The great e-bike experiment: the data

(Previously: A bicycle snob takes on an e-bike)

Last time around, we met the e-bike, and discussed how it came to pass. I was starting to feel comfortable with how it rode, and I was curious to see how it handled my commute.

Speed, or lack thereof

The first lesson in e-biking is that it isn't really about speed (that is, on a legal in Canada, pedal assist bike). Yes, there are circumstances where you're moving dramatically faster than you would on a non-e-bike. But overall, if you're a somewhat fit cyclist, your speed on flats will not be much greater than what it would be on a regular bike. At times, I found myself getting dropped by fit guys on road bikes. They most definitely would have dropped me if I was on a regular bike, and perhaps a bit more quickly, but it is far more embarrassing to not keep up when a motor is assisting you. I would feel an urge to rush off after them to explain the challenges of a 32 km/hour speed limit, but that would have required an ability to push through that limit (which is more or less impossible due to all of the additional weight and resistance of an e-bike).

Almost immediately, one of the main premises of my experiment was shot. No matter how I sliced it, the e-bike was going to be a fair bit slower than a car and not much faster than a regular bike. Still, the scientist in me required rigorous documentation to prove this out. Read the rest