{"id":232,"date":"2018-09-03T05:46:38","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T09:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=232"},"modified":"2018-08-27T15:03:47","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T19:03:47","slug":"a-reader-asks-what-e-bike-do-you-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/03\/a-reader-asks-what-e-bike-do-you-have\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader asks: \u201cWhat e-bike do you have?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reader John Negley asks:<\/p>\n

\u201cFred, What e-bike do you have?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I know of your love of bike riding, I’ve seen your videos. I am also like you, approaching geezer age. So I’m thinking of getting a bike too. Just curious, what type of bike to you have? I plan on riding on paved roads & bike trails only, which is what appears that you do. Thanks.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, I returned to bike riding about two years ago with this e-bike, an Evelo ‘Aurora,’ here shown on a ride I took to Deer Island in Boston Harbor. (That’s Boston in the distance. I’d stopped for lunch when I took this shot.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Why that bike? Some old Blogger posts explain what and why. Note that I probably would NOT make the same choices today (more on this in a moment), but my early experiences might still help inform yours:<\/p>\n

The first 100 miles are the hardest… (Fred gets an e-bike)
\nhttp:\/\/fredlanga.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/the-first-100-miles-are-hardest-i-get-e.html<\/a><\/p>\n

The second hundred miles (Fred’s e-bike adventures continue)
\nhttp:\/\/fredlanga.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/the-second-hundred-miles-freds-e-bike.html<\/a><\/p>\n

An experiment
\nhttp:\/\/fredlanga.blogspot.com\/2016\/11\/an-experiment-parts-1-and-2.html<\/a><\/p>\n

I still love biking. It\u2019s still my major form of warm-weather outdoor exercise.<\/p>\n

And I love e-biking: I’ve been able to go farther, faster, than I could have otherwise, and that helps to prevent exercise-boredom.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ve had a bunch of problems with this particular Evelo bike.<\/p>\n

The worst of it was\/is a series of repeated failures of the master one-way bearing (OWB) that\u2019s at the center of the motor\/pedal interface. Here are some pix of one of the OWB failures I\u2019ve had: you can see that the bearing spacer\/retainer is chewed up and ruined.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"I took these shots to document my warranty claim, which Evelo rapidly approved.<\/p>\n

And yes, I previously said \u201cone of the OWB failures.\u201d The last time I communicated with Evelo about this, they were up to Version 5 of the OWB, and that\u2019s what I currently have on my bike. I hope I never have to find out if there’s a Ver6.<\/p>\n

Once you know how to do it, it\u2019s not hard to replace the OWB. But even if you know what you\u2019re doing, it\u2019s always a dirty job, and it always takes significant time because custom parts are involved.<\/p>\n

And I do mean significant: After each OWB failure, I’d contact Evelo and describe the problem. They were always reasonably responsive and pleasant; they\u2019d ship the replacement part quickly, and a couple days after shipping, it\u2019d arrive. On my end, I\u2019d watch some instructional videos and read some blogs, and then — after the part arrived — I\u2019d actually attempt the repair.<\/p>\n

But meanwhile, the bike was idle and unridden that whole time.<\/p>\n

It was especially galling last summer when a series of bike problems ate into what turned out to be a relatively limited number of good biking days. It felt like I was spending the summer waiting to ride instead of riding.<\/p>\n

Some bike repairs are just part of the deal: You\u2019ll get flats. You may break a spoke or untrue a wheel. Whatever; it happens. But repeated failures in a proprietary drivetrain component are something else. It does not add to one’s faith in the product.<\/p>\n

That said, a few hundred miles into the new riding season (coming up on 3000mi\/4800km soon), the Evelo is running OK. I\u2019m especially glad to see that the (expensive) battery packs are still in very good shape after the winter, and won\u2019t need replacement anytime soon.<\/p>\n

On the down side, the bike\u2019s paint is actually (and literally) peeling off the frame at one point; and the drivetrain is re-developing an intermittent squeak that I\u2019ve chased down before. (Despite great care and a liberal use of threadlocker (where appropriate), several bolts in the Evelo drivetrain assembly simply will not stay tight. I assume — a guess — that\u2019s it’s frame flexure, but I don\u2019t know. All I do know is I\u2019ll have to burn an afternoon in wrenching someday soon. I hope it can wait until a rainy day.<\/p>\n

Evelo has new models; the version I\u2019m riding was sold three years ago. Maybe it\u2019s different now. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

But the above is where I am as of now. Thanks for asking!<\/p>\n

\n

Permalink:\u00a0https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-3K<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

(Want to ask Fred a question? Use the CONTACT link at the top of the page.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reader John Negley asks: \u201cFred, What e-bike do you have? “I know of your love of bike riding, I’ve seen your videos. I am also like you, approaching geezer age. So I’m thinking of getting a bike too. Just curious, what type of bike to you have? I plan on riding on paved roads &…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,13,6],"tags":[16,15,14],"class_list":["post-232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-e-bikes","category-long-form","tag-e-bike","tag-ebike","tag-evelo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-3K","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1478,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/30\/a-reader-asks-is-it-illegal-to-ride-an-electric-bike-on-a-bike-trail\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":0},"title":"A reader asks: “Is it illegal to ride an electric bike on a bike trail?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-12-30","format":false,"excerpt":"Local ordinances vary, but you usually can use common sense. If the e-bike is designed to behave like a regular, muscle-powered bike, there\u2019s usually no problem. For example, if it\u2019s an electric assist bike \u2014 ie one where you still pedal some or most of the time \u2014 and if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3289,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/31\/where-are-some-good-places-to-cycle-around-boston\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":1},"title":"“Where are some good places to cycle around Boston?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-08-31","format":false,"excerpt":"( Answer requested by\u00a0Elynn Quirk.) This works almost anywhere \u2014 not just Boston: Open Google Maps. Click the three-line Menu icon in the corner. Select Bicyling from the left-hand menu. That\u2019s all it takes. Google will then superimpose a color-coded layer atop the normal road map showing you the area\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/bikelanes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/bikelanes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/bikelanes.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/bikelanes.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/bikelanes.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1599,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/12\/a-reader-asks-can-you-take-your-electric-assisted-bicycle-with-you-on-a-train-or-a-plane-in-the-united-states\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":2},"title":"A reader asks: “Can you take your electric assisted bicycle with you on a train or a plane in the United States?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-12","format":false,"excerpt":"If you can remove the batteries, then an e-bike is just like any other bike, and is subject to the same rules. A battery-less, totally inert e-bike can be shipped by almost any means. Li-ion batteries, if damaged or defective, can cause a very serious, very energetic chemical fire. That's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1167,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/25\/a-reader-asks-what-is-the-best-way-to-get-around-boston\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: What is the best way to get around Boston?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-11-25","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: What is the best way to get around Boston? (via Quora) A: Here's my list, in ascending order, best to worst; I adjust as needed to account for weather issues, distance being travelled, schedule pressures, whether or not I need to carry bulky items, etc.: Walk Bike T (subway\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":823,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/27\/a-reader-asks-you-still-ride-motorcycles\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":4},"title":"A reader asks: You still ride motorcycles?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-27","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Geoff Komeya asks (via the Contact link): Hi Fred: Just wanted to ask whether you still ride motorcycles? I can't tell you how many times I've read and re-read your blog about your 10,000-mile ride on the ADVrider site. Such a great piece of travel writing. Thanks, Geoff Komeya\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/10kridefullmap.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/04\/nice-day-for-a-bike-ride\/","url_meta":{"origin":232,"position":5},"title":"Nice day for a bike ride","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-04","format":false,"excerpt":"Warm and breezy, but very light traffic (for urban riding, anyway) due to the Labor Day holiday. A pleasant ride along the Mystic, Alewife, and Malden Rivers; through Malden, Medford, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, and Everett. Also liking my new front tire, which I replaced after a flat last week; the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Around Boston..."","block_context":{"text":"Around Boston...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/around-boston\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Screenshot_20180903-125134_Samsung-Health-498x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions\/238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}