The last two days I have been enjoying spring, and the really wonderful thing is that I have been doing some things that I haven't been able to do in a long time. I walked. I walked more than half-way out Picnic Point and back, and that is the furthest I have been able to walk in over a year. I worked in my garden. I gardened last year, but I remember how discouraging it was being painful kneeling down and getting back up. This year there is almost no pain.
I can't give the bike all the credit, by any means. I was determined to get better this year, and I have a wonderful physical therapist (thank you, Pat!) and have been working hard on the exercises and stretches. Spring and sunshine and warmer days have helped also.
But the bike has been important, both physically and mentally. I feel stronger and I feel liberated. The bike babies me if I need it, but most of the effort is mine - and I have new strength to prove it. That, in turn, helps make other types of exercise more possible. I feel more alive and positive than I have in a while.
I read a blog by an e-biker in Seattle who was asking regular bikers to stop hating on e-bikes. She said some regular bikers hate e-bikes because they're "cheating." Having felt in the beginning that perhaps I was cheating, I can understand that. But sorry, anything that makes me work harder than I was - just by enabling me to get out more - isn't cheating, it's glorious!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Longest Ride Yet: 7 Miles
Today marked a couple of firsts for me. One, it is my longest ride to date, and two, it is the first time I have biked outside of Madison starting from my house. Woohoo! I biked seven miles, to Middleton and back. It's not the Tour de France, but I'm happy.
The route from my house to the west side Willy St. Co-op in Middleton is more hilly than anything I have done so far - and my battery has not been charged since I got the new battery - several rides ago. There are three power indicator lights: green, yellow, and red. Normally all three are lit up. Today the red and yellow ones were lit, but the green one was lit only faintly. The manual says that means I'm starting to get low on charge, but I wanted to know how much further I could go. So I made sure my husband was willing to come and rescue me if I got stranded without power, and I headed out with my backpack.
What's interesting is that the lights change depending on what load you're putting on the battery. On the level, sometimes even the green light would be fully lit. Going up a hill, the green light would dim or even go out. It's good, because you feel like you're getting constant feedback about the power status.
Most of my ride was along Old Middleton Road, a fairly pleasant route. There's plenty of room for a bike along the side. Being Saturday, there was a good amount of traffic, so it was good to have the space. I was startled to find, however, that the speed bumps for cars extend all the way to the edges, so they go across the bike lane as well as the car lane. That makes for quite an obstacle bump. It's not like I'm going so fast I need to be slowed down, so I wonder why they do that. Anyway, I learn something new every day.
The downside of heading out with a low battery is that I was more cautious using the power assist - or maybe that was the upside, since I used my own power more. :-) But I certainly used it at least somewhat on every hill.
Welcome to Middleton! One of this summer's biking goals met. My next goal for out of Madison rides is to go south on the commuter path and then either south to Verona or west towards Seminole highway - but for now I'm thrilled to see the sign for Middleton.
I remembered my bike lock this time, and was able to lock to a bike rack. I remembered to take the key with me also, so I'm on a roll!
Shopping felt nice and restful, and I got sustenance in the form of a couple of samples. Great tamales made in Milwaukee! I started back with a full backpack of groceries (including some tamales for dinner), and resolved very quickly to use as much power as I needed, even if it meant running out and needing a ride home. Carrying a heavy pack really reduces the enjoyable element of biking. I have so got to find a way to make my carriers work for this bike. My lovely West Side Farmers Market has already started, and I want to bike there as often as I can this summer - and I don't want to be carrying a watermelon home like this!
Final lap! I headed up Rosa Road's hill, throttling up the power after I had gotten less than half way up. Close to the top the orange light went off, and I was left with only red. But when I eased off the power, the orange light came back on, and even the green, faintly. At the top, all lights were back on. Yay! My turn on South Hill Drive and it's all downhill from here. Wheeled into my driveway triumphant!
So I have learned that the battery indicator lights give you a fair amount of advance warning before your power is completely gone. I knew the power was low starting out, but I went seven more miles and never lost power. I will certainly charge up before I go out again, but that is really, really good to know.
The route from my house to the west side Willy St. Co-op in Middleton is more hilly than anything I have done so far - and my battery has not been charged since I got the new battery - several rides ago. There are three power indicator lights: green, yellow, and red. Normally all three are lit up. Today the red and yellow ones were lit, but the green one was lit only faintly. The manual says that means I'm starting to get low on charge, but I wanted to know how much further I could go. So I made sure my husband was willing to come and rescue me if I got stranded without power, and I headed out with my backpack.
What's interesting is that the lights change depending on what load you're putting on the battery. On the level, sometimes even the green light would be fully lit. Going up a hill, the green light would dim or even go out. It's good, because you feel like you're getting constant feedback about the power status.
Most of my ride was along Old Middleton Road, a fairly pleasant route. There's plenty of room for a bike along the side. Being Saturday, there was a good amount of traffic, so it was good to have the space. I was startled to find, however, that the speed bumps for cars extend all the way to the edges, so they go across the bike lane as well as the car lane. That makes for quite an obstacle bump. It's not like I'm going so fast I need to be slowed down, so I wonder why they do that. Anyway, I learn something new every day.
The downside of heading out with a low battery is that I was more cautious using the power assist - or maybe that was the upside, since I used my own power more. :-) But I certainly used it at least somewhat on every hill.
Welcome to Middleton! One of this summer's biking goals met. My next goal for out of Madison rides is to go south on the commuter path and then either south to Verona or west towards Seminole highway - but for now I'm thrilled to see the sign for Middleton.
I remembered my bike lock this time, and was able to lock to a bike rack. I remembered to take the key with me also, so I'm on a roll!
Shopping felt nice and restful, and I got sustenance in the form of a couple of samples. Great tamales made in Milwaukee! I started back with a full backpack of groceries (including some tamales for dinner), and resolved very quickly to use as much power as I needed, even if it meant running out and needing a ride home. Carrying a heavy pack really reduces the enjoyable element of biking. I have so got to find a way to make my carriers work for this bike. My lovely West Side Farmers Market has already started, and I want to bike there as often as I can this summer - and I don't want to be carrying a watermelon home like this!
Final lap! I headed up Rosa Road's hill, throttling up the power after I had gotten less than half way up. Close to the top the orange light went off, and I was left with only red. But when I eased off the power, the orange light came back on, and even the green, faintly. At the top, all lights were back on. Yay! My turn on South Hill Drive and it's all downhill from here. Wheeled into my driveway triumphant!
So I have learned that the battery indicator lights give you a fair amount of advance warning before your power is completely gone. I knew the power was low starting out, but I went seven more miles and never lost power. I will certainly charge up before I go out again, but that is really, really good to know.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Grocery Shopping By Bike
The past week has been challenging to my biking commitment, but I ended up doing pretty well. I felt like I was starting over, not for myself but to make good and sure that the new battery was really going to solve the power failure problem. On longer and longer rides, still not straying further from home than I wanted to power my own way back, it worked totally dependably.
So today I decided I could go further without being worried about getting stuck without power. I needed to get out of the house, I wanted to bike, and I needed groceries - so I decided to combine these by biking to the store.
I needed a gallon and a half of milk (some drink whole milk around here and some drink 2%), and the problem is that the wonderful carriers I have for my old bike don't work on the new bike. I settled for my backpack and headed out.
The store is about a mile and a half away, and it was downhill most of the way there. I took a back route, but it was still more "in traffic" than I really enjoy. I can't say I'm a fan of that part. I prefer my bike experiences to be quieter, and I really want my rear view mirror. My experiences in traffic have been in a car for most of the last few decades, and my habit of checking mirrors often is pretty ingrained. I have a bike mirror, but it's on my old bike.
I got to the store and realized that I didn't have a bike lock! Yet another thing that is on my old bike! I'm seeing a pattern here. As with the very first ride, I'd much rather just get on and go. I don't seem to have much patience for the "maintenance" part of biking, apparently even something as simple as grabbing my bike lock and making sure it's with the new bike. I think this may be a character flaw. Dang. Luckily, I asked at the service desk, and the folks at Whole Foods were very accommodating and allowed me to park the bike inside the first set of doors. I hurried and got my milk, grabbed two cans of cat food, and was ready to head home.
You know how you can sometimes understand something in theory, but you get a whole new understanding when you actually see it or experience it? Well, that's what happened to me next. The bike has a red button that "unlocks" the throttle. You can't actually engage the throttle until you turn the key in the battery AND push the red button. I described this in an earlier blog as looking like the red button in the movies that you're never supposed to push. It's a safety feature, so you can't accidentally turn the throttle as you are getting on the bike. Just imagine the bike taking off without you! Worse, you could be in an awkward position and get dumped on the ground. Luckily I was spared either of those, but I was quite startled, and have a new understanding and respect for this safety feature.
I was standing there, by my bike, with a backpack full of twelve pounds of milk. I was embarrassed to see that I had not only failed to bring a lock, I had failed to turn off the battery and take the key with me while I shopped. I was chagrined to find I had been such a dork, but I didn't think more of it. I grabbed the handle bars to pull the bike away from the food display and racks of vegetable seeds - and I accidentally turned the throttle. Yikes! Suddenly I had a two-wheeled bronco in my hands! I quickly wrangled it toward me and let the throttle loose - and we only bumped the seed racks a little bit - but it was more than a little startling. I just noticed I said "we" - the bike seems to become a separate entity when it develops a mind of its own!
I am pleased to say that the ride home was uneventful, even skirting around the city tree-trimmers who were felling whole trees into Segoe. I am proud to say I pedaled almost the whole way, even though it was uphill and I had a backpack. My bronco behaved quite well.
So today I decided I could go further without being worried about getting stuck without power. I needed to get out of the house, I wanted to bike, and I needed groceries - so I decided to combine these by biking to the store.
I needed a gallon and a half of milk (some drink whole milk around here and some drink 2%), and the problem is that the wonderful carriers I have for my old bike don't work on the new bike. I settled for my backpack and headed out.
The store is about a mile and a half away, and it was downhill most of the way there. I took a back route, but it was still more "in traffic" than I really enjoy. I can't say I'm a fan of that part. I prefer my bike experiences to be quieter, and I really want my rear view mirror. My experiences in traffic have been in a car for most of the last few decades, and my habit of checking mirrors often is pretty ingrained. I have a bike mirror, but it's on my old bike.
I got to the store and realized that I didn't have a bike lock! Yet another thing that is on my old bike! I'm seeing a pattern here. As with the very first ride, I'd much rather just get on and go. I don't seem to have much patience for the "maintenance" part of biking, apparently even something as simple as grabbing my bike lock and making sure it's with the new bike. I think this may be a character flaw. Dang. Luckily, I asked at the service desk, and the folks at Whole Foods were very accommodating and allowed me to park the bike inside the first set of doors. I hurried and got my milk, grabbed two cans of cat food, and was ready to head home.
You know how you can sometimes understand something in theory, but you get a whole new understanding when you actually see it or experience it? Well, that's what happened to me next. The bike has a red button that "unlocks" the throttle. You can't actually engage the throttle until you turn the key in the battery AND push the red button. I described this in an earlier blog as looking like the red button in the movies that you're never supposed to push. It's a safety feature, so you can't accidentally turn the throttle as you are getting on the bike. Just imagine the bike taking off without you! Worse, you could be in an awkward position and get dumped on the ground. Luckily I was spared either of those, but I was quite startled, and have a new understanding and respect for this safety feature.
I was standing there, by my bike, with a backpack full of twelve pounds of milk. I was embarrassed to see that I had not only failed to bring a lock, I had failed to turn off the battery and take the key with me while I shopped. I was chagrined to find I had been such a dork, but I didn't think more of it. I grabbed the handle bars to pull the bike away from the food display and racks of vegetable seeds - and I accidentally turned the throttle. Yikes! Suddenly I had a two-wheeled bronco in my hands! I quickly wrangled it toward me and let the throttle loose - and we only bumped the seed racks a little bit - but it was more than a little startling. I just noticed I said "we" - the bike seems to become a separate entity when it develops a mind of its own!
I am pleased to say that the ride home was uneventful, even skirting around the city tree-trimmers who were felling whole trees into Segoe. I am proud to say I pedaled almost the whole way, even though it was uphill and I had a backpack. My bronco behaved quite well.
Monday, April 15, 2013
New Battery Works
It's been 8 days since my Long Ride, and I finally went out on my bike again. As I said in my last entry, Len's Electric Bikes replaced my battery when I reported my problem, but we didn't know if it was really the battery or something else. I've been wanting to do a test ride all week, but between the weather and not feeling all that great, I didn't get out. Yesterday I jumped on for a quick half block, and it worked - so far so good - but I wanted to give it a better test.
Today I worked through eating lunch so that I could grab 45 minutes of biking. The battery works! I have to say I'm a little surprised - I was really afraid it was a connection somewhere or something else in the wiring, but it worked solidly through my ride.
I didn't go far from home, but I wanted to use the power a lot, so I explored streets that I've never biked on before because they had steeper hills than I wanted to tackle. Hills? What hills? I'm still getting a kick out of just powering up hills I could never do by myself.
It's 57 degrees, and my weather app reports winds gusting to 35 miles per hour. It's much warmer than last week, and the predicted rain hasn't happened. In fact it's sunny on and off, so it was really very pleasant. The wind was definitely a factor, however. I don't mind wind, but it's harder work pedaling into it. It was strong enough to suggest that the power assist could be helpful going into a headwind. I didn't actually need to use it today, but that's one more liberating factor to having power.
A nice ride - it's good to be back out!
Today I worked through eating lunch so that I could grab 45 minutes of biking. The battery works! I have to say I'm a little surprised - I was really afraid it was a connection somewhere or something else in the wiring, but it worked solidly through my ride.
I didn't go far from home, but I wanted to use the power a lot, so I explored streets that I've never biked on before because they had steeper hills than I wanted to tackle. Hills? What hills? I'm still getting a kick out of just powering up hills I could never do by myself.
It's 57 degrees, and my weather app reports winds gusting to 35 miles per hour. It's much warmer than last week, and the predicted rain hasn't happened. In fact it's sunny on and off, so it was really very pleasant. The wind was definitely a factor, however. I don't mind wind, but it's harder work pedaling into it. It was strong enough to suggest that the power assist could be helpful going into a headwind. I didn't actually need to use it today, but that's one more liberating factor to having power.
A nice ride - it's good to be back out!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Well, I Broke My Bike
Well, I broke my bike - actually the battery. What a frustrating - yet oddly successful - day!
I decided that I was ready for a longer ride, especially since the weather turned genuinely nice. I decided to take advantage of the bike's foldbility to start from a new location. My granddaughter wanted a ride to the Young Shakespeare Players, where she's rehearsing in a couple of productions, and it's near Trader Joe's - and a bike path! So we put the bike in the car and off we went.
Folding the bike is surprisingly easy. It has one joint, with a little thumb-release lever and a big latch. The latch is a bit stiff, but doable. You also need to fold down one of the pedals, which is also easy. Then it just folds in half. Folding a bike is a bit awkward, as you might expect, but again, doable. With this bike, putting the kickstand down makes it easier to fold the front half back against the back half.
The hard part is lifting it into the car. There is no getting around the fact that an electric bike is hefty. Part of the weight is the battery, and you can take that off and load it separately, but much of it is the motor, which is built in.
I got my first clue that today was not going to be a totally perfect day when I started to lift the folded bike and the battery slipped loose. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that, but I don't know if it was defective or if I handled it badly. I do know you're not supposed to use it as a handle, and I must have been pulling up on it, since it pulled loose. I had meant to take it off first, so I stowed it in the car.
My granddaughter helped me lift the bike in. I believe it is possible to buy a carry bag for a folding bike, and that might make it easier to get a grip on. Of course, I have to admit I have a very small car with a poorly designed loading area.
Once near the bike path, I got the bike out by myself, and got the battery reinstalled. I wasn't sure I had it right, because it wasn't exactly as shown in the instructions, but it seemed to be connected.
I headed toward the capitol, along with runners, walkers with strollers or dogs or both, inline skaters and other bikers. I paused to take a picture, and then in another block I was by the stadium, where you have to cross a couple of small streets and then Regent and Monroe. I knew at the first small street that the battery wasn't on right, so I stopped and fixed it. This time I got it right, with the back slipped firmly onto the metal plate that holds it down and the front plugged in.
It was beautiful, even though the scenery was winter drab and the view was mostly the backs of buildings on the outskirts of campus. The sun shone and the path itself is smooth and nearly flat. That's what I love about old rail corridors - the trains didn't like hills any more than I do! Bike paths built on old rail lines are great for just going.
Before this, I had been using the power assist to help me with hills that I wouldn't have wanted to do with just my own (lack of) power, but this was a different type of trip. Here, my plan was to use the extra power to increase the distance I could go. I simply twisted the throttle a bit whenever I felt like it, sometimes just for fun - just a little zoooom!
Soon I came to West Washington Ave, where I stopped to chat with a couple who had noticed my battery box and were curious what it was. I explained, and they were intrigued. Later in the trip a woman passed me and also noticed the box. "What is that? A fancy lunch box?" So I explained again. It's nice to find people friendly and interested. Hey Len, if I sell a bike do I get a commission?!
I got to Monona Bay, my old neighborhood. I turned right, thinking I would see how far I could go. Secretly I thought I might go all the way around the Bay - but I didn't want to scare myself. Bit by bit, around I went. Part-way 'round the path ends and you bicycle on the road, which has few cars. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures, and used the power whenever I felt I wanted a bit extra. On the far side, by Bernie's Beach, the road leaves the Bay and jogs over to Lakeside, past Franklin School.
This was great! Just a couple of blocks and I'd be on the bike path that follows John Nolan Drive and I'd be heading back. I'd made it around Monona Bay! Just up this little hill, a little power boost - and that's where the day got a little more challenging. The power died. I was at the farthest point from my car, and I'd already gone farther than I had any time in recent memory. And all that beautiful assist and zoom were gone. The power lights had been on - plenty of charge - and then they went out.
The return trip is a bit of a blur, but I made it - and that's where the success comes in. I made it! I biked 5.6 miles, mostly under my own steam. I did it!
Lessons learned:
If you have doubts about your equipment, don't go ahead on the longest trip yet!
Get a carrier for a water bottle and take a water bottle. Even if it's not high summer, working hard dehydrates you.
You might be stronger than you think!
I definitely had some responsibility for what happened, but it's possible that the battery was also defective. Only long-term use will really answer the question of how dependable the bike and battery are. That's part of what this blog is about, sharing the whole experience of using this bike. I truly love this bike, but I wouldn't wish a power failure like that on anyone. So I decided to take my concerns back to Len's Electric Bikes and see what they would say. I am happy to report that Len replaced the battery immediately and offered to replace the entire bike if the new battery didn't solve the problem.
What a long entry! Tomorrow will be more biking and less blogging - gotta try out my new battery. :-)
I decided that I was ready for a longer ride, especially since the weather turned genuinely nice. I decided to take advantage of the bike's foldbility to start from a new location. My granddaughter wanted a ride to the Young Shakespeare Players, where she's rehearsing in a couple of productions, and it's near Trader Joe's - and a bike path! So we put the bike in the car and off we went.
Folding the bike is surprisingly easy. It has one joint, with a little thumb-release lever and a big latch. The latch is a bit stiff, but doable. You also need to fold down one of the pedals, which is also easy. Then it just folds in half. Folding a bike is a bit awkward, as you might expect, but again, doable. With this bike, putting the kickstand down makes it easier to fold the front half back against the back half.
The hard part is lifting it into the car. There is no getting around the fact that an electric bike is hefty. Part of the weight is the battery, and you can take that off and load it separately, but much of it is the motor, which is built in.
I got my first clue that today was not going to be a totally perfect day when I started to lift the folded bike and the battery slipped loose. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that, but I don't know if it was defective or if I handled it badly. I do know you're not supposed to use it as a handle, and I must have been pulling up on it, since it pulled loose. I had meant to take it off first, so I stowed it in the car.
My granddaughter helped me lift the bike in. I believe it is possible to buy a carry bag for a folding bike, and that might make it easier to get a grip on. Of course, I have to admit I have a very small car with a poorly designed loading area.
Once near the bike path, I got the bike out by myself, and got the battery reinstalled. I wasn't sure I had it right, because it wasn't exactly as shown in the instructions, but it seemed to be connected.
Before this, I had been using the power assist to help me with hills that I wouldn't have wanted to do with just my own (lack of) power, but this was a different type of trip. Here, my plan was to use the extra power to increase the distance I could go. I simply twisted the throttle a bit whenever I felt like it, sometimes just for fun - just a little zoooom!
Soon I came to West Washington Ave, where I stopped to chat with a couple who had noticed my battery box and were curious what it was. I explained, and they were intrigued. Later in the trip a woman passed me and also noticed the box. "What is that? A fancy lunch box?" So I explained again. It's nice to find people friendly and interested. Hey Len, if I sell a bike do I get a commission?!
Lessons learned:
If you have doubts about your equipment, don't go ahead on the longest trip yet!
Get a carrier for a water bottle and take a water bottle. Even if it's not high summer, working hard dehydrates you.
You might be stronger than you think!
I definitely had some responsibility for what happened, but it's possible that the battery was also defective. Only long-term use will really answer the question of how dependable the bike and battery are. That's part of what this blog is about, sharing the whole experience of using this bike. I truly love this bike, but I wouldn't wish a power failure like that on anyone. So I decided to take my concerns back to Len's Electric Bikes and see what they would say. I am happy to report that Len replaced the battery immediately and offered to replace the entire bike if the new battery didn't solve the problem.
What a long entry! Tomorrow will be more biking and less blogging - gotta try out my new battery. :-)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
A Little Bird Watching By Bike
Dang! The sun was out earlier but I missed it. I decided I needed to work more before I took a bike break, and that's what I get for my virtuous decision: clouds and a bit of rain. Still, it is much warmer than the last time I was out - about 55 - and I didn't need my winter coat. I'll take it.
Today I'm tired, but I wanted to move ahead with my plan to go a little further each day. Sometimes you have to focus on your goals, and sometimes you have to listen to your body. I decided right off the bat that this was a perfect time to compromise. I would try for the route I had planned, but I would allow myself to depend on my power assist a little more than usual. After all, that's why I bought this bike. Without it, I would not have ventured out at all.
I took a new route, and ended up riding past a little narrow park where I used to take my kids when they were small. We could walk there from their great-grandparents' house, so that brought back some memories. Not only are my kids grown, and the great-grandparents gone, even my granddaughter is too old to play in a park.
I do like birds, seeing which ones are back, and watching them. I kept a lookout as I biked along, and I think I saw a flycatcher near that park, and I definitely saw a hawk. I wanted to take a picture to post, but when I stopped it glided from its tree to a different one just out of range. I could clearly see its red tail, and it was big enough, so I can safely say it was a Redtailed hawk. I'm always amazed seeing them in the city.
I did use the power more than on previous rides, but it turned out that I still did all the work for at least 80% of the ride. Yay! I felt a little shaky when I got back, however, so I wouldn't want to push it any more than I did. The bike and I are a team that make good things happen!
Today I'm tired, but I wanted to move ahead with my plan to go a little further each day. Sometimes you have to focus on your goals, and sometimes you have to listen to your body. I decided right off the bat that this was a perfect time to compromise. I would try for the route I had planned, but I would allow myself to depend on my power assist a little more than usual. After all, that's why I bought this bike. Without it, I would not have ventured out at all.
I took a new route, and ended up riding past a little narrow park where I used to take my kids when they were small. We could walk there from their great-grandparents' house, so that brought back some memories. Not only are my kids grown, and the great-grandparents gone, even my granddaughter is too old to play in a park.
I do like birds, seeing which ones are back, and watching them. I kept a lookout as I biked along, and I think I saw a flycatcher near that park, and I definitely saw a hawk. I wanted to take a picture to post, but when I stopped it glided from its tree to a different one just out of range. I could clearly see its red tail, and it was big enough, so I can safely say it was a Redtailed hawk. I'm always amazed seeing them in the city.
I did use the power more than on previous rides, but it turned out that I still did all the work for at least 80% of the ride. Yay! I felt a little shaky when I got back, however, so I wouldn't want to push it any more than I did. The bike and I are a team that make good things happen!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
So Far Loving This Bike
Temperature about freezing, and there are clouds, but the sun comes through now and then, and it's a spring sun. I think it feels different because it's higher in the sky, and it's more warming than a winter sun. Still, I suited up in my full winter coat and wasn't too warm. In fact, I wore bicycling gloves and my hands were cold.
But I so love my bike! It's such a smooth machine. The gears feel smooth, and the bike - even with a heavy battery, doesn't feel heavy when you ride it - it feels responsive. The power throttle works very smoothly also, and that's important. When I hit a hill that is gradual, I can engage it just a little; I'm still doing some of the work, but I'm getting a little more result for my effort. Just for fun, I cranked it on one slope, and it flew up the hill! I haven't tried it on anything very steep yet, but it sure feels like the power is there. And, surprise, it rolls much better with the tires inflated correctly. :)
I've been struggling with the idea of the power assist, because it feels like somehow it's cheating. It feels like I will be tempted to let it do all the work and avoid any workout at all. I think I have a fear of being lazy. I believe I got over that today. For one thing, I didn't use the power for most of the ride at all, probably less than 10%. For another, I know I worked plenty hard because my legs were a bit wobbly when I got off. My great realization today is that the power assist is not assisting me in slacking off - it's just allowing me to go further and enjoy more on a given amount of energy. Breakthrough!
But I so love my bike! It's such a smooth machine. The gears feel smooth, and the bike - even with a heavy battery, doesn't feel heavy when you ride it - it feels responsive. The power throttle works very smoothly also, and that's important. When I hit a hill that is gradual, I can engage it just a little; I'm still doing some of the work, but I'm getting a little more result for my effort. Just for fun, I cranked it on one slope, and it flew up the hill! I haven't tried it on anything very steep yet, but it sure feels like the power is there. And, surprise, it rolls much better with the tires inflated correctly. :)
I've been struggling with the idea of the power assist, because it feels like somehow it's cheating. It feels like I will be tempted to let it do all the work and avoid any workout at all. I think I have a fear of being lazy. I believe I got over that today. For one thing, I didn't use the power for most of the ride at all, probably less than 10%. For another, I know I worked plenty hard because my legs were a bit wobbly when I got off. My great realization today is that the power assist is not assisting me in slacking off - it's just allowing me to go further and enjoy more on a given amount of energy. Breakthrough!
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