Weight gain from EMTB

[Swiss Roll]

I think people should chill out with the aggressive posting, but anyway, it's easy to underestimate how much the motor is helping,. And, as has been already noted, the words"bar food and ipa" are standouts in your post, and I sympathise, after all, aren't we supposed to be having fun here??????
I had to lose a lot of weight, and I read up on the studies, and of course exercise can be counterproductive, as you feel you deserve some sustenance after your hard work.
On the other hand, I found calorie counting depressing, as I bleakly observed my allowed blob of butter. As I work near a pretty steep forested hill, on my way from work, I found a nice steep 500m stretch of tarmac, and slogged up and down, working up my repetitions, and working down my motor power, when it got too hard, I would switch up for a few seconds, and and then down again. The objective being burning calories as quickly as possible. After a couple of months, I lost like 10kg, I could shred my quite fit wife up the hill with motor off, and I ate pretty normally.

 

[Stihldog]

Cardio is my main reason riding, then fun, then fixin stuff, etc. The strength of my upper body has now changed to my lower body. I can’t huck-around my eMTB though. But I can out-climb any 74-year-old (all things equal) and most 24-year-olds. Any one of them could easily pass me on a decent thought.

Being a twin daddy I ride with each of the boys separately on our mountain. One is a dare-devil and the other is a complete disaster. They both roll their eyes at my costume choice.

I want my ticker to reach 160+ bpm several times. Occasionally I reach the 190bpm but my recovery is fast and almost back to normal in no time. I’m not as concerned about weight as long as it’s not out of control.

 

[cozzy]

I've always been fat and lazy. Used to get uplifts on the pedal bike, now self uplift on the eeb.
I've never pedalled anywhere. I hate it.
Ive only ever ridden for fun though, not fitness.

 

[Twindaddy]

I think people should chill out with the aggressive posting, but anyway, it's easy to underestimate how much the motor is helping,. And, as has been already noted, the words"bar food and ipa" are standouts in your post, and I sympathise, after all, aren't we supposed to be having fun here??????
I had to lose a lot of weight, and I read up on the studies, and of course exercise can be counterproductive, as you feel you deserve some sustenance after your hard work.
On the other hand, I found calorie counting depressing, as I bleakly observed my allowed blob of butter. As I work near a pretty steep forested hill, on my way from work, I found a nice steep 500m stretch of tarmac, and slogged up and down, working up my repetitions, and working down my motor power, when it got too hard, I would switch up for a few seconds, and and then down again. The objective being burning calories as quickly as possible. After a couple of months, I lost like 10kg, I could shred my quite fit wife up the hill with motor off, and I ate pretty normally.

Bingo, you nailed it for me. Its easy to underestimate how much the motor is helping. Obviously I knew I wasnt burning the calories at nearly the same rate but was surprised how much of a difference there is. A 3 hr ride on the ebike feels like a decent workout.

As for the bar food and IPAs, yes, bad habit. But those are usually long weekend rides with buddies. Weekdays dont allow for that due to limited time.

 

[gaba]

What? You dont even know me buddy so please dont talk to me about laziness. I logged 3k miles last year on various pedal bikes. I ride 4x a week, work out 3x a week, and commute 3 hrs each day to work, then come home and raise a family.

Seems Ive hit a nerve here. I keep hearing how ebikes give you just as much of a workout as a regular bike. Im here to say that for ME, it doesnt and wanted to see If others experienced the same. I said my anecdotal experience. If you notice I said “if all else being the same, diet etc”. Whats the point of riding an ebike if you leave the motor off like someone above suggested? If you lost weight with an ebike, good for you, but dont judge me because I didnt experience the same.

The mob mentality here is no different than MTBR. What a shame. Must have the same opinions as everyone else or the pitchforks come out.

Ignore the pitchforks. Nothing is more annoying than they guy who wants to tell you his diet/fitness advice. You know “the way that works” cause it worked for him.

Newsflash, everyone is different. Some diets and routines work well for some and not for others.

Regardless, it’s become trendy to say you can get the same workout on an eeb, but unless you get really creative or have endless hours to dedicate I don’t agree. I too gained weight after changing to an eeb. As did everyone in our riding group. We are in no way lazy. We are getting older. I do take my regular bike out more now, and have to watch what I eat. Before I could eat what I wanted, and had to supplement with sugars during my rides.

 

[rod9301]

For me, it’s not IF, it’s WHEN. WHEN I ride my ebike I ride with the same intensity. You should try it.

I have an e bike for 4 years now, and i backcountry ski as well.
Regular mountain bike, e bike or backcountry skiing, i burn 500 calories en hour.

Which i figure is my capacity to do endurance work at a level that i can do for hours.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

you're all lazy

Be polite

 

[Canyon Shawn]

I have an e bike for 4 years now, and i backcountry ski as well.
Regular mountain bike, e bike or backcountry skiing, i burn 500 calories en hour.

Which i figure is my capacity to do endurance work at a level that i can do for hours.

I think calories burned is a very good metric to gauge performance. This is a typical ride for me. I’m on a low powered ebike. So, I have to work hard to get that.

 

[gaba]

I think calories burned is a very good metric to gauge performance. This is a typical ride for me. I’m on a low powered ebike. So, I have to work hard to get that.
View attachment 107822

Those calories burned are a fairly inaccurate measure. Regardless 1200vertical feet in 15miles with an average HR in the 140s is hardly what I would consider strenuous. If that’s what you were achieving on your regular bike, of course you can match it on your ebike.

 

[CaptKirk]

I did a quick search on this and didnt find much. Be honest, how many of you have gained a decent amount of weight going from an analog to an eeb? Ive been riding regularly (analog) for a little over two years. In the last year, Ive really stepped it up to averaging 4x a week, about 50ish miles, and 6000 ft +. This is a mix of enduro/dh, xc, and a little gravel mixed in. I also hit the gym about 3x a week. In pretty good shape and fairly strong for my age. Rides usually end with a big meal (bar food) and occasionally a few IPAs. With all the riding I did, it was easy to burn off the calories and then some.

I picked up an emtb this past november. I still get out about 4x a week, but most of my rides are on the emtb. The bad part is, Im still eating/drinking the same post ride. In 3 months, Ive gained 10 lbs!

Yes, the emtb does provide a decent workout, but no where near an analog, especially on the tough climbs which my local trails are full of. I’m talking climbs where your lungs are exploding and you curse the day you ever stepped foot on a bike. I miss the feeling of coming back from a ride completely drained. I love the hell out of the ebike, as nothing comes close in producing the smiles per hour (sph) for me. However, I think Im going to have to suck it up (literally) and take out the old pedal bikes a couple times per week.

How many of you have gained a sizable amount of weight? How much? Are you adding the analog back in the mix? Do you not care? Is a hotdog a sandwich?

This is most likely going to bring the "Haters" out of the woodwork, but I rode traditional MTB's since the inception of the sport. After hitting the age of 60 (I am now 69) I noticed that my riding was reduced because of leg fatigue and I was no longer able to hit the steep hills without increasing the rest stops. I converted a full suspension 26" MTB to electric using the Bafang BBSHD in 2021, and started to ride bi-weekly again. In Feb. 2022 I acquired a Luna X2, not the "Ludi" and it remains my go-to bike, but the throttle is un-used, and power assist is kept at the lower levels. My stamina has increased, my weight is under control (5' 7"-167lbs) and severe leg cramps after 10+ mile trail rides has disappeared. Ebikes are a awesome game changer for the aged, but like anything can be abused by those wishing to just GO FAST anywhere they choose to ride. Thinking that someone can continue to consume the High level of poor choice carb calories, and not gain weight is amusing but also indicative of a unrealistic imagination. In my 50's it was normal to bike 10-15 miles, pound down a pizza and a couple pitchers of Dark beer after a ride. But math is math, calories in versus calories burned is an equation that everyone must confront. Please let us know how this turns out for you, but realistically, you know the answer

 

[gaba]

This is most likely going to bring the "Haters" out of the woodwork, but I rode traditional MTB's since the inception of the sport. After hitting the age of 60 (I am now 69) I noticed that my riding was reduced because of leg fatigue and I was no longer able to hit the steep hills without increasing the rest stops. I converted a full suspension 26" MTB to electric using the Bafang BBSHD in 2021, and started to ride bi-weekly again. In Feb. 2022 I acquired a Luna X2, not the "Ludi" and it remains my go-to bike, but the throttle is un-used, and power assist is kept at the lower levels. My stamina has increased, my weight is under control (5' 7"-167lbs) and severe leg cramps after 10+ mile trail rides has disappeared. Ebikes are an awesome game changer for the aged, but like anything can be abused by those wishing to just GO FAST anywhere they choose to ride. Thinking that someone can continue to consume the High level of poor choice carb calories, and not gain weight is amusing but also indicative of an unrealistic imagination. In my 50's it was normal to bike 10-15 miles, pound down a pizza and a couple pitchers of Dark beer after a ride. But math is math, calories in versus calories burned is an equation that everyone must confront. Please let us know how this turns out for you, but realistically, you know the answer

Diet is probably 70-80%. Almost every study to date also supports the need to add some level of resistance training to maintain muscle mass as we age to avoid the loss in basal metabolic caloric expenditure that leads to weight gain or change in body composition as we age.

 

[Zimmerframe]

pound down a pizza and a couple pitchers of Dark beer after a ride

Please let us know how this turns out for you

I'm not sure if this question is just for the OP, or anyone commenting ?

If it's anyone then I can confirm my mind is very open to suggestion as I've just got back from a ride, opened a beer and now would also like a pizza.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Those calories burned are a fairly inaccurate measure. Regardless 1200vertical feet in 15miles with an average HR in the 140s is hardly what I would consider strenuous. If that’s what you were achieving on your regular bike, of course you can match it on your ebike.

That’s in eco mode on a low power ebike.

 

[Zimmerframe]

That’s in eco mode on a low power ebike. View attachment 107826

Like at @Moderator said .. Lazy ..

Personally, I detest anyone who has an e-bike and uses the motor. Charge your battery to 80%, leave the bike turned off forever, be ecological and stop wasting electricity to do what you can do on the same bike (ok, so you have to push and carry sometimes) with it turned off. Super Eco mode ! T-shirts available at w w w . Zimsh1t.com

Where the feck can I get a pizza on a Sunday in Rural France ..

 

[Twindaddy]

I think calories burned is a very good metric to gauge performance. This is a typical ride for me. I’m on a low powered ebike. So, I have to work hard to get that.
View attachment 107822

Dude you talking all that smack to me and show a 1 hr ride on an ebike. News flash, those calories burned are for a regular analog bike. Thats on the iwatch app. You probably burned half that on an ebike even if you were on eco.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Dude you talking all that smack to me and show a 1 hr ride on an ebike. News flash, those calories burned are for a regular analog bike. Thats on the iwatch app. You probably burned half that on an ebike even if you were on eco.

Umm no they’re not. The Apple Watch Ultra takes into account when you’re on an ebike. I get about the same results when I ride my analog bike. That’s why it said in my earlier post that I get the same work out when I ride an analog bike or an e bike. I put in the same amount of effort. I just go faster on an ebike and have more fun. But. I’m also very active. I’m an ex pro MXer and I do a lot of weight training. Regardless of what I do, I’ll probably never gain more that 10 extra pounds of fat. And, I can drop that quickly.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Like at @Moderator said .. Lazy ..

Personally, I detest anyone who has an e-bike and uses the motor. Charge your battery to 80%, leave the bike turned off forever, be ecological and stop wasting electricity to do what you can do on the same bike (ok, so you have to push and carry sometimes) with it turned off. Super Eco mode ! T-shirts available at w w w . Zimsh1t.com

Where the feck can I get a pizza on a Sunday in Rural France ..

What makes you think, I care what you think?

 

[Wilbur]

Bingo, you nailed it for me. Its easy to underestimate how much the motor is helping. Obviously I knew I wasnt burning the calories at nearly the same rate but was surprised how much of a difference there is. A 3 hr ride on the ebike feels like a decent workout.

As for the bar food and IPAs, yes, bad habit. But those are usually long weekend rides with buddies. Weekdays dont allow for that due to limited time.

Yep, your experience correlates with mine and pretty much my riding buddies that have given up on mtbs - we are all less fit and more out of shape. The ones that are still mixing it up are doing fine... I'm going to have to get back on a mtb soon.

 

[gaba]

That’s in eco mode on a low power ebike. View attachment 107826

That’s in eco mode on a low power ebike. View attachment 107826

And?

This is one problem with Internet forums and the internet in general. One need to attach some level of value to the person posting information. Unfortunately it can be difficult to gauge what level of knowledge someone has, especially when they post with such confidence. Classic Dunning-Kruger effect.

 

[Zimmerframe]

What makes you think, I care what you think?

Because .....

Of LOVE !

--------------

OK, so having thrown you a bone to spin some of your earlier opinionated/I'm perfect though rather uptight about the universe at the moment comments into something amusing ..

You seem to have just jumped on the mighty ship "no sense of humour" and set sail into a storm again.

 

[DogRanger]

Dunning-Kruger effect

You're wrong! Of course, I have no idea what Dunning-Kruger means and I'm too lazy to look it up.

 

[The Hodge]

How many of you have gained a sizable amount of weight? How much? Are you adding the analog back in the mix? Do you not care? Is a hotdog a sandwich?

Can't speak for anyone else ...
A few pounds ..
I havent ridden my mtb in 2.5 years
Don't really give a shit ..
Only if you put it in a finger bun ..

 

[Twindaddy]

You're wrong! Of course, I have no idea what Dunning-Kruger means and I'm too lazy to look it up.

I looked it up because….I tell my kids to learn something new everyday and have to practice what I preach. The dunning kruger effect is when a persons lack of knowledge of skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own competence. Sounds like this is prevalent on many forums, or just life in general.

 

[Twindaddy]

Can't speak for anyone else ...
A few pounds ..
I havent ridden my mtb in 2.5 years
Don't really give a shit ..
Only if you put it in a finger bun ..

The perfect response does exist….

 

[Dax]

Where the feck can I get a pizza on a Sunday in Rural France ..

Obviously at a pizza vending machine

 

[LeftItLancs]

This thread is amusing.

I can't physically ride an analogue bike for long because I am obese and unfit, in part due to a long term condition that left me with serious mobility issues and in part due to not reducing my calorific intake during it.

I ride an ebike because it not only supports that excess weight, and takes the strain off my legs, but also compensates for a lack of fitness, and I am losing weight and also regaining fitness. But, only because I am currently burning more calories than I am consuming because I have altered my diet.

So, as someone who is overweight, I can vouch for losing weight on an ebike, but only if I don't let the ebike do all the work, all the time, and if I don't go home after a ride and immediately wolf down a Mighty Meaty pizza.

This ludicrous chest bumping between grown men over which is the best, analogue or assisted, who is fitter, who rides the most miles, etc.

Enjoy what you prefer and remember to try and burn more calories than you consume, it really isn't rocket science, is it.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

He’s being polite. Left out the fu*kin part.


Personally, I find that a regime of e-bike and cocaine make for an excellent weight loss plan.

Think about this, you spent about $6k on the e-bike. If you spent that on cocaine you’d easily lose all that fat y’all are making that e-bike motor compensate for.

Hookers are way more fun!

 

[Streddaz]

I've lost weight since owning an Ebike.
For starters I've been riding the 25km each way to work a couple of times a week and it does give me motivation to ride more often. I do try to ride with the least amount of assistance possible, so it's not Turbo everywhere, which helps.
I do ride for mainly for fun and the fitness gain is a bonus, but a physical challenge is still rewarding.
If you were regularly riding a normal bike and gave it up for and Ebike to ride the exact same amount of riding as you were previously, yes, I can see you putting on weight. It would be no different than giving up running 10km and then only riding 10km, of course you aren't going to get the same amount of exercise.
Buying and Ebike (or any bike) isn't going to stop you being lazy, but owning an Ebike won't necessarily make you lazy, that's up to the individual.

 

[RichT]

it’s the after-ride pints. I’m not gaining, but I’m not losing either.

 

[Moderator]

A new member, you can only assume they've joined for this thread ..