Hello everyone! I ride an ebike, but I swear I'm not an enemy.

I am definitely working on everything you mentioned! Diet, exercise, etc. Surgery 2 years ago unfortunately yielded no results. Riding my hardtail on flat ground does cause pain, let alone a trail. Riding on my ebike also causes pain the longer I ride but I can cover more miles and terrain to contribute to my exercise regimen.

 

Ha ha, I never see these things either, I may have seen two, but then again I ride the less traveled.
Dude! If that is the case then I should by one and put it in my wife's class room yes!

 

Floop regulars can chime in, but I believe they are allowed there.

If you're looking to mix it up, there are miles and miles of legal fire roads in the mountains. Maple Springs to Main Divide to Santiago Peak is about 13 miles and 4500 feet of climbing- 26 round trip. It will open up a whole new world... It takes you to the highest point in Orange County. Even though it's fire road, there are some "fun" sections... And it's a little more "back countryish" than the Floop.

Maple Springs to Main Divide, and hang a left (north) and you can ride some pretty chunky fire road all the way to Sierra Peak (241 & 91). Some of it is sketchier than the Floop.

Start on the Corona side, and you can reach the same elevation on Bedford Truck Trail...

As far as health... I'm the former fattest guy on here, I believe. I tipped the scales north of 300 pounds. A return to biking probably resurrected my life. A lot of the pain I had (knees and back mostly) went away with conditioning.

 

Riding on flat areas doesn't cause too much pain. It's when I venture off road that is the culprit. Even then, on trails, if I stay seated, its not that bad. It's when I have to stand for descents, drops, etc. that my knees fail me. The instability and pain prevent me from doing anything crazy technical. The most harrowing trail I can actually ride without stopping to walk it is actually Faultline at CHSP. But that climb on Telegraph (3 Bitches) definitely sucks the life out of my lungs and my knees!

 

THIS IS WHY I CAME HERE!!! To get direction on technique and trails I can explore. I sincerely thank you for this!! I will check out the spots you mentioned asap. I can't do anything crazy chunky or steep yet though. As I have mentioned earlier, my knees are generally unstable when I have to stand and trying to correct them or stabilize them often causes searing pain. I'm looking for a great knee brace that can provide support and still allows me to pedal without restriction. thanks again!!

 

Another thing. I also tipped the scales at 296lbs. Since I started riding regularly again and eating better, I am down 20lbs (over the past few weeks). I can't wait to check out the roads you mentioned!

 

If that is the case than you have a good chance of recovering from all the abuse that we seem to do to ourselves, if you could lose weight than that would take major stress off everything you do, if you can get to the finish line than you don’t need that pedal assist. As far as you and I ever riding together, I believe we are incompatible until you don’t have a motor. Just so you know I don’t care to much about e-bikes, ride what you want, I have no control except for my own actions and I poach a trail I should not be riding so I really have no say so.

 

Sure it’s not tendonitis? When I had it the pain was crazy and felt unstable!

 

You never what you'll find in the mountains...

View from the saddle below Santiago Peak last weekend:


A couple months back:


Snow ride from last year:

 

Nicely played.

 

None of those improvements has anything to do with the motor. While there is a temptation to equate the advent of full suspension with the introduction and proliferation of motor-bikes, the opposite is true. Full suspension actually made bikes heavier, thus taxing our motors even more. Worth it for sure. In the early 90s, we strove (strived?) for 21 lb bikes. We now don't even blink at 30 lb full suspension bikes because they are so capable. But guess what - they probably require more of the rider up the hill. I'm good with that.

You have severe knee pain and an e- mt bike helps you get exercise. Sorry about the knees and glad the e-bike helps. Ride the fire roads and get your self back in shape. As @Faust29 said, there's a lot of them, and they are pretty fun, if you must ride a motorbike.

 

@Frank I almost never chime in on any thread that mentions e-bikes cause it almost always leads to a dead end. I'm in the same boat as pretty much everyone else who has chimed in here in that I don't have a use/need for an e-bike and I've had my share of negative experiences with people that ride them. After reading this whole thread though I get the feeling you are different and perhaps honest and sincere. I live near Tapia canyon and they are wildly popular around here and as far as I know completely legal there too. This may even be a decent ride option for you and all I ask is one thing. Be respectful of other users. By this I mean don't whiz by on the climbs at twice the speed unannounced and put others in danger. A little trail etiquette goes a long ways. I suspect you probably know that.

Whether they are fun & useful or not my feeling is that most who ride them are just making excuses and then trying to convince the rest of us that we need one. I call BS on that. Good on you for keeping moving though and looking for advice. One thing I can tell you for a fact is that collectively the regulars here have sustained just about every injury you can think of via this sport and others and have forged thru. I know I've had my share and wasn't supposed to be able to walk and should've had knee replacement about 15 years ago. I've got an unconventional question for you. Do you ride flats or clipped in? While it may sound weird with my knees riding clipped is what works for me. My feet are always in the same position in relation to my seat and my bikes are set up the same. Works for me so far.

Now for a moment of truth. My stepdad is e-bike shopping and maybe rightfully so based on his age and injuries list even though I still think it's a cop out and he's lust being lazy. I went with him last weekend to look at a used one. Somehow I was talked in to trying it. I rode it 100 yards down the street and back and wholly f@ck. Anybody who says you still get the same workout is totally and completely full of sh!t. Mopeds were never that powerful. I don't have a use for one. My favorite rides involve lifting your bike over trees, gates and fences and my shoulders are too shot to do that with 50 pounders...

 

Ah...silver lining arrives.

 

@Frank good on you for getting out there to try and better yourself. And, double good on you for still posting after the shiotstorm of comments you've received. Props to you for remaining civil through all of this. That speaks volumes about your character and the kind of person you are. I sincerely hope you fully recover from your knee pain and can eventually set the ebike aside. I, just like everyone else that has chimed in am not a fan of these ebikes. However, I would ride with you. I'd even show you around the local OC area that fully allows your kind of bike. You're the one on that kind of bike not me.

Sorry you had to read some of the snobbish remarks from some of the members here. While I don't necessarily disagree with some of the points made on why the dislike. The context that they were put in surprised me. It was refreshing to see that you let them slide right off your back. One thing this post has done was solidify the disdain some members have of not just ebikes, but also the riders of said bikes regardless of whom the rider may be. That's what truly caught me off guard.

Best of luck to you and keep the rubber side down!

 

What is its Strava ID though?

 

@Redman if you are referring to me as you were taken back from, and that I had a snobbish remark about incompatibility. I only meant we are incompatible due to the advantage of the power assist, and would spend half the ride waiting and would be bored with how short the ride was for the wait.

 

If you think I was referring to you... well then. Seriously though, not you precisely. The majority of the comments were not what I expected to read from this group. I've met most of the members and have been on this board for many years. We're a bunch of good dudes on this board and I was just surprised at the comments. Especially when @Frank tried several times to keep the peace and explain his position. I will say that @Faust29 gets the best reply award, that was truly sincere and just being a good human. Instead of burning the guy at the stake. I don't know man, maybe I'm just a bit sensitive right now cause I haven't seen my wife in kids in more than three days.

 

I think Steven Jackson rides one there

 

I think Steven Jackson rides one there

 

It gets addicting as the weight comes off and you find yourself more capable. When I was huge, my left knee was stiff as a board from a hard impact (flying tackle on concrete...). As I lost the weight, though, the knee became more functional. It's still not as strong as the right knee, but it's to the point that my preferred bike of choice for the mountains is the single speed.

Technique can also affect your pain. If I sit and spin for long periods on the full suspension bike, the knee starts to bark at me. I have to remind myself to stand and mash every so often. Most riders will shift to an easier gear to climb; I shift to a harder one and stand. On the single speed, that just happens organically and my knee is much happier. The members here will mostly disagree, but most of them haven't been morbidly obese with bad knees.

 

Physical therapy is a big help. Point at the body part that hurts, they will tell you what exercises to do. Going to PT gets you a great midweek workout too.

But expect those exercises to hurt worse than the knee pain . I’m taking to you, mr IT band...

 

Y’all know where I stand on this. Bicycles don’t have motors. Yes, PAS is a motor.

perhaps a small % of Ebikers are following the rules and laws....but based on personal experiences, most take that sense of entitlement and ignore that they are not allowed. Go to any of the OC Parks and count the number of motorbikes are on the trails...:considering they are prohibited on all county park trails....you can understand our disdain for them. Add to that the LBS’s yhat are contributing to the problem.....yes, both the managers/owners of several of the Rock N Road shops have been seen in county parks riding the motorbikes.

so you ask where in OC can you legally ride them?

the places are few and far in between.

Floop
Chino Hills
El Moro
Maple Springs/Main Divide

that’s it. Anybody that tells you any different is misinformed.

I’m damaged goods....I have days where I can barely walk....I could use that as an excuse to get an Ebike. I’m also on meds for high BP...according to a lot of ebikers that’s a perfect excuse to ride one. Just about everyone here knows me....know ls what I am about. Hell, I refused the shuttle last weekend.


I’d love to hike down into the Grand Canyon....but my ankle will not allow it....they should put an escalator in so I can do it. I’d love to go rock climbing, but shoulder injuries have said hell no....they should out electric winches are the top of all the places to rock climb so I can do it. Sounds pretty moronic doesn’t it. Ebikes are no different.

Sometimes you have to lower your expectations until your ability catches up.

Welcome to our community. Most of us here are good people. We have decades of experience and expertise. But at the end of the day, we are cycling purists....but bikes don’t have motors.

 

I always leave a couple spots open...:you never know.

 

I see

 

Only cults deal in absolutes.

 

I'm an a$$hole! Just ask my wife...

@Frank - Frank's situation does make me wonder, and I've mentioned this with my riding partners a few times. Where would I be today if I hadn't struggled up the Live Oak climb (1.4 miles/ 600 feet) for all those months in the beginning? Most of the time not making the 1/2 way point. With me, the bike, and all the provisions I carried, I was probably pushing over 350 pounds up that hill. Would I be in the same shape today if e-bikes were around back then?

 

You're getting the magic hands!

 

Sitting here at the infusion center getting some iron, I can tell you iron deficiency anemia sucks, especially for biking, but not as bad as some of the people here getting chemo infusions. I guess I have a live and let live outlook, whatever floats your boat as long as you aren't a uppity prick about it.

I'm near the bottom of the descent of my mountain biking career, with a few chronic but not horrific health issues, i'm starting to make plans for post mtbing life. Prob get back to 4 wheeling, have to get my back country fix. Dont really want to moto, too heavy. Ebike right now is too expensive, among alot of other things already mentioned. Down the line I might consider it if trails open up. But I can still me bike for now, just slow as molasses on climbs. Which limits how long of rides and who I can do it with. But have to be thankful as f@@# that I can still do this.

 

Welcome Frank!