# Bu----ed legs, E bike suitability?



## youngoldbloke (29 Mar 2018)

To cut a long story short, I have finally been diagnosed with vascular disease, in both legs, affecting arteries above and below the knees. I can now only cycle a mile on the flat before cramping pains in the calf begin, and by a mile and a half the pain can be enough to force me to stop . Any gradient or attempt to increase speed results in pain earlier. After a couple of minutes rest the pain has subsided and I can set off again.
It doesn't matter how slowly I go, the pain will start, it just takes a little longer - all this after being a keen club rider, averaging 70 - 100 miles per week, a couple of years ago. I still arrange the club Leisure Ride programme, unfortunately I can't ride with them any more!
I'd love to get back to cycling more than a few, slow, painful miles, the only other alternative is surgery, up to 4 potentially risky operations, so for the moment I've agreed to follow a conservative approach - so, the question is - just how much effort do you need to put in to pedalling an ebike?
I've been looking at the Orbea Gain, as I very much prefer road bikes, but to actually see or try one will involve a bit of a journey. Any advice?


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Mar 2018)

I admire people like you. I am no puritan and think e bikes are ideal for the active. You present the perfect scenario.

Sadly I don’t know anything about them. I just like your train of thought. Good for you.


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## Pale Rider (29 Mar 2018)

Most ebikes have levels of assistance - the higher the level you set, the less effort you put in.

No legal ebike is a ball of fire, so there will always be some effort needed even on highest motor setting,

I'm not familiar with the Gain, but I suspect it will be less than ideal for you because I believe it has a limited number of modes, the motor is relatively weak, and the battery small.

A comparison would be helpful, so I would suggest you test, say, a Bosch powered ebike and the Gain - the difference will quickly become apparent.

Not many Gains around as you've found, but a lot of cycle shops now have a Bosch bike or two so getting a go on one of those should be fairly easy.


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## youngoldbloke (29 Mar 2018)

Good advice. One appealing feature of the Gain is the weight - or lack of it at around 14 -15kg. I need to be able to lift the bike onto a roof rack for long journeys and into the vehicle quite often for shorter. My heaviest bike at the moment is around 10kg. I'd really prefer drop bars too, but I suppose needs must. Maybe I just have to come to terms with the reality that my cycling days are numbered .


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## Pale Rider (29 Mar 2018)

My view is it's not possible for one person to safely lift what we might call a standard ebike onto a roof rack.

Even with the battery removed, most ebikes are 20kg+ and very unwieldy.

The Gain is a much better prospect for putting on a roof rack, but I would want to give it a try before buying.


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## Milkfloat (29 Mar 2018)

One question - do you think that you could pedal your current bike with very low resistance for for than a few miles, so is it the action of pedalling that is the problem or the effort required. If it is the action, then sadly I don’t think an e-bike will be the solution as you still need to turn the pedals.


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## youngoldbloke (29 Mar 2018)

Milkfloat said:


> One question - do you think that you could pedal your current bike with very low resistance for for than a few miles, so is it the action of pedalling that is the problem or the effort required. If it is the action, then sadly I don’t think an e-bike will be the solution as you still need to turn the pedals.


This is what I've really got to sort out. If I'm riding on the flat, with a favourable breeze, I feel I could go on indefinitely, but if I try to put down more power, that's when the the problems begin. As soon as the road begins to rise, even slightly the same thing. 'Spirit level' legs! Obviously I've got to get out and try a few e-bikes.


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## Turdus philomelos (29 Mar 2018)

Yeah, get a test ride, too much of an investment not too. 

I would have thought most dealers of ebikes will have bikes you can try out.

Fingers crossed


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## kcflyer1957 (31 Mar 2018)

I'm assuming that you are in the UK, as most posters seem to be. I am in the US, so the restrictions are a bit less here (up to 28 mph assist). I ride a Giant Road E - drop bar road bike. The biggest benefit I find is that on hills, the assist is quite noticeable - for speed, but more importantly, for ease of pedaling. I'm not going up the hill at 28 mph, but I AM pedaling much easier. I guess the next issue is distance. In "Eco" mode, I can easily do 50+ miles, but there IS some effort involved. I've ridden some on "Normal" mode, just to see the range, and the best I can get has been about 40 miles. I haven't tried Power mode. Bottom line, the higher the assist, the shorter the ride. 

I love my Giant. It fits what I need perfectly. It's pricey, but for me it's worth it. HOWEVER - it weighs about 40 pounds, so if the internet calculator is correct, it's about 18kg. So putting it on a roof rack could prove difficult. I have a trunk mount rack that works well, but here in the States, quite a few cars have a trailer hitch mount. This might be a way to help you transport it.

The Giant has a Yamaha system (works quite well) and I am not familiar with the Bosch systems. I would agree with Pale Rider - visit a bike shop and see what they have. I test rode a Giant mountain bike, but the drive and assistance levels were similar and I got a good feel for how it would perform for me. I wasn't disappointed. 

Hopefully you can find an ebike solution that works for you. From what I've seen though, the Bosch and Yamaha systems are going to be on somewhat pricier bikes.


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## Hedgemonkey (11 Apr 2018)

I agree with the others, you really do need to go out and test ride some, I find I need a different mind set on the ebike, no more trying to hold 18 - 19mph for a mile or so, it's just a case of pootling along and let the fast buggers vanish into the distance. ( until the climbs )


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## Vantage (11 Apr 2018)

May I ask what the risky operations are?
I wonder because I too have that condition due to diabetes and remember all too well the pain in my right leg.
The first op was a balloon to inflate the artery which they hoped would be enough however, the artery collapsed again a few months later. Second op involved a chemical stent. The artery is inflated via balloon as before, but the balloon is coated in a chemical which prevents the artery collapsing again. So far it's holding up and going on for about 3 years now. The pain is gone, but the legs tire easily due to restricted blood supply.
The op was about 45mins long under local anesthetic and a hospital stayover of 2 nights I think so the hole in my inner thigh (groin area) healed properly. Back on the bike a week later.


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## youngoldbloke (11 Apr 2018)

Vantage said:


> May I ask what the risky operations are?
> I wonder because I too have that condition due to diabetes and remember all too well the pain in my right leg.
> The first op was a balloon to inflate the artery which they hoped would be enough however, the artery collapsed again a few months later. Second op involved a chemical stent. The artery is inflated via balloon as before, but the balloon is coated in a chemical which prevents the artery collapsing again. So far it's holding up and going on for about 3 years now. The pain is gone, but the legs tire easily due to restricted blood supply.
> The op was about 45mins long under local anesthetic and a hospital stayover of 2 nights I think so the hole in my inner thigh (groin area) healed properly. Back on the bike a week later.


I haven't got my medical notes with me at the moment, so can't be specific and may miss some detail but I've been told that I will need work done to the femoral and iliac arteries in _both_ legs, either in one operation or each leg separately. This would involve an Endarterectomy with Vein Patch to each femoral artery, and stents in the iliac arteries, restoring blood supplies to the upper legs. Later stenting to the affected arteries in both lower legs. None of the procedures was guaranteed to be 100% effective, and could need attention in the future. The surgeon was clear that there were serious risks associated to the operations which were somewhat amplified by the need for multiple procedures, the worst possible outcome being the loss of a limb or even both limbs. Surgery is still an option however, if and when I can't deal with the pain, or the condition of my leg arteries becomes worse. For the moment it was decided to pursue a conservative, non- invasive approach, involving a structured exercise programme and vasodilation medication, along with blood thinning drugs and statins. I'm not convinced I'm seeing much if any improvement however. BTW I'm not diabetic, but did smoke for many years - but I gave up around 25 years ago. The damage was done by then, obviously


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## Vantage (12 Apr 2018)

Hope you get something sorted.


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