Adventures of a (e)bike noob.

[Kaelidoz]

I'm a 29 years old guy from Belgium who just decided last month to buy an e-bike and use it pretty heavily instead of my car. I got a EMTB because I wanted to be free to explore places.

I'm using it almost everyday to commute to/from work: morning, evening or night shift. (8.5km*2 without wandering around which I often do). Also honestly really useful to visit my friends without stressing about the vaporizers in my bag or the redness of my eyes.

Of course I'm using it more sportively; trails, woods and climbing our good ol' terrils from Wallonia (coal spoil tip).
I already crashed a few times, riding above my skill level. Most notable are when I stuck my front wheel and flipped over and when I clipped my feet between a rock and my pedal going downhill thanks to my fantastic foot position (with running shoes... yeah I don't do that anymore, still hurts).

I rode my bikes pretty heavily back when I was a kid but I stopped at around 13. I'm learning a bit more each days about how to ride and service that thing. All I know is that my ass isn't painful anymore and that I still feel the urge to take that bike out everyday. It's been years since I went outside that much and by myself.

I just love riding by night. The scenery is often creepy/eerie especially after 2am but that's part of the fun! Bonus point for dense night fog and scary animals eyes shinning in the darkness. I can't shoot in the dark and show you that so here's some pictures I took when commuting back from work just before 10PM, where there's still enough light for my shitty pictures.

Man I just like that bridge.

Ain't that a nice spot? Jokes aside I'll no stop if I see a group hanging there.

Seeing ships, barges and houseboats passing by. This one is full of steel. I saw one full of glass once, made some pretty sounds when it moved. I also like to chill and look at the écluse doing its thing. People in houseboats are friendly, I like to ride along them at their pace.

That commute is filled with stuff to ride on. Thanks to dirtbikes I guess?

1500 lumens on the front, 250 on the back. Couldn't do without it. (Lezyne)

Anything that help is good. I noticed that most drivers slow down to check them lasers out. I must look a bit dorky but hey.

 

[Kaelidoz]

Today when getting back home I decided to ride some terrils and I ended up to this abandoned place. A lot of empty cans and junks, the usual.
I'll not visit by night, but it was pretty cool to find something new.

Of course I went in.

Makes me want to drop a hot mixtape.

Terrils! I love them with that machine. Down... up... Down... up... I have load of places like this to play with. Dirtbikers made some nice jumps and trails too.

This one is a first and I'll probably be back tomorrow. Nice find, real hard to climb on.

What it usually looks like!

It's a zone under construction, don't know what they're building but someone isn't happy with tracks that dirt/bikes are leaving.

I...I think they're actually making stuff more fun for them.

 

[John Locke]

Night riding is about 90% of what I do, and love it. My riding buddy and I ride twice a week for the exercise, solitude and adventure. Only recently have we bought Haibikes to open up new trail territory, more extreme hilly areas previously not a consideration to ride AND "have fun". The latest LED headlights are so bright, riding at night is much safer than most can imagine that haven't used these new LED headlights. 3 to 5 of the T6 LEDs is all you need, but Amazon offers 10 and 12 LED versions now for under $20 without battery pack. These lights are like a car headlight, they are so bright. I've never been riding and thought to myself, I wish I could see better. Adequate riding light just isn't an issue anymore. The cooler temps of night riding is what we enjoy here in California. In Orange County we have many miles of dirt trails to ride, some with incredible scenic views from on top of hills looking down at city lights. My worse fear of night riding is coming around a corner fast and meeting a skunk! That would be bad news. Snakes I don't fear, I can deal with those, and I've seen a few in my path (daytime), but a skunk is worst risk. I've seen 3 skunks in the last 5yrs of night riding, but fortunately it has always been from a distance where the skunk has no fear of me, and it scurries off into the bushes, while I ride away from the critter. I fear the day when I come across a skunk up close, riding too fast around a corner to avoid getting sprayed. This is on my mind at most blind corners/bends, and I've never been sprayed. I just know it's a possibility that's bound to happen some day, so that notion hinders how aggressive I ride at night.

 

[Tori]

Today when getting back home I decided to ride some terrils and I ended up to this abandoned place. A lot of empty cans and junks, the usual.
I'll not visit by night, but it was pretty cool to find something new.

View attachment 1518
Of course I went in.

View attachment 1519
Makes me want to drop a hot mixtape.

View attachment 1520


Terrils! I love them with that machine. Down... up... Down... up... I have load of places like this to play with. Dirtbikers made some nice jumps and trails too.

View attachment 1525
This one is a first and I'll probably be back tomorrow. Nice find, real hard to climb on.

View attachment 1526
What it usually looks like!

View attachment 1527
It's a zone under construction, don't know what they're building but someone isn't happy with tracks that dirt/bikes are leaving.

View attachment 1528
I...I think they're actually making stuff more fun for them.

I love the pictures and story of the adventures you're having, makes me want to come over to Belgium and ride with you

I understand what you're saying about the red eyes and vaporiser . . . you're under the radar on the EMTB so to speak, which is a very relaxing thing. Herby adventures on your Haibike!

I am intrigued by the night riding thing, I very rarely ride my MTB at night and I think I should start doing it. Can you please send me a link to the Leyzene lights you are using? Do they maintain good light for a few hours, or do you notice a dip in brightness?

Please keep posting your adventures, it's good reading

 

[Doomanic]

@Tori, if you are intending to ride the same trails in your videos at night you really need something like this; Six Pack MK8
I used to do a lot of night riding and one of my buddies had the Mk6. It blew my lights away! Admittedly, they were £13 eBay specials, but I thought they were bright until I saw the Six Pack.
You'll also want a helmet light.
eBay lights for reference; 2000 Lumen CREE XMLT6 LED BICYCLE BIKE CYCLING FRONT LIGHT Rechargeable Light UK | eBay

 

[Kaelidoz]

@Tori Thank you I'll keep updating this post I guess!
It is much more relaxing, I feel free to carry what is needed .
I 100% ditched combustion last year and that I think created the itch to buy and get on that emtb. It's a virtuous (bi)cycle because the more I ride, the less I vaporize.

Lezyne - LED Lights - Super Drive 1500XXL No dip in brightness but only eco & enduro are accessible when the battery is running out of juice.

I don't use 1500Lumens that much it's really powerful. The light in action: (not my video)
600-1000 Lumens is good enough most of the time.

Here's the backlight Lezyne - LED Lights - Laser Drive

@John Locke

some with incredible scenic views from on top of hills looking down at city lights.

Aww man sounds like a dream night ride.

I met two angry geese on my way back home this morning... protecting their gosling. Scary encounter

 

[Marydiaz]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with everyone. And the pictures are amazing.

 

[Kaelidoz]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with everyone. And the pictures are amazing.

Thank you ! I will update this post soon. I have learned a lot in 9 months, the bike is also different and I rode so so much. It changed my life for the better. I love it.