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I agree, except on the electric part. Where I live e-bikes don't assist over 25/kmph, and I'm always above that... until, my ride home. Which is steep hill, and

by ehnto 4y ago

I agree, except on the electric part. Where I live e-bikes don't assist over 25/kmph, and I'm always above that... until, my ride home. Which is steep hill, and I'm tired, and I just want to go home. As an all-rounder it's been the best bike I've had yet, I can do just about anything with it. Very utilitarian. I ride a heap, I ride MTB, commute and also a gravel bike for fun, so I feel no shame getting that e-assist on the commute. I don't need it for the fitness, I'm just getting to work! One of the big benefits of a gravel bike is indeed the tires, they can be tubeless so no more annoying pinch flats, and they can be run at really comfy pressures depending on your personal preference.

glenngillen 4y ago
Depending on the bike/motor you've got, something like this can be very inconspicuously added to your bike to get past the 25/kmph limit: https://planet3.bike https://planet3.bike I've one on a Specialized Levo and it works great.
- ehnto 4y ago
  That's a great solution, I knew about the method for circumvention being the magnet pickup but I've never seen a specific defeat device like this. That's really clever.
matsemann 4y ago
Sounds like you also live in Oslo? At least the nice thing is that I don't get that sweaty on the way to work.. Not sure if you misunderstood my comment? I'm all for electric bikes (my GF is getting one today actually) and how they enable many more people to bike. I love seeing parents bike their kids to school on this big ebikes, zooming past hundred cars in a gridlock. But _if_ you're not going electric, a gravel is a great bike. If you're going electric, most of the problems a gravel solve aren't really a problem.
- ehnto 4y ago
  Oh I didn't think you were detracting from e-bikes, I just think that an electric gravel bike is worthwhile as it's still a fantastic formfactor for commuting, especially if you still want to use it non-electrically and out on rougher terrain (where rougher can be little bits of dirt or rough road on your commute). I am actually in Australia, which has some surprisingly hilly places!
  - matsemann 4y ago
    Ah, I see. I've never tried commuting on an electric, so I just tried to say that my advice from my knowledge only applied to "acoustic" bikes. But great to hear that gravel e-bikes rock as well!

by ehnto 4y ago

glenngillen 4y ago

Depending on the bike/motor you've got, something like this can be very inconspicuously added to your bike to get past the 25/kmph limit: https://planet3.bike https://planet3.bike I've one on a Specialized Levo and it works great.

ehnto 4y ago
That's a great solution, I knew about the method for circumvention being the magnet pickup but I've never seen a specific defeat device like this. That's really clever.

matsemann 4y ago

Sounds like you also live in Oslo? At least the nice thing is that I don't get that sweaty on the way to work.. Not sure if you misunderstood my comment? I'm all for electric bikes (my GF is getting one today actually) and how they enable many more people to bike. I love seeing parents bike their kids to school on this big ebikes, zooming past hundred cars in a gridlock. But _if_ you're not going electric, a gravel is a great bike. If you're going electric, most of the problems a gravel solve aren't really a problem.

ehnto 4y ago
Oh I didn't think you were detracting from e-bikes, I just think that an electric gravel bike is worthwhile as it's still a fantastic formfactor for commuting, especially if you still want to use it non-electrically and out on rougher terrain (where rougher can be little bits of dirt or rough road on your commute). I am actually in Australia, which has some surprisingly hilly places!
- matsemann 4y ago
  Ah, I see. I've never tried commuting on an electric, so I just tried to say that my advice from my knowledge only applied to "acoustic" bikes. But great to hear that gravel e-bikes rock as well!