Cervélo’s first e-bike switches between road and gravel modes... and doesn't look much like an e-bike

Why don't you ask them when they are doing it?
Or shall I ask for you at the next e-bike riders AGM?

Where's my invite ?

🤣🤣🤣

e-Bike AGM? Sounds like a massive fire hazard.

Just out of interest, just measured the downtube width on my Specialized Roubaix Pro (unpowered), 78mm, on Mrs H's Orbea Gain (powered) the downtube containing a battery which is good for about 50kms on top assistance level is 86mm. The only ways you can tell she's not riding an unpowered road bike is if either you noticed the discreet button on the top tube or the rear hub motor (which is pretty much hidden by the disc on one side and the cassette on the other).

ETA Below a stock image of the bike she has, I don't think you'd look at that downtube and automatically assume there's a battery in there.

 The only ways you can tell she's not riding an unpowered road bike...

The best way to tell depends on seeing the rider on a hill- the powered bike rider is sat upright, obviously not working and, consequently, won't be seen on cold days. That's what happens when the hills are 'ironed out'. This is, of course, based on my observations in Lancashire

Quote:

The best way to tell depends on seeing the rider on a hill- the powered bike rider is sat upright, obviously not working and, consequently, won't be seen on cold days. That's what happens when the hills are 'ironed out'. This is, of course, based on my observations in Lancashire

I'm afraid that wouldn't work if you saw Mrs H on a hill because although she rides an ebike (she also has two other unpowered bikes) because her commute is a bit far for someone who works an 11 hour day teaching a subject that requires her to be on her feet nearly all the time (average working day 11,000 steps) she makes it a point of pride to try and ride above the power cutoff when tackling the (two) hills on her commute, so you would see her out of the saddle giving it full gas, bless her. You're surely not tarring all ebike riders with the same brush again, dear wtjs?

I know I've told you this many times before but you still don't seem able to appreciate that it's perfectly possible to make a big effort on an ebike: if you see me going up a hill at 15 mph I might well be putting in 250W of power to add to the 250W the motor is providing, i.e. basically putting in the same effort I would be if you saw me climbing on one of my unpowered bikes at 10 mph. It really is not a cut and dried "all ebike riders are lazy and make no effort", it really isn't.

By the way if ebike riders are never seen on cold days who the hell was that I accompanied to her school this morning on her bike when the Garmin was showing -1° at 6:20 am?

Does extra power make a difference?  Yes, yes it does - obviously: https://road.cc/content/feature/video-can-ebike-make-you-national-hill-c...

Does this mean "cheating"?  Logically this has two answers e.g. a) no more than using a bike as opposed to walking is "cheating" or b) given humans if you make something easier *some* will always take it easier.

However - Wiggo says "not cheating": https://road.cc/content/news/265792-e-bikes-arent-cheating-says-sir-brad...

People ride further: https://road.cc/content/news/e-bike-riders-quadruple-cycling-distance-fi...

And (the decider) Big Dave says no: https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/advice/advice/are-electric-bikes-cheat...

The difference an ebike makes to me is getting out and riding (even in this mornings -4 commute) ... or having to stay at home sofa surfing as my (thanks to a poorly driven car) fecked leg can't get me very far unaided.

By the way if ebike riders are never seen on cold days who the hell was that I accompanied to her school this morning on her bike when the Garmin was showing -1° at 6:20 am?

I expected this! Which was why I noted my observations were in Lancashire. In fact, everything you have written was completely anticipated because we've been through both sides of the dispute before. There is no doubt that it's possible to exert yourself on an ebike and, despite your protestations, it's a point I find very easy to appreciate- it's just that the great majority don't. My method for spotting ebikers works for much more than 90% of encounters, in Lancashire and on my longer trailer trips like up to the Lakes, the Pennine Bridleway and Way of the Roses- where you're not going to see any ebike campers, for obvious reasons. Again noting that it's around Lancashire, I see a fair few in summer and I haven't seen any for months. The point I made when I first ventured into this topic was that ebiking is not the same as cycling, and the point still stands. Nobody, including me, is trying to abolish ebikes or to stop people from using them or to minimise the disabilities suffered by a tiny fraction of ebikers such that the ebike is a worthy means of getting them out and about. The great majority of ebikers are using them to 'iron out the hills' and 'reduce the effort required'. 

wtjs wrote:

 Nobody, including me, is trying to abolish ebikes or to stop people from using them or to minimise the disabilities suffered by a tiny fraction of ebikers such that the ebike is a worthy means of getting them out and about.

So for any ebike riders who don't have a disability their means of getting out and about is not "worthy"? Very strange viewpoint old chap, very strange.

(I do have a disability by the way which sometimes means that it's either ebike or nothing for me, on better days I use my unpowered bikes, so I'm not taking that personally, but equally I'm not going to look down on healthy people using ebikes as "unworthy", they are getting some exercise and fresh air and most importantly every one of them is one car fewer on the roads, seems pretty worthy to me)

wtjs wrote:

The best way to tell depends on seeing the rider on a hill- the powered bike rider is sat upright, obviously not working and, consequently, won't be seen on cold days. That's what happens when the hills are 'ironed out'. This is, of course, based on my observations in Lancashire

How interesting, because the research so far suggests that e-bike riders ride more often and for longer and thus get more exercise.

I look forward to the peer-reviewed publication of your findings coming soon in a scientific journal.

This is true - had to go and get some shopping bits & pieces earlier, nearest Lidl is 0.5 miles away, not worth opening the garage door for, plus the bike racks are not great there. Didn't fancy the walk so took an ebike to the next nearest 5 miles away (new store so better locking facilities). 10 miles and 400 calories, it's free exercise. 

I just have a another set of wheels with different tyres on (currently set up with Marathon Plus, Schwalbe Winters, and set 3 has gravel tyres on.
Couple of moments on the stand and that's it.