# Challenges and electric bikes



## Aravis (15 May 2022)

I'm a bit surprised how little comment there seems to be on this. The only policy statement I can find is from @13 rider a couple of years ago.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...m-a-month-chatzone.256079/page-4#post-5852680

This sounds admirably inclusive, but I can imagine that not everyone would agree. Simple question then: are e-bike rides admissible for the challenges?

Asking for a friend. ⚡


----------



## ColinJ (15 May 2022)

If the rider still finds the rides challenging despite using an e-bike, then that sounds okay to me!

It would be a bit different if somebody used an e-bike and then bragged about how easy the rides were...


----------



## geocycle (15 May 2022)

Why not? It’s not really a competition with anyone but yourself. Its only a problem if folk try and draw comparisons.


----------



## numbnuts (15 May 2022)

As you get older everyday becomes a challenge for some, so if an ebike keeps you going so be it and the persons who criticise will one day be in the same boat as us old farts........


----------



## 13 rider (15 May 2022)

As the unofficial thread monitor for the 50km challenge . I try to keep it friendly and inclusive and as stated above I have no issue with e bikes if there legal and are pedal assist so the rider still puts in an effort if that gets you out riding further than you could manage on a standard it's all good for me . I can't really speak for the other challenges


----------



## Supersuperleeds (15 May 2022)

E-bike is better than no bike, to me they are fine to use in any of the challenges.


----------



## welsh dragon (15 May 2022)

Riding a bike is riding a bike. Makes no difference what it is as long as it gets people out in the flesh air.

Some people are just so anal about things. However most just don't care what others ride.


----------



## cougie uk (15 May 2022)

Aravis said:


> I'm a bit surprised how little comment there seems to be on this. The only policy statement I can find is from @13 rider a couple of years ago.
> 
> https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...m-a-month-chatzone.256079/page-4#post-5852680
> 
> ...



My rides are a lot faster on my summer carbon fibre race bike than they are on my heavier gravel bike. Nobody bats an eyelid about superbikes being used for rides - I don't mind what people ride so long as they're riding.


----------



## steveindenmark (15 May 2022)

I think the only people who would object are young fit whippets who have not encountered arthritis yet. The challenges are our own personal challenges so do it any way you can.


----------



## si_c (16 May 2022)

Personally I resent those thin people doing the rides more than those with an ebike


----------



## ColinJ (16 May 2022)

si_c said:


> Personally I resent those thin people doing the rides more than those with an ebike



Especially the young, fit ones... B******s, the lot of them. Bonus resentment points if they are also wealthy and good-looking!


----------



## steveindenmark (16 May 2022)

Just an add on to this. I bought a guide book about e bike tours in Denmark yesterday. I dont have an e bike, but the tours look good and vary between 30 - 200+km rides. I will have a look at one today and hopfully get to ride it this week.


----------



## Dogtrousers (16 May 2022)

I actually think it may differ challenge-by-challenge. They tend to have different rules and different overall "atmospheres" (not a good word but I hope you get what I mean). eg ICaM is a bit more austere, and has an explicit exclusion of indoor rides. Some of the other challenges are fine with indoor rides I think. You might find a similar thing with ebikes.

But why do you ask? Are you thinking of getting an e-bike or is it just curiosity? Or do you mean "asking for a friend" literally?

Personal opinion: I don't really care, as I'm challenging myself not competing with others. Other people could do them on 750cc motorbikes and it wouldn't affect my challenge. I know others differ as someone recently was unhappy at the widespread use of turbos in one or the other challenges. I forget which, I'd have to go back and look. (I was thinking of this post)

Actually, thinking about it - 100 mile rides could have their own challenges on an e-bike as you could be gambling with range/finding recharge points, and may have to complete your ride on a very heavy un-E-bike.


----------



## numbnuts (16 May 2022)

Dogtrousers said:


> Actually, thinking about it - 100 mile rides could have their own challenges on an e-bike as you could be gambling with range/finding recharge points, and may have to complete your ride on a very heavy un-E-bike.



Or take two batterys


----------



## Aravis (16 May 2022)

Dogtrousers said:


> I actually think it may differ challenge-by-challenge. They tend to have different rules and different overall "atmospheres" (not a good word but I hope you get what I mean). eg ICaM is a bit more austere, and has an explicit exclusion of indoor rides. Some of the other challenges are fine with indoor rides I think. You might find a similar thing with ebikes.
> 
> But why do you ask? Are you thinking of getting an e-bike or is it just curiosity? Or do you mean "asking for a friend" literally?
> 
> ...


I thought the question would be of general interest, and it didn't feel appropriate to ask in a challenge-specific thread.

I'd had exactly the same thought about the different atmospheres surrounding the various challenges. I like your use of the word by the way. Naturally I'm most interested in the ICaM challenge, and as you say, there are some obvious additional hurdles to overcome which become ever higher as the distance grows longer. So I was also wondering if there might be a place for one or more e-bike specific challenges. There's plenty of time to think about it before next January.

My new friend is called Francis, after Francisco Scaramanga from _The Man with the Golden Gun_:






I don't know what it's for either. I'll find an appropriate place to introduce him properly.


----------



## kapelmuur (3 Jun 2022)

I'm the person who originally enquired about whether e-bikes could be used in the 50km challenge and I'm grateful that they are. I found that after hitting 70 my strength and endurance started to diminish rapidly and the e-bike has prolonged my enjoyment of cycling and enabled me to ride more challenging routes than I could manage without assistance.

As previously pointed out, e-bikes still have to be pedalled and the assistance is proportional to the manual effort. Plus at speeds over about 15mph the motor cuts out and you're pedalling an additional 5kg of battery dead weight!

I log all my assisted rides as e-bike on Strava and I find that my assisted performances are similar to unassisted rides I was logging when I started cycling 10 years ago.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Jun 2022)

Being the keeper and monitor of the 100 miles challenge. I have no problems with someone using an e bike for qualifying rides. And in agreement with my fellow log keeper of the metric challenge @13 rider , as long as the bike is legal pedal assist only then all is good and you're more then welcome to join the challenge.
However a couple of the imperial challenge rules are that, its one continuous ride (cafe stops/breaks etc excepted) with no home stops allowed.
So you will probably need a bit more more planning in regards to taking a spare battery or having to conserve your battery power.


----------



## ColinJ (3 Jun 2022)

ianrauk said:


> So you will probably need a bit more more planning in regards to taking a spare battery or having to conserve your battery power.



@Pale Rider used to bring a spare battery for our 100 mile rides.


----------



## ianrauk (3 Jun 2022)

ColinJ said:


> @Pale Rider used to bring a spare battery for our 100 mile rides.



He did on one of my London to Brighton rides too. However, it does depends on whether the bike in question does have a removable battery or not.


----------



## ColinJ (3 Jun 2022)

ianrauk said:


> He did on one of my London to Brighton rides too. However, it does depends on whether the bike in question does have a removable battery or not.



Indeed. I don't need an e-bike (yet!) but if I ever get one I would prefer one with a hidden battery, though they often have a more limited range and can't be swapped out on the road.

I reckon that we are due some massive improvements in battery technology. If they could develop (say) a threefold increase in energy density it might make an imperial century on one charge of an internal battery a realistic possibility.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (4 Jun 2022)

Specialized claim their road bikes have a range of 195km with an additional battery that goes in a bottle cage. The bikes also look very nice, but are very expensive.


----------

