I have always enjoyed cycling. After my first major attack over 10 years ago, I had to give it up. But instead of giving it up totally, I got a trike, used that for a few years, and then fortunately improved enough to use a regular two-wheel bike again. A couple of years later, for safety reasons, I gave up on using my 2-wheel bike. And then last year, I decided to get back to riding using an e-trike trike. So many companies have released amazing e-Trikes recently, And I bought another one to replace my original one.
It has been almost a year since I began using the new trike. I now typically ride 13 miles 4 times a week and 16 miles 2 times a week. Each excursion is for about 1 1/4 hours to about 1 1/2 hours. I pedal 99% of the time but do rely on the assist it gives. It took me about 4 months to gradually build up to these distances. I do ride pretty much every day as long as it is not raining. I live in Florida where it rains very, very infrequently and during winter when a cold front arrives and the temperature drops to the 50s, I take a break from riding for a couple of days until the weather warms up. I get chilled easily.
In the last year, I have done almost 4,500 miles on my trike. By comparison, I drive my car less than 1000 miles a year.
So, if you used to enjoy cycling but cannot cycle any more on a two-wheel bike, consider a trike. They are a lot of fun to ride, as enjoyable as a regular bike and with the electric assist trikes, you never have to worry about getting home if you get tired out. Most e-trikes have a range of about 20-50 miles, and spare batteries are readily available for really long excursions. I charge mine after each use but the model I have can easily go about 40-45 miles between charges.
IF You Used To Enjoy Bike Riding BUT Can't anymore...
Re: IF You Used To Enjoy Bike Riding BUT Can't anymore...
Hi Elliot,
I enjoy cycling too, very much in fact. I can’t walk very well but bicycling is still going OK. I use a normal electric bike with a 40 Nm Bosch engine. I bike about 5000 km per year, for the last 10 years or more, 20 – 30 km per day on the days that I go out, mostly in the local vicinity of my house in Belgium, but sometimes we use the bicycle carrier to go on a daytrip elsewhere in Belgium or the Netherlands. The Netherlands and Belgium have beautiful bicycling tracs. With my wife and some of the kids we have biked also in Germany where our daughter lives, along the Danube in Austria and in mountainous areas in northern Italy.
What I like most is that it brings me out of the house. It is good both for my physical health, keeps the muscles going, and for the mind. When out, I can set my horizon very far away, I don’t have any paper or computer or phone or whatever, all I have is my own mind, to think, to reflect, or just enjoy the moment. I see the morning dew over the fields, the sheep and goats grazing, the horses, the cows, the crops growing in the fields, the colors of the morning sun through the clouds, I love it. If it rains, I don’t mind. Cold I don’t mind, in fact I go a lot better in cold weather than in hot weather. And when back home in the morning I take a cup of coffee and feel myself all reset, reborn.
My left leg is still OK, my balance is OK, the problem is my right leg, in particular lifting the leg and the foot. Muscles have worn out, washed away. Over the last several years, I feel that my right leg is stiffening after so many miles, control of the foot becomes more difficult. I guess when bicycling on a normal bike becomes more difficult, I could also buy myself an electric trike. Good to see you have such good experience with the electric assist trike. Does your trike bring you home without any peddaling? What make of trike do you have?
Best regards, Leo
I enjoy cycling too, very much in fact. I can’t walk very well but bicycling is still going OK. I use a normal electric bike with a 40 Nm Bosch engine. I bike about 5000 km per year, for the last 10 years or more, 20 – 30 km per day on the days that I go out, mostly in the local vicinity of my house in Belgium, but sometimes we use the bicycle carrier to go on a daytrip elsewhere in Belgium or the Netherlands. The Netherlands and Belgium have beautiful bicycling tracs. With my wife and some of the kids we have biked also in Germany where our daughter lives, along the Danube in Austria and in mountainous areas in northern Italy.
What I like most is that it brings me out of the house. It is good both for my physical health, keeps the muscles going, and for the mind. When out, I can set my horizon very far away, I don’t have any paper or computer or phone or whatever, all I have is my own mind, to think, to reflect, or just enjoy the moment. I see the morning dew over the fields, the sheep and goats grazing, the horses, the cows, the crops growing in the fields, the colors of the morning sun through the clouds, I love it. If it rains, I don’t mind. Cold I don’t mind, in fact I go a lot better in cold weather than in hot weather. And when back home in the morning I take a cup of coffee and feel myself all reset, reborn.
My left leg is still OK, my balance is OK, the problem is my right leg, in particular lifting the leg and the foot. Muscles have worn out, washed away. Over the last several years, I feel that my right leg is stiffening after so many miles, control of the foot becomes more difficult. I guess when bicycling on a normal bike becomes more difficult, I could also buy myself an electric trike. Good to see you have such good experience with the electric assist trike. Does your trike bring you home without any peddaling? What make of trike do you have?
Best regards, Leo
Re: IF You Used To Enjoy Bike Riding BUT Can't anymore...
Hi Leonard, glad you are able to ride! The areas you are riding in sound beautiful! You are very fortunate to have such scenic areas to ride in.
I love riding so much because in general it is the only time I feel 'normal'! Although I have balance issues, I don't have them while I am riding, so I have 'peace' for about 1-1 1/2 hours. I wish I could ride longer!
Although my bike can be used without pedaling, fortunately I have not had to rely on that feature, yet. Depending on the assist mode selected, it can be used in all electric mode without pedaling for 20-40 miles. I am thrilled that I can pedal the entire time I am out riding. Frankly, I don't know how I do it day after day. Yet I have never had trouble pedaling.
And although it is warm in my area, in the 80'sF - mid 90'sF, I am riding fast enough (12mph to 14mph) that the breeze keeps me comfortable. So even though it is warm and humid (I live along the coast in South Florida with humidity generally above 70% often above 80% or even 90%), I am never sweaty when I get back home. I do need to get out early though, before 8am as the sun is quite strong at this time of year.
The trike I have is made by a company called Lectric. The trike is made in China (of course). Seems well designed and built well as well out of quality materials. It is a simple bike without gears. I did change the crankset to a 52 tooth one to eliminate ghost pedaling so when I ride there is always resistance. Top speed with the original crankset was about 8mph. Above 8mph, I had ghost pedaling which is why I changed the crankset.
What kind of bike do you have?
I love riding so much because in general it is the only time I feel 'normal'! Although I have balance issues, I don't have them while I am riding, so I have 'peace' for about 1-1 1/2 hours. I wish I could ride longer!
Although my bike can be used without pedaling, fortunately I have not had to rely on that feature, yet. Depending on the assist mode selected, it can be used in all electric mode without pedaling for 20-40 miles. I am thrilled that I can pedal the entire time I am out riding. Frankly, I don't know how I do it day after day. Yet I have never had trouble pedaling.
And although it is warm in my area, in the 80'sF - mid 90'sF, I am riding fast enough (12mph to 14mph) that the breeze keeps me comfortable. So even though it is warm and humid (I live along the coast in South Florida with humidity generally above 70% often above 80% or even 90%), I am never sweaty when I get back home. I do need to get out early though, before 8am as the sun is quite strong at this time of year.
The trike I have is made by a company called Lectric. The trike is made in China (of course). Seems well designed and built well as well out of quality materials. It is a simple bike without gears. I did change the crankset to a 52 tooth one to eliminate ghost pedaling so when I ride there is always resistance. Top speed with the original crankset was about 8mph. Above 8mph, I had ghost pedaling which is why I changed the crankset.
What kind of bike do you have?
Re: IF You Used To Enjoy Bike Riding BUT Can't anymore...
My bike is a Gazelle Orange C7+ HMB with a Bosch 40Nm engine, in fact a normal 'city bike' of Dutch make. With many (most?) components made in China. It is now 9 years old, it has run 40,000 kms, 25,000 miles. The engine runs still perfectly fine, no problems. I am on my third battery, 400 Wh. But it is now approaching its end of life. If fully charged, the battery brings me about 60 km, far with good support. The support feels quite natural, with torque sensor and so on. It is a pleasure to ride.
The main problem over here is the weather. This Spring has been the wettest since recording started around 1900. In fact it has been raining almost every day since September last year. With 3 times as much rain as normal. Quite unusual. Let's hope we get a better Summer..
The main problem over here is the weather. This Spring has been the wettest since recording started around 1900. In fact it has been raining almost every day since September last year. With 3 times as much rain as normal. Quite unusual. Let's hope we get a better Summer..