Been doing some decent riding lately. Many weekends topping 60 miles. My wife and I are riding the Pine Creek Rail trail in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon at the end of September. This is me up on the Schuylkill rail trail a few weekends back wearing my play clothes.
Out on the e-bike
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Iāve been considering picking a couple of those up for Linda and I. Amazing how much ground you can cover on a bikeā¦an electric one, even more.
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Yep, you cover a lot of ground. I first built this kit on a Trek last September. I rebuilt it with a steel Schwinn frame earlier this summer. With a full battery charge, it will go 35+ mph on a flat surface with throttle only. Iāve ridden it just over 42mph. And the big battery will take it well over 50 miles on a charge. Front fork shocks, seat post shock and seat springs makes it really comfortable.
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Looks like a lot of fun! I just have a small electric scooter I like to bring on camping trips since itās all I have room for but itās lots of fun too and pretty powerful.
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I recently put an ebike kit on my Schwinn Hybrid bike. The install was easy. I havenāt taken it anywhere yet but itās fun in the driveway 
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Just what I need.
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Iām with you. I loved riding when I was younger, but steep hills where I live, plus my 63+ years, plus a fickle ticker, plus narrow roads made riding my bike a dangerous, sometimes harrowing affair. Now I can take hills easily and keep up with traffic when I need to. I still peddle, but I am not killing myself in the process. And the upside is that I ride much longer than I would if I did not have the e-bike (better exercise). Itās a win, win all around.
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Nice mike! I like the new frame. I am a trail bikerā¦ too much traffic down here on the roads. E-bikes are not allowed on most trails in the area, but I think/hope that is going to change. If we can get folks out on the trails who wouldnāt otherwise do it, I am all for it. I know that folks hate to see someone breezing up a long climb at 15 mph, when they are huffing and puffing in granny gear, but enjoying time in the seat is what it is all about. I saw a great movie about a former pro biker who broke his back and now has limited leg mobility but is back on the trail on an EBike. He literally couldnāt have been biking without E assist. I canāt imagine people looking him in the eye and saying āyou donāt belong here.ā Itās coming to the trailsā¦ it will just take some time.
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From my involvement on the Facebook E-Bike groups, it seems the vast majority of e-bikers are 50+ years old (many in their 70s and 80s). I ride many ārails to trailsā and havenāt had any problems (with the exception of the occasional spandex jockey yelling āCheater!ā). Where I live we have lots of very steep hills and lots of very narrow streets. Both would be near impossible to ride with any safety without the help of the electric motor. Of course there are the occasional speed demon who is building an e-motorcycle (with useless pedals) that will go 60+mph. I use my speed to make the road safer by getting out of the way of traffic. Otherwise, I am riding a more comfortable 15 or so miles per hour.
For fun the other day I was out with 2 friends who have fat tire e-bikes and we were riding dirt trails and fields. There was a particularly steep and root covered hill that I wanted to go down, cross a shallow creek and then climb back up out of the root and rock covered ravine on the other side. So I dropped into low gear, and high power and went down, across, and back up. Neither of the other fellows were able to do the same. It left a smile on my face and them laughing.
BTW, no one noticed the shirt?
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Lol, noticed it before I checked out the bike, especially after your last words āmy play clothes.ā
On same idea, we ātook Ben with usā hiking the āTrillium Gapā trail on Mt. Leconte (TN) this June. Cabin Camp backpack & hat w the same logoā¦
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Never ridden an E-bike, but I would like to try one sometime.
Iām not a huge fan of them in general, unless you have health or mobility issues preventing you from riding a real bike. That said, itās your money and your life, do whatever you want 
for me, at my age, it isnāt worth it, and my legs will gladly take up the slack left by my wallet, but do whatever keeps you in the saddle!
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I should have been a bit more specificā¦ I do see EBikes on paved trails and rails to trails kinds of things. However, I normally ride singletrack trails. All the singletrack trails I have checked list them as not allowed. I have an older (than me anyway) neighbor with an E trail bike. Iād love to take him along on some of the more mellow trails in the area, but without assist, it isnāt going to happen. If someone builds and maintains a trail I am going to try to honor their wishes for its use. I just wish that there was more of a dialogue about the use of electric assist.
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Yep, when you are young they are unnecessary. I rode a bike daily in my 30s as my only transportation (other than walking). When you are young, you can usually power up steep hills without to much trouble. When you are closer to 70 than 50, riding narrow roads and steep hills can become a dangerous proposition. E-bikes have their place in keeping folks in the saddle. 
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@DrGuitar1ā¦noticed the shirt first thing. Never tried an E-bike, but it does look like fun!
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First, I love the suspenders! I never leave home without mine. I also recommend āHold UPā brand, because their clips are superior to any others out there. I personally prefer the āNo Buzzā clips. They use a secure cam closure & are made of plastic, so you donāt buzz when going through airport security. They also have a very soft āunderā set, so you can wear an untucked shirt, like a Hawaiian shirt.
Second, I donāt bike, but I do paddle a canoe. I used to be avid, on the water almost daily. Then I started practicing my banjo. I only have time for one, so the canoe is now getting very dusty. I only had it on the water one time this year, and I still havenāt gone fishing!
This banjo practice is an addictive curse!
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Thanks for the info on the suspenders. Iāve been wearing them daily since college so they are definitely a must. I tend to go for the large clips as the smaller clips are notā¦ errā¦ robust enough for my liking. The Hold Up brand are quite nice and I may spring for a pair to try them out. 
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