The one where I talk about how cool eBikes are and why you should think about getting one.
This month, The D00D and I will celebrate 33 years together. It's weird to think that I've spent more than half of my life with him. I mean, that's more than a quarter of a century! With one person! It's actually been a fairly easy ride, at least in part, because we're so different. We truly balance each other out. Like a black and white cookie. He is extremely cautious and careful. I am impulsive, relatively impatient, and tend to operate on instinct. Here's a classic example: a long, long, long time ago, in another dimension, DVD players appeared on the market. Kids, those were machines that took these shiny, metal-looking discs containing moving images, and displayed the images onto your television screen. It was amazing! We wanted one but The D00D didn't know which one to get. He agonized over the decision, spending hours and hours and hours reading reviews. Nine months later, we still didn't have one and I was fed up. I saw one on an end cap at Target (it was a DVD/VCR combo!), brought it home, hooked it up, and we were off to the races. So it will probably not come as a surprise to learn that I did something similar last summer: I bought an eBike. On its face, the decision sounds reasonable and appropriate. I mean, we were in the early days of a pandemic and had been asked to isolate ourselves. Everyone was looking for ways to get out of the house, and everyone was buying bikes. So it's completely logical that I would buy one. But the truth is in the details. It was a totally impulsive purchase. Twenty-four hours before I bought it, I didn't even know what an eBike was. So, yeah. The D00D was looking for a specific kind of bike. He's a big cyclist — a cautious, careful, fiscally responsible one. He didn't really want to pay full price for a bike he wasn't sure he would use, so he spent hours and hours and hours (notice a pattern here?) looking at ads on Craigslist. After about a month of searching, he finally found something that piqued his interest. The seller was relatively nearby, so he scheduled an appointment to check it out.
While he was on a test ride, I stayed behind with the seller — a lovely older gentleman who regaled me with tales of his cycling days. I asked why he was selling a bike he so clearly loved. "I changed how I ride. My wife and I bought eBikes, and I'll never go back. Have you ever ridden one?" I had not. He proceeded to explain what an eBike was, how much fun they were to ride, and how it was the best purchase he'd ever made. So, you know, the wheels started turning in my head.
He brought his wife's bike out, adjusted the seat, gave me a brief tutorial, and sent me out on my own test ride. I'll be honest with you, I don't know that I've ever felt so giddy. I already had a bike. A perfectly good mountain bike. That I did not ride. Ever. Because I never enjoyed it like I did this thing. It was relatively uncomfortable and, more importantly, I don't have the danger gene required for getting the most out of a mountain bike. I like the idea of riding down hills and jumping over logs at lightning-fast speeds, but the reality is that I was terrified every time I came to even the tiniest of dips on a trail. I mean, I've seen The D00D's injuries from his own crashes. I've heard stories about his having to go to the hospital and have nurses scrape debris from his wounds using a wire brush. Ain't nobody got time for that. No, I needed something safe. Something stylish. Something with a wicker basket on the front and maybe a little bell to ring as I passed people I knew. So, the next day, I got on the Googles and looked up eBikes. I read a few reviews to see what minimum requirements I should be on the lookout for, and checked out prices. I didn't need anything fancy or super expensive, particularly since I wasn't sure if I would actually ride the thing. Because I sometimes do that. I get a bee in my bonnet and have to have something, get that something, use that something once or twice, and then get bored and move on. I didn't want that to happen here but if it did I didn't want to be out thousands of dollars. I finally settled on the Nakto City Camel eBike. It was a well-reviewed, reasonably priced option at under $600, making it both affordable and fiscally attractive. Plus, it came with a wicker basket and a bell! It's like we were meant to be! If you don't know anything about eBikes, let me give you a brief overview. They are NOT completely motorized vehicles. Those are scooters. I had a "friend" on Facebook make a snarky comment about how eBikes were defeating the purpose of riding a bike. No, friend, that is not what an eBike is. Yes, the bike does have a battery. That is a true statement. But you still have to pedal the bike in order to make it move. This particular bike (and I think most eBikes operate in the same general way) has three different modes of operation: full pedal, throttle assist, and throttle with pedal assist. You're always doing some sort of physical work in order to propel yourself forward.
So, what do those modes mean? Let's take a look:
Full pedal means just that — in order to move the bike, you need to pedal it. There's a 6-speed Shimano derailleur to adjust how easy or how difficult you want your pedaling effort to be. I started out using this mode until I got more comfortable on the bike because I didn't want to Simon Cowell myself. "You know that British TV guy almost killed himself on an eBike, don't you?" That's what I heard every time I told someone I bought one. "Read the instruction manual and be careful." Thank you. I've got it. Sweet but annoying. Throttle assist is where you use the throttle feature on the right handlebar to give you a boost during your ride. The bike is heavy, so coming out of a full stop can be a bit of work. A little twist of the throttle gives you enough of a goose to get back into your ride quickly and easily. Throttle with pedal assist is a blending of both options. You pedal the bike using the gear most comfortable for you, but every so often the bike automatically gives you a boost of power to assist your ride. The more you pedal, the bigger and longer your boost. This is particularly helpful when going up a hill. You start pedaling and the boost kicks in and you're up the hill in no time with almost no effort. It's fantastic! I now understand how all those Amish people are handling Ohio hills so easily on their bikes. I just thought they were in really great shape! There's a battery indicator on the handlebar area, too, to let you know how you're doing on power. Throttle assist uses very little battery power, but if you ride in pedal assist mode like I do you'll notice more of a battery drain. I think I can get somewhere between 15–20 miles in before I start to worry about battery life, which is a pretty darn good ride. So, was it worth it? Absolutely! When it's nice outside, I take it out for a spin at lunch. It feels good to be in the sun and it feels good to be getting exercise. Was it worth the money? It was, and then some! As a matter of fact, I'm actually considering getting a more durable model I can use on gravel or other off-road surfaces. Should you get one? Yes. Today, if at all possible. Do you have any other questions about eBikes? Shoot me a message or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you. Cheers, and peace out until next time!
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