your mate?
I am 50 and in in good health and have ridden MTB for the last decade.
But ...I recently find I am going out less and less... mainly mental hurdle of the physical pain of the frequent and inevitable hills here in N wales. I also have a 13 yr old son who now has to wait for me constantly.
So I have just ( thanks to specialized concept store Chester) had a turbo levo expert to try for the weekend.
my worries were: will I miss the sense of satisfaction when I get up a steep hill, and at the end of a hard ride.
will people think I am not a proper biker?
will it help me keep up with my son... and will he be ok with it.
So.... after 2 days of emtb... I hope my expericence helps others:
the positives:
I can do all the very steep hills that just plain hurt me with ease.. and thats in eco and trail.. not turbo.
I loved it!
It reminded me why I bike... it was not to get fit... it was to be outdoors and explore the hills. Endurance and sweat and pain were not part of the attraction more a consequence. so now that I can explore without that is absolutely fantastic. really really fantastic.
I can now do multiple rides a day !... before I was done in for 5 days while my knee recovered.
If in trail mode I did feel some guilt as it was just too easy. so I used eco a lot and still my legs getting a good workout without getting the pounding they used to.
I can now do my local route so fast that its a reality to do it in 45 mins before work... ie time pressure is far less of an issue.
the negatives:
I felt others perceive me as lazy... a cheat... as a non biker. Incredibly.... a lady on a horse said to me as we had stopped to let them pass "eww... and electric bike ... you're worse than me!." snort snort ...
she was sat atop an animal doing all the work for her! the irony!
That brose motor even on the 2020 bike has a very noticeable whine when under strain up a hill.
I have to remind myself at this point why I bike.... I love being in the hills exploring ... I love the freedom... I love being able to ride with my son .. not struggling way behind him.
so what if horsy lady or others think little of me for taking the 'lazy' option.... it's what suitesme for what are good and valid reasons, why should I alter that because of what folk think.
If you can afford it .. I recommend it highly , . but make sure you are happy with your reasons for switching.. then it really does not matter what others say or think.
sad to see the bike going back tomorrow....I will miss it! ..... but deposit also going down
btw... 177 cm ( 5.10) and the large levo is bang on fit ..medium would have been too small)
I could have written that myself! Lol.I am 50 and in in good health and have ridden MTB for the last decade.
But ...I recently find I am going out less and less... mainly mental hurdle of the physical pain of the frequent and inevitable hills here in N wales. I also have a 13 yr old son who now has to wait for me constantly.
So I have just ( thanks to specialized concept store Chester) had a turbo levo expert to try for the weekend.
my worries were: will I miss the sense of satisfaction when I get up a steep hill, and at the end of a hard ride.
will people think I am not a proper biker?
will it help me keep up with my son... and will he be ok with it.
So.... after 2 days of emtb... I hope my expericence helps others:
the positives:
I can do all the very steep hills that just plain hurt me with ease.. and thats in eco and trail.. not turbo.
I loved it!
It reminded me why I bike... it was not to get fit... it was to be outdoors and explore the hills. Endurance and sweat and pain were not part of the attraction more a consequence. so now that I can explore without that is absolutely fantastic. really really fantastic.
I can now do multiple rides a day !... before I was done in for 5 days while my knee recovered.
If in trail mode I did feel some guilt as it was just too easy. so I used eco a lot and still my legs getting a good workout without getting the pounding they used to.
I can now do my local route so fast that its a reality to do it in 45 mins before work... ie time pressure is far less of an issue.
the negatives:
I felt others perceive me as lazy... a cheat... as a non biker. Incredibly.... a lady on a horse said to me as we had stopped to let them pass "eww... and electric bike ... you're worse than me!." snort snort ...
she was sat atop an animal doing all the work for her! the irony!
That brose motor even on the 2020 bike has a very noticeable whine when under strain up a hill.
I have to remind myself at this point why I bike.... I love being in the hills exploring ... I love the freedom... I love being able to ride with my son .. not struggling way behind him.
so what if horsy lady or others think little of me for taking the 'lazy' option.... it's what suitesme for what are good and valid reasons, why should I alter that because of what folk think.
If you can afford it .. I recommend it highly , . but make sure you are happy with your reasons for switching.. then it really does not matter what others say or think.
sad to see the bike going back tomorrow....I will miss it! ..... but deposit also going down
btw... 177 cm ( 5.10) and the large levo is bang on fit ..medium would have been too small)
Massively IMOmy worries were: will I miss the sense of satisfaction when I get up a steep hill, and at the end of a hard ride.
WTF careswill people think I am not a proper biker?
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