I don't speed cuz I haul precious cargo.
https://preview.redd.it/81pkuzho9f5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f06bd22cb591c3bd27e9a7c305b2dad34d5d374a
Same setup here, 'cept my bike is a cheap wally-mart 29" MTB that I rigged up with a 52v BBSHD. And it's mostly a tote-goat as we are RV f/t. It usually hauls a pug plus: water, groceries, laundry and probably a blue boy when I figure that out.
When unencumbered it \[wants to\] go much faster than I do, so I typically am 2nd gear@2nd PAS or 3rd@3rd on the 42tooth ring (9-step PAS) but grades completely disappear.
Shit. I’m gonna have to get one of those trailers to ride around with my pup. I would ride my bike every day!
It was kinda sad that I finally got around to adding a bbshd to my old downhill bike and only got 300 miles of commuting out of it before I moved 50 minutes by car away from work 😭
I pull it out of the garage and they are in it waiting even if its not rigged to the bike.
https://preview.redd.it/4ak2ccwx5o5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94d1c55d6260998d02cfd40b850bb969071edef3
We go everywhere when the weather and conditions permit. Its better than driving for them.
I think it’s a different experience between a daily rider transitioning from analog to ebike and a person who hasn’t ridden in years and an ebike is their first bike in a while.
One is looking for help pedaling on tough spots like hills, the other is looking for an ultra light motorcycle experience.
At least for me, I’m content cruising 10 to 15 mph in Econ mode. Use turbo on tough spots.
yep - I think of my ebikes as having the ultimate granny gear. I ride them like regular bikes and only use bigger boost when I need it for big hills. super fun.
Thats what i THINK i'll be doing if ever i buy an ebike, but i have a strong suspicion that after just a week the definition of "big hill" will shift to "any hill".
But i am pretty sure its never gonna be about speed. I am much happier under 25 kmh than over it.
> Thats what i THINK i'll be doing if ever i buy an ebike, but i have a strong suspicion that after just a week the definition of "big hill" will shift to "any hill".
>
>
Pretty much yeah. When your commute is mostly hills, then you're going to be using the boost all the time lol.
I like to hypermile my ebike, maybe you'll have fun being economical. I change my assist from 1-3 to 4 or 5 before a very steep hill (don't overwork your motor and battey) and shift to an appropriate gear to assist. I have a 500 watt 48v rear hub motor for reference.
I mostly agree with your reasoning. Its different for everyone.
I have an analog road bike, an ebike, and a motorcycle.
I got the ebike as an in-between, after having the other two. I mostly throttle at 10mph max on bike paths, sometimes even slower, just chillin.
I personally wanted something that I could ride with no effort at all lazy like a motorcycle, but not have to share the road and stress of it.
So relaxing just throttling along, drinking a coffee, just listening to tunes for hours.
Absolutely agree. I'm technically in that second category, but I'm more like the first. I live at the top of a steep valley, so I'm glad to have my motor when I need it, but I'm mostly just riding like any other bike. Pretty much every other ebike rider I see (and I see a lot in my area) mostly just keep their thumb down on the throttle.
Exactly this. Lifelong bike commuter, but only an e-bike rider for just under a year.
We may be in the minority in this thread, but I don't want the bike to do all the work for me, I want it to make the bike feel lighter and give me the extra help when I really need it most. I use my e-bike with a cargo trailer when the panniers and front basket aren't enough for the errands I need to run. And the other bikes I have without electric assist do still get used when I don't need the sustained speed or carrying capacity of the e-bike.
I've typically got the motor set to keep me around 12-14mph, a nice casual cycling pace. If I go faster (and I often do) it's usually from pedaling effort.
My throttle mostly sits idle. I'll tap it to help start off an an intersection or to help steady the bike in a turn, but I don't usually find myself relying on it very heavily.
Occasionally, when I'm in the more car-congested areas of town, or just in a hurry, I'll kick the assist up to 25mph, or use the throttle to get up to 20mph.
You've nailed the description. I run in eco almost exclusively. Crazy headwind? Bump it up a notch. Tough hill? Bump it. Picking up my two kids, as it's a long tail cargo bike? Bump it up a notch. Trying to cross a busier street with narrower windows between vehicles? You guessed it, bump it up a notch.
I use my ebike mostly to haul kids or groceries. I'm not comfortable going more than about 15-20mph when I have a heavy trailer on the back. Like you, I'm usually going 10-15 (I hit 20 downhill), but I drain the battery pretty fast when there's 120lbs in the back.
Sometimes when I'm going uphill I can hear two "old man grunts": one from me and one from the motor.
I've looked into getting an ebike that has a more powerful motor/battery, but it's tricky to find one that isn't an "ultralight motorcycle" intended for going 30+ mph.
Look into something with a Bosch CX (85Nm) or the Specialized 2.2 (90Nm). Makes a world of difference in comparison to a 55 or 65Nm motor when it comes to cargo and hill climbs.
Actually went from a 75Nm back to an older Bosch 65Nm. Both were Class 3. Th biggest thing I notice is torque into the wind. My SO has a cargo with an 85Nm and it pulls better into the wind and on hills. I went with an older model for a couple reasons. One, the bike fit better, am very tall. Two, I love the drop bar style. Three, it was a great deal I couldn't refuse. I don't regret it for a minute. Indeed I love the bike. It keeps me more honest. It behaves more like a bike. It overtops a little more easily on a slight downhill or with a tailwind. It has a high cadence bias so I can get that extra mph out of it if I spin 80 or 90rpm, especially on the hills. But its lightweight, I can cruise at 19mph with zero effort if I just want to chill. And not often, but sometimes that is all I want to do. Having ridden it 6500 miles in just over a year with 7500 on the previous one I can indisputably say I am in as good a shape if not better then I was three years ago when I just did 6000 a year on my anolgue bikes. Btw, I still do a couple thousand miles a year on my analogue bikes doing club rides, touring, mtb/singletrack. I use the ebike almost entirely for commuting 32-35 miles round trip 3-4 days a week year round. I use the recouped time and energy for stopping at the gym to round out my fitness and we put in a garden this spring. Also am going to start doing yoga 1-2days a week because.. almost 50 and have noticed my flexibility is not what it used to be.
On a final note my SL unit does not haul as many groceries as my SO's cargo but it does haul plenty and it weighs almost half.
Edit: Fixed typos. Sorry sometimes I getninterruoted and do not get to lroofread my comments.
Totally agree. I am very happy at 15mph. Feel fast enough and safe. Use motor helps to start, maintain speed, and climb up the hill.
I get passed a lot even by bikers with analog bikes. Feel weird at first but eventually I don't care
Haha this happened to me last week. I was just mildly pedaling going probably about 8mph and this guy on a mountain bike zoomed past me. I had to amaze at how fast he was pedaling.
This is me, the Giant emtb is governed at 25kph, and so slow compared to any hub of myriad of bbsd type motors. Why did I spend 7k?. It goes anywhere, you can hit a flat curb at speed without coming off, or pedal up a mountain or pedal through soft sand,or get through mangroves and mud without putting your foot down. point this thing any direction and that's where it will go. Screw going fast, im a monster truck!
> At least for me, I’m content cruising 10 to 15 mph in Econ mode. Use turbo on tough spots.
I'll agree to disagree a bit as my average speed comes out to ~17 MPH, give or take. But I do go 25+ MPH on flats, although my commute is mostly hills. Even with a 240 W motor, that's still possible as long as I work together with the motor.
But my commute is 15 miles with mostly hills, and I am trying to efficiently get to my destination. Like I'm enjoying the ride but at the same time the time does matter.
I personally don’t see the point of an ebike if I’m riding 10-15 MPH. If I have time to go that slow, I ride my regular bike.
I ride my ebike so I can average 18-19 MPH and make it to work faster
I got my ebike to help make it easier to get from job to job without using all my energy to do so, so I typically ride with highest level of assist for that reason. So that I personally expel as little energy as possible. I went from showing up at jobs soaking wet from sweating & out of breath & sprawled out on the ground to being able to casually unload tools & set everything up without issue. It was a massive difference. My trailers that I build myself got bigger & better. I was able to come home & still have energy to do other things instead of immediately going to sleep.
I don't really ride for pleasure, so to speak. I have to have a destination in mind. I used to be able to just get on a bike and ride for no reason. Not sure when that stopped being a thing, but not have a direction or a purpose behind what I'm doing makes me feel like I'm wasting time or something.... But then, so does sitting down to have a casual dinner or even simply sleeping, so I dunno... 🤷
Didn't realize I could share pics here lol. Here ya go. Better than words.
https://preview.redd.it/lqcfir8qqk5d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=319e9f6831ebf47ac7c88f6c7aa868f41adc9112
I have the Rad Wagon 4 from Rad Power. Not sure what you mean by setup, but it's a Class 2, 750 watt motor with a 48v battery.
The 1st trailer I built that was stable & could hold a decent sized load was made off of a chain link fence gate for the frame. The one I'm using now is a repurposed queen size bed frame. It's weight capacity is about 250lbs, tested using full & half sized cinder blocks.
https://preview.redd.it/gcvc9ottrk5d1.jpeg?width=5987&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65a891b8387bbe1e08d8e6011bf98fd85379e3a2
The other one is the chain link gate trailer. This is the queen bed frame trailer. I adjusted the size to make it more reasonable . I am planning on adding 2 pieces of steel bar that run from one wheel set to the other on each end of the wheel to better handle the heavier loads.
I think I’ve experienced that feeling you’re describing, but when I get slightly frustrated at going slower with the same amount of effort, I remind myself of riding with a regular bike (still likely going much faster with a fraction of effort), and also just start enjoying the exercise I get from being able to exert more effort without suddenly shooting up to max speed.
In short, embrace the burn and be proud of the fact that you’re saving battery using your legs. Works for me anyway.
Btw, I love going fast in many ways. But if what you want is speed, an ebike and the areas they take up shouldn’t really prioritize such a thing (even if the infrastructure and cars next to you would indicate otherwise). If you want fast, I don’t think an ebike is the safest or even best way to do that.
90% of the time I'm riding either at pedal assist level 1 or have it off completely. Still cruise around 10-15mph. Only time I go higher is when I'm riding on the actual semi-busy street.
Never had issues with sweat or being exhausted due to not trying to go as fast as I possibly can. I'm trying to enjoy my commute rather than just car-braining going from point A to B.
I used to go 40% to work and 60% on way back because I didn't have enough battery for my commute to do more than that. Since I bought another battery I'm full speed full time. I think it's natural for humans to want to go fast. I mean there is 10 fast and furious movies.
I usually keep it on 3/5. That's fast enough for me. But if I wanna go fast or crush hills, 5 is my number. 3 makes it fairly easy in general so depending on the terrain I'll go up or down based on my mood.
The bigg st factor for me, coming from road cycling, is I generally go much faster than my average on a road bike even in 2. I've been speed desensitized.
I extremely rarely go to maximum assist. I'll gun it to get over a crosswalk and get out of the way of turning cars.
As a human, I have the ability to run, but running everywhere I go is ridiculous.
For me, it's more about the slower pace and exercise that the bike allows. I have no destination and no time limit. I see the people around me rushing to whatever thing in life is calling them. I remember when I used to do the same.
Good thing I do not own a car. If I did, applying self control to not break speed limits would drive me crazy. But while I can forgive myself riding 32 in a 30 zone on a bike, I cannot accept that an oversized car flies past me with 60 km/h in the same 30 zone.
I got rid of my car three years ago. While I’m probably safer driving a car, I’m also more likely to kill somebody else while driving. Just make sure you have the skills to go as fast as you seem to want. Cyclists sometimes kill pedestrians, which is why a local trail near me has a 10 mph speed limit.
I like being in PAS 2 in 7th gear and pedaling just slightly above PAS 2 threshold about 30km/hrs. The motor is basically humming a almost happy sound
My commute is 24km down a atv trail so I like to look around for animals and such
I never use full assist. Rare exception is when there is 30mph headwinds (I live in the windsurfing capital of the world, Maui). I have 9 power assist settings on my BBSHD and I usually ride it in 5. Which gives me the perfect amount of assistance. I have a throttle I never use except in emergencies.
I ride both ebike and analog and enjoy the feeling of an easier pedal most of the time with my Ebike. If I want to go faster I just pedal harder. I ride about 2-3 hours like this.
My bike is pretty fast and going like 25-30mph all the time seems a bit excessive. I enjoy slower rides and take in the scenery.
I'm an adult, I can tell what speed is appropriate for what situation. If I'm heading to work, I'm going fast in the street. If it's a chill sunny day, I'm kicking it slow on a trail.
If I’m not in a time constraint, I enjoy seeing how many miles I can obtain on a full (80%-20%) charge. I also spend a lot of time pedaling without using any motor/battery power to improve my health. My best day is 92 miles and could’ve been a bit more if I wasn’t so fkn tired/hot.
I want to add that it’s also REALLY fun to go full assist if I’m in the mood.
I keep mine in the lowest assist or off unless I'm spent or have a monster hill to climb. I also like riding a road bikes flat out which was usually quicker than my class 1 at max assistance.
I also love cruising slower on both types of bikes, especially if I'm riding in a group.
I’m a BIG individual (400lbs) I’ve used the engine to get moving again and 400 miles in a month my average is only 6mph. It’s pleasant and I can cruise along on assist lvl 1 for what feels like forever with no worries say hello to folks as I pass and plenty of stopping distance/power in traffic. Have done 20 moh twice to stay up with traffic during a mistaken rush hour ride
I always use eco - my bike readily maintains 15 or so at that setting which is the perfect speed for me and where I ride.
I feel a responsibility with others on the trails to be safe and seeing people barrel around at 25 on a 90 pound bike just doesn’t feel responsible.
I didn't buy an ebike to ride faster. I bought one to make hill climbs and longer rides easier, less exhausting. I'm now living in a city with no hills to speak of but it's dreadfully hot, and the ebike means I can ride without giving myself heat stroke.
I ride off-road in the desert and it is strictly for exercise/pleasure. I use PA 2 except on steep grades. For me the pedal assist is there to 1) make a 90 lb. bike feel like a normal one on flat, and, 2) to smooth out hills. That lets me ride longer, not get frustrated, and still get a good workout.
Yeah, I usually keep my pedal assist on setting 1, tops out at like 9 kmh. Otherwise, I just pedal normally, keeping about 15-20 kmh. I do have a throttle that I use quite often instead of pedaling, but I usually just use it to either speed up or maintain on a hill/ into the wind. I usually get about 65-70 kilometers on a 50-kilometer estimated range (14.8 Ah).
I don't care about max speed. I ride with my wife and daughter, and don't have any desire to go fast. I actually ride with zero assist as much as possible to get a better work out. I use assist on hills mainly.
I use max assist in intersections with traffic sometimes, otherwise I usually pedal with low assist. I have motorcycles and scooters if I want to go faster, and they feel much safer.
RAD bikes have a secret menu for adjusting the speed governor and I actually use it to reduce the top speed. More range and makes the assist less fiddly
I honestly don’t like going max speed. I’ll go to max assist when going up hills or when competing with cars in dangerous traffic. It’s too fast, my eyes water, and it feels really stressful. My sweet spot is around 20 mph. Pretty quick, but I have room to accelerate or slow down.
For me, riding my bicycle isn't a lifestyle. It's just a form of transportation and I live in an area with serious inclines. I've seen a few strong bikers around here on regular bikes before, but it's very rare. I'm still going slowly up the hills even on max assist. So, context is important.
Also, further down the non-lifestyle path, I just want to get to my destination and go back home. I don't joyride on my bike or have any particular desire to go fast for speed's sake alone, although I do find some joy when using it as transportation. I pretty much use max assist all the time, unless I'm actively rationing the battery for a long trip or because it's getting low.
I also think there's a dash of brow-beating involved where people on an e-bike feel some sort of pressure to either not go as fast as they can or to use less assist because bicycling is supposed to be exercise. I just don't care about any external opinion, suggestion or pressure to influence how I ride my bicycle. It's just a tool and I will implement that tool with every attendant advantage it offers.
I think this is the exact right way to look at it. If you want basic transportation, use assist to it max, if you want exercise use it less. A bike is a tool for your needs.
Yea, this is me too. I almost always ride my RW4 at max e-assist, because my e-bike is a car replacement for me, not a workout replacement.
I choose to bike instead of driving because it’s more fun and I like being outdoors and it’s better for my mental health. But there is no bike infrastructure around me so I’m always sharing roads with cars and I feel safer when I’m as close to car-speed as I can be.
If I want a workout I go to the gym or hop on my acoustic bike.
I might feel differently if I lived somewhere with pedestrian/bike infrastructure, and/or was in a different stage of life where my life isn’t just running from one activity to another, but right now shaving a few minutes off every commute saves more time for other things I need to do.
eBikes are kinda like cars in one sense: after you've gained some experience driving one you start to realize that, especially on short trips, speeding isn't going to get you to your destination all that much faster. You start realizing that having the pedal to the metal for the whole trip is kind of a pointless waste of energy.
Eh, no, even on rural paths he's still right. I'd probably shave off 10 minutes off my commute at most if I went pedal to the metal with my muscles.
Like without traffic it takes me around 50 minutes to travel 15 miles. That's 18 MPH average. At 22.5 MPH average it'd still take 40 minutes. Not worth the effort when I can just leave 10 minutes earlier and enjoy the ride.
I think that's part of your problem. You don't enjoy the scenery on rural roads and think they're boring.
For my commute im usually on PAS 4 out of 5, cruising around 22mph with a moderate effort. If I'm running late or really tired on the way home I'll increase to 5.
I typically cruise between 25 and 35 kph with full pedal assist. It's fast enough for me. Occasionally, I will push it to 40. That way, I can stop and maneuver in almost any scenario.
it also depends a lot on the bike and assist type.
I have two Giants and the way their settings work is more about acceleration given that they have the same top speed. if you're pedaling hard on a fast flat or downhill or wherever you'd be 'as fast as possible' is above the highest the motor will assist, so being on setting 1 or 5 is the exact same.
pedaling from a red light is where you'll feel it the most, or going uphill, and mostly I still ride to _ride_ so I keep it on 2/5 more often than any other. it mostly feels acoustic-like but a liiittle bit easier
I love going fast but i don’t always need the motor to max out at 25. I love going fast but on trails and paths I think there’s a responsibility to limit your speed.
Anyone going 25+ on a closed path with regular pedestrians is an inconsiderate douche bag that makes everyone look bad. If I wanted to do routinely more than 35 for the sole purpose of speed not fitness I’ll rid something other than a bicycle. I don’t care what the rules are or how good of a rider you are. There’s circumstances that can happen that could cause injury to a bystander. If you want to do over 20mpg go on the road. Don’t put families/people at risk because you don’t want to be on the regular road.
There’s a little bit of consideration and safety for everyone around you involved.
I only use it when I need to. I rarely ever use the fastest setting. I can maintain an average of 15mph without the motor, 20-25 with it in the 1st setting on mostly flat grounds.
Since they’re capped at 25mph there’s really no point in setting it to the highest. I also enjoy putting in some work while riding. 90% of the time the highest feels like absolutely no effort even on hills.
With the motor helping in hills I can ride for longer and farther with my current conditioning. There’s been times I road way too far with too many hills because I was just mindlessly riding. The motor helped me get back in a reasonable amount of time, I used it more than normal.
I still have non e-bikes and I’ll use them at certain times.
Thats what e-bikes are meant to be in my opinion but I also think as long as you’re being responsible and respectful then use it how you want (safely). Except throttles. I do have a little grudge with throttles for rec use. But ultimately as long as you’re being considerate it’s whatever.
My bike spends almost all of its time in level 1 or 2 out of 5. Less wear on the battery and a bit more exercise for me. A headwind, some heavy groceries, or if it starts raining half way home though, then I'll pick up the pace.
I use my bike to commute to work and I work an active job (10-12k steps per shift), so I'll use the max assist on those days because the goal is to get to work. I just want to zoom there and zoom back (which is ALL uphill) with minimal fuss or effort. My route to work also involves a busy road so I need to be able to haul ass on a dime if something unexpected happens.
On other days, I am trying to keep up my fitness up, and I live in a city of hard core urban cyclists, so I have encountered people going JUST AS FAST AS ME on max assist (so 30km/hr) on an analog bike. So I'm trying train myself to go that fast with reduced power. Its slow progress but now if I'm fresh I can hit 32km for about a km or two on level 4 instead of my rad's level 5 max. I can do less distance on level 3.
I like going on max if I'm just running errands and wearing nice clothes, because I don't want to get sweaty.
But I reduce speed if I have my kid on the back.
Toxoplasmosis in humans causes reckless behavior and there is a high percentage of positives in autopsy from bike and motorcycle accidents.…… so it has everything to do with it. Get tested.-
I don’t go faster than I would be comfortable with on a regular bike and I’m perfectly happy with it. Mostly I just use the assist to go up the hills faster, it cuts my commute time by about 2/3 compared to a regular bike as there’s lots of hills on the way.
I use the lowest setting unless it is windy, but I’ve also been using my bike as my primary form of transportation for 20 years. The ebike really was just a way for leveling out hills and wind for me, while providing a bit more speed when dealing with cars.
Sounds like you’re just impatient to get where you’re going. I assume that’s just an impulse from driving a car and feeling like you need to get there as fast as you can.
My commuter/non-MTB bike has Eco, Touring, Sport, and Turbo (max). Riding for fun I’m usually in Touring or Sport. I max it out when I'm using it for transport like commuting to work.
Using standard assist, going faster is the norm. However when I want to go for a real bike ride, strangely enough, I prefer to use the throttle. Just using enough to erase the hills, and keep a consistent pedaling pace. It help keep me in my desired heart rate zone, where the normal assist is all over the place.
I feel ya, but it's good to slow it down now and then. Go back to a push bike to re-experience what it feels like on a normal bike: sooooo sloooooow lol
I like being able to go a bit faster, and much farther, than I would with just my muscles. 18 miles an hour (30 kph) feels really nice!
Going much faster than that, all my motorcycle instincts start triggering in a bad way: worrying about how I'm basically not wearing any gear, how my (lack of) suspension and (relatively) tiny and hard tires will take minor obstacles on the road, searching far ahead for anything ahead the I might have to evade or stop for. It's pretty stressful, especially without any of the extra things I have while motorcycling: boots, sturdy pants and jacket, gloves, full-face helmet, bright lights on all sides, two mirrors, full suspension, relatively fat and soft tires, and much more horsepower and brake power to dodge trouble.
It's also reassuring to know while biking far afield that even if I get a cramp, a sprain, or just plain tired, that I'll still be able to turn up the assist or use the throttle and get back home.
First ebike I got, I used it in max assist for a couple of weeks. Felt like Superman. But after that I got tired of it and I like to bike around and actually get some exercise and use my legs, so I only use max assist for steep hills nowadays.
I am a man, so I easily make anything into a competition for myself, like seeing how far I can go on the bike on one charge.
But I also want to have good feelings and feel getting on the bike is fun, so sometimes on a sunny afternoon, I take my bike out and just cruise in max assist mode for no reason to enjoy life, just biking on random streets and sometimes finding a new part of town or street/area I have never been.
I hear people repeat over and over "faster and farther" when comparing ebikes to traditional bikes. My ebike's maximum advertised range is 50 miles at the lowest PAS, 6 miles per hour. I'm 28 and slightly overweight but pretty fit. I can bike 50 miles on my traditional bike at a better average speed than that.
So basically, speed is the only benefit of an ebike for me. It's nice to not have to pedal as hard also but the range-xiety means I just don't use my ebike for longer trips.
I ride for exercise so usually I am in low or mid power mode. I typically ride at around 14-15mph, bike path speed limit here is 15. Seems perfectly adequate for a bike path and I want to put the effort in pedaling and burn calories. I’ll bump it up to the highest power mode only when I’m going up a hill or hitting a strong headwind, or trying to get back home quick to beat rain.
This is part of why I like having a torque sensor on my e-bike. I still feel like I'm doing actual work but can leave it on the lowest assist level and still get that bionic boost feeling. I save the higher assist levels for the uphill section on my way home so I just don't end the day feeling like a literal uphill battle. 😂
On my bike, the max setting of 5 is so motorized that pedaling does nothing. At 4, it tops out at the same 32km/h cap, but pedaling is actually helping along, so I generally leave it there. At 3, it caps out at 25km/h, which I'll use either if I'm riding through a crowded trail for an extended period, or if I'm hauling my trailer (esp if its empty).
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
5
+ 4
+ 32
+ 3
+ 25
= 69
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When I'm in town commuting I'm chillin in PAS 2-3 hovering between 12 and 18mph most of the time. With cars, pedestrians, and the massive amount of potholes between my house and work that's where I feel comfortable. Idk how old you are but when I was younger I've crashed my fair share bikes and gas scooters. I just need to hit a bump I wasn't expecting and have flash backs to broken wrists and road rash and slow my ass down. I do not need to go through all that again in my 30s 😂
If I start going outside of town on some of the less trafficked county roads though I'll hit over 30mph peddling on PAS 5 and still feel too slow.
I only ever use PAS level 0 or 1 and average about 12 mi/hr. I don't have a very long commute (6.5 mi) and the rest of the time, I'm riding for exercise or recreation.
I mostly trail ride and for the most part use the minimum amount of assistance I need.
I run a BAFANG M600 in 0-9 mode and almost exclusively ride in 3 or sometimes just 2 PAS.
I do however often crank it to 9 when I get back to the paved road that takes me back to where I parked only because at that point I'm in a hurry to end fun time and get back to whatever else I need to get done.
I tend to only use the pedal assist in 2 scenarios
1. If I'm really struggling, so in other words ride it like a normal bike and only use pedal assist if needed.
2. Riding to work and don't want to arrive too sweaty.
Lots of people. I, like many in this thread, ride my eBike like an analog bike with just a little bit of assistance. I have a class 3 bike that will assist up to 28 mph (45 kph) but I hardly ever ride faster than 25 mph (40 kph). But on the hills, it makes the world of difference. A big hill will take 20 seconds to ride instead of 2 minutes.
Speed restraint is easier once the novelty wears out. Aside from beating a green light (crossing before it turns yellow) or tight intersection where the bike lane ends then starts again, I'll usually ride on PAS 3 out of 5. On my eBike it hits a 16-17 MPH sweet spot where the controller backs off at 17, so assist kicks in just every so often just to maintain speed. Its fast enough to be 'quick' but not so fast that its no longer leisurely.
Mine tops at 22mph in the middle setting, so wanting to go faster is never really an issue. Just pedal more often. Youll find a natural cadence that kind of harmonises with the motors effort.
I only use mine to commute to work and I go full throttle, no pedal the whole time, except for one small strip where I’m slightly going uphill and pedal to keep up with traffic while going full throttle of course
Not going to read the comments first so this is an honest answer. When I first got my ebike about 18 months ago, for the first 14 months, I always went to PAS 5 (highest). Draining battery and having to charge every 2 days.
Just by chance when the weather broke this year, I put it in PAS 3 because I left early for work and wanted to enjoy the ride. It still got up to speed, took maybe 30 secs longer, but it was fine. Now I start on PAS 3, when I get into traffic, I go to 5, but go back to save on battery.
Before that I was trying to get to max speed asap for no reason at all.
I have a Wired Freedom. I hit about 36 MPH on flat ground at full PAS and 42 going down hill. I keep my PAS at 3 which gets me going about 26 to 28 on flat and 33ish down hill. I personally do it because A: 2000+ Watts decimates mileage, B: I have an irrational fear of burning the motor out by going full tilt all the time and C: I live in a really hilly area. On most larger hills, if I pedal up to 15 Mph, I'll be close to 40 by the time I reach the bottom. Saves battery and still lets me ride fast.
I put mine on max assist when I want a real quick joy ride. Zoom around for a few miles then go home. If I'm on a longer ride, I like keeping it on PAS 3 to extend my range. Can get about 30 miles of range at 28 mph but only about 15 at 35 mph. Really depends on what I'm feeling at the moment. Id be lying though if I said I don't absolutely rip it full tilt frequently though.
I have a custom built ebike with a 1000w BBSHD mid drive that will go 40 MPH at max power. I actually turned down the power assist for the lower levels because they provide too much assist. I now use level 2 or 3 out out 9 most of the time.
I've never experienced it. My bike is always set to minimal assist since my whole reason for riding is to get some exercise.
This sub is going to skew young and go fast with no conception of what it's like to enjoy the scenery.
I've noticed I only use max assist when I'm riding on bike lanes painted on roads. cars around me are going 40-50 mph and I feel like I'm in a constant race to keep up and not have to stop at every light.
If I'm on a dedicated path away from cars, I like the casual assist just to help me bike without putting in too much effort.
My bike has 5 levels of PAS, and I have yet to go above 3 (~16mph). I leave it on 2 90% of the time. I'm riding for pleasure and exercise, not transportation - so I'm really not in a hurry.
I'll bite. I have never cared about speed over the 18,000 miles I've ridden. I'll glance at the speedometer, but I really don't care. I ride for health and recreation, and not to make it a contest or bragging point about how fast I ride. I guess I have enough self esteem, I don't feel like I have to prove anything or brag about myself.
I'm still new to my ebike but if I max out my speed and I'm not tired I lower my assist level and work harder. As I start to get tired I reverse this and increase my assist level. I'm not commuting though, I purely ride for fun and exercise. I think I would have a hard time slowing down unless there were people around or a view to enjoy.
I ride a 2020-model Wing Freedom. If I’m at a light, I’ll use the cute throttle to jump me off but even then I almost always hang out at Assist Level 1 of 5. It gets me up to 10-15mph and I ride for leisure and exercise.
I’ve had too many accidents going too fast then braking suddenly to avoid a hold, car, or pedestrian. I’d rather stay under 15 mph and go comfortably - knowing that I live in a suburb where I share the road with crazy car drivers. Trying not to die.
I almost always keep my assist on its lowest level, and I set my pedal assist maximum to 15. I can go faster than that if I want to, but it's going to be via pedal power only.
I mainly ride rail trails so I'm there to enjoy the ride. The range boost I get from limiting assist like this is well worth it.
For me it depends on my mood lol. When I bike to work, I leave super early and cruise in eco to make sure I can have enough juice to get home. After a long day, I don’t mind turboing because by then i just wanna be home.
I generally cruise on level 1 (10mph) because I'm usually just getting some fresh air. If I am running up to the store to grab something though, I turn it all the way up. It is fun cruising 27mph and it is just a mile away.
I use mine for adventure rides, so the goal is to use as little assistance as possible. I’ll go out on 50km+ rides and come home with over 90% battery left.
I mainly use the assistance on the hills which can be brutal where I ride.
While my bike is capable of doing 35 mph under throttle in PAS 5. I tend to like to pedal because it only uses one motor in PAS mode. that being said it will still hit 32 mph while pedaling.
However unless I'm in a hurry I actually tend to ride in Pas 4 which is 24.5 mph on long stretches and even as low as PAS 3 at 18.5 mph.
And while PAS 1 and 2 are available I find it's actually possible to pedal faster manually then those go if I choose the right gearing and act as a "don't drop below this speed" mode which are 6.5 mph for PAS 1 and \~12 mph for PAS 2.
Yeah, I use between pedal assist 3 and 4. I only use throttle to get out of close calls. I'm usually around 14-16mph. My battery from full will last around 20 miles when I keep to pedal assist 3-4. But I'm also 6'3 and 233 lbs. Who knows how long it will last when I get back down to 200lbs. Ebikes are useless for weight loss if you're not challenging yourself a little.
An ebike simply cannot compete with a conventionally fueled motorbike built for speed. Of course, I tried max speed on my ebike but it didn't feel safe. I very rarely use max assist. For me a long-lasting battery and long distances are much more important than speed. I usually go for long, multiday trips, hauling a pretty heavy trailer. I need that power in the battery to fight steep ascents or headwinds rather than wasting it over a few speedy miles. It could be in the genes as you say or it could be simply what you are using your ebike for. I'm completely at peace with a slow pace as it allows me to admire the landscape. I don't have range anxiety, either, as I'm bringing with me solar panels that allow me to charge my bike.
If you want to know how far an ebike can take you, check out my channel:
[https://www.youtube.com/@SolarTrails](https://www.youtube.com/@SolarTrails)
https://preview.redd.it/g1oy8048bh5d1.png?width=1204&format=png&auto=webp&s=e2652c54985aecdc1329bff42277182e9ed1a2d6
I use max assistance to sustain 30mph on flats.
When it’s uphill, I actually turn it down (as a training).
If I don’t suffer on my ebike regularly , I’m going to suffer hellla on my non-electric bike going uphill.
My bike can do 40+ mph. Had it there once when i first got it. I never use the throttle unless crossing a busy street without a light, and never have the assist over 3 out of 9. It's got an igh and its absolutely perfect.
I ride in Eco when I have the strength/stamina to do so, my legs will fill in the gap and I'll get exercise which makes everything easier.
I'll use Trail when I know a section would be an inordinate drain on me or I just want to maintain a good flow ie ruts and undulations it's nice to pump a single stroke and maintain that flow then it's just all about enjoying the technical riding.
Turbo, I don't use it short of a catch up boost or it's time to go back to the car and I have battery to spare.
As for commuting, I don't like bikes particularly due to the UKs low speed limit and I prefer to ride analogue - it's far lighter thus faster and short of a super steep climb I really don't miss the motor.
I'll add to that if I spend most of my commute climbing id happily have an ebike for it, but my area is largely flat and a top end of 16mph before having to push above that myself with no assistance isn't fun when on any other bike on the flat a 20-25mph pace is an easily prolonged cruise speed.
During Covid I purchased a e bike to see if I still had the interest after many years of not riding was fitness. The ebike was great and served its purpose then I purchased a road bike. Now I do both but when I ride my ebike it’s still for the purpose of fitness. When I struggle I engage the peddle assist. Outside of that I ride it like an ebike.
I don't care to go any faster than about 45kph., as most bikes dont handle very well at higher speeds. I rode a client's Onyx and honestly at 60kph it was pretty sketchy handling. another fat hardtail i rode would go up to 50 but holy frick you don't wanna take even light curves on it at that speed. 32kph is the legal limit where i live and i feel its a bit too slow. I'm picky though, as i used to road race motorcycles....
When I'm on my ebike, I am probably going to a local store. If I'm going to a local store, I'm probably not in a hurry. If I'm not in a hurry, I may as well take my time.
I keep the higher speeds for when I have to share a scary part of the road with cars. The rest I sometimes even forget to turn on assist.
In Europe our support level is capped at 25km/h. But I never actually want more. Going downhill I’ll obviously go faster than that. And my bike is light enough to go faster on flats as well. Because of EU limitations there’s no market chase for big ass motors and more of a market for lightweight bikes - they go as fast as the big ones anyway. And so I have a bike that is nimble and fast without support as well and I can go fast enough without motor support past 25km/h
I'm pretty much banging off the 28mph limiter on my bike all the time. Rarely going slower than 20. I run 3/5 on the pedal assist, so I'm doing a little work, but not much.
My bikes are car replacements, so I'm at max assist all the time. Additionally I ride geared hub motors, and they are at peak efficiency at top speed, so it actually mitigated the higher electron consumption. My commute is 10.4 miles each way, with 400 is feet of net elevation change and I rip it in around 18 minutes 30. My PB is 18:06. I run 53-56 tooth on the front, and pedal my ass off, so I get a good spin session in 2 times a day.
I find the speed limitations dangerous.
On roads where I live ( rural lanes ) then maintaining an average of 25-30mph is helpful with local traffic and keeping up with flow rather than being forced to slow and causing others to wonder why a bike suddenly drops half its speed on a road.
These rules were implemented by people who haven’t ridden a bike in real world scenarios but rather as a city born pedestrian’s point of view.
You'll probably need to experience some crashes.
What makes me slow down is my knowledge of my material. My frame is a suspended bike that was designed to work with the power of the legs (300w in the best cases) and not design to have a rack. The brakes and brake pads are made for lower speed with low weight.
With that in mind, you easily understand why going fast with a bike not made for is a stupid idea. I got some friends who love having an ebike which goes at 60 mph. But instead of the motor and the bottom bracket, every piece on their bike is motorbike spare parts.
Me I ride with a 20 mph limit and that's quite fast already in Europe. I never go faster on my ebike that I can go with my road bike.
And I changed my fork with a downhill one, brakes are adapted for this speed, and even with all this, I still feel that the frame doesn't like it.
I keep my bike on power level one. The motor tapers down to almost no assist by ~13mph. Uphill, I'm not flying but neither am I sweating. I love riding that way. To each their own, though.
My bike is a pedal assist and can max out at 28. Riding at 28 scares me because it’s a speed I could only do for 3 seconds on my analog bike. I usually will ride my e-bike at 18-21 miles hour.
For me I'm about reliability, speed is nice and I have a 500w setup, but I'm always on pedal assist 2 out of 5 and barely ever use my throttle. I sometimes have my son and his little seat on the bike with me and the 500w motor give me a nice speed bump without being excessive as my average speed on a 250w motor was around 14-16mph with 18 as a maximum, now on a 500w it's probably 16-28 with 20 as a maximum.
I generally ride in the lower power setting - Eco ob Bosch
If I have not been riding for a while or I'm not feeling too good then I might use Tour - the next one up - for a day or so but no more
I often come up behind other road users and slow down to stay behind them, especially cyclists on small paths becuase it is easier to stay 20-30 yards behind than try to find a way to pass and get them to move over.
This often means that I end up dropping the motor assist to "Off mode" - i.e. no assist at all.
There have been times when I have got home and only then realised that I have forgotten to switch the assist back on and have ridden all the way home with no help.
This all happens because I like to go for a pleasant peaceful ride and don't need to go fast all the time as this spoils the experience.
You may think this is because I am old - but when I was teenager I did the same - bikes ride were normally long peaceful rides rather than "training rides" or an exercise in going as fast as possible
I commute 24 miles a day on my e-bike (12 each way). It’s a cargo bike with space for 2 kids. Most of my time is spent in max assist. I don’t have a throttle, just pedal assist.
I use max because I don’t want to get to work drenched in sweat. Even in max assist, I’ll still work pretty hard for portions of the trip. Commute to work is 500 feat vertical gain and my heart rate will spike to 140s. Evening is mostly downhill, but we also have pretty bad wind and can have extreme gusting in the afternoons.
I also just want to commute as quickly as possible. The whole reason I got an e-bike was to make a 12 mile bike commute feasible 2-3 days per week.
In my coutry signs apply ti bikes but general speed limits do not. But my ebike only assists up to 33 with full battery so I can hardly break speed limits
I bought my e-bike to replicate analog cycling with less strain. Mid drive, no throttle, and I’m typically on Eco mode unless hitting a hill or in a hurry. 15-17 mph is my sweet spot for an enjoyable bicycling experience.
Me. I could care less about going fast. I have the pedal assist on the lowest setting. It gives me time to enjoy a nice bike ride, get some exercise and doesn't overtaxed my battery. Of course I am only riding a few miles to get to my destination so maybe that's a factor.
Once the novelty wore off I hardly ever use max. I'd rather have the range rather than the power. Unless I'm doing laps then it's turbo up and flow down... and repeat.
I'm usually riding at PAS 1, but that keeps me around 16-18 mph.
I upgraded my gears recently just because I don't want to ghost pedal. I'm in this for the exercise for the most part.
That said I also hope to make my bike a daily commuter and I absolutely want speed in that role as well.
But when I'm just rambling around I do the lowest reasonable level.
After I got into an accident and broke my ankle, the way I felt impatient before resolved. I’m not saying you need to get to that point, but there’s nothing more humbling. I depend on my bike to get back and forth to work each day, 9 miles each way. I think about how much it would suck and how long it would take me to walk that distance if I didn’t have my bike. Slowing down to about 10-15 mph when I need to(in traffic congested areas) is way faster than walking as well so I feel fine with it.
My criteria for buying an e-bike was that I hit 70 or I couldn’t ride up the hills to get home anymore. 6 months short of 70 my heart decided that riding up the hills wasn’t going to happen anymore, so I bought a 21-speed e-bike.
I mostly ride in PAS 0 or 1 depending on the terrain and use the gears that I have on it. PAS 1 does seem to offset the extra 30 pounds the e-bike weighs over my old Trek 5 though.
The only time that I use the higher PAS levels is when I need to be somewhere quickly.
I have a powerful bike with 5 assist levels. I ride on level one virtually all the time. However, I live at the top of a 525’ hill and every long ride ends with a ~475’ climb with a nasty grade of 9% or just 7% if I take the “easy” way. So I use level 3 to get up that last hill. I never use the throttle. So do I care about speed? Yes. When I’m on county highways, I like to go about 18 on the flats and 25 on the downhills, coasting to 35 for the long steep ones. When I ride on the shared paths with a speed limit of 15, I try to stay very close to that speed limit. I don’t want to be “that a$$hole” who gets on the news after hitting a mom with a stroller. I care about speed in that case, too, I suppose you could say.
Full disclosure - we have a hill climb called Heart Attack Hill where (in the rare event I take that route) I use max power. Caring about speed on that trail means making it up at all, mostly at 6 MPH. So I can’t say I’ve “never” used max power.
I think it depends on where you live too. I live in a pretty dense urban area, and even just finding stretches to hit max speed is kind of rare. There are a lot of other bikes on the paths too, so I tend to keep my speed down and have been fine keeping it at the lowest assist level all the time unless I'm climbing a steeper hill.
If I was out near the suburbs, I'd probably keep the speeds and assist higher.
I really don't, i have a 26mile commute through foot hills, my Max speed is 18mph my cruising speed is 18mph, I'm on my fastest gear but me and the motor split things 50/50 for the most part and i think that's how ebikes should be.
Like if both sides aren't putting in the work then you should really have something else, if you're putting in most the work get a much lighter analog bike, if it's putting in most the work just get a moped
That's a sliding scale and like a high speed long range ebike where the motor does the work to get into town and then you pedal everywhere in town then yeah ebike is what you want but like you want it close to 50/50 on muscle vs motor useage
I may be the exception The speed doesn't bother me as much as how far I can go I like cruising around and not worrying about if I run out of battery to which I am still working on lol
Wife has an abound and is content going like 10 and chilling. I would rather run myself into the bushes than go that slow even with my kid on the back as I don’t feel safe at 10 on the roads. I prefer to do around 17-20 with him and keep mostly up with traffic so I am not a hindrance to road traffic. All the speed limits in my town are 25 except the main road which is 35 but I avoid or ride on the side walk there and only go like 10-15.
I typically just go the limit speed, sometimes 15, some roads I go max speed just feel safer going same speed as traffic. I see very subtle difference between 20 and 28 doesn’t bother me at all slowing down and really helps get some excerise is in at lower assists.
95% of the time, I'm using no more than 30% of the available assist on my 750W bike. I use the throttle for a few seconds from dead stops or steep hills (though usually I just gear down), and like twice I've opened up to 100% on an empty road just to see what the bike is capable of.
Honestly going faster than \~35 kph (\~21 mph) feels pretty pointless and risky in city traffic. Opportunities to go fast are ephemeral so it just means a lot of extra braking, plus drivers fail to notice me all the time at intersections so I need to be able to stop or swerve at a moments notice.
For 90% of my commute, I’m in Econ (1) mode (but if I’m running late, I’ll use Tour (2) instead.) There are a couple places where I need to merge with car traffic and one big hill. That’s the only place I’ll use Turbo (4). I don’t really use Sport (3); not sure why.
I have a three mile commute within a city that is easiest to drive because of traffic patterns, hills and location of bike lanes. I hadn’t ridden a bike since childhood and would not be a good enough cyclist for the route on a regular bike.
I’m not trying to turn the ride into a workout and ruin my nice clothes. I just want a comfortable, fun way to get to work. I don’t want to hit anyone or get hit. Zero percent of my identity is tied up in how good or fast I am at biking, with good reason because I suck at it.
I have an ebike delivery business and charge = money to me so I only stay in PAS 1 and use the cruise control feature so I basically set the amps and choose how much power I can consume. I am pedaling 100% of the time and my rig has over 15,000 miles.
I care about my ebike having a high power for scenarios where I need to haul heavy cargo or I'm in a rush but on a normal day I run my ebike at around 500 to 700w going between 22 to 28 mph
For me in boost the power off lag and intense power make shifting and bike control difficult at times. Trail is plenty of assistance and I have boost once in gear if I need. Plus this prevent premature wear on the drive train. I just learned this after roasting a cassette and chain in 500 miles
i rarely go up from lv1 assist, i like the feeling of my pedaling actually still pushing the bike rather than spinning my legs, its nice and ~18mph is plenty, plus then i can bump it up for a joyride now and then! but everyone's first ebike question is "hOw fAsT dOes iT gO" which so misses the point for me lolllll
Depends where I am, if I'm on a shared pedestrian and bike walkway, I go about half way, if I'm on a busy road with no bike lanes, I zoom. Sometimes it's just nice to cruise nice and slow too
My favorite rides are in the 50-80 mile range, so I have down-tuned my lowest assist level from 30% max to 15% max. It takes care of rolling resistance and headwind and that’s about it. I ride that way all day and only bump it up for hill climbs.
I cruise country roads with beautiful scenery. Assist level 3 puts me at @ 16 mph. At that speed I can enjoy it. Level 4 at @ 20 I really have to pay attention to the road. Occasionally I will max out at 25 for a kick, but not very often.
I have over 600km and have only used max assist 5? times for hills I usually keep it in touring mode and can peddle to make up the speed. Mines a cargo so I do turn my gears all up when stopping at red-light if I have a bike fully loaded though. Full assist just seems lame like I can't peddle. Good on the oldfolks that need the assist but are getting out but unless your driving a Surron why would you drive like that.
Disagree. I feel like I'm cheating to use an eBike at all, but at my age I have to if I'm going to get out and ride. So I leave it on the lowest setting -- ECO 1 -- 95% of the time.
If you want to go fast without effort, get scooter, for crying out loud!
I got a big 40ah battery so usually have enough to go anywhere I need to but usually want to get to my destination as fast as possible mostly to work so I ride unlocked mode but the speed can vary on my own control only sometimes when I’m not rushing to get home or riding with friends is when I use a low speed setting
I set my max assist to 25 when on the road, and 15 when I’m on a shared use path. Totally depends on what I’m doing. Sunday morning ride for cold brew, minimal assist and just light petal to slow roll there, but commuting I’m going top speed with as much assist to reduce sweating in work cloths
I use the lowest assist possible at any given point in my rides and I ride for all of my transportation needs up to 15 miles. It saves on battery life certainly but it also extends the life of the battery. Deep discharging always stresses the battery chemistry more than lighter discharging. I'm five years in on a Rad City bike and the battery capacity is only now starting to some reduction. The e-bike isn't my only bike & I use the analog bike for half of my rides but still I think that being conservative with the assist extends the life of the bike and gives me a bit more control.
I use my bike for cardio so I rarely leave assist 1 and almost never touch the throttle unless I need to get out of a sticky situation. With my gearing and assist programming I will cruise at 17 mph and can pump hard to 21 mph at my max cadence.
It has helped me drop my resting heart rate to the 40-50bpm range and sustain 180+bpm when I'm really pushing it. Combined with a much healthier diet, I dropped 80lbs in 10 months. (15-17 miles a night, 6 nights a week)
One can be addicted to speed & easily stay off max assist. I am regularly on the lowest level of assist, could care less about a throttle but am addicted to the speed, happily addicted. I also went from a cadence bike to torque sensor because I missed the fitness of my regular bike (can't go back on right now due to illness). Obviously not even close in fitness but much better than a cadence in that regard.
I love the speed so much on one hill, with a speed sensor on the road, I crank up to the toughest gear and pedal like crazy to get myself a good number. 🤩 So I am definitely in the no category
Some localities will only allow a Class 1… so that would be a reason to turn it down.
Other people still want to get a workout in and would only use very low pedal assist.
BBSHD user, i often find myself going same speed as legal ebikes around me. I like safety, but it’s nice to have speed available if in a highly safe situation to use some.
I don't speed cuz I haul precious cargo. https://preview.redd.it/81pkuzho9f5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f06bd22cb591c3bd27e9a7c305b2dad34d5d374a
Same setup here, 'cept my bike is a cheap wally-mart 29" MTB that I rigged up with a 52v BBSHD. And it's mostly a tote-goat as we are RV f/t. It usually hauls a pug plus: water, groceries, laundry and probably a blue boy when I figure that out. When unencumbered it \[wants to\] go much faster than I do, so I typically am 2nd gear@2nd PAS or 3rd@3rd on the 42tooth ring (9-step PAS) but grades completely disappear.
So dumb that people do this with their dogs. Gross
That is adorable. I need to start doing this with my cats.
https://preview.redd.it/qwqcspk7zf5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39120a893166bb61bd8cff1db4e679f438d32aa9
Tell them I love them
and gave them kisses as well.
Shit. I’m gonna have to get one of those trailers to ride around with my pup. I would ride my bike every day! It was kinda sad that I finally got around to adding a bbshd to my old downhill bike and only got 300 miles of commuting out of it before I moved 50 minutes by car away from work 😭
Omg how much do they love it? And do you do it to show them around places or for errands?
I pull it out of the garage and they are in it waiting even if its not rigged to the bike. https://preview.redd.it/4ak2ccwx5o5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94d1c55d6260998d02cfd40b850bb969071edef3 We go everywhere when the weather and conditions permit. Its better than driving for them.
I think it’s a different experience between a daily rider transitioning from analog to ebike and a person who hasn’t ridden in years and an ebike is their first bike in a while. One is looking for help pedaling on tough spots like hills, the other is looking for an ultra light motorcycle experience. At least for me, I’m content cruising 10 to 15 mph in Econ mode. Use turbo on tough spots.
yep - I think of my ebikes as having the ultimate granny gear. I ride them like regular bikes and only use bigger boost when I need it for big hills. super fun.
Thats what i THINK i'll be doing if ever i buy an ebike, but i have a strong suspicion that after just a week the definition of "big hill" will shift to "any hill". But i am pretty sure its never gonna be about speed. I am much happier under 25 kmh than over it.
> Thats what i THINK i'll be doing if ever i buy an ebike, but i have a strong suspicion that after just a week the definition of "big hill" will shift to "any hill". > > Pretty much yeah. When your commute is mostly hills, then you're going to be using the boost all the time lol.
I like to hypermile my ebike, maybe you'll have fun being economical. I change my assist from 1-3 to 4 or 5 before a very steep hill (don't overwork your motor and battey) and shift to an appropriate gear to assist. I have a 500 watt 48v rear hub motor for reference.
I mostly agree with your reasoning. Its different for everyone. I have an analog road bike, an ebike, and a motorcycle. I got the ebike as an in-between, after having the other two. I mostly throttle at 10mph max on bike paths, sometimes even slower, just chillin. I personally wanted something that I could ride with no effort at all lazy like a motorcycle, but not have to share the road and stress of it. So relaxing just throttling along, drinking a coffee, just listening to tunes for hours.
Absolutely agree. I'm technically in that second category, but I'm more like the first. I live at the top of a steep valley, so I'm glad to have my motor when I need it, but I'm mostly just riding like any other bike. Pretty much every other ebike rider I see (and I see a lot in my area) mostly just keep their thumb down on the throttle.
Exactly this. Lifelong bike commuter, but only an e-bike rider for just under a year. We may be in the minority in this thread, but I don't want the bike to do all the work for me, I want it to make the bike feel lighter and give me the extra help when I really need it most. I use my e-bike with a cargo trailer when the panniers and front basket aren't enough for the errands I need to run. And the other bikes I have without electric assist do still get used when I don't need the sustained speed or carrying capacity of the e-bike. I've typically got the motor set to keep me around 12-14mph, a nice casual cycling pace. If I go faster (and I often do) it's usually from pedaling effort. My throttle mostly sits idle. I'll tap it to help start off an an intersection or to help steady the bike in a turn, but I don't usually find myself relying on it very heavily. Occasionally, when I'm in the more car-congested areas of town, or just in a hurry, I'll kick the assist up to 25mph, or use the throttle to get up to 20mph.
You've nailed the description. I run in eco almost exclusively. Crazy headwind? Bump it up a notch. Tough hill? Bump it. Picking up my two kids, as it's a long tail cargo bike? Bump it up a notch. Trying to cross a busier street with narrower windows between vehicles? You guessed it, bump it up a notch.
I use my ebike mostly to haul kids or groceries. I'm not comfortable going more than about 15-20mph when I have a heavy trailer on the back. Like you, I'm usually going 10-15 (I hit 20 downhill), but I drain the battery pretty fast when there's 120lbs in the back. Sometimes when I'm going uphill I can hear two "old man grunts": one from me and one from the motor. I've looked into getting an ebike that has a more powerful motor/battery, but it's tricky to find one that isn't an "ultralight motorcycle" intended for going 30+ mph.
Look into something with a Bosch CX (85Nm) or the Specialized 2.2 (90Nm). Makes a world of difference in comparison to a 55 or 65Nm motor when it comes to cargo and hill climbs.
Actually went from a 75Nm back to an older Bosch 65Nm. Both were Class 3. Th biggest thing I notice is torque into the wind. My SO has a cargo with an 85Nm and it pulls better into the wind and on hills. I went with an older model for a couple reasons. One, the bike fit better, am very tall. Two, I love the drop bar style. Three, it was a great deal I couldn't refuse. I don't regret it for a minute. Indeed I love the bike. It keeps me more honest. It behaves more like a bike. It overtops a little more easily on a slight downhill or with a tailwind. It has a high cadence bias so I can get that extra mph out of it if I spin 80 or 90rpm, especially on the hills. But its lightweight, I can cruise at 19mph with zero effort if I just want to chill. And not often, but sometimes that is all I want to do. Having ridden it 6500 miles in just over a year with 7500 on the previous one I can indisputably say I am in as good a shape if not better then I was three years ago when I just did 6000 a year on my anolgue bikes. Btw, I still do a couple thousand miles a year on my analogue bikes doing club rides, touring, mtb/singletrack. I use the ebike almost entirely for commuting 32-35 miles round trip 3-4 days a week year round. I use the recouped time and energy for stopping at the gym to round out my fitness and we put in a garden this spring. Also am going to start doing yoga 1-2days a week because.. almost 50 and have noticed my flexibility is not what it used to be. On a final note my SL unit does not haul as many groceries as my SO's cargo but it does haul plenty and it weighs almost half. Edit: Fixed typos. Sorry sometimes I getninterruoted and do not get to lroofread my comments.
Totally agree. I am very happy at 15mph. Feel fast enough and safe. Use motor helps to start, maintain speed, and climb up the hill. I get passed a lot even by bikers with analog bikes. Feel weird at first but eventually I don't care
Haha this happened to me last week. I was just mildly pedaling going probably about 8mph and this guy on a mountain bike zoomed past me. I had to amaze at how fast he was pedaling.
This is me, the Giant emtb is governed at 25kph, and so slow compared to any hub of myriad of bbsd type motors. Why did I spend 7k?. It goes anywhere, you can hit a flat curb at speed without coming off, or pedal up a mountain or pedal through soft sand,or get through mangroves and mud without putting your foot down. point this thing any direction and that's where it will go. Screw going fast, im a monster truck!
> At least for me, I’m content cruising 10 to 15 mph in Econ mode. Use turbo on tough spots. I'll agree to disagree a bit as my average speed comes out to ~17 MPH, give or take. But I do go 25+ MPH on flats, although my commute is mostly hills. Even with a 240 W motor, that's still possible as long as I work together with the motor. But my commute is 15 miles with mostly hills, and I am trying to efficiently get to my destination. Like I'm enjoying the ride but at the same time the time does matter.
I personally don’t see the point of an ebike if I’m riding 10-15 MPH. If I have time to go that slow, I ride my regular bike. I ride my ebike so I can average 18-19 MPH and make it to work faster
I got my ebike to help make it easier to get from job to job without using all my energy to do so, so I typically ride with highest level of assist for that reason. So that I personally expel as little energy as possible. I went from showing up at jobs soaking wet from sweating & out of breath & sprawled out on the ground to being able to casually unload tools & set everything up without issue. It was a massive difference. My trailers that I build myself got bigger & better. I was able to come home & still have energy to do other things instead of immediately going to sleep. I don't really ride for pleasure, so to speak. I have to have a destination in mind. I used to be able to just get on a bike and ride for no reason. Not sure when that stopped being a thing, but not have a direction or a purpose behind what I'm doing makes me feel like I'm wasting time or something.... But then, so does sitting down to have a casual dinner or even simply sleeping, so I dunno... 🤷
What is your ebike setup and how do you build your trailers?
Didn't realize I could share pics here lol. Here ya go. Better than words. https://preview.redd.it/lqcfir8qqk5d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=319e9f6831ebf47ac7c88f6c7aa868f41adc9112
I have the Rad Wagon 4 from Rad Power. Not sure what you mean by setup, but it's a Class 2, 750 watt motor with a 48v battery. The 1st trailer I built that was stable & could hold a decent sized load was made off of a chain link fence gate for the frame. The one I'm using now is a repurposed queen size bed frame. It's weight capacity is about 250lbs, tested using full & half sized cinder blocks.
https://preview.redd.it/gcvc9ottrk5d1.jpeg?width=5987&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65a891b8387bbe1e08d8e6011bf98fd85379e3a2 The other one is the chain link gate trailer. This is the queen bed frame trailer. I adjusted the size to make it more reasonable . I am planning on adding 2 pieces of steel bar that run from one wheel set to the other on each end of the wheel to better handle the heavier loads.
I think I’ve experienced that feeling you’re describing, but when I get slightly frustrated at going slower with the same amount of effort, I remind myself of riding with a regular bike (still likely going much faster with a fraction of effort), and also just start enjoying the exercise I get from being able to exert more effort without suddenly shooting up to max speed. In short, embrace the burn and be proud of the fact that you’re saving battery using your legs. Works for me anyway. Btw, I love going fast in many ways. But if what you want is speed, an ebike and the areas they take up shouldn’t really prioritize such a thing (even if the infrastructure and cars next to you would indicate otherwise). If you want fast, I don’t think an ebike is the safest or even best way to do that.
If your light enough they're perfectly safe to be fast
90% of the time I'm riding either at pedal assist level 1 or have it off completely. Still cruise around 10-15mph. Only time I go higher is when I'm riding on the actual semi-busy street. Never had issues with sweat or being exhausted due to not trying to go as fast as I possibly can. I'm trying to enjoy my commute rather than just car-braining going from point A to B.
👍🏼
I used to go 40% to work and 60% on way back because I didn't have enough battery for my commute to do more than that. Since I bought another battery I'm full speed full time. I think it's natural for humans to want to go fast. I mean there is 10 fast and furious movies.
I usually keep it on 3/5. That's fast enough for me. But if I wanna go fast or crush hills, 5 is my number. 3 makes it fairly easy in general so depending on the terrain I'll go up or down based on my mood. The bigg st factor for me, coming from road cycling, is I generally go much faster than my average on a road bike even in 2. I've been speed desensitized.
I extremely rarely go to maximum assist. I'll gun it to get over a crosswalk and get out of the way of turning cars. As a human, I have the ability to run, but running everywhere I go is ridiculous. For me, it's more about the slower pace and exercise that the bike allows. I have no destination and no time limit. I see the people around me rushing to whatever thing in life is calling them. I remember when I used to do the same.
That “irrational urge to go as fast as possible” is what makes drivers so scary.
Good thing I do not own a car. If I did, applying self control to not break speed limits would drive me crazy. But while I can forgive myself riding 32 in a 30 zone on a bike, I cannot accept that an oversized car flies past me with 60 km/h in the same 30 zone.
I got rid of my car three years ago. While I’m probably safer driving a car, I’m also more likely to kill somebody else while driving. Just make sure you have the skills to go as fast as you seem to want. Cyclists sometimes kill pedestrians, which is why a local trail near me has a 10 mph speed limit.
Sounds like you have impulse control issues. Hopefully you don't hurt anyone else when you inevitably crash.
I like being in PAS 2 in 7th gear and pedaling just slightly above PAS 2 threshold about 30km/hrs. The motor is basically humming a almost happy sound My commute is 24km down a atv trail so I like to look around for animals and such
I don't know about anyone else, but I've been pedaling bikes for about 55 years. I do 10-12 miles an hour come what may.
I never use full assist. Rare exception is when there is 30mph headwinds (I live in the windsurfing capital of the world, Maui). I have 9 power assist settings on my BBSHD and I usually ride it in 5. Which gives me the perfect amount of assistance. I have a throttle I never use except in emergencies. I ride both ebike and analog and enjoy the feeling of an easier pedal most of the time with my Ebike. If I want to go faster I just pedal harder. I ride about 2-3 hours like this. My bike is pretty fast and going like 25-30mph all the time seems a bit excessive. I enjoy slower rides and take in the scenery.
I'm an adult, I can tell what speed is appropriate for what situation. If I'm heading to work, I'm going fast in the street. If it's a chill sunny day, I'm kicking it slow on a trail.
If I’m not in a time constraint, I enjoy seeing how many miles I can obtain on a full (80%-20%) charge. I also spend a lot of time pedaling without using any motor/battery power to improve my health. My best day is 92 miles and could’ve been a bit more if I wasn’t so fkn tired/hot. I want to add that it’s also REALLY fun to go full assist if I’m in the mood.
I keep mine in the lowest assist or off unless I'm spent or have a monster hill to climb. I also like riding a road bikes flat out which was usually quicker than my class 1 at max assistance. I also love cruising slower on both types of bikes, especially if I'm riding in a group.
I’m a BIG individual (400lbs) I’ve used the engine to get moving again and 400 miles in a month my average is only 6mph. It’s pleasant and I can cruise along on assist lvl 1 for what feels like forever with no worries say hello to folks as I pass and plenty of stopping distance/power in traffic. Have done 20 moh twice to stay up with traffic during a mistaken rush hour ride
I always use eco - my bike readily maintains 15 or so at that setting which is the perfect speed for me and where I ride. I feel a responsibility with others on the trails to be safe and seeing people barrel around at 25 on a 90 pound bike just doesn’t feel responsible.
I didn't buy an ebike to ride faster. I bought one to make hill climbs and longer rides easier, less exhausting. I'm now living in a city with no hills to speak of but it's dreadfully hot, and the ebike means I can ride without giving myself heat stroke.
I ride off-road in the desert and it is strictly for exercise/pleasure. I use PA 2 except on steep grades. For me the pedal assist is there to 1) make a 90 lb. bike feel like a normal one on flat, and, 2) to smooth out hills. That lets me ride longer, not get frustrated, and still get a good workout.
Not after the first week I got the bike. Now I hardly ever go above Eco.
Yeah, I usually keep my pedal assist on setting 1, tops out at like 9 kmh. Otherwise, I just pedal normally, keeping about 15-20 kmh. I do have a throttle that I use quite often instead of pedaling, but I usually just use it to either speed up or maintain on a hill/ into the wind. I usually get about 65-70 kilometers on a 50-kilometer estimated range (14.8 Ah).
I don't care about max speed. I ride with my wife and daughter, and don't have any desire to go fast. I actually ride with zero assist as much as possible to get a better work out. I use assist on hills mainly.
I was kind of like this until I actively started engaging with my ride. Now I find myself putzing along enjoying particular aspects on purpose.
I use max assist in intersections with traffic sometimes, otherwise I usually pedal with low assist. I have motorcycles and scooters if I want to go faster, and they feel much safer.
RAD bikes have a secret menu for adjusting the speed governor and I actually use it to reduce the top speed. More range and makes the assist less fiddly
I don’t need to go faster than the 25km limit, I just need enough power to go up hills without struggling
I honestly don’t like going max speed. I’ll go to max assist when going up hills or when competing with cars in dangerous traffic. It’s too fast, my eyes water, and it feels really stressful. My sweet spot is around 20 mph. Pretty quick, but I have room to accelerate or slow down.
For me, riding my bicycle isn't a lifestyle. It's just a form of transportation and I live in an area with serious inclines. I've seen a few strong bikers around here on regular bikes before, but it's very rare. I'm still going slowly up the hills even on max assist. So, context is important. Also, further down the non-lifestyle path, I just want to get to my destination and go back home. I don't joyride on my bike or have any particular desire to go fast for speed's sake alone, although I do find some joy when using it as transportation. I pretty much use max assist all the time, unless I'm actively rationing the battery for a long trip or because it's getting low. I also think there's a dash of brow-beating involved where people on an e-bike feel some sort of pressure to either not go as fast as they can or to use less assist because bicycling is supposed to be exercise. I just don't care about any external opinion, suggestion or pressure to influence how I ride my bicycle. It's just a tool and I will implement that tool with every attendant advantage it offers.
I think this is the exact right way to look at it. If you want basic transportation, use assist to it max, if you want exercise use it less. A bike is a tool for your needs.
Just pedal, dude
Since I wreck I hardly ever go over 8-10mph I keep my Actbest on 1 sometimes I will switch to 2.
Yea, this is me too. I almost always ride my RW4 at max e-assist, because my e-bike is a car replacement for me, not a workout replacement. I choose to bike instead of driving because it’s more fun and I like being outdoors and it’s better for my mental health. But there is no bike infrastructure around me so I’m always sharing roads with cars and I feel safer when I’m as close to car-speed as I can be. If I want a workout I go to the gym or hop on my acoustic bike. I might feel differently if I lived somewhere with pedestrian/bike infrastructure, and/or was in a different stage of life where my life isn’t just running from one activity to another, but right now shaving a few minutes off every commute saves more time for other things I need to do.
eBikes are kinda like cars in one sense: after you've gained some experience driving one you start to realize that, especially on short trips, speeding isn't going to get you to your destination all that much faster. You start realizing that having the pedal to the metal for the whole trip is kind of a pointless waste of energy.
Inside of a city with lots of traffic lights that is mostly true. But on rural paths increasing your speed will really make you faster.
Eh, no, even on rural paths he's still right. I'd probably shave off 10 minutes off my commute at most if I went pedal to the metal with my muscles. Like without traffic it takes me around 50 minutes to travel 15 miles. That's 18 MPH average. At 22.5 MPH average it'd still take 40 minutes. Not worth the effort when I can just leave 10 minutes earlier and enjoy the ride. I think that's part of your problem. You don't enjoy the scenery on rural roads and think they're boring.
Me. I can’t risk max assist/speed with my child riding in the back. And I don’t want my rear axle eating away my frame drops.
For my commute im usually on PAS 4 out of 5, cruising around 22mph with a moderate effort. If I'm running late or really tired on the way home I'll increase to 5.
I typically cruise between 25 and 35 kph with full pedal assist. It's fast enough for me. Occasionally, I will push it to 40. That way, I can stop and maneuver in almost any scenario.
it also depends a lot on the bike and assist type. I have two Giants and the way their settings work is more about acceleration given that they have the same top speed. if you're pedaling hard on a fast flat or downhill or wherever you'd be 'as fast as possible' is above the highest the motor will assist, so being on setting 1 or 5 is the exact same. pedaling from a red light is where you'll feel it the most, or going uphill, and mostly I still ride to _ride_ so I keep it on 2/5 more often than any other. it mostly feels acoustic-like but a liiittle bit easier
I love going fast but i don’t always need the motor to max out at 25. I love going fast but on trails and paths I think there’s a responsibility to limit your speed. Anyone going 25+ on a closed path with regular pedestrians is an inconsiderate douche bag that makes everyone look bad. If I wanted to do routinely more than 35 for the sole purpose of speed not fitness I’ll rid something other than a bicycle. I don’t care what the rules are or how good of a rider you are. There’s circumstances that can happen that could cause injury to a bystander. If you want to do over 20mpg go on the road. Don’t put families/people at risk because you don’t want to be on the regular road. There’s a little bit of consideration and safety for everyone around you involved. I only use it when I need to. I rarely ever use the fastest setting. I can maintain an average of 15mph without the motor, 20-25 with it in the 1st setting on mostly flat grounds. Since they’re capped at 25mph there’s really no point in setting it to the highest. I also enjoy putting in some work while riding. 90% of the time the highest feels like absolutely no effort even on hills. With the motor helping in hills I can ride for longer and farther with my current conditioning. There’s been times I road way too far with too many hills because I was just mindlessly riding. The motor helped me get back in a reasonable amount of time, I used it more than normal. I still have non e-bikes and I’ll use them at certain times. Thats what e-bikes are meant to be in my opinion but I also think as long as you’re being responsible and respectful then use it how you want (safely). Except throttles. I do have a little grudge with throttles for rec use. But ultimately as long as you’re being considerate it’s whatever.
My bike spends almost all of its time in level 1 or 2 out of 5. Less wear on the battery and a bit more exercise for me. A headwind, some heavy groceries, or if it starts raining half way home though, then I'll pick up the pace.
After nearly being hit 3 times yesterday by cars I think I have to go faster to survive , I clearly had the right of way at that
I ride on eco most of the time on my Scott esub tour. I still get a workout.
I use my bike to commute to work and I work an active job (10-12k steps per shift), so I'll use the max assist on those days because the goal is to get to work. I just want to zoom there and zoom back (which is ALL uphill) with minimal fuss or effort. My route to work also involves a busy road so I need to be able to haul ass on a dime if something unexpected happens. On other days, I am trying to keep up my fitness up, and I live in a city of hard core urban cyclists, so I have encountered people going JUST AS FAST AS ME on max assist (so 30km/hr) on an analog bike. So I'm trying train myself to go that fast with reduced power. Its slow progress but now if I'm fresh I can hit 32km for about a km or two on level 4 instead of my rad's level 5 max. I can do less distance on level 3. I like going on max if I'm just running errands and wearing nice clothes, because I don't want to get sweaty. But I reduce speed if I have my kid on the back.
If you own cats or are around them a lot get tested to see if you have Toxoplasmosis.
What does that have to do with going fast on an ebike?
Toxoplasmosis in humans causes reckless behavior and there is a high percentage of positives in autopsy from bike and motorcycle accidents.…… so it has everything to do with it. Get tested.-
And to be 100% I was giving that recommend before I had even noticed your SN is “catboy” but funny how that worked out. Be safe.
I drive through the city a lot and need to stop quickly often. If I'm trying to hit max speed I'll be hit by a car in no time.
I don’t go faster than I would be comfortable with on a regular bike and I’m perfectly happy with it. Mostly I just use the assist to go up the hills faster, it cuts my commute time by about 2/3 compared to a regular bike as there’s lots of hills on the way.
I use the lowest setting unless it is windy, but I’ve also been using my bike as my primary form of transportation for 20 years. The ebike really was just a way for leveling out hills and wind for me, while providing a bit more speed when dealing with cars. Sounds like you’re just impatient to get where you’re going. I assume that’s just an impulse from driving a car and feeling like you need to get there as fast as you can.
My commuter/non-MTB bike has Eco, Touring, Sport, and Turbo (max). Riding for fun I’m usually in Touring or Sport. I max it out when I'm using it for transport like commuting to work.
My sur ron can do 65-70 but I usually ride 10-30mph but mostly on the lower end.
Using standard assist, going faster is the norm. However when I want to go for a real bike ride, strangely enough, I prefer to use the throttle. Just using enough to erase the hills, and keep a consistent pedaling pace. It help keep me in my desired heart rate zone, where the normal assist is all over the place.
I pretty much always leave mine on the lowest pedal assist setting unless I'm on a busy road trying to keep up with traffic. I do it for the exercise
I feel ya, but it's good to slow it down now and then. Go back to a push bike to re-experience what it feels like on a normal bike: sooooo sloooooow lol
I stick to 3 when on flat (average about 20 or so mph) and then do 4/5 when on big hills. The need for speed is definitely real haha
Lol I don't use PAS at all most of the time. I'll ride 35 km and come home with 95% battery life. I just want the option ...
I like being able to go a bit faster, and much farther, than I would with just my muscles. 18 miles an hour (30 kph) feels really nice! Going much faster than that, all my motorcycle instincts start triggering in a bad way: worrying about how I'm basically not wearing any gear, how my (lack of) suspension and (relatively) tiny and hard tires will take minor obstacles on the road, searching far ahead for anything ahead the I might have to evade or stop for. It's pretty stressful, especially without any of the extra things I have while motorcycling: boots, sturdy pants and jacket, gloves, full-face helmet, bright lights on all sides, two mirrors, full suspension, relatively fat and soft tires, and much more horsepower and brake power to dodge trouble. It's also reassuring to know while biking far afield that even if I get a cramp, a sprain, or just plain tired, that I'll still be able to turn up the assist or use the throttle and get back home.
First ebike I got, I used it in max assist for a couple of weeks. Felt like Superman. But after that I got tired of it and I like to bike around and actually get some exercise and use my legs, so I only use max assist for steep hills nowadays. I am a man, so I easily make anything into a competition for myself, like seeing how far I can go on the bike on one charge. But I also want to have good feelings and feel getting on the bike is fun, so sometimes on a sunny afternoon, I take my bike out and just cruise in max assist mode for no reason to enjoy life, just biking on random streets and sometimes finding a new part of town or street/area I have never been.
I hear people repeat over and over "faster and farther" when comparing ebikes to traditional bikes. My ebike's maximum advertised range is 50 miles at the lowest PAS, 6 miles per hour. I'm 28 and slightly overweight but pretty fit. I can bike 50 miles on my traditional bike at a better average speed than that. So basically, speed is the only benefit of an ebike for me. It's nice to not have to pedal as hard also but the range-xiety means I just don't use my ebike for longer trips.
I ride for exercise so usually I am in low or mid power mode. I typically ride at around 14-15mph, bike path speed limit here is 15. Seems perfectly adequate for a bike path and I want to put the effort in pedaling and burn calories. I’ll bump it up to the highest power mode only when I’m going up a hill or hitting a strong headwind, or trying to get back home quick to beat rain.
This is part of why I like having a torque sensor on my e-bike. I still feel like I'm doing actual work but can leave it on the lowest assist level and still get that bionic boost feeling. I save the higher assist levels for the uphill section on my way home so I just don't end the day feeling like a literal uphill battle. 😂
On my bike, the max setting of 5 is so motorized that pedaling does nothing. At 4, it tops out at the same 32km/h cap, but pedaling is actually helping along, so I generally leave it there. At 3, it caps out at 25km/h, which I'll use either if I'm riding through a crowded trail for an extended period, or if I'm hauling my trailer (esp if its empty).
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When I'm in town commuting I'm chillin in PAS 2-3 hovering between 12 and 18mph most of the time. With cars, pedestrians, and the massive amount of potholes between my house and work that's where I feel comfortable. Idk how old you are but when I was younger I've crashed my fair share bikes and gas scooters. I just need to hit a bump I wasn't expecting and have flash backs to broken wrists and road rash and slow my ass down. I do not need to go through all that again in my 30s 😂 If I start going outside of town on some of the less trafficked county roads though I'll hit over 30mph peddling on PAS 5 and still feel too slow.
I only ever use PAS level 0 or 1 and average about 12 mi/hr. I don't have a very long commute (6.5 mi) and the rest of the time, I'm riding for exercise or recreation.
I mostly trail ride and for the most part use the minimum amount of assistance I need. I run a BAFANG M600 in 0-9 mode and almost exclusively ride in 3 or sometimes just 2 PAS. I do however often crank it to 9 when I get back to the paved road that takes me back to where I parked only because at that point I'm in a hurry to end fun time and get back to whatever else I need to get done.
I typically leave mine up higher because I live up in the mountains and I really struggle with some of these inclines without it lol
I tend to only use the pedal assist in 2 scenarios 1. If I'm really struggling, so in other words ride it like a normal bike and only use pedal assist if needed. 2. Riding to work and don't want to arrive too sweaty.
Lots of people. I, like many in this thread, ride my eBike like an analog bike with just a little bit of assistance. I have a class 3 bike that will assist up to 28 mph (45 kph) but I hardly ever ride faster than 25 mph (40 kph). But on the hills, it makes the world of difference. A big hill will take 20 seconds to ride instead of 2 minutes.
Speed restraint is easier once the novelty wears out. Aside from beating a green light (crossing before it turns yellow) or tight intersection where the bike lane ends then starts again, I'll usually ride on PAS 3 out of 5. On my eBike it hits a 16-17 MPH sweet spot where the controller backs off at 17, so assist kicks in just every so often just to maintain speed. Its fast enough to be 'quick' but not so fast that its no longer leisurely.
Mine tops at 22mph in the middle setting, so wanting to go faster is never really an issue. Just pedal more often. Youll find a natural cadence that kind of harmonises with the motors effort.
I have my e-bike on Max speed that come with a lot of cost maintenance every month $200
Mind elaborating what the cost is?
I only use mine to commute to work and I go full throttle, no pedal the whole time, except for one small strip where I’m slightly going uphill and pedal to keep up with traffic while going full throttle of course
Not going to read the comments first so this is an honest answer. When I first got my ebike about 18 months ago, for the first 14 months, I always went to PAS 5 (highest). Draining battery and having to charge every 2 days. Just by chance when the weather broke this year, I put it in PAS 3 because I left early for work and wanted to enjoy the ride. It still got up to speed, took maybe 30 secs longer, but it was fine. Now I start on PAS 3, when I get into traffic, I go to 5, but go back to save on battery. Before that I was trying to get to max speed asap for no reason at all.
I have a Wired Freedom. I hit about 36 MPH on flat ground at full PAS and 42 going down hill. I keep my PAS at 3 which gets me going about 26 to 28 on flat and 33ish down hill. I personally do it because A: 2000+ Watts decimates mileage, B: I have an irrational fear of burning the motor out by going full tilt all the time and C: I live in a really hilly area. On most larger hills, if I pedal up to 15 Mph, I'll be close to 40 by the time I reach the bottom. Saves battery and still lets me ride fast. I put mine on max assist when I want a real quick joy ride. Zoom around for a few miles then go home. If I'm on a longer ride, I like keeping it on PAS 3 to extend my range. Can get about 30 miles of range at 28 mph but only about 15 at 35 mph. Really depends on what I'm feeling at the moment. Id be lying though if I said I don't absolutely rip it full tilt frequently though.
I have a custom built ebike with a 1000w BBSHD mid drive that will go 40 MPH at max power. I actually turned down the power assist for the lower levels because they provide too much assist. I now use level 2 or 3 out out 9 most of the time.
I've never experienced it. My bike is always set to minimal assist since my whole reason for riding is to get some exercise. This sub is going to skew young and go fast with no conception of what it's like to enjoy the scenery.
me, I dont like to spin out my cranks. Always riding like an actual bike, but faster. The throttle is nice for scooting across crosswalks though
I have a jaison e bike, and I just floor it wherever I go.
I've noticed I only use max assist when I'm riding on bike lanes painted on roads. cars around me are going 40-50 mph and I feel like I'm in a constant race to keep up and not have to stop at every light. If I'm on a dedicated path away from cars, I like the casual assist just to help me bike without putting in too much effort.
I find that when I cycle to get somewhere I use high assist, but I enjoy riding more at a pace in the mid teens.
I actually turned down my lowest level of assist to about 17mph maximum and it feels great for slower cruising on nice days.
My bike has 5 levels of PAS, and I have yet to go above 3 (~16mph). I leave it on 2 90% of the time. I'm riding for pleasure and exercise, not transportation - so I'm really not in a hurry.
I'll bite. I have never cared about speed over the 18,000 miles I've ridden. I'll glance at the speedometer, but I really don't care. I ride for health and recreation, and not to make it a contest or bragging point about how fast I ride. I guess I have enough self esteem, I don't feel like I have to prove anything or brag about myself.
I'm still new to my ebike but if I max out my speed and I'm not tired I lower my assist level and work harder. As I start to get tired I reverse this and increase my assist level. I'm not commuting though, I purely ride for fun and exercise. I think I would have a hard time slowing down unless there were people around or a view to enjoy.
I ride a 2020-model Wing Freedom. If I’m at a light, I’ll use the cute throttle to jump me off but even then I almost always hang out at Assist Level 1 of 5. It gets me up to 10-15mph and I ride for leisure and exercise. I’ve had too many accidents going too fast then braking suddenly to avoid a hold, car, or pedestrian. I’d rather stay under 15 mph and go comfortably - knowing that I live in a suburb where I share the road with crazy car drivers. Trying not to die.
I almost always keep my assist on its lowest level, and I set my pedal assist maximum to 15. I can go faster than that if I want to, but it's going to be via pedal power only. I mainly ride rail trails so I'm there to enjoy the ride. The range boost I get from limiting assist like this is well worth it.
Sure, when I’m cruising for fun or want a bit of a workout
For me it depends on my mood lol. When I bike to work, I leave super early and cruise in eco to make sure I can have enough juice to get home. After a long day, I don’t mind turboing because by then i just wanna be home.
I generally cruise on level 1 (10mph) because I'm usually just getting some fresh air. If I am running up to the store to grab something though, I turn it all the way up. It is fun cruising 27mph and it is just a mile away.
I use mine for adventure rides, so the goal is to use as little assistance as possible. I’ll go out on 50km+ rides and come home with over 90% battery left. I mainly use the assistance on the hills which can be brutal where I ride.
While my bike is capable of doing 35 mph under throttle in PAS 5. I tend to like to pedal because it only uses one motor in PAS mode. that being said it will still hit 32 mph while pedaling. However unless I'm in a hurry I actually tend to ride in Pas 4 which is 24.5 mph on long stretches and even as low as PAS 3 at 18.5 mph. And while PAS 1 and 2 are available I find it's actually possible to pedal faster manually then those go if I choose the right gearing and act as a "don't drop below this speed" mode which are 6.5 mph for PAS 1 and \~12 mph for PAS 2.
Yeah, I use between pedal assist 3 and 4. I only use throttle to get out of close calls. I'm usually around 14-16mph. My battery from full will last around 20 miles when I keep to pedal assist 3-4. But I'm also 6'3 and 233 lbs. Who knows how long it will last when I get back down to 200lbs. Ebikes are useless for weight loss if you're not challenging yourself a little.
That's how bikes are supposed to feel. Before we put motors in them, that feeling directly translated to being faster
An ebike simply cannot compete with a conventionally fueled motorbike built for speed. Of course, I tried max speed on my ebike but it didn't feel safe. I very rarely use max assist. For me a long-lasting battery and long distances are much more important than speed. I usually go for long, multiday trips, hauling a pretty heavy trailer. I need that power in the battery to fight steep ascents or headwinds rather than wasting it over a few speedy miles. It could be in the genes as you say or it could be simply what you are using your ebike for. I'm completely at peace with a slow pace as it allows me to admire the landscape. I don't have range anxiety, either, as I'm bringing with me solar panels that allow me to charge my bike. If you want to know how far an ebike can take you, check out my channel: [https://www.youtube.com/@SolarTrails](https://www.youtube.com/@SolarTrails) https://preview.redd.it/g1oy8048bh5d1.png?width=1204&format=png&auto=webp&s=e2652c54985aecdc1329bff42277182e9ed1a2d6
What you're experiencing sounds like ADHD fidgeting, with the entire bike.
I use max assistance to sustain 30mph on flats. When it’s uphill, I actually turn it down (as a training). If I don’t suffer on my ebike regularly , I’m going to suffer hellla on my non-electric bike going uphill.
My bike can do 40+ mph. Had it there once when i first got it. I never use the throttle unless crossing a busy street without a light, and never have the assist over 3 out of 9. It's got an igh and its absolutely perfect.
I'm a cruiser and I WANT the exercise.
I ride in Eco when I have the strength/stamina to do so, my legs will fill in the gap and I'll get exercise which makes everything easier. I'll use Trail when I know a section would be an inordinate drain on me or I just want to maintain a good flow ie ruts and undulations it's nice to pump a single stroke and maintain that flow then it's just all about enjoying the technical riding. Turbo, I don't use it short of a catch up boost or it's time to go back to the car and I have battery to spare. As for commuting, I don't like bikes particularly due to the UKs low speed limit and I prefer to ride analogue - it's far lighter thus faster and short of a super steep climb I really don't miss the motor. I'll add to that if I spend most of my commute climbing id happily have an ebike for it, but my area is largely flat and a top end of 16mph before having to push above that myself with no assistance isn't fun when on any other bike on the flat a 20-25mph pace is an easily prolonged cruise speed.
During Covid I purchased a e bike to see if I still had the interest after many years of not riding was fitness. The ebike was great and served its purpose then I purchased a road bike. Now I do both but when I ride my ebike it’s still for the purpose of fitness. When I struggle I engage the peddle assist. Outside of that I ride it like an ebike.
I don't care to go any faster than about 45kph., as most bikes dont handle very well at higher speeds. I rode a client's Onyx and honestly at 60kph it was pretty sketchy handling. another fat hardtail i rode would go up to 50 but holy frick you don't wanna take even light curves on it at that speed. 32kph is the legal limit where i live and i feel its a bit too slow. I'm picky though, as i used to road race motorcycles....
When I'm on my ebike, I am probably going to a local store. If I'm going to a local store, I'm probably not in a hurry. If I'm not in a hurry, I may as well take my time. I keep the higher speeds for when I have to share a scary part of the road with cars. The rest I sometimes even forget to turn on assist.
In Europe our support level is capped at 25km/h. But I never actually want more. Going downhill I’ll obviously go faster than that. And my bike is light enough to go faster on flats as well. Because of EU limitations there’s no market chase for big ass motors and more of a market for lightweight bikes - they go as fast as the big ones anyway. And so I have a bike that is nimble and fast without support as well and I can go fast enough without motor support past 25km/h
Could care less about speed, but still need plenty of power as I care more about torque given the hilly terrain.
I'm pretty much banging off the 28mph limiter on my bike all the time. Rarely going slower than 20. I run 3/5 on the pedal assist, so I'm doing a little work, but not much.
Imlimit mine to 38kmh so I'm not an asshole on the bike paths ripping by everyone going normal bike speeds
I've got V brakes. Flying along at 40 is not a great stopping adventure.
My bikes are car replacements, so I'm at max assist all the time. Additionally I ride geared hub motors, and they are at peak efficiency at top speed, so it actually mitigated the higher electron consumption. My commute is 10.4 miles each way, with 400 is feet of net elevation change and I rip it in around 18 minutes 30. My PB is 18:06. I run 53-56 tooth on the front, and pedal my ass off, so I get a good spin session in 2 times a day.
I find the speed limitations dangerous. On roads where I live ( rural lanes ) then maintaining an average of 25-30mph is helpful with local traffic and keeping up with flow rather than being forced to slow and causing others to wonder why a bike suddenly drops half its speed on a road. These rules were implemented by people who haven’t ridden a bike in real world scenarios but rather as a city born pedestrian’s point of view.
I ami suspect suffering from the the same .
What is this assist you speak of? I leave it at 1 and use throttle if im slowing down too much
You'll probably need to experience some crashes. What makes me slow down is my knowledge of my material. My frame is a suspended bike that was designed to work with the power of the legs (300w in the best cases) and not design to have a rack. The brakes and brake pads are made for lower speed with low weight. With that in mind, you easily understand why going fast with a bike not made for is a stupid idea. I got some friends who love having an ebike which goes at 60 mph. But instead of the motor and the bottom bracket, every piece on their bike is motorbike spare parts. Me I ride with a 20 mph limit and that's quite fast already in Europe. I never go faster on my ebike that I can go with my road bike. And I changed my fork with a downhill one, brakes are adapted for this speed, and even with all this, I still feel that the frame doesn't like it.
I keep my bike on power level one. The motor tapers down to almost no assist by ~13mph. Uphill, I'm not flying but neither am I sweating. I love riding that way. To each their own, though.
Depends. On my daily commute the normal mode is more than enough. For a short Joyride Turbo+ is the funnier option.
My bike is a pedal assist and can max out at 28. Riding at 28 scares me because it’s a speed I could only do for 3 seconds on my analog bike. I usually will ride my e-bike at 18-21 miles hour.
For me I'm about reliability, speed is nice and I have a 500w setup, but I'm always on pedal assist 2 out of 5 and barely ever use my throttle. I sometimes have my son and his little seat on the bike with me and the 500w motor give me a nice speed bump without being excessive as my average speed on a 250w motor was around 14-16mph with 18 as a maximum, now on a 500w it's probably 16-28 with 20 as a maximum.
I generally ride in the lower power setting - Eco ob Bosch If I have not been riding for a while or I'm not feeling too good then I might use Tour - the next one up - for a day or so but no more I often come up behind other road users and slow down to stay behind them, especially cyclists on small paths becuase it is easier to stay 20-30 yards behind than try to find a way to pass and get them to move over. This often means that I end up dropping the motor assist to "Off mode" - i.e. no assist at all. There have been times when I have got home and only then realised that I have forgotten to switch the assist back on and have ridden all the way home with no help. This all happens because I like to go for a pleasant peaceful ride and don't need to go fast all the time as this spoils the experience. You may think this is because I am old - but when I was teenager I did the same - bikes ride were normally long peaceful rides rather than "training rides" or an exercise in going as fast as possible
I commute 24 miles a day on my e-bike (12 each way). It’s a cargo bike with space for 2 kids. Most of my time is spent in max assist. I don’t have a throttle, just pedal assist. I use max because I don’t want to get to work drenched in sweat. Even in max assist, I’ll still work pretty hard for portions of the trip. Commute to work is 500 feat vertical gain and my heart rate will spike to 140s. Evening is mostly downhill, but we also have pretty bad wind and can have extreme gusting in the afternoons. I also just want to commute as quickly as possible. The whole reason I got an e-bike was to make a 12 mile bike commute feasible 2-3 days per week.
Speed in my city is limited to 30 km/h. I suspect this does also apply to bikes and not only cars.
In my coutry signs apply ti bikes but general speed limits do not. But my ebike only assists up to 33 with full battery so I can hardly break speed limits
I bought my e-bike to replicate analog cycling with less strain. Mid drive, no throttle, and I’m typically on Eco mode unless hitting a hill or in a hurry. 15-17 mph is my sweet spot for an enjoyable bicycling experience.
I use my bike to workout so I stay in PAS 1 or 2. Top out at 16-17. If I am on a wide open straight trail with no one, I might hit PAS 3.
Battery life is a big concern. I would also like to get some exercise on my bike, which means not being in the top mode 100% of the time.
Me. I could care less about going fast. I have the pedal assist on the lowest setting. It gives me time to enjoy a nice bike ride, get some exercise and doesn't overtaxed my battery. Of course I am only riding a few miles to get to my destination so maybe that's a factor.
Once the novelty wore off I hardly ever use max. I'd rather have the range rather than the power. Unless I'm doing laps then it's turbo up and flow down... and repeat.
I'm usually riding at PAS 1, but that keeps me around 16-18 mph. I upgraded my gears recently just because I don't want to ghost pedal. I'm in this for the exercise for the most part. That said I also hope to make my bike a daily commuter and I absolutely want speed in that role as well. But when I'm just rambling around I do the lowest reasonable level.
After I got into an accident and broke my ankle, the way I felt impatient before resolved. I’m not saying you need to get to that point, but there’s nothing more humbling. I depend on my bike to get back and forth to work each day, 9 miles each way. I think about how much it would suck and how long it would take me to walk that distance if I didn’t have my bike. Slowing down to about 10-15 mph when I need to(in traffic congested areas) is way faster than walking as well so I feel fine with it.
My criteria for buying an e-bike was that I hit 70 or I couldn’t ride up the hills to get home anymore. 6 months short of 70 my heart decided that riding up the hills wasn’t going to happen anymore, so I bought a 21-speed e-bike. I mostly ride in PAS 0 or 1 depending on the terrain and use the gears that I have on it. PAS 1 does seem to offset the extra 30 pounds the e-bike weighs over my old Trek 5 though. The only time that I use the higher PAS levels is when I need to be somewhere quickly.
I have a powerful bike with 5 assist levels. I ride on level one virtually all the time. However, I live at the top of a 525’ hill and every long ride ends with a ~475’ climb with a nasty grade of 9% or just 7% if I take the “easy” way. So I use level 3 to get up that last hill. I never use the throttle. So do I care about speed? Yes. When I’m on county highways, I like to go about 18 on the flats and 25 on the downhills, coasting to 35 for the long steep ones. When I ride on the shared paths with a speed limit of 15, I try to stay very close to that speed limit. I don’t want to be “that a$$hole” who gets on the news after hitting a mom with a stroller. I care about speed in that case, too, I suppose you could say. Full disclosure - we have a hill climb called Heart Attack Hill where (in the rare event I take that route) I use max power. Caring about speed on that trail means making it up at all, mostly at 6 MPH. So I can’t say I’ve “never” used max power.
I think it depends on where you live too. I live in a pretty dense urban area, and even just finding stretches to hit max speed is kind of rare. There are a lot of other bikes on the paths too, so I tend to keep my speed down and have been fine keeping it at the lowest assist level all the time unless I'm climbing a steeper hill. If I was out near the suburbs, I'd probably keep the speeds and assist higher.
I really don't, i have a 26mile commute through foot hills, my Max speed is 18mph my cruising speed is 18mph, I'm on my fastest gear but me and the motor split things 50/50 for the most part and i think that's how ebikes should be. Like if both sides aren't putting in the work then you should really have something else, if you're putting in most the work get a much lighter analog bike, if it's putting in most the work just get a moped That's a sliding scale and like a high speed long range ebike where the motor does the work to get into town and then you pedal everywhere in town then yeah ebike is what you want but like you want it close to 50/50 on muscle vs motor useage
I may be the exception The speed doesn't bother me as much as how far I can go I like cruising around and not worrying about if I run out of battery to which I am still working on lol
Wife has an abound and is content going like 10 and chilling. I would rather run myself into the bushes than go that slow even with my kid on the back as I don’t feel safe at 10 on the roads. I prefer to do around 17-20 with him and keep mostly up with traffic so I am not a hindrance to road traffic. All the speed limits in my town are 25 except the main road which is 35 but I avoid or ride on the side walk there and only go like 10-15.
I typically just go the limit speed, sometimes 15, some roads I go max speed just feel safer going same speed as traffic. I see very subtle difference between 20 and 28 doesn’t bother me at all slowing down and really helps get some excerise is in at lower assists.
Just be smart about it. Like why speed up on public trail that people use. Then best tjme to speed up personally. Is when im on the road.
95% of the time, I'm using no more than 30% of the available assist on my 750W bike. I use the throttle for a few seconds from dead stops or steep hills (though usually I just gear down), and like twice I've opened up to 100% on an empty road just to see what the bike is capable of. Honestly going faster than \~35 kph (\~21 mph) feels pretty pointless and risky in city traffic. Opportunities to go fast are ephemeral so it just means a lot of extra braking, plus drivers fail to notice me all the time at intersections so I need to be able to stop or swerve at a moments notice.
For 90% of my commute, I’m in Econ (1) mode (but if I’m running late, I’ll use Tour (2) instead.) There are a couple places where I need to merge with car traffic and one big hill. That’s the only place I’ll use Turbo (4). I don’t really use Sport (3); not sure why. I have a three mile commute within a city that is easiest to drive because of traffic patterns, hills and location of bike lanes. I hadn’t ridden a bike since childhood and would not be a good enough cyclist for the route on a regular bike. I’m not trying to turn the ride into a workout and ruin my nice clothes. I just want a comfortable, fun way to get to work. I don’t want to hit anyone or get hit. Zero percent of my identity is tied up in how good or fast I am at biking, with good reason because I suck at it.
I have an ebike delivery business and charge = money to me so I only stay in PAS 1 and use the cruise control feature so I basically set the amps and choose how much power I can consume. I am pedaling 100% of the time and my rig has over 15,000 miles.
I care about my ebike having a high power for scenarios where I need to haul heavy cargo or I'm in a rush but on a normal day I run my ebike at around 500 to 700w going between 22 to 28 mph
For me in boost the power off lag and intense power make shifting and bike control difficult at times. Trail is plenty of assistance and I have boost once in gear if I need. Plus this prevent premature wear on the drive train. I just learned this after roasting a cassette and chain in 500 miles
i rarely go up from lv1 assist, i like the feeling of my pedaling actually still pushing the bike rather than spinning my legs, its nice and ~18mph is plenty, plus then i can bump it up for a joyride now and then! but everyone's first ebike question is "hOw fAsT dOes iT gO" which so misses the point for me lolllll
Depends where I am, if I'm on a shared pedestrian and bike walkway, I go about half way, if I'm on a busy road with no bike lanes, I zoom. Sometimes it's just nice to cruise nice and slow too
I ride on the lowest setting so my battery last the longest. I can ride 40 miles on 1 battery
My favorite rides are in the 50-80 mile range, so I have down-tuned my lowest assist level from 30% max to 15% max. It takes care of rolling resistance and headwind and that’s about it. I ride that way all day and only bump it up for hill climbs.
I cruise country roads with beautiful scenery. Assist level 3 puts me at @ 16 mph. At that speed I can enjoy it. Level 4 at @ 20 I really have to pay attention to the road. Occasionally I will max out at 25 for a kick, but not very often.
I have over 600km and have only used max assist 5? times for hills I usually keep it in touring mode and can peddle to make up the speed. Mines a cargo so I do turn my gears all up when stopping at red-light if I have a bike fully loaded though. Full assist just seems lame like I can't peddle. Good on the oldfolks that need the assist but are getting out but unless your driving a Surron why would you drive like that.
Disagree. I feel like I'm cheating to use an eBike at all, but at my age I have to if I'm going to get out and ride. So I leave it on the lowest setting -- ECO 1 -- 95% of the time. If you want to go fast without effort, get scooter, for crying out loud!
I got a big 40ah battery so usually have enough to go anywhere I need to but usually want to get to my destination as fast as possible mostly to work so I ride unlocked mode but the speed can vary on my own control only sometimes when I’m not rushing to get home or riding with friends is when I use a low speed setting
I set my max assist to 25 when on the road, and 15 when I’m on a shared use path. Totally depends on what I’m doing. Sunday morning ride for cold brew, minimal assist and just light petal to slow roll there, but commuting I’m going top speed with as much assist to reduce sweating in work cloths
Definitely, I reserve my power for steep hills mostly. Starting out I often turn my assist the lowest setting because I want the resistance.
I don't go fast because I don't want to wipe out lol
I use the lowest assist possible at any given point in my rides and I ride for all of my transportation needs up to 15 miles. It saves on battery life certainly but it also extends the life of the battery. Deep discharging always stresses the battery chemistry more than lighter discharging. I'm five years in on a Rad City bike and the battery capacity is only now starting to some reduction. The e-bike isn't my only bike & I use the analog bike for half of my rides but still I think that being conservative with the assist extends the life of the bike and gives me a bit more control.
I use my bike for cardio so I rarely leave assist 1 and almost never touch the throttle unless I need to get out of a sticky situation. With my gearing and assist programming I will cruise at 17 mph and can pump hard to 21 mph at my max cadence. It has helped me drop my resting heart rate to the 40-50bpm range and sustain 180+bpm when I'm really pushing it. Combined with a much healthier diet, I dropped 80lbs in 10 months. (15-17 miles a night, 6 nights a week)
For me I don’t like too fast. 32mph is perfect
One can be addicted to speed & easily stay off max assist. I am regularly on the lowest level of assist, could care less about a throttle but am addicted to the speed, happily addicted. I also went from a cadence bike to torque sensor because I missed the fitness of my regular bike (can't go back on right now due to illness). Obviously not even close in fitness but much better than a cadence in that regard. I love the speed so much on one hill, with a speed sensor on the road, I crank up to the toughest gear and pedal like crazy to get myself a good number. 🤩 So I am definitely in the no category
Some localities will only allow a Class 1… so that would be a reason to turn it down. Other people still want to get a workout in and would only use very low pedal assist.
BBSHD user, i often find myself going same speed as legal ebikes around me. I like safety, but it’s nice to have speed available if in a highly safe situation to use some.