I love being out on the bike, but injuries this year has limited my time which has meant fitness has dropped away. I cycle to commute I do 5 miles each way on my speedworks which isn’t as speedy as it sounds, but I guess your body gets conditioned to the work commute and it doesn’t bother me day to day.

When I go out mountain biking I’ve found from being a stronger rider out of our group my back injury has taken it toll and I struggle now, I’m probably the slowest and while I get round at my own pace it’s not quick and after a few months trying to get quicker it feels I’ve reached the peak and I won’t get quicker. I’ve also found a day on the bike just kills me, half a day I’m ok. After speaking to the doctor around my back and fitness he didn’t think anything of it, I’ve lost the weight I gained when I was unable to do anything he thinks in my early 40’s it’s to be expected..

So would an ebike give me the extra legs for a day ride again, or even the pace to keep up with the group rides? I’ve spotted a bike i like, managed to do a deal, just hovering over the finance button, part of me is thinking give it 12 months and keep pushing myself…

Depends if you view your injuries as having short or long term effects. I’m 47 and riding stronger than at pretty much anytime in the past, so age isn’t the issue here.

I was at my fittest in my early 50’s. Up to a point it’s not age but having the time to ride which gets you fitter.

I was hoping short term tbh but it’s taking longer, I had a prolapsed disc in my lower back, this was just after Christmas last year. I’m doing the exercises the doctor recommended and been to some physio, tend to ride my stumpy with a little less air in the rear shock or run my plus bike with soft bouncy tyres but still get back lower back pain during and post ride. I find riding with no backpack helps massively but at this point still keep trying different things to keep on the bike.

Only recently started to join our group rides again.

No shame in giving up and getting the emtb mate. Plenty on here have done the same and back pain is no joke.

I am a bit older, early 50’s and have a recently diagnosed heart issue and have been advised to try and keep my HR out of peak VO2 max zones. On that basis i have demo’ed a load of ebikes and have one on order. Still on analogue bikes for road and gravel and still pretty fit for my age, riding a few times a week, a few swims, and not overweight.

TBH the ebikes have been a revelation to me and wish I had bought one years ago !

I have sold my FS but kept my HT, though most folk I have read about on the forums tend to rarely go back to analog, or clockwork, or non ebike or whatever the are to be called 🙂

The EMTB forum is good :

Homepage

just buy one and spare us the tortured anguish, ye really don’t need justify it to anyone. 😆

Is an ebike going to result in less back pain then?

I doubt it… but I still say get one if you fancy one!

Sounds like you would definitely benefit from an ebike, at the start it’ll give you more range and time out, then the longer you go and increase fitness, the less you’ll use a higher level of assist, so moving from turbo to mtb/eco more often in a few months, but with the confidence that if you need that extra 50% or 100% you can get it, if you blow yourself out halfway through a ride you can turbo all the way to conserve and so on.

As for the above, it can help a bit with back pain, if you are able to run bigger tyres at less pressure, and shock sag and plushness at the best for your back then you can make up the inefficient set up with assist from the motor as well.

Argee that’s what I was thinking, build fitness and enjoy my time out on the bike more.

I’ve managed to find a bike and got a small discount. 2 bike shops have offered me the model up on the one I was interested in with a discount might sort it out tomorrow.

^^^^^ what you going for ?

They’re expensive but they make the climbs very easy

Much faster uphill regardless of fitness of level

I was going for a Trek Rail 7, but have been offered the 9.7 version for the same price as they both have 1 in stock now. If I take the 3 years interest free it’s the grey one, if I use my lbs they only offer 12 months interest free I can pick. Although prefer the grey tbh.

If it’s the climbs that your struggling with, then the E-MTB is definitely the answer.

I find the climbs hard on a regular bike. I know plenty who struggle more. On the E-Bike I find them very easy. Stick it in Turbo and it flies uphill.

The ebike isn’t going to build your fitness more than a normal bike. But it’ll get you a shitload more fun by the sounds of it.

Personally, I’d hit pilates hard.

Do it, you won’t look back, BUT make sure you plan your rides to avoid gates and stiles you have to lift over!!

I have accepted that E-bikes are the future. Maybe not in their current form but i rekon give it another 5 years and you will barely be able to tell them apart from a regular bike which for some, looks and weight may be an issue.

This view was compounded the other day after grinding my way up a 10km climb, sweating like a pig only to be met at the top by a couple of 60 plussers on e-bikes , one of which was wearing sandals.

I truly believe that stretch of trail would be off limits to people like that without the assistance.

More power too them ( no pun intended)

OP if I was in your position Id pull the trigger, I reckon picking up an ebike will bring some joy back into biking for you. I would still do the physio exercises and off bike fitness where possible.

I had a test on a levo at Cannock this morning, borrowed a mates 2019 version had a blast round the dog, felt great very little difference to my stumpy just a little less effort needed. Like the fact there’s no screen on the handlebars.

Did a lap on my fuse after, sat on the train now a little broken….but smiling was a good ride out this morning!

Going to head to the fort see if they have a couple of sizes I can try.

I love my 2019 Levo, and definitely recommend it as a fantastic bike. I would also definitely recommend purchasing a 700wH battery if you expecting to use it on long rides, either buy the model with it or get them to trade in the 500wh against a 700wH. No matter what anyone tell you 500wH is not enough, my friends who have 500wh batteries are now resorting to carrying a spare batteries, which is far from convenient, and maybe not a great option to you with a back issues.
If your anywhere near Stourbridge, Race-Co can definitely do you a deal, as another friend approached the fort Spesh shop and found them unhelpful (knowledge of the bike and pricing).

PS you can buy a screen for the spesh (£75), or connect your phone to the bike to display info, but coming from a Shimano bike with a very small, but useful screen, I don’t find I miss it at all.

“700wH. No matter what anyone tell you 500wH is not enough…”

Well that depends on absolutely tons of factors! It’s been fine for me and I’m not the lightest of riders – if you’re a really big bloke or have health/fitness issues than I can see you might need more on long rides.

On the bad back bit – I have chronic slipped discs in my lower back and have had varying amounts of sciatica, foot numbness etc over the last few decades. The issue for me on a clockwork bike was that to maintain traction on steep or slippy climbs that seat of the nose perched position with the effort required just murdered my back, would get sore and then go numb every ride and then give me gyp for days afterwards. Stuck with it as didn’t want to give up mtb, road is better as you can stand up and the climbing position isn’t so strained.
Since getting an E-Sommet 18 months ago the assistance has pretty much removed that, back is feeling better than in a long, long time. Everyone’s different but working out great for me.

Also insanely fun, more smiles per mile (you guys!), really is the best thing I ever bought! But keep up the core exercises too.

500wH is fine for most of my rides but sometimes would benefit from a 700. Ideally would have one of each

Mrs M has just purchased a Levo, she’s now quicker than a scalded cat!  Awesome piece of machinery.

Get one – NOW!

Ive bought a Lapierre overvault a few months back, and its insaine the fun Ive had – riding on my own I can Turbo up climbs or go on Eco ( depending on the level of workout i want ) With mates, your just there with the group enjoying the banter.

The haters are always gonna be haters!

I’ll stil ride my regular FS, but as a tool for getting fitness back after surgery and having a total ‘Jolly’ on the trails there’s nothing better , and I guess that’s what MTB’ing is all about – riding with your mates , and getting some excersise!

“700wH. No matter what anyone tell you 500wH is not enough…”

Completely agree.
If you want to do a 3 hour non stop proper MTB ride, in Turbo Mode, 500wH is not enough.
I’ve ridden plenty of E Bikes but the reason I have held back from purchasing one is that up until this year they were nearly all 500wH, which is very limited.
Ok for a “quick blast” but no good at all for 30+ miles of turbo assisted MTB.
Turbo is where all the fun is. They fly uphill faster than regular bike KOM speed with not much effort and no tail wind required.

Completely agree.
If you want to do a 3 hour non stop proper MTB ride, in Turbo Mode, 500wH is not enough.
I’ve ridden plenty of E Bikes but the reason I have held back from purchasing one is that up until this year they were nearly all 500wH, which is very limited.
Ok for a “quick blast” but no good at all for 30+ miles of turbo assisted MTB.
Turbo is where all the fun is. They fly uphill faster than regular bike KOM speed with not much effort and no tail wind required.

Even 700 is on the light side grannjone, tbh – I’m waiting for the 1000wH models to drop before I pull the trigger. But agreed 500 wH is totally limited and can’t deliver the consistent speed that we deserve out on the trails.

Garry, that Orbea Wild (video above) allow you to add on a 500wH battery to the 625wH inside the frame, theirs your 1000wH+! Plenty of other doing much the same this year, pity shimano are getting left behind due to their tiny batteries

PS: Chiefgg your wrong, I use ECO for the most part and was limited on rides by the 500wH battery on my shimano power ebike. Our issue is now we’ve provoked the lads with 500wH batteries into carrying a 2nd, so they now have more power than us! (TBF 4 hrs of riding is enough for most of them)

The 2020 Bosch motors, on regular eMTB mode, will go for a typical 4-5 hr xc ride with a full 625 battery. I had a ride on the orange Orbea Wild Press bike and reckon the new motors and eMTB mode are bang on, with no real need for range anxiety for most folks/most rides..

I had the turbo levo, 700wh, thrashed it for 3 hours on this ride:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2514777786

The battery was down to 20% remaining.

I would seriously not have liked to have had any less range! This was on a dry day in July. In wetter conditions, it might have ran out.
Undoubtedly you can still get a really good 3 hour blast out of a 700 watt but there’s no way I’d like to go with anything less.

“In wetter conditions, it might have ran out.”

I know what you mean – but it’s not like your car running out of petrol, is it?