Another Comparison Ride~

 It was another perfect spring day - except for the howling winds making it feel colder than it was.  It seems spring brings the winds & it's a shame, since the little rain we received is dried away to no moisture at all.  I would not have gone out, but my idea was to do another comparison ride.  

Leaving the Mineola Trail head~

I'd done this same route on Smokey a couple weeks ago, under similar wind conditions & wanted to see how much difference there would be riding Shadow (my new e-bike).  The wind gusts leaving Mineola were terrific - more sustained than my last ride.  I shifted the computer mode up to the sport setting & was in 8th & 9th gear.  I couldn't believe how much easier it was.

Cowboy Pass~

Once I was into the hills, the wind lessened & I dropped the assist, even going up the climb to tour & stayed in the same gears.  My goal is to maintain my usual ride speed & effort level, without as much stress on my legs.

Arriving Margaritaville~

The wind didn't let up, but at least the trees broke the force of the gusts.  I only saw two other riders. One on a powered trike & a lady on a fat tire powered bike.  With the wind I'm not the only one who can now take advantage an electric motor to ride without being blown off the trail.  The extra weight of the bike felt more stable in the wind too.

By the big Cottonwood~

I continued further north, past the rest spot at the crest of the hill.  The horse trail, now 99% used by mountain bikes was off to the side.  I spotted the huge old Cottonwood where Farah & I used to stop.  I had to get a photo of Shadow there & turned back.

Almost back to the Explorer~

I was having too much fun on the return ride to stop for photos!  At one point I was in the lowest assist mode - eco & 10th gear.  I pedaled hard & reached just over 20 mph on the bike odometer.  My Garmin 310 XT only recorded 19+.  I'm going to say the bike wheel sensor was correct. 

Comparison data~

Between these two almost identical rides, you can see the e-bike provided a distinct advantage.  About a 2.5 mph difference in average speed & the fastest top speed I've ridden.  I could feel the difference in the amount of effort I expended & I'm not going to complain!  I wasn't nearly as sore as I was the last ride on this section of trail. I think my riding distance will increase, too.  I'll be interested to see my average speed on my old route from Silver City to Malvern once the Trestle is back open. 

  

E-bikes have been improved quite a lot since they came on the scene. Many of the old issues have been resolved by manufactures like Cannondale.  There's still a lot to consider before purchasing one.  The difference in the type of motor Cadance vs. Torque is important.  The bike Butch returned had a cadance motor, Shadow has a torque.  

Shadow gave me a great ride & I'm looking forward to enjoying the trail more & without the pain that's been involved for the last couple years.