If you’ve ever thought about leading a ride for CRW, now is your chance. On Saturday, April 11, 2020, we’ve got two great events scheduled. The first is Ride Leader Training. This is for anyone who has ever considered leading a ride, led a few and wants to learn more, or never went through training. We’ll cover topics such as:

• What makes a good ride
• How to plan a ride and the details you need to consider
• What to do on the day of the ride
• How to give a good ride description and safety talk
• How to deal with common issues

Even better, come to Training with a ride in mind and we’ll help you work out the details and team you up with an experienced ride leader to make it happen.

Following Ride Leader Training is our annual Ride Leader Kickoff. This is a great chance to catch up with your ride leader friends or meet some new ones, learn about the programs planned for the upcoming season, make sure you get your choice dates on the rides calendar, find out what’s better than getting a neck gaiter and more!

Ride Leader Gift. Have you seen those cool CRW neck gaiters? Those were given to any leader who led or co-led a ride in 2019. We’ve got something even better planned for 2020, and it’ll be another ride-leader exclusive.

These events are open to any CRW member.

Here are the details:

Saturday, April 11, 2020
Lexington Depot
13 Depot Square
Lexington, MA

Parking. There is ample on-street parking (metered), fee parking in the adjacent lot and free on-street parking if you’re willing to walk a block or two.

Sign in for Ride Leader Training and coffee    8:30 – 9:00
Ride Leader Training                                  9:00 – 12:00
Sign in for Ride Leader Kickoff and lunch       12:00 – 1:00
Ride Leader Kickoff                                    1:00 – 2:30

The link to the registration form is https://form.jotform.com/CRWheelers/2020-ride-leader-training-and-kicko
 

Sometimes a device based on space-age technology fails due to an old-fashioned engineering issue. Or to put it another way, you still need good engineering no matter how advanced the technology. This brings us to the mount you need for your smartphone when it’s used to provide navigation as you bike along, and don't have to worry about getting lost.

There are literally hundreds of mounts to choose from, and you may decide depending on budget, convenience, and yes even fashion. We can’t list every model, but will feature two, a basic model and a more sophisticated one, so you can hopefully meet your needs without extensive research or shopping. You could chat with other riders who have a phone mount and learn about that device's pros and cons. You also need to think about handlebar real estate and make sure there's room; you may need to move things around.

                                                 Basic Model

There are many basic models available, we present one that caught our attention. The Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount is available on Amazon for $16.98 as of this writing. It’s a universal fit for all phones and reviewed as sturdy. The mount attaches to the handlebar  with a simple bar clamp, and the phone is held in place with rubber grips that stretch over it. This is an inexpensive, basic model that works. We caution that the rubber grippers have to be firmly in place or your phone could go flying when you hit a bump. You should check the specs if you have an especially large phone.

                                                                          Advanced  Model

The Quad Lock is a more advanced mounting system. The base is secured permanently to your bike, your phone is enclosed in a case, and the case snaps onto the base. The complete system is about $70 either on Amazon or from the company. We recommend the base which moves the phone forward for better visibility. Members who use this product consider it a worthwhile investment. Installation is easy and the phone stays put even on rough roads. Note that the phone case adds thickness and weight but offers an added measure of protection. Also, the case is specific to the phone and will have to be replaced if you get a new phone of a different size. 

Some members recommended solutions that worked for them like a mount that also provides  storage.

Inertia Designs Tri Phone Bag The phone is protected by clear vinyl and sits on top of a storage bag. It’s about $24 and available from Walmart and bike shops.

You may wish to review our prior article on battery backup, as the information there is related. Our plan is to update the website with information on mounts and other accessories associated with using a cell phone for navigation. editor [at] crw.org (Let us know) if you found a solution that works well for you. 

It Wasn't the Altitude: Last June a group of us rented an Airbnb in Breckenridge, Colorado to acclimate for a few days before we rode the 2019 Ride the Rockies. This was my fifth consecutive year doing RtR and I felt relatively fit and motivated. The elevation at the house was about 9400 ft. The plan was to do a short ride to get used to the altitude. This was the route: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/35650718.

It was a sunny day and a great group of riders, and the scenery was stunningly beautiful. I was often riding in the front of the group with that playful enthusiasm that recalls the simple joy of being a child.

Then, at around mile 26, we started up the first real climb of the ride. Soon I was off the back and struggling, my heart rate was spiking, and I had to stop several times before I reached the summit of the climb. The grade wasn’t even that steep, but I could hardly breathe and had no energy.

I blamed it on the altitude since just the week before I had been climbing steeper and longer climbs in Vermont and New Hampshire in preparation for RTR.

But it was something more than the altitude. I was able to climb Monarch Pass on the second day of RtR but after that I needed to sag up all the serious climbs. I didn’t know what was happening to me.

Then Came the Flu: Then many of us started to get sick with a cold/flu bronchitis type disease. This caught up with me on the flight home.  Four days later I was in the ICU with a bad case of pneumonia.

The medical advice was simple but disturbing. I needed to moderate my biking and other types of effort like backcountry skiing, winter hiking etc. I had a combination of cardiac issues like Afib and restrictive lung disease that resulted from lung surgery that I had a few years back to deal with another even worse case of pneumonia.

But what does moderation mean when you are climbing a long hill? I really couldn’t go much slower, asI tried explaining to various doctors. So, I just kept riding. I thought all I had to do was get in better shape as usual. Then in late September I went on a weekday group ride and nearly passed out on a small climb. I was able to stop safely and return to my car, but it rattled me.

Time for a Change: Just about the same time all this was happening last summer, Specialized announced a new lightweight Road E-Bike called the Creo. I asked Belmont Wheelworks to let me know when it came in so I could test-ride it.

I wasn’t convinced I “needed” an e-bike. Over the years, I had developed a healthy disdain for people who rode those clunky monsters. Yes, they could go faster than me, but it wasn’t exactly fair and not the same thing as strictly human-powered cycling. My friends who weren’t really cyclists bought and rode them and it annoyed me when they bragged about passing people like me on climbs.

I tried some man-splaining about proper road biking etiquette, and reminded them that e-bikes were just completely different. Of course, at this point I had never ridden an e-bike, but I didn’t let my ignorance get in the way of my strong opinions.

Then in early October I did a 47-mile group ride and pushed myself a bit. Afterwards, I was really exhausted. During the ride I got a message from Wheelworks that the Creo was now available to test ride.

So, on my way home, I stopped at the bike shop with my friend Bob and we test rode the new Specialized Creo SL Evo. This was my first ride on an e-bike. My initial impression was that it seemed just like riding any of my regular bikes but a bit easier. I can be impulsive or maybe because I was tired from the day's ride or just ready for a change, I yanked out the credit card and bought the bike on the spot.

The next day, I was truly exhausted and was having difficulty climbing stairs. The following day I ended up in the hospital once again. The next three days were full of more tests. I think I just needed a rest, because I felt fine after the first day.

My First Ride on an EBike: I went home and put that new e-bike in my car and drove to our house in Vermont. Then, on the following day, I went for my very first long e-bike ride.

Here is the ride https://ridewithgps.com/trips/40998411.

I couldn’t believe how much fun it was to ride the new Creo. I was riding solo, so I flew up the hills just like I was 20 years younger. My average speed was like what I used to be able to do on this route. What’s more, I wasn’t totally exhausted at the end of the ride. In short, I loved it. My Fountain of Youth!

The bike rides like a high-end road bike and you can put out as much energy as you want. You just go faster. The only time you really “feel” the assistance is on the steeper hills and when you use the motor at the higher settings. The motor only works when you are pedaling, so there is no sense of being propelled forward. The harder you pedal, the faster you go. Also, your cadence affects speed and difficulty. So, shifting is just as critical as it is on a normal road bike. I think I expected that an e-bike meant the bike would do the “work” for me. That is not the reality.

The way it works on the two types of e-bikes that I have ridden is that you put out watts in the form of power to the pedals. The motor is set to provide a predetermined number of extra watts depending on what level of assist you choose. There are 3 levels. On my bike, the lowest level of power is 84 watts, Level 2 offers 140 watts and level 3 is 240 watts. I rarely use level 3 and only occasionally use level 2 (useful if you want to chat with the faster riders in the group). Mostly I leave it at Level 1. This amount of assistance, in addition to my remaining abilities, seems adequate for most of the rides I do, solo or in a group. All these settings are adjustable with an app.

My e-bike is a Specialized Creo Sl Evo which means it’s set up for gravel riding. I bought an extra set of wheels on which I mounted some 28 mm road tires that I can switch out with the 38 mm gravel tires the bike came with. Hence the bike is both a road machine and a gravel grinder. One bike does everything but single-track mountain bike trails.

Recently I was in Maui and I rented an Orbea Gain e-bike. This bike was a few pounds lighter than the 28 lbs. Creo but was a Class 1 e-bike which means the power assist ceases once you reach 20 mph. My Specialized is a Class 3 e-bike which offers motor amplification up to 28 mph. At first, I thought that difference wouldn’t matter but on the flat Hawaiian coastal roads it was easy to ride at 20 mph but not so easy once the motor cut out. As soon as I slowed to 19.9 mph it turned back on. Then off then on then off. Annoying was the word that came to mind. Also, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my faster friends on that bike since they ride at 20+ regularly. One of the best things about my new e-bike is that I’ve been able to spend some quality time chatting on group rides with my faster friends.

Of course, you can always go slower. Another myth that I had to unlearn was that e-bikes just naturally go up the hills faster and you don’t really have a choice. Not true, you can go as slowly as you want. The motor doesn’t propel you up the hill. It only amplifies your efforts. It’s entirely up to you how fast you go.

How it Feels; All recreational road cyclists are a bit obsessed with speed. The faster you go, the better you are as a cyclist and a person. It’s sort of a moral sorting out. Kind of like income inequality. Poor people must have made the wrong choices just like the slow people on bikes. Fast riders could show magnanimity or empathy or just ride away. Many bike riders don’t like riding with anyone who is too slow compared with them. At the same time no one likes getting “dropped”. At different times in my cycling life I’ve been off the front and off the back and there is always someone faster. Now with an e-bike I can basically ride with almost anyone. (I do know a pro rider who I can’t wait to see if I keep up with him, we’ll see). I think this is one of the main reasons so many cyclists don’t like the idea of e-bikes. It confuses the moral calculus of speed. Since faster means superior, how can one account for someone who is basically a bionic human? Human, but powered by a machine.

Which brings me to the touchy subject of group rides. Can e-bikes be integrated into rides that are primarily human powered? The answer is a qualified Yes. If the e-bike rider understands and respects the group dynamic, then there is no real problem. I have my short list of rules. Don’t pass everyone on the hills! Choose some riding companions and ride at their pace. No matter how slow it is.

Second, try not to be first. Third, just be kind and considerate and friendly to everyone. Who really cares what bike you are riding if you are a friend? Strangers might judge you, but your friends know who you are, and the quality and depth of friendships count for more than any technology.

I ride for the basic bliss that cycling offers and for the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts. It’s been difficult to accept the limitations my age and health have made on my lifestyle choices, but I’m truly grateful to have found this piece of technology which I hope will keep me on the road for years to come. I highly recommend to anyone who is aging or has any limitations due to health or whatever to get out, get on an e-bike. It will put a big, silly smile on your face that won’t fade with time.

Photo by Jack Donohue. Left to right; Frank Hubbard, Bernie and his electric bike, Gene Ho and Curt Dudley-Marling

Let’s ride,

Bernie Flynn is a past President of CRW.

As of 2020, new battery technology and electronics have led to practical e-bikes -- machines powered by both the rider and an electric motor. E-bikes are increasingly popular. People ride them for different reasons. Some cyclists are aging, or out of shape, and want to keep up with friends on group rides. Other cyclists are transporting children or bringing home shopping.  Some have a commute to work which is a bit too long or hilly for the time available, or want to arrive without having worked up a sweat. I’m sure that there are other reasons too.

And so, I am moved to ask: how does the addition of an electric motor affect control of a two-wheeler? What is the difference if power is applied at the front or rear wheel, or at the cranks?  

Safety concerns.

There are three main safety issues when e-assist is added to or designed into a bicycle:

• The bicycle can just go faster.  Greater speed increases the potential for crashes, and their seriousness. There has been a spike in fatalities to older people in the Netherlands riding e-bikes.
• Related to this, infrastructure designed for slow bicycling (or not even well for that) works poorly for people riding at 20 miles per hour or more. Yet people tend to think “it’s just a bicycle” and maintain the same poor riding habits. My hair stands on end with YouTube videos I’ve seen of people riding e-bikes at speed in the door zone of parked cars, etc.
• Different options for motor location and control raise special safety issues, and this article will describe them in more detail.

Rear, Mid and Front Drive

An e-bike may be powered directly through the front or rear wheel, or from the crankset (“mid drive”). A front or rear hub motor is an easier retrofit to an existing bicycle than a mid motor, because no moving parts other than the wheel need to be replaced or modified. The battery may be placed along a frame tube or on the bicycle’s rear rack. Only an electrical connection to the controls and battery is needed, the battery is even incorporated into some popular hub motors, with wireless control. But an integrated system, designed from the ground up, provides different and often better options.

Rear Hub-Motor Control

Differences in rear hub-motor control can be subtle under tame conditions, but sometimes, not so subtle.

I once rode an e-bike with a rear hub motor. Starting out in a low gear nearly reared the bicycle up like a horse. Evidently, the bicycle had a torque sensor which applied power from the motor in proportion to the torque at the rear wheel --  higher torque in a low gear signaled the motor to produce excessive power. With a rear hub motor and more than single-speed gearing, torque in proportion to pedal force requires more sophisticated control, with an additional speed sensor at the rear wheel, or a torque sensor at the cranks.

A rear-hub-motor e-bike can have derailleur gearing, can coast with the pedals stationary, and can be programmed to initiate regenerative braking (charging the battery) when the rider turns the pedals backwards, also allowing backpedaling to position the pedals for starting and stopping -- unlike with a coaster brake, which prevents the pedals from spinning backwards. Regenerative braking is, however, rather weak due to the slow rate at which batteries can charge: the bicycle should have front and rear handbrakes .

Mid-Motor Control

Torque with a mid motor and torque sensor is directly proportional to pedal force, and is also compatible with a conventional gearing system that requires reducing force on the pedals while shifting.  A mid motor will wear the chain and sprockets, though, and can pose complications with shifting unless the gearing is integrated into the motor assembly.  

Front-wheel Drive

The main advantage of a front hub motor is that it is an easy retrofit. It has to be throttle-controlled unless there is a separate sensor at the crank or rear wheel. The motor’s mass makes steering less responsive.  

A cyclist in the conventional riding position can stand and shift body mass forward and backward with each pedal stroke so almost all the weight is on the rear wheel during the high-power part of the stroke, increasing traction when the most power is being applied. This advantage is retained with a torque sensor and rear-wheel drive, but lost with a powered front wheel.

The driven wheel can skid when powered and the surface is slippery. A rear-wheel skid is usually recoverable, but If the front wheel skids, you can’t steer to balance and you fall.

No torque sensor?

Less versatile and responsive than torque sensing  is crank rotation sensing alone. This activates the motor if the pedals are turning, but he motor supplies the same amount of power all the way around the pedal stroke. The level of power production is steadier, and a motor can produce more power overall, but power production is not interrupted when the rider "soft pedals".  With a mid-motor then, all gear shifting is under power unless the rider stops pedaling -- impossible with derailleur gears. 

Some e-bike motors are controlled only by a throttle. Throttle control is most practical with a single-speed drivetrain or a hub motor, because reduction of power while shifting gears is not intuitive as with pedal control or unassisted pedaling. With a throttle, the fingers can't be kept in position over the brake lever to shorten reaction time, and so the throttle should be on the side with the rear brake lever, the one less useful for situations that require a quick stop. The usual twist-grip throttle is practical only with flat handlebars.

One “feature” of throttle control is that the bicycle can be powered without pedaling. The rider isn’t getting any exercise, which is obvious. Take it or leave it… But also, to another road user used to seeing bicycles that require pedaling, a throttle-controlled e-bike can appear to be slowing down – a confusing mixed message. Probably brake lights should be required in connection with throttle control. There is certainly enough energy stored in the battery to power them.

Summary

There are many ways to add electric assist to a bicycle. I hope to have clarified some of the differences, and issues with them. I have a good background in the science of this, though I’ll admit that my e-bike riding experience is limited. Please feel free to respond to this article with your comments.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, The West End Museum premiered a new exhibit, “Cycling Legends of the West End,” focusing on three key characters in bicycling history; two residents and a long-time physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. The invention of the bike, its popularization and innovations in the 1800’s to the craze of the 1890s and the renaissance of the 1970s are recounted through vintage bicycles, photographs, artifacts, and graphic panels. The show reception takes place on Saturday, February 29 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Concurrent programs— film screenings, author talks, roller racing, bike tours and the New England Builders Ball (NEBB)—complement the show, which runs through May 30, 2020. The exhibit and reception are free; concurrent programs require small admission for non-museum members.

“Bicycling legends, Kittie Knox and Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, were residents of the West End during the progressive era, and in their own way activists for women’s freedom.” said Duane Lucia, museum director and exhibit curator, “Dr. Paul Dudley White, long time cardiologist at MGH, led the charge for the fitness movement starting in the 1950’s, which in turn saw the reemergence of bicycling in the 1970s.”

Kittie Knox, a woman of color, was a seamstress and member of the League of American Wheelmen (LAW) who lived at the corner of Irving and Cambridge Streets in the 1890s West End. She confronted racism and gained national attention when she attended a LAW meet in Asbury Park, NJ, in a year when the LAW tried to restrict the membership of African Americans. Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, AKA Annie Londonderry, left her family and Spring Street home in the West End in 1894 and proceeded to ride a bicycle "around the world." 

With the popularity of the automobile in the first half of the twentieth century, the bicycle faded to the status of a toy; mostly marketed to children. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a heart attack on September 24, 1955, noted Mass General cardiologist Dr. Paul Dudley White was called on to treat him. White, an avid exerciser and bicyclist recommended that the President develop a regimen to increase his daily activity. Dr. White would become influential in getting Americans to focus on the benefits of exercise, diet and weight control; his advocacy for safe biking would lead to the designated bike path along the Charles River Basin.

Today, climate change and a desire for healthier and more active lifestyles has led many, including Bostonians, to embrace the bicycle once again as a way of reducing carbon emissions while providing transportation that many find healthier and more rewarding. While the show looks back in time, much of what happened in the early 20th century is happening again today. However, where the 1900s - 1920s saw the bike yielding to motor vehicles, today it’s bikes that are challenging the car’s dominance on urban and suburban roadways.

Antique bikes will be exhibited, including a boneshaker, a high-wheel, and a “safety” bicycle.”

The first concurrent program: “A History of African American Cycling in Boston,” was held Saturday, February 22, 2020 from 4-6 PM.Boston Globe Article 2-25-20

The West End Museum is located at 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7. Nearest subway stop is North Station (within 200 feet). Phone is 617-723-2125.

https://thewestendmuseum.org/

Museum Hours:

Tuesday – Friday (12 pm- 5:00 pm)
Saturday (11:00 am – 4:00 pm)

On a cold day in January, following a snowstorm the night before, CRW held a Fixing Flats Workshop. Ride Headquarters, in Sherborn hosted the event, and participants were asked to bring the front wheel from their bike to get the most out of the workshop. Larger Image