Anybody gone back to try a "manual" bike??

[Stul]

Recently set up a local group for people who like a bit of "casual / social" riding. Working well with a few members who all ride manual racing bikes. Makes it a bit difficult as they are quite a bit faster on the flat / down hills, and I find it takes quite a bit of peddling to keep up, as my motor cuts out at the 15.5 mph limit.

I therefore got myself a cheap, 2nd hand, manual bike. (I used to ride them years ago, but sold them when I went "electric").

Must admit even after 150 odd miles in, (10-12 mile rides at a time), I am finding it a real struggle and thinking about giving up and just sticking with my electric!!

Just wondering if anybody else has returned to a manual bike??

 

[gbb]

Imho, there are no shortcuts to fitness. When I was riding a lot (6k miles a year, usually 50 mile rides at an average of around 15 to 16mph...it takes a lot of effort to up that average to say 18mph.
I'd be averaging quite happily 16mph and then someone would breeze up to me, chat for a while and just breeze off like it was nothing I just couldn't stay with it / him.

That prompted me to have a real hard focus on getting it up to 18 average and I did maintain 18 for a summer....but its blooming hard work and you have to keep sustaining it.

Either that or I was just doing something wrong...

Osteo arthritis was my reason for swapping to an ebike and theres no going back for me, my hips just won't have it. I did go back for a short period to the roadbike but it doesn't work got my hips.

 

[raleighnut]

I sometimes get one of my bikes out of the shed for a potter, not far though 5-6 miles is about my limit

 

[Drago]

I never stopped riding my manual machines when I got my first.

 

[Ian H]

Manual= hand-operated. I'm confused.

 

[Drago]

It thought it was something to do with Manuel from Fawlty Towers?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Recently set up a local group for people who like a bit of "casual / social" riding. Working well with a few members who all ride manual racing bikes. Makes it a bit difficult as they are quite a bit faster on the flat / down hills, and I find it takes quite a bit of peddling to keep up, as my motor cuts out at the 15.5 mph limit.

I therefore got myself a cheap, 2nd hand, manual bike. (I used to ride them years ago, but sold them when I went "electric").

Must admit even after 150 odd miles in, (10-12 mile rides at a time), I am finding it a real struggle and thinking about giving up and just sticking with my electric!!

Just wondering if anybody else has returned to a manual bike??

I haven't, I did set myself a goal (Edit - by the end of summer this year) of getting one of my analogue (as I call them!) bikes back on the road but one thing or another has got in the way. I miss going out for 80-100 miler all day and importantly not fast rides, but as @gbb has said my fitness needs building back up.

Just for your problem I'd simply ask the other riders to be aware that not everyone can go at breakneck speeds, given you set up the group I think it's fair you can enforce some rules!

 

[Nibor]

I thought they were called bikes

 

[gbb]

Another angle. Rather cheekily perhaps, I was always a solo rider but occasionally a group would sweep up ..and I'd tag on the back. The pull you get it really noticeable, that did surprise me. You can quickly find yourself doing several mph faster with less effort.
So I'd just ride along as long as I could...then drop off when I'd had enough.
You can still apply that if you're a member of that group, just forewarn then that's your intention...or is that frowned upon ?

 

[fossyant]

Have a look at the bike and tyres - what is it - ie what's the e-bike and what's the normal bike. If you are trying to keep up on say a flat bar bike with a road bike, you aren't.

Remember with an e-bike you are carrying more weight, but, say a decent road bike should be going faster fairly easily, but, as said before, there are no shortcuts to fitness.

I don't have an e-bike, but even with a fully loaded (tents/clothing cooking gear) cyclo-cross/gravel bikes, the three of us were riding at around 20 mph or more on tarmac - considerably slower off though.

 

[Sharky]

Interesting thought ..

For years, when riding in groups, the accepted convention was to wait at the top of a hill for the slower riders to catch up.

Perhaps now, the convention should be to wait at the bottom of hill and wait for the slower Ebikes to catch up!

 

[Ian H]

Interesting thought ..

For years, when riding in groups, the accepted convention was to wait at the top of a hill for the slower riders to catch up.

Perhaps now, the convention should be to wait at the bottom of hill and wait for the slower Ebikes to catch up!

Surely they'd catch up on the hill.

 

[TheDoctor]

I've got one ebike and 3 non-assisted on the fleet - Flat-bar Ribble, Dynatech Ti singlespeed, and a Brompton.
No plans to downsize at all!
There has got to be a better expression for not-an-ebike.
Not manual, and certainly not acoustic or analog, both of which I've heard used by people who should know better.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've got one ebike and 3 non-assisted on the fleet - Flat-bar Ribble, Dynatech Ti singlespeed, and a Brompton.
No plans to downsize at all!
There has got to be a better expression for not-an-ebike.
Not manual, and certainly not acoustic or analog, both of which I've heard used by people who should know better.

Velocipede?

 

[Sharky]

New Ordinary?