. If I go up the hills at 115 watts, it takes me 22 mins 8 seconds to complete the 3 hills. I now need to complete the remaining 17 km in 35 mins. That requires an average speed of 29 km/h over the remaining 17 km. That requires 148 watts of power.
So 94 watts for 27 mins, then 220 watts for 30 mins to hit 21 km/h average. Or I can do 115 watts for 22 mins, then 148 watts for 35 mins to hit 21 km/h average.
Energy burn of the former assuming 25% efficiency of body producing energy to power bike is 531 calories. If going harder on hills, calorie burn 333 calories. You can eat less for the same average speed, plus a higher percentage of burn will be fat due to lower effort levels.
It soon becomes clear how putting more effort in on uphills helps you more easily improve your averages. Me sustaining 220 watts outdoors for 30 mins is very hard. (My threshold is higher but that’s on a turbo trainer with no traffic or junctions or bike handling to bother about). Me sustaining 148 watts for 35 mins not a problem.
Of course many of us hit threshold up hills and wear ourselves out. You don’t need to do that, just subtly lift your effort a bit uphill but keep it manageable. Then keep the rest at same (sane) effort level as before. To up that average speed for the least extra effort.
Now to put that into practice. I’d never really actually crunched the numbers before. It does make it quite obvious what difference uphill efforts make. Don’t fight headwinds, save harder efforts for uphill.
-
Interesting bit of number crunching there Phil.
-
I think physiology comes into it as well. I'm about five years younger than Wow. I've lost a couple of stone over the last two years, since a heart bypass, so I'm also on meds. I'm cleared to push myself, but I've never been one of the fastest riders, and I've always been really slow on hills. I just have a gradient at which things stop, and I can only grind my way up. When I was young, that was maybe 1:10. Now it's nearer 1:100 :-[ Even in those younger days, I once got dropped in the neutralised zone of a road race :-[ :-[ :-[
So the weight loss really isn't making much difference, because I still hit that maximum gradient at which effort makes no difference, and then disappear off the back of any group and gradually wind my way up the hill.
-
So it's possible that weight loss would have made a difference - except that it coincides (understandably) with your going on medication - which I assume include beta-blockers?
PS Correct use of So as in "therefore" to start the sentence - definitely not gobbledespeke.
-
I don't think that the beta blockers are helping, but I've always been like that. I just seem to have this limit on hills, at which I just have to plod up. I've developed a sudden interest in heart rate (strange that!), but I don't seem to hit maximum on the steepest hills.
-
Interesting bit of number crunching there Phil.
Isn’t it? Shows how much putting the effort in uphill makes to your average speed. Making up with more effort on the flattish bits doesn’t really compensate if slow uphill.
-
Phil, this is for a sample of one. There is no need for the rest of us to give up our dreams (or nightmares in my current case)!
-
I've not posted for a long time as, well frankly until earlier this month I wasn't a cyclist anymore.
Back in 2015 I went on a diet with the help of a glastic band and exercise coming down from 131kg to, eventually 89.9kg. My fitness increased from an average speed of 12mph, to just over 14mph. I even managed to do Ride London and several other 100km efforts.
All good.... until the end of 2017 when issues at work brought about some mental health problems which meant cycling dropped down the list of things I wanted to do. Indeed, I actually didn't want to do anything other than sit in my room and want the world to go away. So, my cycling went from around 5 000km a year, to less than 400km a year by the end of 2018.
Then in the summer of 2019, I was quite ill with a gout attack which lasted nearly 2 months (I am still suffering the after effects that it!), while my back decided to play up putting me in bed for a long period. After an MRI, it was discovered that three discs on the L/S boundary have "gone" meaning I can no longer walk more than a few hundred yards without pain.
So...the lack of exercise and a hatred for the World resulted in me turning to the only thing I love (apart from "the Wife" of course) food and my weight has increased once again to 121kg. Determined to do something about it, I have been out on my bike again almost every day this month. What is shocking but understandable is how my ability to do distances has disappeared: my longest ride so far is 15.7 miles while my average speed had dropped to just over 10mph. I have dragged it back over 11 mph yesterday (well, 11.08mph but I'll take any win I can get!) while my power seems to be heading in the right direction as its increased from an average of 80w to 102w.
A long way to go but I'll get there. My one question is however, should I get an ebike? Part of me would like one but another part thinks that they would not really help and it's the pain of struggling up hills which makes it all worthwhile in the end. "The wife" thinks I am mad either way!
Thanks for listening.
-
Hi Essexian,
Sorry to hear of your woes.
I have an E-trike and an E-velomobile now (had motors fitted to both my bikes) and I wouldn’t go back.
The motors take away the fear that you will overreach yourself. You are out riding, your legs feel crap but that’s ok as you can dial up the assistance. Legs feel good, switch the motor off. I don’t have to go into hill-avoidance mode now.
The motor in the Velomobile is not as useful as you might think as I am usually past 25 km an hour within about eight seconds of starting, so the motor switches off then, but it still helps me at traffic lights and on hills to keep the momentum going. Average cruising speed with my velomobile is about 30 km an hour so I am not using the motor that much of the time but it still made an enormous difference to my willingness to actually go out.
With my electric trike the motor is always on if I want as we rarely ride faster than 25 km an hour, but it means I can adjust my speed to ride with my partner who is faster. It also means if there is a shocking headwind and you’re feeling a bit crap you can counteract it.
The motor really means that you ride at a consistent speed whatever your leg or the weather conditions are, as you get used to how fast the world goes by.
One thing I have noticed is that it is extremely difficult to reduce the power whilst out riding, so I always start on the minimum and try not to increase power unless I really want it. If you go from setting 3 to setting 2 it feels like you have the brakes partly on!
The motors rescued my cycling as I was really struggling riding with men who were so fast and was on the verge of giving up. I still find it difficult riding with men in Velomobiles as they are so fast but I don’t do that so often now.
I am still burning a lot of calories with my cycling as the motor is not replacing all my effort. But it has more of an effect in that it means I am actually out cycling, whereas without the motor I probably wouldn’t have ventured out, so it is definitely a health win for me.
-
Mahle's eBikeMotion motors come with a phone app that can turn the motor on and off according to your heart rate. The battery is only 250 Wh, though, and the reserve battery occupies a bottle cage, which is a no-no for me. Oh, and you need to make sure your phone can pick up the ANT+ signal from your HRM - you can get USB dongles for this but they still have to work.
As a yardstick, on my last 100k (870 metres climbed, no motor) my total weight incl. bike, water & kit was 87 kg and my total output was ~600 Wh; however, my energy output above 140 bpm was only ~125 Wh, so with 250 Wh and a Mahle motor I'd be laughing. With a flatter course I'd probably get 200k out of it. My knees and ankles would thank me, too.
-
Essexian, I think that an ebike would really help you.
When we have been capable of long rides in the past, it is dispiriting to start again from near nothing. Our head wants us to roll along the road all day; the body can't meet those expectations. That is quite a difficult barrier to overcome.
I see ebikes as enablers, not crutches.
-
Great data there Phil, thanks for that. (reluctantly notes to self that hills must be ground up with increased effort)
Essexian, plus one for Ebike. If it gets you out there in the fresh air and gets the bod moving its good for the heart and soul. Increased range, more variety, new horizons and adventures. :thumbsup:
-
Back when fitness was the limiting factor, we found that fitting a motor to barakta's trike meant she could do a much more interesting (and therefore motivating) ride for the same level of exertion. No having to avoid hills, better able to deal with traffic, etc.
-
I think physiology comes into it as well. I'm about five years younger than Wow. I've lost a couple of stone over the last two years, since a heart bypass, so I'm also on meds. I'm cleared to push myself, but I've never been one of the fastest riders, and I've always been really slow on hills. I just have a gradient at which things stop, and I can only grind my way up. When I was young, that was maybe 1:10. Now it's nearer 1:100 :-[ Even in those younger days, I once got dropped in the neutralised zone of a road race :-[ :-[ :-[
So the weight loss really isn't making much difference, because I still hit that maximum gradient at which effort makes no difference, and then disappear off the back of any group and gradually wind my way up the hill.
You might have swept up by the broom waggon in every race but the fact that you entered makes you faster than almost everybody who didn't enter.
-
You might have swept up by the broom waggon in every race but the fact that you entered makes you faster than almost everybody who didn't enter.
A proven technique. :thumbsup:
-
There's a whole bunch of my recent commutes that would have been train rather than bike were it not for my motor. Psychological more than physiological sure but eh. And an assisted ride is still more exercise than sitting on the train after all.
-
You might have swept up by the broom waggon in every race but the fact that you entered makes you faster than almost everybody who didn't enter.
Sadly, I don't recall ever progressing to races of a sufficient standard to have a broom wagon...
-
Thanks for your comments.
I have spoken to the Financial Controller who has agreed that I can buy an e-bike as long as we have a new bathroom fitted.
Bike ordered..... ;D
-
The other day I thought I’d give it a real go and the result was 14.5 and I arrived home dripping in sweat. Curiously enough, when I go out on my Audax bike (about 3kg lighter than my Croix de Fer) I achieve much the same type of speed improvement but with far less effort but I still haven’t managed to break or even get near to the 15mph level. I think there is a strong law of diminishing returns on this topic :thumbsup:
I think Phil's number-crunching demonstrates that increasing your effort is the only way to get faster. If you want to go faster on the Audax bike, you need to put in the same level of effort as you do on the CdF.
The good news is that losing weight should also improve your cardiovascular function, and thus make it possible to sustain higher levels of effort for longer.
But it takes practice too. Or "training", if you prefer. If you want to push your average past that 15mph mark, you need to get into the habit of riding more often and pushing yourself a little bit harder, for a little bit longer.
Insert Greg Lemond quote here.
-
My one question is however, should I get an ebike? Part of me would like one but another part thinks that they would not really help and it's the pain of struggling up hills which makes it all worthwhile in the end.
For me, this is a no-brainer - as long as you can justify the outlay.
I encountered a couple of mature e-bike riders on an outing recently. Had a brief chat with them about their bikes. As one of them said, "It allows me to go further." They also open up more route possibilities for you, because eg you don't have to avoid the hills.
E-bikes are enabling. They make it possible to do something you enjoy. And this is going to make you more motivated to actually get out and do it.
Also, e-bikes aren't cheating - you still have to put in a fair bit of effort.
https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/featured/why-riding-an-e-bike-is-good-for-you
-
Welcome back, EssexIan!
I keep thinking about an e-bike, but I so love my Thorn that I don't want to be unfaithful to it yet. I think an e-bike would mean I wouldn't ride it much any more.
As I'm becoming accustomed to weighing less than 100kg, I think I detect a small speed increase. As I think I mentioned elsewhere, I've been buying myself motivating and reasonably expensive rewards for hitting weight targets. I have this notion that one day I might be below 90kg, or even below 80kg, and if that happens I think I might buy myself a decent road bike and see if I can actually ride in a group and not get dropped. I used to go out with the 40+ years ago, and I was often dropped by groups with an average age of at least 15 years more than mine.
I haven't ruled out an e-bike, but, as I say, I'm so enjoying riding my Thorn, and keeping up an average speed now at least 1mph more than I did before my weight loss, that I want to see how that progresses. Even if I do buy myself some time at a slightly higher speed, at some point anno domini will catch up. I'm 67, but I think I'm in pretty decent nick for 67.
I've always been one of the slowest cyclists when in a group. Even when a young (<30) bagger, I had to work very hard to get round the CTC 100-mile reliability ride in under 8 hours. Suddenly trying to keep up with fast riders is likely to be a fool's errand.
-
Well, I'll resurrect this thread for the simple reason that I have bought an e-bike. The excellent Mr. Legge, sadly NOTP, once accused me of "conspicuous consumption" (from the saddle of his carbon Colnago, naturally) for owning a Rohloff hub. His tongue was firmly in his cheek, of course. However, I think that charge is definitely one to which I would have to plead guilty as I am now the owner of a Riese & Müller "Homage", a full suspension step-through e-bike with Rohloff hub gear, Gates belt drive, the latest Bosch motor and a 625wh battery. I contemplated going for the version with two 625wh batteries, but the example I bought was in stock at Spoke & Motor in Bury St. Edmunds, whereas there would have been a 10 week wait for the other, and an extra £1119 to pay for the battery. These batteries are not cheap, and the only ride I could think of for which such a battery might come into its own would be the Dunwich Dynamo.
My decision to buy was prompted by a 38 mile ride on my Thorn which I did a few Thursdays ago, the latter stages of which were very slow indeed, involving a long but gentle climb from the White Hart, Margaretting Tye, into Stock. I felt very knackered afterwards. I had a long think about this and decided that my Thorn, although a lovely bike and still working extremely well, doesn't owe me a thing. I've had it 16 years and I've done over 41,000 miles on it in that time. I don't think I was ever going to settle for anything less than a Rohloff, I have been thinking about a belt drive conversion for a while, and I want a battery big enough that I can do a reasonable day ride without having to charge up part way through. Everything pointed to Riese & Müller. I also have to consider that advancing age (I shall be 68 in June) means that my cycling days are probably numbered anyway. If I get 16 years out of the R & M, I shall still be riding it at 84. Something tells me that that is unlikely, so the sooner I start riding it, the better will be my value for money.
Having had a look around social media for other people riding these Monster Trucks of bikes, I found that there is quite a fraternity who, like me, have been riding Rohloff hubs almost exclusively for years. It seems to be a natural progression. So far as I can see, the only difference between my new Rohloff and my old ones is that this one is equipped with 36 spokes. Given the problems we had 15 years or so ago with our tandem's spokes pulling lumps of flange out of the hub, this must be regarded as a sensible move.
How does it ride? Beautifully! There are 4 levels of assistance: Eco, Tour, Race, Turbo. So far, I've been keeping it in Eco mode most of the time, and I think I would have no difficulty in getting 60 miles or more out of the battery in Essex-style terrain. Today, I rode from home to Paper Mill Lock and the entire outward journey was done almost entirely in Eco mode, but I bumped it up to Tour when I had to climb a hill and my speed was reduced to single figures. I used 30% of the battery and covered 35.19km at an average speed of 18.6kph. That included 348 metres of ascent. On the return, in which I rode with the homecoming CTC Sunday riders, I used Tour mode a good deal, I covered 45.2k at an average speed of 19.5kph. I arrived home with 17% left in the battery. I noticed that once the battery dropped to less than 30% full, a warning came on.
I did take the charger with me. It's fairly light and compact - much more so than the Shimano Steps version that comes with our Circe tandem. There was no need for me to try to scrounge electrons from a landlord as I felt sure I had plenty in the battery for the entire journey. However, I might well do so if I were out on a multi-day tour. A little judicious topping up at meal times seems eminently sensible. I have yet to enquire about campsites. I don't really want to go to all the expense of a hook-up at whatever they cost for 15p's worth of electricity, but sometimes finding a few buckshee electrons to keep phones topped up is an issue.
My bike comes with the "Nyon" display. This is a controlling computer with lots of functionality, including a very capable cyclist-oriented satnav. It links to my mobile phone via bluetooth and when it's working, it's seamless. However, I had an issue with it failing to sync for much of today and I found it most frustrating. It did so eventually but I have no idea what it was that was the problem, or what I did to cure it. Before setting off for Paper Mill Lock, I asked it to plot a route from home, and it found one that was very sensible and using roads I had never previously considered. I followed its suggestion and worked my way through Rayleigh along much quieter residential roads than the urban A roads I am accustomed to riding.
The bike is equipped with Schwalbe 27.5"*2.35" "Johnny Watts" mountain bike tyres which nonetheless roll well on the road. I have ridden it offroad and it just goes. It really is a joy to ride - so much so that in the 10 days I have owned it so far, I've covered 365k. That's more than half the distance I did on the Thorn in the previous 90 days of the year. Today's ride of 80k was a breeze. I could have gone a lot further if I had needed to, and it's lovely being able to keep up a decent speed. I'm no longer trying the patience of my riding colleagues with my sloth - not that anyone has ever complained, the people I ride with a too well-mannered.
The drawbacks are: weight. It weighs over 25kg and on one ride, last weekend, I had to wrestle it through a kissing gate whose "valve" was too small. I understand that some train companies have an upper weight restriction for bikes, and I believe that Serco refuse to take e-bikes on the Sleeper because they perceived that the batteries represented a fire hazard. Good job I didn't tell them about the paraffin I have taken for my camping stove! This weight also makes it a bit of a fight for one person to get it into the car. I have managed, but taking the battery out immediately reduces the weight by 4kg. The bike is fitted with top-notch Supernova lights, and they are on all the time. There is a front rack and a matching bag, but that bag can't take much luggage before it starts to obscure the light. I prefer to take 4 panniers with me when I tour, so I might invest in a front rack designed for suspension forks. The bike comes with its own lock, the Abus Bordo 6500, but so far as I can tell that is only silver-rated and the insurance company I have used insists on a gold-standard lock being used when out and about. The same key operates the Bordo lock as unlocks the battery.
-
Any pictures of your bike?
-
Sounds an interesting device, Wowsa, but if a spare battery is over £1k, how much was the bike!? Obvs don't answer that if you'd rather not, but I'm guessing it's as significant a drawback as the weight.
-
Wow, interesting post. I can see me being in this position fairly soon. Is there a reason you didn't go for a conversion kit for the Thorn, a front wheel Cytronex say?
-
Health to ride it, Wow - and strength to your back muscles.
-
Wow, interesting post. I can see me being in this position fairly soon. Is there a reason you didn't go for a conversion kit for the Thorn, a front wheel Cytronex say?
Those bottle-sized batteries would only give you a few miles’ help. You would be forever looking for somewhere to charge up and I had enough of that with the first Nissan Leaf! You couldn't do a day rise on it.
-
https://www.r-m.de/en-gb/bhe ikes/homage/
The Rohloff belt drive version starts at £7,800, a second battery I think is extra.
-
Wow, interesting post. I can see me being in this position fairly soon. Is there a reason you didn't go for a conversion kit for the Thorn, a front wheel Cytronex say?
Those bottle-sized batteries would only give you a few miles’ help. You would be forever looking for somewhere to charge up and I had enough of that with the first Nissan Leaf! You couldn't do a day rise on it.
I did 122k on a 259 Wh bottle battery the other day, with the charge meter still showing 3 bars out of 5 when I got home. Cytronex are a bit coy about their capacity but it sounds similar.
-
There's a big variety in the amount of help you are likely to get from a battery. I'm fat and slow so will need more help. Bosch have a "range assistant" which will help you calculate how far you are likely to be able to cycle.
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant
There are plenty of variables in there but it's probably the best stab that currently exists for predicting the range.
If your normal speed is not far short of 15mph, then a battery will last you a long time - and is probably unnecessary anyway.
I didn't keep hold of the full details of my 38 mile ride of 17th March, but I do recall trying really hard to keep my average speed for the ride over 9mph. Compare that to yesterday's ride when the return trip was 45k and I averaged 19.5kph.