We want to say thanks to Jim Fay for introducing people to the Easy Motion eBike at TOMRV. This is what he had to say on the second day: Saturday of TOMRVs two-day ride goes from Bettendorf, Iowa (the Quad Cities) to Dubuque, Iowa. The course roughly follows the Mississippi River north. Those who do not know the terrain would think it flat. Not so. The Mississippi has been flowing a good many years in its path defining the eastern edge of Iowa and it has gouged a deep trough through millions of years of limestone. The TOMRV course is a half-pipe from one bluff overlooking the Mississippi, down 300 ft and across the river, then up 300 ft to the top of the bluff on the other side. And so on and so on for 110 miles. The course is perfect to test an electric-assist bike from Petes Electric Bikes. Three people tested the e-bike today. John is a retired mechanical engineer, a master bike mechanic, an avid bike rider... and 300 lbs. John is a former football lineman and immensely strong. He keeps up without problem on the flats, but suffers on climbs. It is not unusual for him to fall minutes behind on assents as he struggles along at 5 mph while others climb at 10-13 mph. John was initially doubtful that the e-bike could supply enough oomph to make a difference given his weight. On the first climb, he kept the electric assist at #1 and found that he could keep up with the fastest climbers in his group. On the second climb, he set the electric-assist at #2 and pulled away from the fastest climbers in his group. And later when he tried #3, he said the assist turned climbing from a thing of misery to a thing of joy. On one 20 mile leg of particularly tough hills (5,000 ft of climbing in 20 miles) and with the electric-assist set at #1), John dropped a fully charged 36v battery to one bar of remaining power. Bob is a retired salesman with a heart problem. On the flats, he can sustain 13-14 mph, which is hugely frustrating for him and his riding buddies. He is forced either to ride alone, or slow the entire group. He has to avoid hills altogether. The e-bike completely changed his ride. Suddenly, he could keep up. He could even lead. Rather than seeking the SAG vehicle for hills, he could do the entire ride without exhausting himself. Bob said he actually got more exercise with the e-bike because he could stay on the bike longer. Most important, he felt like an equal member of his riding group again. Nancy is a middle-age nurse. Her riding group is all guys. She can keep up on the flats when tucked safely into the middle of a pace line. But, she cannot lead the pace line and she gets dropped on the hills. With the e-bike, Nancy could relax in a pace line, she could take her turn pulling the pace line, and she attacked on hills. She said it was a wonderful feeling. After one ride on an e-bike, Nancy is ready to put it on her Christmas list. John, Bob and Nancy were all impressed with how quick the learning curve was on an e-bike from Petes Electric Bikes. It literally took only a minute or two to figure out and get comfortable and confident.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:07:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015