Short but bumpy commute...
Discussion
... for a sweaty git.
In 3 months' time I'll be starting a new job almost exactly 3 miles down the road from my house.
Obviously, this is very ride-able and barely worth getting the car out of the garage for.
But there are 3 short climbs on the route, and I get sweaty at the first sign of changing down
In the past I have had a 12 mile commute which I cycled when the weather was nice, so I've got all the stuff about taking in clean shirts, leaving work shoes (and even trousers) in work, etc, etc, down pat...
But that was a nice weather only, fairly flat ride, long enough to make the faff of getting dried off and changed worthwhile.
I want/need this one to be more everyday and much less faff-y... which ideally would mean removing the sweaty bit from the equation, preferably even when raining and needing waterproofs.
So, first idea - electric bike. Take the sweat out the hills/waterproofs, charge maybe once a week.
New ones are really too expensive to be sensible... it'd take a loooong time to save the money vs petrol over the distance.
I've just used my current employers to get a C2W voucher for an mtb that I'll never ride to work... it'd be cheeky (and probably refused) if I asked for another one now I've given in my notice
I don't think the new employer has a scheme
Not keen on 2nd hand - too many stories of failures - I want that warranty! And prices are pretty firm anyway, so same as above.
Maybe adapt one of my current bikes with a kit: the 2 that are in use at the moment both have front thru-axles, so that removes the chance of fitting a Swytch or similar front motor kit. I'm not keen on changing anything about my road bike anyway; the mtb is up for sale and could have been a possible with road tires, but front thru + CF frame + dropper post seems to nix all the normal kits. The only bike that could be fitted is my old tourer, which is now permanently mounted on the trainer for Zwift... and I'd rather not swap it for the mtb as then I'd lose the fact that the tourer and my road bike give me much the same position so (I think) my Zwifting transfers well to the road. And frankly, the mtb is far too nice for that fate.
Only real option here is to buy another 2nd hand bike (ok, always a good option!), specifically to add a kit to (or to swap the Zwift bike back out)... will add an extra £100-200 to the total :|
Another bike idea: something with a seriously low bottom gear, so I can spin up the climbs really slowly... but I'm worried I'd still burst out sweaty.
Or... and this maybe the wrong sub-forum, but I'd hope to get more rational discussion here ...
I have a full motorbike licence, so maybe buy a 50cc or 125cc moped/bike.
50cc would be enough as it'll never need to go over 30mph. Obviously no sweat involved, even in waterproofs... price probably less than an new electric bike, but tax/insurance/servicing etc issues - just having another "proper" vehicle around feels a bit ..ummm... too much?!
I'm ignoring currently illegal options such as the little electric scooters, despite the fact that they'd be near perfect for the job...
I've just checked with Kamoot, and it's only a total of 150ft climbing, but I know from not having much choice about the routes I take (only one road through our village!), just the first little one hits 8% and gets me sweating before I've even really warmed up my legs... I run hot...
So what suggestions have you lot got for me?
In 3 months' time I'll be starting a new job almost exactly 3 miles down the road from my house.
Obviously, this is very ride-able and barely worth getting the car out of the garage for.
But there are 3 short climbs on the route, and I get sweaty at the first sign of changing down
In the past I have had a 12 mile commute which I cycled when the weather was nice, so I've got all the stuff about taking in clean shirts, leaving work shoes (and even trousers) in work, etc, etc, down pat...
But that was a nice weather only, fairly flat ride, long enough to make the faff of getting dried off and changed worthwhile.
I want/need this one to be more everyday and much less faff-y... which ideally would mean removing the sweaty bit from the equation, preferably even when raining and needing waterproofs.
So, first idea - electric bike. Take the sweat out the hills/waterproofs, charge maybe once a week.
New ones are really too expensive to be sensible... it'd take a loooong time to save the money vs petrol over the distance.
I've just used my current employers to get a C2W voucher for an mtb that I'll never ride to work... it'd be cheeky (and probably refused) if I asked for another one now I've given in my notice
I don't think the new employer has a scheme
Not keen on 2nd hand - too many stories of failures - I want that warranty! And prices are pretty firm anyway, so same as above.
Maybe adapt one of my current bikes with a kit: the 2 that are in use at the moment both have front thru-axles, so that removes the chance of fitting a Swytch or similar front motor kit. I'm not keen on changing anything about my road bike anyway; the mtb is up for sale and could have been a possible with road tires, but front thru + CF frame + dropper post seems to nix all the normal kits. The only bike that could be fitted is my old tourer, which is now permanently mounted on the trainer for Zwift... and I'd rather not swap it for the mtb as then I'd lose the fact that the tourer and my road bike give me much the same position so (I think) my Zwifting transfers well to the road. And frankly, the mtb is far too nice for that fate.
Only real option here is to buy another 2nd hand bike (ok, always a good option!), specifically to add a kit to (or to swap the Zwift bike back out)... will add an extra £100-200 to the total :|
Another bike idea: something with a seriously low bottom gear, so I can spin up the climbs really slowly... but I'm worried I'd still burst out sweaty.
Or... and this maybe the wrong sub-forum, but I'd hope to get more rational discussion here
...I have a full motorbike licence, so maybe buy a 50cc or 125cc moped/bike.
50cc would be enough as it'll never need to go over 30mph. Obviously no sweat involved, even in waterproofs... price probably less than an new electric bike, but tax/insurance/servicing etc issues - just having another "proper" vehicle around feels a bit ..ummm... too much?!
I'm ignoring currently illegal options such as the little electric scooters, despite the fact that they'd be near perfect for the job...
I've just checked with Kamoot, and it's only a total of 150ft climbing, but I know from not having much choice about the routes I take (only one road through our village!), just the first little one hits 8% and gets me sweating before I've even really warmed up my legs... I run hot...
So what suggestions have you lot got for me?
Don't faff with the extra cost/hassel of a moped when an eBike is perfect for your needs.
My commute to work is 7-8 miles with a profile like this. Once you add in work cloth, d lock, work laptop, lunch etc, the last hill is something I wouldn't even bother trying to tackle on a commuting ride. But with the eBike I've used car once in the last 2 weeks to get to work.
The reason eBike are still expensive and used ones hold their price is because for urban commute they are essentially car replacements not bike replacements. I've just bought a pannier for mine (first time ever) and on the scale the bike is pushing 20kg......considering I use to 'worry' about a saddle that was 100grams too heavy on my road bike, the commuter eBike is a totally different tool.
There are various conversion kits, but once you factor in the cost of a new donor bike you aren't that far away from the price of premade eBike.
EBikes really are game changers for commuting, I absolutely love mine, it's the only bike I now ride IRL. Never thought I would be so excited about waiting on Amazon to deliver a bright yellow pannier bags for the bike, but I am!!!
My commute to work is 7-8 miles with a profile like this. Once you add in work cloth, d lock, work laptop, lunch etc, the last hill is something I wouldn't even bother trying to tackle on a commuting ride. But with the eBike I've used car once in the last 2 weeks to get to work.
The reason eBike are still expensive and used ones hold their price is because for urban commute they are essentially car replacements not bike replacements. I've just bought a pannier for mine (first time ever) and on the scale the bike is pushing 20kg......considering I use to 'worry' about a saddle that was 100grams too heavy on my road bike, the commuter eBike is a totally different tool.
There are various conversion kits, but once you factor in the cost of a new donor bike you aren't that far away from the price of premade eBike.
EBikes really are game changers for commuting, I absolutely love mine, it's the only bike I now ride IRL. Never thought I would be so excited about waiting on Amazon to deliver a bright yellow pannier bags for the bike, but I am!!!
Edited by gangzoom on Friday 13th May 05:19
If I was in the marker for a new commuter eBike the Roadlite:ON 8.0 looks really good. Pricey but so is everything nice in life these days 
.
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/electric-bikes/electr...
.https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/electric-bikes/electr...
Op for that commute you could spend £500 on a 2nd hand gtech sport ebike and it’s job done. It’s a basic ebike, no gears, pedal and go. I have one as my hack bike for errands. The battery is a small bottle battery, clip it off and take it into work. Once the battery is off the bikes not worth stealing.
Electro1980 said:
Slightly left field suggestion, walk up the hills? It doesn’t sound like they are very long, and walking may be no slower than cycling in a low gear. Then cycle down the other side.
Don't worry, I can get sweaty walking, too stargazer30 said:
Op for that commute you could spend £500 on a 2nd hand gtech sport ebike and it’s job done.
I'm not keen on 2nd hand for this - too much possibly of problems being the reason for sale... and I can't see any GTechs for sale at that price point.Also, I'm off the top of their official sizing, although I don't think it's matter for a 3 mile ride.
But looking up those did bring up a very similar contender - [ulr=https://www.pureelectric.com/collections/hybrid-electric-bikes/products/pure-flux-one-electric-hybrid-bike]Pure Flux One[/url] - belt drive good, short but more than sufficient range = low price = good, one size again bad... only one gear. Big question then is will that one gear take me up the hills wearing waterproofs without soaking myself from the inside? Turns out there's a dealer an hour down the road, so might well be worth a visit.
Nobody fancies petrol power then?
defblade said:
Nobody fancies petrol power then?
Honestly I don't see why you would bother, especially as you are clearly not new to cycling. I've fitted panniers to my commuter eBike today after work, cannot wait to try them out on Monday. I've done 70 miles this week for essentially next to no fuel costs, no need for showers at work, no faff with parking etc, and its great exercise. I also lost count of the number of cars stuck in traffic that I passed on the way home today, must be three digits.
Why wouldn't you want to commute on an eBike if you can, especially in nice weather. Don't compare the cost of eBikes to the cost of normal bikes, compare them to the cost of running a car/moped etc.
I walk 3 miles to work at least 3 days a week. So 6 miles round trip a day. It takes me 42mins.
I love it as I get to listen to a podcast and not sit in traffic that can take 30 mins to do that route.
I used to ride it but it takes 11mins. It takes me longer to get in and out of my gear and showered at work. So I walk instead.
I love it as I get to listen to a podcast and not sit in traffic that can take 30 mins to do that route.
I used to ride it but it takes 11mins. It takes me longer to get in and out of my gear and showered at work. So I walk instead.
remedy said:
I used to ride it but it takes 11mins. It takes me longer to get in and out of my gear and showered at work. So I walk instead.
That's the beauty of eBikes, there is no need to sweat. I did 20 miles on the bike yesterday traveling between different work sites, all in work shirt/trousers. Zero chance of walking (which is just so slow), the only alternative would have been driving.Ebikes are car alternatives not walking or pedal bike replacements. It's a shame there they aren't really usable as family loaders, as at weekends our trip distances aren't much further but the need to move multiple people makes eBikes useless
.
Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 14th May 07:58
gangzoom said:
If I was in the marker for a new commuter eBike the Roadlite:ON 8.0 looks really good. Pricey but so is everything nice in life these days .
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/electric-bikes/electr...
how long is that Shimano 12 speed drivetrain going to last with electric power?.https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/electric-bikes/electr...
The OP seems to be looking for new, to get away from maintenance and reliability issues?
I would consider looking at getting a simple robust hybrid or MTB professionally converted to hub drive.
I think that might be the lowest maintenance option. Possibly quite cheap too?
I'd also consider getting a small motorbike.
But if the traffic's not bad, I might just take the car.
3 miles each way, 1500 miles a year, 500 quid in petrol, compared to maintaining and depreciating another toy. Plus I tend to do things like shop for food on the way home, go to B&Q, go straight from work to the sailing club or whatever.
But an ebike might be good for a bit of fitness on the way home, which might address the getting sweaty at the first sight of effort situation?
If you fancy an e-bike, then the commute is a fine excuse.
OutInTheShed said:
how long is that Shimano 12 speed drivetrain going to last with electric power?
Same Shimano drivetrain on Boardman has lasted over 3000 miles now, still same chain + cassette, even brake pads are fine at the moment. Biggest maintenance was original tyres getting punctures but the Marathon seem to have solved that.The maintance/faff required between an eBike and any car/moped that you have to insure/register is on a different scale.
Mine started off as a tool for fitness but has now become my car replacement for commuting, part of the reason for panniers is so I can stop at the shops on the way home and carry more stuff than what will fit in a back pack.
The eBike this year is almost certainly going to rack up more miles than my wifes car. Going without now would be a major headache as I than have to stress about parKing/unpredictable traffic when working from the city centre office.
Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 14th May 18:27
OutInTheShed said:
But an ebike might be good for a bit of fitness on the way home, which might address the getting sweaty at the first sight of effort situation?
Oi! I do about 2000 miles a year on the bike! And a lot of washing Did some maths and more thinking today.
At today's petrol prices, I'll be saving £110-120 a month in petrol, even if I drive to the new work. So there's certainly some room for spending there (although new job will, start with, pay less than the old job). Cost of a new bike has to be weighed against the fact that I already own a car (and it's paid for!)
I could go 2 teeth smaller on my road bike's chainring (it's 1x), 42 down to 40. Hard to get hold of the appropriate rings, but I found a German place that stocks them, it'll be about £40 delivered. I will probably do this regardless, as I might like it on the hills anyway
But, I thought today, as I rode slowly up a 10-14% stretch, if I do buy an ebike, will I be able to resist the temptation to use it for proper riding as well as commuting???
Because if not, I may as well get something decent at 2 or 3 times the budget, sell my current road bike, and give in the darkside completely... hmmm... dangerous territory!
king e bike, you’ll absolutely love it, get it done. defblade said:
if I do buy an ebike, will I be able to resist the temptation to use it for proper riding as well as commuting???
Because if not, I may as well get something decent at 2 or 3 times the budget, sell my current road bike, and give in the darkside completely... hmmm... dangerous territory!
That's the start of good man mathsBecause if not, I may as well get something decent at 2 or 3 times the budget, sell my current road bike, and give in the darkside completely... hmmm... dangerous territory!
. Last two summers I've actually fitted aero bars to my eBike and use it for 'fun' rides out at weekends for the occasional 'free' non family time.
The beauty of eBikes is ofcourse you can decide now little or much work you do. 18mph average on something that weights 16kg+, with mud guards+'bomb proof' wheels, so the option to 'explore' any footpath/trails you like the looks of?
On low assistance I can get over 100 miles out of the eBike whilst still doing 17.5mph average, whilst in commuting mode I average 19mph, easily drain the battery in under 20 miles but arrive at work barely out of Zone 2 HR, so that gives you an idea of how much support the motor can give!
My biggest 'regret' is I wish I had spent more on a drop bar version of the bike. But aside from my own cheapness, I love the eBike, makes me look fowards to the commute, whilst saving money, time, and keeping my fit
. Why would anyone rather be stuck in a car during rush hour traffic??!
Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 15th May 06:54
If you have the cash to splash there are gorgeous looking eBikes around these days. Total overkill for a 3 mile commute, but whats the point of life if you aren't going to try and enjoy it .
Am fully committed to the Fazua setup (x2 batteries, chargers, motors), so waiting for the 2023 Domane LT+ to be released......again, why wouldn't you want to be on any of these for your work commute!!
.Am fully committed to the Fazua setup (x2 batteries, chargers, motors), so waiting for the 2023 Domane LT+ to be released......again, why wouldn't you want to be on any of these for your work commute!!
Get a credit card with 0% on purchases for the longest time you can get. Probably will be 18 months to 2 years.
Buy really good ebike.
Pay the card off monthly with petrol savings. Job done.
Alternatively call the new employer and ask if they will join the c2w scheme. I don’t think it’s difficult.
Buy really good ebike.
Pay the card off monthly with petrol savings. Job done.
Alternatively call the new employer and ask if they will join the c2w scheme. I don’t think it’s difficult.
gangzoom said:
again, why wouldn't you want to be on any of these for your work commute!!
No mudguards! 
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Get a credit card with 0% on purchases for the longest time you can get. Probably will be 18 months to 2 years.
Buy really good ebike.
Pay the card off monthly with petrol savings. Job done.
Alternatively call the new employer and ask if they will join the c2w scheme. I don’t think it’s difficult.
This and this.Buy really good ebike.
Pay the card off monthly with petrol savings. Job done.
Alternatively call the new employer and ask if they will join the c2w scheme. I don’t think it’s difficult.
First off though, I have ordered the 40t chainring, we will see how that goes first
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