Electric assist bike suggestions?

[Herrenberg]

I just looked at their webpage for Mountain E-Bikes. Holey moley, those things cost more than all 3 motorcycles I once owned put together!!!!!

Electric mountain bikes - Trek Bikes

Trek electric mountain bikes amplify your pedaling power. These are the e-MTBs that help you enjoy even more of what makes mountain biking great. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

Yeah, but if you had to sell the beating heart out of your chest, how much would you charge?

Money is not the most important thing. At least, that's what I tell myself, when I am drawn to a sharpening stone or razor I want.

 

[Forged]

He has some congestive heart failure. He needs exercise to strengthen his heart and circulatory system, but he has to take it easy as he gets stronger.[\quote]

I am trained as an EMT, I read his post and I understand the condition.

An e-bike would require some effort, but helps you out on the tougher parts of the ride. That can encourage people to ride longer distances and longer amounts of time.

I also happen to be a certified personal trainer, running coach, and spin instructor. I have a pretty good idea of what exercise is (and isn’t), and what it looks like. I have worked with people from teens to 80’s, healthy, to being severely compromised due to various health issues.


Living in an area with lots of active people, one of the most (physically) active metro areas in the country. I’ve see lots of people on E-Bikes, VERY few of them were exercising, 99-95% were letting the E-Bike do the work while there legs just barely moved and the riders were merrily chatting away with friends, in person or on the phone.

I just don’t see people actually reaching or exceeding the level of effort level required to bring on a cardio respiratory system conditioning. My observation has been that the less people like to exercise, the more they use something that will assist them. I mean a bicycle already has gears so it’s far easier to ride a bike than run. E-Bikes basically take the effort down to less than walking for most people I’ve seen. Yes, E-Bikes might be helpful with conditioning for some small number of people, if used correctly for that purpose, I’m just not seeing them being used that way. Electric moped usage is what I’m seeing, which is fine, but moped riding is not a form of exercise.

 

[FarmerTan]

Wait, I’m confused: How is riding an electric motorcycle a form of exercise??

I mean before the battery dies. I’ve had enough experience pushing broken down, or out of gas, bikes to know how much work that is.

I did say I won't be pedalling. And that is probably going to be the case 95+% of the time, tho I hope to be able to increase my amount of pedalling over time.

I'm pretty sure my heart is in the stage of heart failure that it was in when I had my mitral valve replaced in 2006. That is "decompensated" ..... So even walking out TO THE BIKE will be more exercise than sitting in my Lazyarseboy wishing I was riding.

I don't want a motorcycle, as I've been down that road. I may be entirely lazy and just buy a Honda Ruckus and sell my two ancient Yamaha mopeds.

Until you live like I have for forty years, it's hard to imagine how much exercise one actually DOES get by riding ANYTHING, lol!

 

[FarmerTan]

I also happen to be a certified personal trainer, running coach, and spin instructor. I have a pretty good idea of what exercise is (and isn’t), and what it looks like. I have worked with people from teens to 80’s, healthy, to being severely compromised due to various health issues.


Living in an area with lots of active people, one of the most (physically) active metro areas in the country. I’ve see lots of people on E-Bikes, VERY few of them were exercising, 99-95% were letting the E-Bike do the work while there legs just barely moved and the riders were merrily chatting away with friends, in person or on the phone.

I just don’t see people actually reaching or exceeding the level of effort level required to bring on a cardio respiratory system conditioning. My observation has been that the less people like to exercise, the more they use something that will assist them. I mean a bicycle already has gears so it’s far easier to ride a bike than run. E-Bikes basically take the effort down to less than walking for most people I’ve seen. Yes, E-Bikes might be helpful with conditioning for some small number of people, if used correctly for that purpose, I’m just not seeing them being used that way. Electric moped usage is what I’m seeing, which is fine, but moped riding is not a form of exercise.

Nothing you wrote is wrong.

Let me tell you a story about life for me. I was diagnosed with CHF at 17. I pushed through it. Went back to Kollege at 39, became an LPN at 43? something like that. Had an ejection fraction in the toilet at 44 with a pulse rate (resting) of 34. BP of 90/45.....on a good day. Had the heart surgery. Became an RN. Nearly killed myself, just as I had as an LPN, and was forced on disability.

You have every right to an opinion. But compassion goes a long way as well. I had no compassion for people with lung disease. Then my heart caused lung disease. I became a better nurse then. It was the best thing that ever happened to me as a nurse, because I could then relate to my patients.

The mental exercise of getting off my arse and into a breeze, whether it is caused by my feet or an electric or gasoline motor is priceless at this point in my life. I can garauntee you that if I have to pedal a bike 100% the tires will die of dry rot.

 

[Forged]

Not my intention to bust your chops personally at all, rather I’m commenting on the e-bike as a form of exercise. I’m not young and I have physical challenges of my own necessitating creative ways to be active at times, so I get it.

I also have family members with health issues, and the thing I’ve seen most damaging to them is wrong thinking about what constitutes useful exercise.

At any rate, riding 2 wheelers is fun, and fun is good for your health. Glad to see you’re getting some helpful advice on finding an e-bike, enjoy!

 

[FarmerTan]

Not my intention to bust your chops personally at all, rather I’m commenting on the e-bike as a form of exercise. I’m not young and I have physical challenges of my own necessitating creative ways to be active at times, so I get it.

I also have family members with health issues, and the thing I’ve seen most damaging to them is wrong thinking about what constitutes useful exercise.

At any rate, riding 2 wheelers is fun, and fun is good for your health. Glad to see you’re getting some helpful advice on finding an e-bike, enjoy!

And it seems that I busted your chops. Please forgive me. It is easier for me to be unkind to someone I do not know than to take stock of my own issues and look for the positive stuff in my life, rather than focusing on the negative.

Thank you for your service to the less fortunate physically. Better health goals for EVERYONE are just not appreciated much in this country.

 

[FarmerTan]

Here you go @FarmerTan doesn’t took too hard.
View attachment 1278907

That looks like something my Dad would have done! I may actually do something like that.... Retirement has some positive things, like extra time. Or at least time that isn't "the Man's!"

 

[Whisky]

That looks like something my Dad would have done! I may actually do something like that.... Retirement has some positive things, like extra time. Or at least time that isn't "the Man's!"

Just make sure you get a variable speed drill. I mean, you do want to do wheelies right?

 

[FarmerTan]

Just make sure you get a variable speed drill. I mean, you do want to do wheelies right?

Oh yeah!

Now I'll be driving the War Department crazy, drawing pictures, trying to decide if I can just use my old corded drill with a LOOOOONG extension cord....she never lets me waste money ya know....

 

[Atlantic59]

That looks like something my Dad would have done! I may actually do something like that.... Retirement has some positive things, like extra time. Or at least time that isn't "the Man's!"

Everyone will be able to hear you coming with that drill motor.

 

[FarmerTan]

Everyone will be able to hear you coming with that drill motor.

"Loud pipes save lives!"