How Often Do You Pedal?

[broloch]

How often do you pedal on your ebike? Do you even pedal at all? Or do you pedal only when accelerating to speed from a stop?

Or do you throttle all the way to your destination?

Pedalling when accelerating to speed and not using the motor until you're at a good speed, how much would you say this would extend your trip? 20%? 10%?

 

[Drunkskunk]

I pedal all the time. its good cardio exercize. doesn't mean I pedal hard enough to add anything to the speed. Pedaling keeps my Adrinilin up which increases my reaction time.

but every now and then I want more range, so I do pedal for effect. doing so its easy to double my range, or quadruple it. or more.

Doing what you describe could increase your range, but by how much is impossable to say. you might only need to accellerate like that once a mile, or maybe once every 400 yards. your "a good speed" might be 12mph, or 40mph. too many variables. it could help less than 1%. it could help well over 1,000%. Both amounts are likely under the right conditions.

 

[broloch]

You're really running your CLyte at 74V and 40A? Have you had any problems with the 408 so far? I read about some guy running his 408 like this but it melted.

My good speed is about 25mph. There may be 15-20 stops and accelerations to speed. This would be for LiFePO4 chemistry.
This would be pedalling alone, and not aided by the motor at all during accelerations.

 

[hillbilly]

I justified the expense of an ebike on the assumption that it would get me outdoors more often and also provide some low-impact cardio exercise. So, like Drunkskunk, I pedal often -- and as I slowly get back into shape, I try to pedal even more. Yesterday, for example, I rode about 11 miles and used 1.7 amps. There is virtually no level ground on our road, so other than coasting occasionally I was constantly pedaling, always at a comfortable pace, just enough to keep my heart rate up and my body warm (the motor temp at the axle was 34F).

One of the pleasures of my ride yesterday was easily pedaling up hills (without assist) that used to have me hanging over the handlebars, gasping for breath. It really is true that an ebike is the best "exercycle" money can buy -- and by the way, a good home exercise bike easily costs as much as I have invested in this conversion!

 

[deardancer3]

I pedal all the time, trying to keep my heart rate up.

d

 

[swbluto]

I often pedaled because I was usually interested in going as fast as my system allowed and pedaling typically added a generous 3 mph to the speed. Once I got tired, I stopped pedaling to rest getting ready for the next one.

It's true, I was more fit with the electric bike than when I didn't have an electric bike, likely because I would take my electric bike out more often than a non-electric bike (Due to the increased practicality) and for further distance.

 

[Russell]

99% of the time.

-R

 

[Zoot Katz]

I pedal just about all the time.
With the big chainring on EBII I get my best workout pedalling it downhill against back EMF and high gear ratio.
Basically, I'm riding a mag trainer all over town.

 

[broloch]

Are YPedal and I the only ones who don't like to pedal when on an ebike? DoctorBass? I'm sure morph999 doesn't like to pedal...(on ebike)

 

[dogman dan]

I pedal 99% of the time. After a hard day working, and I'm nearly home, I'll sometimes motor in the last mile or so. On the way to work, I'll motor some toward the end of the ride, or pedal lazy, so I don't arrive winded.

I try to set a speed, and pedal up 1 to 2 mph more on the flats. Just pedaling enough to get the heart going, but not enough to get winded most of the time. On the big hill going home, I'll pedal hard for 5 minuites, or not if I feel tired. Even when I did a lot of faux pedaling before I had a bigger gear on the crank, I could still feel a lot of benefit. My strength and wind improved so much from riding the ebike that I now do a lot of riding up steep trails on a bike with no motor. Pedaling to add speed definitely increases range, but the best range is had from simply slowing down. 12 mph will get you double the range of 25 mph.

I never tested range without any peadling, but I suspect adding 2 mph to your speed by pedaling is good for about 25% better range at least. My butt would not stand for 20 or more miles without pedaling. After a few miles no pedaling, my legs fall asleep. When I do a "range test" of my pingbattery, I pedal, but it's faux pedaling that doesn't do too much to add range or speed. I don't like people reporting that they get such and such range, when they pedal like hell all the way, or don't use the motor for some of it. I try to report a range anybody my weight and out of shape could get when I talk about how far my battery can go.

As for pedaling up to speed, it definitely helps. Sometimes I take the downtown route for shopping reasons. A stop sign every block for miles kills my range unless I pedal a lot more on the starts. On the usual route I like to motor to 5 mph, and then pedal , so I can just stay in high gear and ride like it's a single speed. The usual route only has a stop every 2 miles, so on that route I let the motor work to get going.

All of it really improved my health. I used to get a lot of sinus infections, but now I spit out all the dust from work by the time I get home and don't get the infections. No dust, no infection.

 

[johnrobholmes]

I pedal on my bicycles. On my ebike I may help out during acceleration, but I ride it like a moped. I would consider myself a non-pedaler unless I am trying to keep up my body temp or be stealth.

 

[davespicer]

Nearly all the time. My rides aren't very long (yet) - just a few miles. But changing from 28-14 to 28-11 freewheels on two of our ebikes has raised my "maximum comfortable pedaling" speed a bit above what the motors would do by themselves on the level. As others have pointed out, this is a "sweet spot" for a nice combination of speed and exercise.

Hey - maybe the laws could be changed so we're allowed one volt per year of our age! I'll turn 62 next month and that sounds pretty good to me. Of course it doesn't work that way batterywise, but I'd settle for 24 volts up to age 24, then 36 up to age 36 and so forth...

 

[liveforphysics]

Zero pedaling. I focus more on hanging on.

 

[broloch]

lol. Yeah, from your motorcycle helmet and motorcycle armour, I figured as much.

How fast DO you go?

 

[chvidgov.bc.ca]

I pedal about 98% of the times, averaging around 22mph with burst on downhills to 30mph. I'd say I provide about 35% of the motive power of the vehicle on average, as my contribution is a larger proportion of the wattage when I am at speed, and I don't travel fast enough that it takes more than about 300 watts to hold me at speed. I've been doing fun rides of 35-45 miles fairly consistently since last winter, about once a week, and smaller utility rides every day of 10 to 15 miles. I would lose a tremendous amount of range if I had to go WOT/no pedalling.

 

[AussieJester]

Zero pedaling. I focus more on hanging on.

ROFL..your a nutter Luke..

No pedalling here either ...legs don't work...prolly wouldnt be pedalling even if they did...come to think of it, i wouldn't have an e-bike if they did i'd be on a Ducati 1098 S OR a KTM of some guise.

KiM

 

[mwkeefer]

Depending on many factors (mood, timeframe, destination, traffic, route, etc) I go from 0 pedaling to some pedaling.

The only time I really need to pedal is when using the front motor only and in wet or slippery terrain but only for traction control and assistance or to take off durring accelleration.

I find myself often cruising about 25mph and pedaling along gently because it feels better than sitting with my feet on the pedals and not moving.

-Mike

 

[amberwolf]

I pedal 99% of the time, partly because for now, the cranks always rotate when the motor is running. Sometimes I contribute something to the motor, and sometimes I do not, depending on how much my knees hurt at that point.

Assuming it's just a dull ache, I pedal hard enough to contribute a bit; and as hard as I am able to during acceleration to keep the amp draw lower at those times and provide a boost to get going to speed faster. If I am able to do this a lot during a ride, I can add up to a few percent extra range, since a large portion of my battery power is used up simply accellerating from the frequent complete stops that must be made.

That said, my whole purpose of having the motor is to make it easier on my knees, so I don't ever work them hard enough to really hurt, unless I have no choice for some reason.

Just walking, unless I hold my knees stiff and kind of hobble along, hurts enough to not want to do it much. But riding a regular bike, even without a motor, does not really hurt too much except for the startups and hills. Hills are almost impossible for me without the motor, evne with just me and the aluminum frame 26" upright bike, and long or steep hills *are* impossible without it.

 

[Affliction]

Assuming it's just a dull ache, I pedal hard enough to contribute a bit; and as hard as I am able to during acceleration to keep the amp draw lower at those times and provide a boost to get going to speed faster. If I am able to do this a lot during a ride, I can add up to a few percent extra range, since a large portion of my battery power is used up simply accellerating from the frequent complete stops that must be made.
That said, my whole purpose of having the motor is to make it easier on my knees, so I don't ever work them hard enough to really hurt, unless I have no choice for some reason.

I feel for you amberwolf, I have bad knees myself and electric assist is a godsend! I hardly pedal at all anymore after going 2WD.
I usually pop some painkillers or 'liquid lubrication' if going for a long haul because I'll have to pedal if I want the range. I just shut off the front motor and limit my assist speed to 30kph to make it 50 km on my 15ah ping.
Sorry for being such a dick Too much liquid lubrication on a saturday night and the party ended too soon

 

[liveforphysics]

lol. Yeah, from your motorcycle helmet and motorcycle armour, I figured as much.

How fast DO you go?

64mph is my gearing limited speed.

 

[amberwolf]

I feel for you amberwolf, I have bad knees myself and electric assist is a godsend! I hardly pedal at all anymore after going 2WD.
I usually pop some painkillers or 'liquid lubrication' if going for a long haul because I'll have to pedal if I want the range. I just shut off the front motor and limit my assist speed to 30kph to make it 50 km on my 15ah ping.

Even if I could afford painkillers, I would not use them unless I had no choice; I've seen the effects in my sisters of having to graduate to stronger and stronger ones due to using them often (plus they just cost so much money; I can think of so many other uses for that money, or how much longer it would let me keep the place I'm in during bad job times, etc.). But for those that have them and need them, I'm glad they exist, because sometimes life would be unbearable without them.

If I had more battery (which hopefully the new 18650s I got will end up being, once I get them in packs) then I could pedal even less and not have to worry about the range, but I should build in a current-limit-adjuster into the 2QD controller so I can turn it's limit *way* down from what it is now (which is at least 105A for a short burst). I doubt these cells would handle that current like my SLAs do.

Sorry for being such a dick Too much liquid lubrication on a saturday night and the party ended too soon

I suppose it happens. I have a couple of friends that I keep threatening to build a breathalyzer submit button for.

I can't drink so I don't know what it's like to be like that.

 

[AussieJester]

Even if I could afford painkillers, I would not use them unless I had no choice

I take pain killers 3 times a day they aren't that expensive $AU3.50 a pack (24 pills) doesn't exactly break the bank :-S
and makes your quality of life better, why be in pain if you don't have to be thats silly IMHO...

KiM

 

[swbluto]

Even if I could afford painkillers, I would not use them unless I had no choice

I take pain killers 3 times a day they aren't that expensive $AU3.50 a pack (24 pills) doesn't exactly break the bank :-S
and makes your quality of life better, why be in pain if you don't have to be thats silly IMHO...

KiM

In your situation where the pain is pretty chronic, that would definitely be the way to go.

For me, where any pain I have is fairly temporary (headaches, for example), I'll skip the medicine knowing that I won't have my kidneys or liver harmed. In my case, it's a matter of "Why take medicine if I don't have to?".

 

[deronmoped]

I pedal 110% of the time.

The extra 10% comes in when I'm in crowds and want to go really slow with absolute control. I too like seeing how fast I can go, so I push myself to add as many MPH's to my top speed. Plus it's fun to think that people must think I'm a hell of a athlete pedaling and moving that fast on a bicycle, going up a hill.

Deron.

 

[biohazardman]

I try to pedal whenever I think someone is watching looks good that way. I'm pretty beat up physically but can pedal, not much help but keeping up, @ 30mph for two or three miles on a good day. That is enough to make many think I am more than healthy? ;^) Else, I pedal whenever I am up to it just for the cardiovascular workout.