Stromer ST2 ebike commute vs car commute Austin Texas (20 miles)
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
- Commute speed, efficiency, cost, sustainability. The Stromer ST2 electric bike (pedelec) is compared to a car during a 20 mile rush hour commute. I'm using Powertap P1 pedals and a heart rate monitor, to show how much work I'm doing/exercise I'm getting.
The car had a head start over the ebike, because after driving 7 floors in the parking garage, it took the GPS over a half mile drive in the city before it picked up, so I started the car video and data from that point.
The power shown is my power output. The bike monitors the rider's power input and adds a % of its own power. The % depends on the assist level you have it set at. The motor backs off once 28mph is reached, but you can still go faster, as with any bike. This motor can output up to a steady 500Watts.
A few years ago I moved to Austin, Texas from Europe, and it never seizes to amaze me the hate, the fuming, blood-boiling, murderous hate a vast majority of all car borne Texans seem to have for cyclists.
Where I'm from cyclists are a natural part of traffic, more than 50% of city people commute to and from work by bicycle (weather permitting) and thus cars, cyclists and pedestrians coexist in traffic without constant murderous rage between them. Sure there are incidents, but I've never seen a driver of a car go into a frothing rage from just seeing a cyclist on "his road".
Anyway, nice video, and it pretty much proves what I have been suspecting after a few years of sitting in Austin's horrible traffic.
Sounds real safe
This video is well made. I imagine that took hours to edit so elaborately, very tedious work! Kudos for biking your hour long comute, reducing traffic and polution, promoting the idea and editing this! Also very intuitive the way you should prices of gas, distance from destination point and calories burnt in cookies!
I'm a fan of e-bikes and been commuting with a RadWagon for the last 7 months approaching 1500 miles. Just wish the city will build more bike paths to make the ride safer.
Love it! I had no idea an e-bike could flat-out beat a car on a commute this length. And e-bikes are only going to get cheaper and more efficient.
I wish cars gave people a bill after every drive so they knew how much that little jaunt to the gas station "around the corner" to save $.05/gallon is actually costing them.
This is Dave Chang btw. :) Kind of missing my downtown rides right now; I need to work them into my quaroutine...
Hey, just have to say how much I enjoyed and appreciated this video. I'm dying to get a Stromer ST2 but couldn't quite justify it without proving to myself (and the spouse) I will use an e-bike. Got a Haibike and am planning on selling and then upgrading in half a year or so, if all goes well. Anyway, thanks for the excellent video. Do more of them!
Adam, that was very well done. I came here from LinkedIn to see if it was actually your video. I live near Arboretum and can make it downtown easily and safely in less than an hour on my commuter bike. I may try to link this video to some other places. It needs to be seen by more people. Especially those who may not be 'serious' cyclists. The e-bike facet would make it much more appealing to them.
+Cody Baron Thanks, Cody! It's great hearing from you again! I have a Stromer ST2 and a Focus ebike. I've let a co-worker use the Focus to try bike commuting and he loves it. I know it's not for everyone, but I know a lot of people would greatly benefit, mentally, physically, & financially, by trying it out!
+Adam Alter After I posted this I went and researched the Stromer. The price tag is pretty steep! But this makes me want to research more of the offerings. What do you think about your Focus? Your Stromer looks like the bee knees for a commute to downtown (and back). I've got a new job and have begun commuting to work again. But its a nice easy commute that doesn't need an e-bike. Did you see the emails I copied you on?
+Cody Baron Sending you an email
The Stromer is such a nice bike. I can do the same commute with a Bafang/Lunacycle BBSHD middrive 48V-14AH kit installed on a ten year old Trek mtn bike frame upgraded from V-brakes to disc, commuter Schwalbe tires, rack, panniers, blinky lights, etc. The Stromer has a more advanced PAS system for certain. My solution was about $1500 all in. Those of you who choose to live in these huge cities must have the patience of a saint. I chose a much smaller city to live in. My driving commute is 20 minutes, my bike commute is a little more (lots of hills here). Parking is free. My bike has about 2000 miles on it as an ebike and not nearly that much as a pedal only bike. Having an ebike has really increased my mileage. Love to ride this bike.
Excellent video. I just got my ST2 and I'm riding at speeds around 28-30 mph. Very awesome.
Loved the cookie deficit observation!
Thank you for making this, great video! Must have been a lot of work.
cool video. give that man a cookie.
I'm a fair-weather 2x a week commuter, per strava, 22 miles each way 600' elevation gain to work 1400' back. Realistically the financial saving are marginal as i compensate for saved fuel/wear-tear on car with extra food lol.
I find 900 calories in an hour hard to believe on a e-bike, on my standard road bike up some reasonably big hills on a longer commute i'm close to an estimated 880 calories.
I do not however doubt for a second how much faster an e-bike, especially a premium one, is compared to a regular mortal powered bike or car in certain situations. There are places i can get to faster on a bike as is (not home in a small village, but from downtown in a midsized city), to include places that would surprise people. That said, unless you live in a densely populated area, motor vehicles will generally win the contest, at a cost obviously, but "win" none the less.
Which brings up the "why" of it all;
My commute by car is 35 minutes, on bike it is 1:25-1:35, if i am late and/or hit the lights just right i'm closer to 1:20. It is far slower.
My bicycle offers no protection in a collision, no cover from the elements, from people or animals.
My car hasn't had a flat yet in 45,000 miles (knock on wood), my bicycle has had three this year.
From a convenience prospective the car wins and i don't even have to change my clothes when i get to work!
My car also has no soul.
I AM happier when i ride my bicycle, i'm also more productive at work and more patient at home. Cycling is my therapy after a long evening at work the fresh air has a way of washing away the days stresses. Yeah my coworkers think i am insane, but as i see it, them thinking i am insane is better than me actually going insane. If motors help more people get out there i'm all for them, but please keep it reasonable so they don't get banned.
Excellent video! I wish I had the money for a Stromer ST2, looks like an excellent option for commuting.
Awesome vid. I started out commuting on an e-bike and eventually upgraded (or downgraded depending on how you look at it) to a road bike after my bike endurance went up. I found myself going almost as fast on a regular bike and the extra calories burned were worth it :)
music was lame and I loved it
I'm with previous comments, good video nice comparison.
Really excellent comparison!
Very good. I'm going to convert my push bike. I'm impressed with the batterie life on the ebike.
Great comparison. Makes me consider. Only problem will be weather and sweat;
The weather is not as big of an issue as it may seem. I've commuted (off and on) to various jobs in both Austin and Dallas. I've never had an office with a shower. Its truly not needed. I'd bring a multiple sets of clothes to work (by car) and leave them there for a few weeks. When I commuted by bike, the SECRET is to wear sweat wicking clothing and then sit at my desk 'cooling down' from my ride for about 15-20min. I'd simply check email during this time. Once cooled down, I'd go the the bathroom and do a sink cleanup with a hand towel. Apply deodorant, change into work clothes and go about my day. In my Dallas job, I'd occasionally have customer facing meetings and nobody ever knew different. My co-workers were even surprised at how I did not 'stink from the commute'. The secret is in the cool down before changing clothes in the morning.
I just use lysol wipes on my armpits when I show up to work, and change my underwear and shirt. Works wonders.
Dieter Janout sweat is not a problem with the stromer. its effortless on top speed. weather can be an issue, but just carry rainjacket and pants in a side bag
I'm up so late and have an all layer to contend with tomorrow but I need to find out the end result here ! is it the bike or car goddmmit!!
Honestly one of the most informative videos I've seen on youtube, great stuff. With the rate at which ebikes are improving/being invented, do you think it's worth waiting for better ones to come out?
The tech and cost of hub motors is pretty-well refined imo. Battery tech is always getting better, but I don't suspect any major leaps that don't cost a fortune for a few years. There are some excellent options out there now and although ebikes aren't huge in the US yet, they have been in other countries for awhile and not really what I'd call in the early adopter stage, meaning you pay extra, or deal with too many bugs or problems. Waiting may allow sales to grow in the US, and options/competition. That would be the biggest benefit I see to waiting.
Nicely done. Bike route looks a lot more scenic ... but it looks dangerous too in case of careless drivers that might hit you. You make the case for me though. 9 miles to Downtown DC takes 45 min by car, I wonder what an EBike could do in comparison
+debashis22 I was surprised, looking at the vid on how much less chill it looks than actually doing it. I think it's because:
-the camera shake, making it more dramatic
-the GoPro lens stretching it for wide, making things warp around me like I'm going faster
-the fact that I sped up both videos by 800%, so people didn't have to watch it for an hour hahah.
The start, and the points it slows, are actually normal speed, for example, at 3:06 and 6:08
With a car, you learn the route that works best for you from things like realizing a certain light takes 3 light cycles to get through during rush hour, or one that's extremely long and you always hit red, or an intersection you need to turn left, there's no left signal and you never get an open shot.
It's the same with a bike, but the route and many of the reasons are different. A light that cars have to wait 3 cycles to get through is usually great for a cyclist, because you ride straight to the front, and there's not much danger because the cars are just sitting there waiting. If an intersection sucks for turning left, you can sometimes ride up and take the crosswalk and sidewalk (depending on your state/city laws), like I did at 3:44 Or, like in my case, it's posted as legal for bikes to take the right turn lane for going straight, which saved me a ton of time in cases like a shortly after 3:10 where it looks like the guy is racing me, only to get stuck in a long line of cars at a 4-way intersection. Then there are other things like roads with big speed bumps that don't really slow bikes down, ect.
Super vid. Been looking for something like this.
That's an super cool video ! Not a lot of people show their commute like that. In fact I did not see another like that lol. I am searching a ebike for riding 2x 12,5 miles to go to work fast. Can I ask you how much total km (or miles) you did with your ST2 ? And if you are happy with this bike ? I don't know how to decide between ST1, ST2 or ST3, and which has a long lifespan to ride often, etc. Maybe you have some opinion about all that ? Also is this bike good on slope as it is heavy and low torque ?
My ST2 is 8 years old now with almost 18,000 miles on it and still works great, though it mostly sits since I work from home since March 2020.
I does really well on hills. I did a comparison on a 12% grade hill for .5mi (around 320ft climb) vs my mid-drive ebike (Focus/Kalkhoff bike), putting in the same power (used a power meter). It averaged 13.4mph to the Focus's 10.6mph. However, when I slowed WAY down to around 3mph and didn't pedal much, my Stromer had more trouble, while the Focus had no problem, provided I shifted down the gears to an easy gear for it.
I think you'd be fine with any of the Stromers if they have the range you need. There are faster and cheaper bikes, like Juiced Bikes. I haven't followed it much in the last few years, but I remember some of those would cruise 4-5mph faster than the Stromer, unless they restrict them now. As far as ride and build quality though, Stromer blew me away. I burned up 3 motors in my Focus ebike and didn't even put 3,000 miles on it. After the 3rd new motor failure (leaving me stranded), I was headed to toss it in a dumpster and someone said they'd take it so I gave it away. To be fair, as you see in the video, I was riding my ebikes fast, hard, and for long commutes.
@@AdamAlteradam Thank you Adam ;) I am Belgian living in France (and work in Belgium at the border, lol), and we don't juiced bike here and government are a bit annoying with rules about speed bike etc. So Stromer is mostly the only choice for real sustained 28mph speed. Your video and your comment are really helpfull, thanks again ;)
SUper video!!!
I also want to make the same video but between a van and ST2S.
How did you make the info about speed and power rate? This looks awesome! Which program did you use?
+Denis Grishin Thanks!
The easiest and cheapest way to do a video like this would be to use a fitness app (free) on your phone for speed, distance, time, then maybe add a heart rate monitor ($60) to it to give an idea of intensity and calories. Use Dashware to overlay it and do basic editing and a cheap/free editor to do more (like Windows Movie Maker).
As far as what I used:
*Powertap P1 Pedals (for my power output & cadence)
*Scosche RYTHM+ (for heart rate)
*BSXinsight (for muscle oxygen)
*Wahoo ELEMNT (for speed, timing, and to collect the data from the other devices)
*Dashware (mapped out the data from the ELEMNT and made custom gauges, then synced the data with the video in overlays)
*Paint Shop Pro (to create images and gauges in video)
*Adobe Premiere Pro (for the rest of the video editing)
*Purchased various music and effects, then mixed them
BEST BIKE VS CAR EVER
WELL DONE
Awesome Video, I'm just getting into e-biking. Perfect for someone who wants to lose a few pounds. What software did you use for editing your video? Great job!
Interesting comparison. Some of the biggest problems with making the Stromer practical are the $7000 price tag and for several months of the year you'll be sweating like a hog when you get to work riding the bike in Texas. Plus most people would still have a car so no saving on insurance. Also, an ebike that goes above 20mph isn't supposed to be used on the road in the US, but I would guess most cops wouldn't care.
Still an interesting comparison, and if you have a situation where you could get rid of a car completely, it would save a lot of money.
+sandman x Thanks! To clarify, Texas law states: "cannot attain a speed of more than 20 miles per hour without the application of human power"
So, it's perfectly legal. The 20mph limit is for bikes that have throttles and operate like mopeds.
For the price, there are many other options out there for well under $2k and still great bikes, like juicedbikes.com CrossCurrent @$1500 MSRP
Thanks, I didn't realize pedal assist allowed higher speed than 20mph.
I see what you're saying about lower priced bikes, I'll have to take a look at the CrossCurrent next time I drive through Austin(I'm in the Houston area) as that's the only dealer in Texas for that one. I currently have a Specialized Hardrock Disc 29 and really like the way it's laid out, and the CrossCurrent looks similar with the locking fork hardtail design and disc brakes. I'll have to look for some other hardtails too.
I love this video. So nice.
Amazing work on the video
I think you nailed it.
Wow verry well executed
Dear Adam, I would like to ask you how did you put up your data onto the video? The power meter I understand, that came from your pedal measurements, but the battery charge and heart rate, how did you pick this data up to use in your video?
Sweet video! Dig the 🎶.
excellent video
impressive result, though you must have felt a little lonely , being the only bikerider among all those cars:-)
this is super cool.
Burning a 1000 calories before work is a good way to start the day.
1 hour for 20 miles by car?
ouch!
I commute about 8-9 miles into Manchester. It's somewhere between 25 minutes and 1:05 by car, or reliably 35 by bike. It should be less by 28mph ebike too since you can average higher speeds than normal.
Luv it
Can we ride. I have Bafang mid drive bikes and live close.
Have you counted, how often you had to stop or slow down, because a car was in your way?
Friendly greetings to you, Adam. *Say, were you using the 814 Wh battery, or the 983 Wh battery?* My guess is that you were using the 814 Wh battery.
Yes, the 814
Cool video my dude
this video made me nauseous, the right half of the video actually brought up disgusting memories of when I actually used to drive a car, I felt like a red blood cell in cholesterol ridden arteries, unhealthy unhealthy unhealthy,
I'm so glad for ZEV, STROMER, AND HONDA for their PEV' S,
BEAUTIFUL #TELEMETRY
Adam Alter, what level did you choose for the Stromer for much of the trip?
Max assist, level 3
Dude, this video is just amazing. But, why in the world do you bear a commute that long? I'd hate being on the (same!) road for two hours each day. My old commute was some 5 miles with a lot of altitude difference, so a cheap ebike was perfect. My last commute was even less at 3.5 miles so I used a normal bike.
But anything over 10 miles, wow, way too long imho regardless of the vehicle. Also, Austin seems to be huge.
Thanks! Since the routes to/from work & home are filled with lots of traffic, I can pretty easily save commute time by using an ebike. On top of that, I don't need to take time out of my day to exercise, because I get plenty on the Stromer. Both of these things free up more time for the 2 things most important to me: time with family, and time to do work (onelvl.com and bsxinsight.com which is a blast). Then, the fact that it saves money and sets a great example for my kids. Personally, I find it much less painful and stressful than stop and go traffic, even in Austin heat! Even without getting into energy savings and impact to the planet debates, there's plenty to justify it, for me at least.
Why not get the stealth bomber b52 ebike
Stealth is pretty awesome, but it uses a throttle, so legally you can only do 20mph with it, which would be slower. I don't have as many experiences with different bikes as I'd like but from what I've tried, I prefer pedal assist for a natural response to effort like I'm still riding a bike. Plus just from looking at the Bomber, I would imagine it would get you unwanted attention while in the bike lane and paths/sidewalks, given it looks like a dirt bike. I also wonder about its dependability. I now have well over 8k miles on my Stromer and it's never even needed to go to a bike shop once, even for a derailleur adjustment. It has original everything except tires, chain, cassette, and brake pads (all been changed once).
cool
10 more likes if you add "racing game" style map
is this a peddle assist? or is an throttle bike?
Pedal Assist
How do you make SmO2 overlay on the video?
I used the BSXinsight SmO2 sensor and the Wahoo ELEMNT cycling head unit that displays and records it, along with my power, heart rate and all the other data. Then took the data from the ride and the video, and synced it using Dashware, which has gauges that display the info over the video, or you can make custom ones. The software is free, GoPro owns it (bought them)
I don't know how your device measures it, but ~1000 kcals seems too much for 20 miles route.
+Yevgen Antymyrov I got it from the Wahoo ELEMNT, however, I uploaded the raw data to multiple sources, which some run their own calculation based off rider power, weight, temp, heart rate, muscle oxygen, ect, and the results show:
MapMyRide 1008
Garmin Connect 1008
Wahoo ELEMNT 998
Todaysplan 993
Strava 819
RideWithGPS 811
Considering I took the 96 calories from the car drive from the same device and method (had same heart rate monitor on), if it's high or low from actual, the counts are at a minimum, as relative to each other as they can reasonably be.
Anyway, nice video. I'm saving money to buy ST2.
+Dennis Gunthert I didn't overstate anything, I reported the data.
MapMyRide 1008
Garmin Connect 1008
Wahoo ELEMNT 998
+Dennis Gunthert This ride was 735kJ and 819 Calories according to Strava. Strava has calories for me. I understand it's said calories are over estimated, but I also used the same heart rate strap and Wahoo for my drive for the
735kJ seems high with the electric motor assist but if you have Powertap pedals than I guess it's accurate. I know from experience with all of that coasting it drags down your average power numbers. I know on my road bike ~800kJ in an hour would be a VERY hard ride.
about the same as a bbs02
20 miles commute? 2 hours a day just to get from and to your job school seems excessive
Slight safety advantage goes to the S.U.V.
There are definietely times of the day around here that bike will be much faster... when I have to go to my north campus in the mornings.. its 27 miles, but at least 90 minutes, if any traffic issue at all 2 hours is not uncommon. Sadly the infrastructure here is less than desirable. Around 1000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed in Miami every year.. mostly because drivers do not follow even the basic rules of the road. Road signed for 30 mph? 60 is typical. Stop sign, that's optional right? .... red light? who cares... very few areas that I travel have separate bicycle lanes.. there are plenty of "we want to convert x to a trial/bike path" .. but so far there are only two major ones that I am aware of, and they are not on any route I would take... that said, have an e-bike coming on the truck Tuesday... and challenge accepted. :)
Hey Adam - what an excellent scientific compartison - do you mind if I feature your video on my ebike shop website? it is electricitybikes.com, respectfully Charlie
Of course you can, thanks for asking and good luck!
You can do it without sweating but you are pumping 161 heartrate average.
+HushemFlupskluk Yes! I wanted to show the high intensity workout you can still easily get. For me, getting a 3+ hr bike commute down to
Next time do it in winter.
If I remember right, this was filmed at the end of winter, or just after. I'm in Austin. Winter just means wearing gloves and a jacket lol.
Awesome video! But theres no way to justify a 7k bike. Not happening.
Thanks! and I hear ya on $7k for a bike. I don't want to tell people how to spend their money. However, the data can be surprising, depending on the situation, such as mine, it can pay for itself. Here's what 5 years of commuting via personal transport looks for me (more data at bottom):
$5,065 -5 years/55k commute miles (Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent EBike)
$10,565 -5 years/55k commute miles (Stromer ST2 EBike)
$13,339 -5 years/55k commute miles (KYMCO People GT Scooter)
$36,855 -5 years/55k commute miles (Hyundai Accent)
$44,615 -5 years/55k commute miles (Toyota Prius)
What if I bought the car AND the EBike, but used the EBike to commute? This would save on commute tolls, parking, gas, & knock off a couple of oil changes, the result:
$12,934 -5 years/55k commute miles (Scooter & CrossCurrent EBike)
$18,434 -5 years/55k commute miles (Scooter & Stromer EBike)
$26,800 -5 years/55k commute miles (Hyundai & CrossCurrent EBike)
$32,300 -5 years/55k commute miles (Hyundai & Stromer EBike)
$36,255 -5 years/55k commute miles (Prius & CrossCurrent EBike)
$41,755 -5 years/55k commute miles (Prius & Stromer EBike)
Every case, except scooter+Stromer, results in basically an EBike that pays for itself, even if you buy the car, by the savings of commuting with the ebike.
EBikes are reported to be the most efficient method of personal transportation. More than regular bikes and walking. See the TED Talk:
ua-cam.com/video/0zJHMMYa01g/v-deo.html
My above info is based on mostly my commute situation:
262 working/commute days in a year
11,000 yearly commute miles (42 miles per day)
$2.12 per day toll roads
Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent EBike:
$1800 MSRP (with large battery option)
$170 tires (2 sets)
$140 chain & cassette (2 sets)
$63 charging for a year (max assist level, $0.24 per day)
$80 front & back brake pads (2 sets)
$100 tubes, slime, & tune-up
$2,353 1st year
$553 2nd year
$553 3rd year
$1053 4th year (new battery)
$553 5th year
$5,065 for 5 years
Stromer ST2 EBike:
$7000 MSRP
$170 tires (2 sets)
$140 chain & cassette (2 sets)
$63 charging for a year (max assist level, $0.24 per day)
$80 front & back brake pads (2 sets)
$100 tubes, slime, & tune-up
$7,553 1st year
$553 2nd year
$553 3rd year
$1353 4th year (new battery)
$553 5th year
$10,565 for 5 years
Toyota Prius
$24,200 BASE MSRP
$510 gas (220 gal, 50 mpg, $2.32 low-grade)
$1,300 insurance
$90 oil (3 oil changes)
$18 state inspection
$50 registration
$555 toll road
$1,560 parking ($125/mo building badge)
$28,283 1st year
$4,083 2nd year
$4,083 3rd year
$4,083 4th year
$4,083 5th year
$44,615 for 5 years
Hyundai Accent
$14,745 Base MSRP
$849 gas (366 gal, 30 mpg, $2.32 low-grade)
$1,300 insurance
$90 oil (3 oil changes)
$18 state inspection
$50 registration
$555 toll road
$1,560 parking ($125/mo building badge)
$19,167 1st year
$4,422 2nd year
$4,422 3rd year
$4,422 4th year
$4,422 5th year
$36,855 for 5 years
KYMCO People GT (300cc highway&city scooter)
$4899 MSRP
$439 gas (157 gal, 70 mpg, $2.80 premium)
$150 oil & tuning
$555 toll road
$500 insurance
$14 inspection
$30 registration
$6587 1st year
$1688 2nd year
$1688 3rd year
$1688 4th year
$1688 5th year
$13,339 for 5 years
Things not even counted, that could be:
-gym membership, or time spend jogging/exercising to get the same fitness as bike commuting
-time spent standing at a gas pump, changing oit, registering (motorcycle/scooter requires license)
-vehicle maintenance costs (tires, car battery, brakes, ect)
khlash ; Not all ebikes are that expensive, I just bought the Surface 604 rook with 500wh motor from Amazon after much research for $1899.00 tax included, but haven't received yet to give any feed back.
hopefully I picked the right one. Anyway if you google Surface 604 or, on UA-cam, you can get a wealthy of information on this bike including reviews.
Hey Adam - do you mind if I feature your video on my ebike shop website? it is electricitybikes.com, respectfully Charlie
For the ebike could have bought the daymak em2
Pretty sure that's not allowed in the bike lane, on sidewalks, in my office elevator, and isn't something I could carry up stairs, or get exercise while using. So, no X6, for me at least.
Limited to ~20 mph, looks like it could go 100 mph but can't. Perhaps 40 mi range. Is it a bike or a motorcycle? I fear a rider would be meeting cops all day long who assume it is a real motorcycle in the bike lane and where is the license plate they'd ask - repeatedly. Best of all - the hand to hand combat video on the Daymark website. What is that about? ;)
I'de rethink about the calorie output and cookie input. 1000 kcal in 1 h on a speed pedelec? Not even on a racebike.
So you say someone can't burn 1,000 calories in under an hour, not even even on a race bike eh? You should tell these platforms they're all wrong then.
Here's MY ride on my time trial bike (no motor) where I put out 308W for 55 min 40 sec, averaging 181 heart rate and at 200 lbs, Strava said I burned 1,148 calories:
www.strava.com/activities/150659371
Where do you guys come from?!
ONCE AGAIN, in this video, I was 41, 200lbs, and on a 56 min 33 sec ride/commute, *I* put out 279 ave watts (tracked with Powertap P1 pedals) and *I* averaged 161 heart rate (tracked with a Schosche). Go plug that info into exercise activity calculator (ignoring speed and distance) and see what you get.
Or hell I'll export the activity and give you the file that has MY heart rate and MY power output by the sec. I uploaded it to various platforms and here are the results:
MapMyRide 1008
Garmin Connect 1008
Wahoo ELEMNT 998
@@AdamAlteradam Hohoho, don't be offended. I just can't get it how you get such a high heartrate with a speed pedelec (Stromer). You're heartrate is even higher on a motorised assisted bike, including stops, than mine on a crit race, averaging 27 mph. I'm 50 @ 185 lbs. I'm using a heartrate monitor to calculate my exact heartrate, not an app as Strava, etc. I can get an average of 25 mph on a Stromer with a low heartrate burning half of your calories. So, that's why I initially wrote the rethink the figures.
@@Karel.C I didn't use Strava to track this activity. My heart rate was done with a real heart rate monitor, and a quite accurate one, the Scosche RYTHM+, which was tied to the Wahoo cycling computer via Bluetooth (which I stated multiple times). I only later uploaded it to Strava to show the course and as one of the platform reference examples. I'm not offended, I'm annoyed that this even needs addressed.
Anyone can easily go to the many online activity calorie calculators by heart rate and enter my info 41 years old, 200 lbs, 161 average heart rate for 56 min and you'll see most say around 1,000 calories. Here's one example, though I've already given half a dozen:
govital.eu/calories-burned-by-heart-rate-calculator/
The lowest I found said 800 calories, the highest was 1200. If you don't believe I had 161 ave heart rate for 56 min on my Stromer in stop and go traffic, after I showed you I ave 181 for 55 min on my time trial bike in a race, I don't know what to tell you, but I have no plans of going down a rabbit hole over it.
I'm an owner of a few e-bikes and an electrical engineer, I live by codes and rules. This e-bike hitting 30+mph isn't allowed in many states and displayed dangerous speeds for motorists who assume bike lane traffic speed is signicantly less. Most US States the max speed is 20mph, Canada is even less. You're demonstration is useless
This ebike is 100% legal in most states, including mine. Only 14 states have the 20mph pedal assist limit. For this ebike, the motor stops assisting before 29mph. I can take it faster, but it's under my own power only, which takes a lot of work, or downhill sections. I can easily go faster for short distances on a road bike (no motor), as can many average Joe hobby-cyclists. Here's a 3 mile section that's almost flat (-1%) on Strava where I averaged 35mph, and many other men and women have averaged over 30mph, on non-powered bikes:
www.strava.com/segments/1165069
Time trialists do a ~25mile race and many average 25-30mph+, on their own power. Need proof? Here's a link one of the Texas state time trial courses that a few hundred people tracked with Strava, and I averaged 28.8mph. Many are just average cyclists. Check out the ave speed, and these bikes have no motor:
www.strava.com/segments/7186976
If you commuted with a 20mph limited ebike in Austin, you'd get passed by people on road bikes all the time. The first time I saw an ebike on the road was in very early 2013. I was commuting on my road bike and I passed it. I was surprised this much older lady was going a pretty decent speed while sitting upright and not looking like she was working at it. I stopped to talk to her at the next light and asked about her ugly bike lol. She said it was battery powered, did 20mph, and was a lot of fun. I never imagined myself on one until the end of 2014, while living in Seattle and I tried one for the heck of it because they were everywhere. I couldn't believe how much better it made those nasty Seattle hills and I was sold.
People ride them for different reasons. To ME, the benefits of the ebike are being able to hit the speed I can on a road bike, with much less effort, and sustain it, while carrying my commuting gear and being in a more comfy position. The benefits of it over my motorcycle is I'm getting exercise WHILE commuting, I'm not stuck in traffic (bike lane, bike paths, ect), and it's much cheaper for everything from toll roads, gas, to parking. Oh yeah, and it's FUN.
This ebike now has over 14,000 miles on it. It has never needed to go in for anything. Even a perfectly running motorcycle has to go in for valve adjustments. I know because I have one, and have had motorcycles for 28 years. With this, I simply change the normal bike stuff like tires, brake pads, and chain/cassette.
Grats on being an electrical engineer! I got my journeyman's license in electrical engineering nearly 20 years ago, so we're samsies! Though, I moved on from that work.
I have to thank you for your incredibly helpful and informed comment, but also quote you on your last sentence; "You'RE demonstration is useless" :) Priceless.
Adam Alter, I do agree with most of what you said in your reply. My experience with e-bikes are fat tire (my Turbo Levo Comp FSR is my pride and joy) so trail riding off pavement is where I have the most fun, I rarely hit 20mph off road.
My response mostly was yes, I understand road bikes maintaining 28mph is achievable but mostly done in semi to rural areas, not in high traffic as presented in this video. My concern and the reason a "powered" bike in commuter traffic doing those speeds is obtainable, but kinda reckless!
It certainly proved the much loved e-bike prevailed but did it in a way most would not ride. The car however wasn't driving recklessly, my statement the video is useless was too harsh (sorry for that) but should of said "not very realistic".
I still question the legality of an electric powered bike that exceeds 20mph would not require licensing but I seriously doubt police are looking for this type of thing. I know Canada and in Europe definitely do. For some reason I'm thinking there are classifications for them, I definitely could be wrong.
It's all about getting out and riding anyway. I too own a motorcycle, I enjoy my Stromer more. Sometimes slower and quieter is superior!
The video appears to be going WAY faster than I am because I made it 800% speed and the wide-angle GoPro video. I didn't want people to watch an hour video and I should have filmed it in a different mode that doesn't push things way out in front of me that then warp by because of the lens.
The areas I slowed the video down were actually at normal speed, not slo-mo. You can get a better idea of how fast it seems, like here:
ua-cam.com/video/EHM9HY5bMO4/v-deo.html
The cyclist I passed was going slow because f the hill, where my bike has a huge advantage.
The cars right after that part I actually slowed to