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Experience with my e-bike in the valley

I have been riding bikes in the Roaring Fork Valley and in south Florida for over 30 years. Now, I am 65 years old and I have some physical and medical issues that don’t allow me to bike like I used to. I ride a recumbent bike because of neck and back issues and need to keep my pulse on the lower side because of medical issues. My e-bikes allow me to continue to ride and get my cardiovascular exercise.

I don’t ride faster than 18 to 20 miles per hour. That has always been my non-electric bike speed. I was able to ride up to Ashcroft today and have lunch at Pine Creek Cookhouse. I haven’t been able ride my bike there since I began riding a recumbent two-wheel bike in 1994! Climbing is not a recumbent bike’s best feature. Some of my friends say that I am cheating using electric assistance. Who am I cheating? It’s me against me. I am not racing anybody! I can now ride with all of my friends and don’t have to turn down an invitation to ride anymore. High winds do not stop me from riding. If on any given day, only the “fast guys” show up to ride, I know that I can keep up and ride with them. My weight, pulse and blood pressure are all down, and I have been able to eliminate or significantly cut down on two of my prescription medications.

Education and instruction of riders is necessary on the part of any shop that rents or sells e-bikes. If it is found that education and instruction is not adequate in preventing mishaps, then an e-bike safety course, rider evaluations or possible licensing may prove to be needed here in the valley. Many people who are speaking in opposition to e-bikes have neither experience nor tangible knowledge about e-bikes. Unfortunately, many of them sit on commissions and are setting rules, restrictions, policy and in many cases prohibition of the use of e-bikes. We need education, instruction and sensible regulations that are enforceable based on knowledge, experience, science and real statistics and not on fear and lack of knowledge of electric assisted bicycles.



Jay Gottlieb

Basalt