OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

Re: OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

John C Lucas

Im an avid bicyclist and have been all my life. Having a very hard time keeping it up this year. With a new house and new wife there,s lots of things to do, especially after they tore up my yard putting in a new septic drain field. The new roads arent as much fun or at least havent found the good ones to ride. If i ride off the mountain which is where all the better rides are i have a 5 mile hill to get back home. Then with my dad being sick im in atlanta or on the road 4 days a week. Hard to get the rides in. I did find a good route with not too much traffic in Atlanta and rode 12 miles yesterday. May try that again today.

Hope you get as much enjoyment out of riding as i have. And it should improve.your health. I was at the do tor for a check up and she said "is your heart rate always that this low". I told her i bike a lot. She said you can tell because your heart pumps really slow and full. Guess that means i will live a little longer

Re: OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

Mark Paulley

Dick, love the fat tires on your monster!

Re: OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

Roger Chandler

Excellent Dick! I think it is impressive that you are doing that at age 63! I am close behind you, and need to do something like that to get more exercise, myself. I hope your summer is filled with joy, good health, and a refreshing renewal of both mind and body.

Good luck, and while riding, be careful out there..........sometimes drivers don't always see bikers or many times don't share the road the way they should. Our area is a big area for biking, and they do a lot of training for the Tour DuPont and other races, as well as charity rides in our area, so we see bike riders all the time. They come through our subdivision all the time.

Re: OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

Doug Ladendorf

I haven't seen the Sonders before Dick. What is it like to ride? Is it heavy?

Doug

It weighs a ton Doug, but it's cheap

Dick Coers

It is offered on a crowdfunded deal, for $500 plus $200 shipping, and they sold $6.2 million dollars worth of them. I'd been looking at a Radpower bike for $1495 plus $175 shipping. Sondors is still delivering them. I was leery of the thing, but I bought it from a guy here in Peoria off Craigslist. Too heavy for his wife was the reason. I thought it doesn't take much fun these days to spend $500, so bought it. It's limited to 20mph like all ebikes in the US. You have to peddle going up a grade if you want to maintain speed, but that's fine with me. It has a cadence sensor, so will amplify your peddle force through the motor, or a thumb throttle. I've been on some 12+ mile trips, and so far my butt wears down before the batteries. Since there are so many of them being sold, there is a nice after market developing for accessories. I bought a nice LCD display, and hot rod controller for $95 for both. It's the bigger battery pack that costs a lot! Almost the same as the price of the bike! I love both bikes, but get more attention and smile a lot more on the Sondors.

The kickstand on the Sonders........

JamieDonaldson

...is in a strange location? Seems like it would be more prone to falling over.

I rode another fat bike, stand was in the back

Dick Coers

A multi-speed traditional fat bike at the bike store had a stand just like the Sondors. On the Sondors, I think with the hub motor back there, and the weight of the battery pack in the middle, the stand works very well. The Giant doesn't even come with a stand, though I will be adding one.

Re: OT First time 40 years, taking the summer off

Bob Macgregor

As I get older, there are times when I realize I've biked further from home than I really should have...and I am unenthusiastic about the trip home (why is it always uphill on the way back?!). For years I've dreamed of getting an Optibike (https://optibike.com/), but I'd get as far dreaming of mansions and yachts.

Maybe I should set my sights a bit lower, financially, and aim for a more affordable, but still perfectly functional, e-bike.

Golly Bob, they justify it for you *LINK*

Dick Coers

Right there on the web page, they explain how you can actually ride it for free! That's a beautiful machine. I could definitely not leave that locked up in a bike rack. I'd also have to add the cost of a smart phone and a bike security ap to the cost of purchase. I haven't had the courage to even leave my $500 ebike in a bike rack yet. I don't know how old you are Bob, but I'm 63 and thinking I couldn't wait much longer to do this kind of activity. Probably did too much damage to expect a big increase in lifespan from exercising, but sure feeling better right now. 7-8 miles a day on bike/walking trails has improved my mood and feeling easier to do that distance every day. And the ebike, that's been shear joy. I've only been snubbed by a few cyclists on the trail, but I still wave and smile.


https://optibike.com/ride-an-electric-bike-for-free/

Re: Golly Bob, they justify it for you

john lucas

Gosh I bought a cheap regular bicycle. A Canondale at just under a grand. Most of my friends ride bikes in the 2 to 5 grand range. Maybe I should look at the Ebikes.

Just like every hobby, choices

Dick Coers

I rode with a friend the other evening. He was on a titanium frame, carbon fiber handle bars and seat post, aluminum spokes, tires like o-rings, and lock in shoes. But we reverse each other in the lathe department. I turn on a Oneway 2436 fitted to the hilt, he turns on a Craftsman "professional" reeves drive lathe. Polar opposites, 2 different hobbies.