[Closed] E conversion- way out of a massive cycling slump?

The problem with an e bike for commuting is it only really speeds you up on hills. Its easy to cruise at 15 mph anyway and thats when the boost cuts out

Ebikes are great fun and helpful on climbs but I doubt with a commute of that length it would save any time

Doesn't sound like a bad idea tbh. If you have the money to do it, give it a go. Or just have a little break from the commute, try some sort rides, go real easy at BPW focusing on technique more than speed.

Try to have fun on the bike. Hope you get your mojo back soon.

Just go for an easy MTB bimble about in the woods. Stop at a cafe/pub then bimble back through the woods.
Ride but with no pressure to do anything or go anywhere.

Above is good advice when the 'battery' is a little low.

I’ve totally lost love for cycling as to even keep a reasonable level of fitness it takes commitment. I now go for 2-4mile run most mornings it’s keeping my head good and keeping fitness ticking over if I return to bikes 🙂

Change things up a bit if you can.

Ebike for the commute 'may' help, make it less of a chore but it wont speed you up much as mentioned above, just make the hills a bit easier. If you have the cash then why not?

BPW, i'd sack it off and pop to FOD for a few laps of the blue, keeps the legs awake but you can wind back the commitment a little and enjoy the flow.

bimble, as SSStu said above, ride out to a cafe/pup, fuel up and ride back.

Put your feet up, if you arent feeling it dont force it. Dont ride because you think you have to, you could end up resenting it. This time of year isnt always conducive to going out and getting any kind of mileage in, feet up in front of the fire with the TV on during some free time isnt a crime!

FWIW, i have an E converted commuter for a short(er) commute and it does get me out a bit more than a non E bike would, but it doesnt work miracles, if i dont want to ride i'll walk/drive.

That's a big commute, get a motorbike - stay on 2 wheels but not draining you of all your energy.

TBH it sounds like trying to spend your way out of whatever headspace you're in.

But stress + winter seldom helps anyone's motivation.

An E-Bike might help, it's a new toy and could keep you riding through the darkest coldest bit of winter, So why not...

Or is it more the vicious cycle of "I feel crap because I haven't been riding, and I haven't been riding because I feel crap"? If that's the case I would just cut yourself some slack and stop measuring the your enjoyment in mileage and , at least while the weather is bad and you're getting back to riding.

Give yourself more time and set fewer goals, with or without a motor.

Once the novelty has worn off, it won't help much IMO.

It's still dark, cold and uninviting in the winter, plus ebikes are heavy and remove the responsiveness and punchiness you probably enjoyed if you were quite fit and riding 100-200 miles a week.

I think it would make more sense if the alternatives were time consuming or unpleasant due to traffic or slow public transport.

Can you get out at lunch for a walk/jog in the winter sun??

As others have said, can you try and get out for a zero-pressure walk, run or ride to a cafe or something? Just getting out and about can do wonders for the head.

Any chance you can work from home for a few days a week instead of commuting?

Try also to bear in mind that riding a bike isn't who you are, it doesn't define you as a person, it's just something that we occasionally enjoy doing and it's ok to stop enjoying that thing and have a go at something else if you fancy it.

Thanks all for your thoughtful replies.
The commute is an odd one, on the way in, there’s a big climb, done cold, then it’s flat/ slightly downhill, so 20mph easy all the way.
I’m thinking the motor would winch me up, then it’s all me in to oxford.
Home is a horror show, head wind, slightly up hill, and after a day on my feet, I’d be under the motor all the way.

" Home is a horror show, head wind, slightly up hill, and after a day on my feet, I’d be under the motor all the way."

This is where it excels.

I found cycling into the city center a breeze, it was a downward incline at least half the distance and i'd freewheel most of that, but coming home was a complete nightmare. Up and as per usual into the wind. Old grannies were overtaking me, it was a real slog for me.
Ebike and all thats forgotten. As long as you keep in mind you wont be riding at high speed and its more of a potter, the journey is far more pleasurable.

I got my ebike kit (1000W Bafang BBSHD with a 52V 14Ah battery limited to 15.5mph on assist level 2) to get me to my mam's and back (70-odd mile round trip with a charge up while I was there). Going there is dead easy, Blyth's slightly downhill from Peterlee and I did it in a few hours on assist level 1&2 (out of 5) with four bars (of 5) of battery life left. Coming back is loads harder, there's a few climbs that just knacker you- up out of South Shields into Whitburn, up out of Whitburn into Seaburn, up out of Seaburn to Roker then from Ryhope to Murton there's a ****ing awful false flat and then a final climb out of Easington to Peterlee. I used much more battery coming home (two bars from five left) but it still did it. Like @dyna-ti saiys, it's more of a potter than a blast and definitely not a replacement for a 'fun' bike but as a solid utility bike it's ace-

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What is the kit to look for?

I really liked Cytronex when I tried a load of bikes back to back at the cycle show. The way they delivered power and the amount of it made for a decent ride, better than mine dedicated e-commuters

I got a 1000W Bafang BBSHD with a 52V 14Ah battery, it's not legal but the pedelec laws are stupid (IMO, obvs). I use it limited to 15.5mph and don't have a throttle fitted, it's all assist which helps eke out the range a bit too. I reckon I could do the full 70 mile round trip to my mam's and back on a single charge on eco/miser mode.

@tjagain has a Tongshen kit I think.

I do have a tongsheng kit as do others

I see no point in getting an illegal overpowered motor ( unless you derestict and go full illegal motorbike) - the 250 w will pull you up steep hills near enough at 15mph

the tongsheng is lighter than a bafeng, smaller and quieter - and IMO most importantly it has a torque sensor rather than the cadence of the bafeng making it much more intuitive to ride ( Trail rat has a bafeng and does not mind the cadence sensor)

the big thread on my conversion here
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tongsheng-tsdz2-ebike-kit/

"I use it limited to 15.5mph and don’t have a throttle fitted, it’s all assist which helps eke out the range a bit too. I reckon I could do the full 70 mile round trip to my mam’s and back on a single charge on eco/miser mode."

Eco mode is no fun at all 😆

I  dont have the assist set so im in a low gear and pedaling under assistance all the time, rather i take it up to the max, then coast till it drops down to about 14mph, then a few turns of the pedals under assist to get back to 15.5mph, then coast, then back to those few rotations and so  on and so forth, using the motor to maintain the speed, rather than all the time. Pretty much in 'tour' mode the entire time.

My range according to the display is about 65 miles in Tour.

I see no point in getting an illegal overpowered motor

All the Tongshengs are the same in either 36v or 48v guise. It's the firmware that sets the wattage AFAIK.

I'm not condoning people doing 35mph without pedalling on their BBSHD conversions but surely raising the pedal assist limit on a TSDZ2 to around 20-25mph might make for a better commute for some people?

surely raising the pedal assist limit on a TSDZ2 to around 20-25mph might make for a better commute for some people?

I actually did this fior a few weeks - yes it allows you to keep up with urban traffic better ( I went to 19.5 mph) but you really do not need an overpowered motor to do this.  250W is plenty

I actually did this fior a few weeks – yes it allows you to keep up with urban traffic better ( I went to 19.5 mph) but you really do not need an overpowered motor to do this. 250W is plenty

Good to know. I guess the extra power would be useful for bigger hills or carrying heavier loads?

I once tried to see how far and fast I could run it unlimited.  Was averaging around 30 - 35 mph working hard and burned the battery in 8 miles.  I do not think the extra power is ever needed unless you want to do high speeds without pedalling.I can climb arthurs set at 15 mph - and that is fairly steep

Extra speed and / or power just means the battery goes quicker

I have a bosch powered ebike, i tried a chip which removes the speed limiter, but it still had the standard 250w.
I could, with little effort, cruise at 25mph on the flat, on a fs bike.
Sitting bolt upright.
I weigh 125kg.
It was fun for, like, a couple of hours, but the novelty soon wore off, and all it really did was flatten the battery quicker.
I’d say 18-20mph is the sweet spot.
38 mile round trip is a LOT, maybe only do it 1-2 days a week, not consecutive, and plan those days around the weather too.
Or, find a mate and ride to a cafe/pub, someone you know well enough for some good banter.
You don’t have to ride a bike, and if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point.