eSurfer
100 W
This guy was telling me that eBikers are all a bunch of overweight, middle-aged men. I'm finding that difficult to accept. Can you shed some light on that comment?
What is the demographic for eBikers?
- Thread starter eSurfer
- Start date
Grizzl-E
100 W
I kinda agree, when someone buys an off the shelf ebike. Ignoring a lot of members of this forum who IMHO get into the lifestyle or tech side for one reason or another. In my neck of the woods it seems to fall into a couple of categories for prebuilt or kit ebikers:
1: 50+ with bad knees etc who still want to be able to ride.
2: guys buying an ebike for their wife/girlfriend so she can keep up.
3: those same guys wanting one for themselves.
But in Manitoba here the big city is small enough to commute on pedal power during the summer. And the only guys I know who ride for utility all year round are so hardcore that they have no trouble pumping out 200 watts all day long and ride bikes under 20lbs. So they don't seem to feel the need for it.
1: 50+ with bad knees etc who still want to be able to ride.
2: guys buying an ebike for their wife/girlfriend so she can keep up.
3: those same guys wanting one for themselves.
But in Manitoba here the big city is small enough to commute on pedal power during the summer. And the only guys I know who ride for utility all year round are so hardcore that they have no trouble pumping out 200 watts all day long and ride bikes under 20lbs. So they don't seem to feel the need for it.
craneplaneguy
10 kW
I only know two locally so far, myself and another guy my age, 60 +, but neither of us are overweight, and are real active winter and summer. The tech of E bikes really appeals to me, and the fact that I charge mine with my surplus free solar power, I can't do that with my car. I also like the rarity, or at least newness of them, anything out of the ordinary appeals to me. If everyone had one I might not be so into them. I was one of the first to get into hang gliding in the early 70's, same deal, something new and really cool. But, I'll be the first to admit I wouldn't be riding as far, fast, or as often if I was pedaling unassisted. Coming down from the ski area today on my fat E bike with my snowboard on the rear, I saw two guys pedaling up the steep road, both in their 20's, and sure as hell not wearing winter clothing and carrying a snowboard. One guy at the ski area the other day about my age made a somewhat snarky comment about E bikes, he's a traditional cyclist, but he drove his SUV up the frigging hill so screw him, plus I can beat his ass on the slopes 
ccmdr
100 W
Really enjoy motorbikes, but sub 15 miles not too keen on warming one of them up of a ride that can easily be done on an ebike at similar speeds or marginally less. Financially selling/buying a 'new to me' motorbike every other year, so thought about ebike, cheaper to run, no MOT, tax, very cheap insurance, fun little project for idle hands/mind. Gym/run regularly, eat clean, only just 30 
.
.Eskimo
1 kW
eSurfer said:
We are, but so what? At least i am overweight on European standards. 185cm/103kg.
Would we be somehow more accepted without our e-bikes?
Car drivers seem to be a punch of overweight, middle-aged men.
Spread the news.
dogman dan
1 PW
Well, it's pretty true of the customers I talk to all day.
At least the old part anyway. The problem is not usually just weight though, it's knees gone bad, hips going bad, copd, heart surgery, strokes, cancer. Many of them were high miles riders when younger and healthy, but just can't do much distance anymore. Some can't get a license renewed anymore.
It's not at all that "all ebikers are fat old slobs" though. It's just that they have the money for more expensive e bike, and want to keep riding. They often have a pretty nice bike they want to ride again.
The second most common type I see, is the young broke type. Often a student, or a guy working a dead end job. Sometimes a DUI guy. One reason or another, they can't afford even the cheapest junk car, or even a cheap scooter won't work with that DUI. They have zero interest in bikes and riding, and are sick of the damn bus. They have a $500 budget, but "even less would be nice", they say,
Normal people, with a reasonable paying job, only ride a bike because they love a bike. They don't need or want assist yet. They don't want to cheat.
There is the occasional rare exception to the rule, who used to ride to work from the apartment. But the house close to work cannot be afforded, or the new job is not so close to the house they bought. This guy is fit, loves to ride, but now he's facing a 30 mile one way commute. He's a rare guy, 99.9% will just get a car for that new commute.
At least the old part anyway. The problem is not usually just weight though, it's knees gone bad, hips going bad, copd, heart surgery, strokes, cancer. Many of them were high miles riders when younger and healthy, but just can't do much distance anymore. Some can't get a license renewed anymore.
It's not at all that "all ebikers are fat old slobs" though. It's just that they have the money for more expensive e bike, and want to keep riding. They often have a pretty nice bike they want to ride again.
The second most common type I see, is the young broke type. Often a student, or a guy working a dead end job. Sometimes a DUI guy. One reason or another, they can't afford even the cheapest junk car, or even a cheap scooter won't work with that DUI. They have zero interest in bikes and riding, and are sick of the damn bus. They have a $500 budget, but "even less would be nice", they say,
Normal people, with a reasonable paying job, only ride a bike because they love a bike. They don't need or want assist yet. They don't want to cheat.
There is the occasional rare exception to the rule, who used to ride to work from the apartment. But the house close to work cannot be afforded, or the new job is not so close to the house they bought. This guy is fit, loves to ride, but now he's facing a 30 mile one way commute. He's a rare guy, 99.9% will just get a car for that new commute.
dogman dan
1 PW
One last comment about weight. Since I got sick, I'm definitely overweight. You try lying in bed for 5 years thinking you may be dying, and not gain a few. But even so, I'm only about 15 pounds too heavy. It was worse, before I got healthier again.
But before I got sick, when I was still very fit, and 180 pounds, riding a bike still just kind of sucked for me. My problem was, when young I rode a LOT. I rode in the mountains, and back then I weighed about 120. I was a starving student, who lived on soup poured over rice then. Flash forward 30 years, and now I'm a guy who has been doing hard construction work for a lifetime. I have many pounds more meat on me, lots of added muscle on my torso, and I've been eating good. Some fat since age 30 too, but not much more than 5 to 10 pounds of it.
Bottom line, at 45 I was still far from fat or old, or out of shape. But nevertheless, riding a bike weighing 180, up a mountain, now SUCKS. It's nothing like I remember bikes, when I weighed 60 pounds less. Strap a bag of cement on your bike someday, and ride around the block. BIG DIFFERENCE.
When I tried an ebike, It was like rolling back 30 years. Suddenly I was flying along at 25 mph like I used to ride everywhere. I just fell in love with it. So yes, most of us e bike riders are old. But its not always a matter of overweight, it's just that we got mature and can't ride like teen anymore. I like riding at least 20 mph, and never really liked riding 10-12 mph.
But now we can!!! The ebike is like a fountain of youth. So why should the young love it? But the old do!
But before I got sick, when I was still very fit, and 180 pounds, riding a bike still just kind of sucked for me. My problem was, when young I rode a LOT. I rode in the mountains, and back then I weighed about 120. I was a starving student, who lived on soup poured over rice then. Flash forward 30 years, and now I'm a guy who has been doing hard construction work for a lifetime. I have many pounds more meat on me, lots of added muscle on my torso, and I've been eating good. Some fat since age 30 too, but not much more than 5 to 10 pounds of it.
Bottom line, at 45 I was still far from fat or old, or out of shape. But nevertheless, riding a bike weighing 180, up a mountain, now SUCKS. It's nothing like I remember bikes, when I weighed 60 pounds less. Strap a bag of cement on your bike someday, and ride around the block. BIG DIFFERENCE.
When I tried an ebike, It was like rolling back 30 years. Suddenly I was flying along at 25 mph like I used to ride everywhere. I just fell in love with it. So yes, most of us e bike riders are old. But its not always a matter of overweight, it's just that we got mature and can't ride like teen anymore. I like riding at least 20 mph, and never really liked riding 10-12 mph.
But now we can!!! The ebike is like a fountain of youth. So why should the young love it? But the old do!
t3sla
10 kW
55+ Female is the largest EU demographic
USAEBIKECO
10 kW
I find the demographics are vast.
I've had a 20 year old college student buy an ebike from me.
I've had a 78 year old woman buy an ebike from me.
And everything in-between.
It all depends on your particular situation. Will the ebike benefit your life? The college student needed transportation, the woman wanted to ride for fun.
I've had a 20 year old college student buy an ebike from me.
I've had a 78 year old woman buy an ebike from me.
And everything in-between.
It all depends on your particular situation. Will the ebike benefit your life? The college student needed transportation, the woman wanted to ride for fun.
docw009
1 MW
Nahh. I'm an overweight old man who bought an ebike for his 64 year old wife so she could keep riding, and then built his own kit. I did drop my weight though.
hugh21
1 mW
I fit in the old guy demographic, 63 actually. A bit overweight and I own "gasp" 2 vehicles one is a 4 wheel drive nissan truck for winter because winter in Manitoba kinda sucks and a Miata for summer use which gets good mileage and is 24 years old. I have always liked bikes, powered and unpowered and my old 10 speed was always my favorite pedal powered bike. My knees and all other parts still work fine but i like the idea of heading into the wind and not having to gear too far down. Plus the silence and exercise is great, the biggest issues are two-fold. Thieves and idiots in cars who don,t pay attention and are always in a hurry
MikeT
10 mW
Living in a liberal paradise, anything with motor has to be registered, so I see no ebikes here in Buffalo, other than my concoction.
It's strange, in NYC ebikes are all over the place- even ebike stores.
Maybe the police have more important things to do down there.
I'm 69, weigh 140 and have always rode a bike here and there, when I go for a pedal ride on my 8 mile loop, I used to get passed by everyone, including chubby girls.
Now I still get a little workout, I just get back faster.
Mike
It's strange, in NYC ebikes are all over the place- even ebike stores.
Maybe the police have more important things to do down there.
I'm 69, weigh 140 and have always rode a bike here and there, when I go for a pedal ride on my 8 mile loop, I used to get passed by everyone, including chubby girls.
Now I still get a little workout, I just get back faster.
Mike
WoodlandHills
10 kW
63 in a couple of months, weigh a bit over 165 and a bit under 170 (fluctuates), and I've been a gearhead all my life. Currently own 5 cars, one an electric and another I built myself and a classic motorcycle that I stripped and rebuilt. I rescued and restored a fiberglass speedboat from the '80 and installed a 550hp BBC to use as a scout boat for our Lake Powell houseboat. Now we're looking for an Avion trailer for me to restore and see the country behind our 2000 diesel F-250 pickup (bought salvage on eBay 10 years ago).
Last winter I built a stitch and glue kit boat, this winter it was 3 ebikes. Next winter, who knows!
I am a retired helicopter and flight test mechanic and my last aviation job was on the very first C-17, T-1, I followed her from the engine test cell in the Az desert to launch of First Flight as one of 6 mechs on day crew. There were no manuals written for the aircraft and tech writers and video guys followed us around for the first 6 months as they "wrote the book" for the USAF maintainers who followed on after us years later when the flight test program was over. T-1 is still out at EAFB and is AFAIK the only C-17 in private hands since she was never turned over to the gov't and is still owned by Boeing.
Last winter I built a stitch and glue kit boat, this winter it was 3 ebikes. Next winter, who knows!
I am a retired helicopter and flight test mechanic and my last aviation job was on the very first C-17, T-1, I followed her from the engine test cell in the Az desert to launch of First Flight as one of 6 mechs on day crew. There were no manuals written for the aircraft and tech writers and video guys followed us around for the first 6 months as they "wrote the book" for the USAF maintainers who followed on after us years later when the flight test program was over. T-1 is still out at EAFB and is AFAIK the only C-17 in private hands since she was never turned over to the gov't and is still owned by Boeing.
LockH
1 PW
In local news, Canadian Federal Gov. reports:
There's plenty of reasons to pedal an "ebike" like warmth, extend range per charge, life of battery before recycling... but exercise creeps in there too... So where any ebike might cause a "fattie" to get aboard thinking they DON'T have to pedal... Don't anybuddy tell `em the truth. Hehe
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/421/soci/RMS/01mar16/Home-e.htm
There's plenty of reasons to pedal an "ebike" like warmth, extend range per charge, life of battery before recycling... but exercise creeps in there too... So where any ebike might cause a "fattie" to get aboard thinking they DON'T have to pedal... Don't anybuddy tell `em the truth. Hehe
I pretty much haven't "fit in" anywhere my whole life, so...I was free to explore ebikes without any danger to my social status. I moved to Kansas a few years ago, and there are very few bicycle people here, so...I'm even more of a green-eyed left-handed platypus than I was before.
Close to 60 years old, tall, slim, own a truck and still have a license (no DUI's). Knees are still fine, but...I appreciate getting an "ebike boost" when the light turns green. No mountains here, so...any rare biker I run into is not an ebike enthusiast, mostly lycra that imagines themselves being in the "ironman" competition when they dream. Works out on the carbon road bike on the weekends to get away from the wife?
My ebike (s) provide a backup to get to work (8 miles away) if my truck has an issue, but...I'm sure that my interest is mainly in feeling that ebikes will grow to play a larger role in North American society in the near future, and I want to help guide newbies...
Close to 60 years old, tall, slim, own a truck and still have a license (no DUI's). Knees are still fine, but...I appreciate getting an "ebike boost" when the light turns green. No mountains here, so...any rare biker I run into is not an ebike enthusiast, mostly lycra that imagines themselves being in the "ironman" competition when they dream. Works out on the carbon road bike on the weekends to get away from the wife?
My ebike (s) provide a backup to get to work (8 miles away) if my truck has an issue, but...I'm sure that my interest is mainly in feeling that ebikes will grow to play a larger role in North American society in the near future, and I want to help guide newbies...
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