Experiencing Doubts: Should I have bought a smaller bike?

[whatever]

Hi All,

I spent quite a while researching and just bought my first e-bike a few days ago. My feelings on it so far are complex (I'm pretty scared I made an expensive mistake), and I could use a little help unpacking from people who have a similar perspective.

Long story short: I bought a Velotric Discover 1 and am wondering if I shouldn't have bought a Velotric T1 ST or comparable. The Discover 1 has a 500W rear cadence sensor thingy (sorry I'm still not up on the lingo) and the T1 ST has a 350W torque thingy.

This is the weirdest sentence to type, but I have to say that after making it really really easily up the hill in Griffith Park, I am wondering if my bike is to "E" for me to enjoy.

Some background: grew up riding bikes as I'm sure a lot of us did. Rode a lot in my 20s. Stopped riding when moved to LA because I just don't enjoy dense urban riding. Wanted to try an e-bike to get back into it, knew from previous brief re-intros to biking that without assist, I would be hating the hills too much to truly get back into it. I like getting in shape, but I have to trick my brain into thinking it's fun... I'm not one of those people who prefers to grit it out, though I wish I were.

So I'm conflicted. I don't yet know my options for trade in from the store I bought from (a licensed dealer for Velotric in the area)... there is a really high chance that I'm basically out of luck. But if I were, I wanted some feedback before starting the process of trying... it would be hilarious to have double the buyers regret.

The reasons I think a T1 ST (350W motor, torque sensor) would be better for me is because:
• it is lighter, and I can haul it in and out of my house much easier, which is already proving burdensome on the hill I live on
• the cadence sensor on the Discover 1 just isn't natural for me. The cheating feeling isn't very enjoyable, which I find to be very weird. It just feels like cruise control more than pedal assist
• The heavy feel and power is more like a scooter than a bike for me

That said, I am really bad at spending money and may just be in the throes of that. Will I get used to and love the Discover 1?

My *only* use case is exactly what I did this morning: get up and grab water and coffee and ride into the park. I don't plan on using it for groceries, I won't be commuting to work. I will say that I wouldn't mind being able to take off the front tire and put it in my back seat to potentially use it in other places. I was able to get the Discover 1 into my car this way for the ride home post buying, but it was not a process I would readily want to do.

Side note: I'm in my 40s and fairly fit. I walk a lot lot.

Anybody else experienced these feelings that their new bike is too much like a scooter? Doing my homework, the ability to do exactly what it did, crush a pretty good hill, was the most important thing. But now I'm not so sure.

PS - Yes I know I am dumb and should have done more homework, or rented, or whatever. I accept that.

 

[biknut]

Whenever you start feeling guilty about using motor power, try turning it off, and pedal until the guilt disappears. I don't think it'll take that long. You can always adjust the controller max output of your 500w bike down, but you can't adjust the 350w bike higher.

 

[hugh]

Give it a chance, go for several rides, take the time to get used to it

 

[whatever]

Whenever you start feeling guilty about using motor power, try turning it off, and pedal until the guilt disappears. I don't think it'll take that long. You can always adjust the controller max output of your 500w bike down, but you can't adjust the 350w bike higher.

great thought, I appreciate that. future-proofing is always a good approach!

 

[whatever]

Give it a chance, go for several rides, take the time to get used to it

yup. this is absolutely great advice. no matter what I'll report back here on my experiences.

 

[HumanPerson]

yup. this is absolutely great advice. no matter what I'll report back here on my experiences.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Hoggdoc]

great thought, I appreciate that. future-proofing is always a good approach!

Seriously like was suggested once you get the bike up to speed set the pedal assist to zero he just pedal the bike using your gears as you see fit. The beauty of having the motor is it's simple to just click it into one of the pedal assist levels or push the throttle when you want a little help With my bike, I use the throttle and a pedal assist level to moderate my speed and I use the gears to moderate my cadence.

 

[CrossRoads]

And remember that your "too big" bike is using a motor with about 1/ 400th the horsepower and probably 1 / 200th the battery size of a Tesla model S.

So you can purchase 200 more of those bikes before you'd be consuming the same quantity of mined lithium, cobalt, manganese, iron, neodymium, petroleum etc., as an electric car, at which point you can start feeling guilty about being a gluttonous American consuming more than your fair slice of the global resource pie.

 

[addertooth]

It just seems like the classical "buyer's remorse". Give it a couple weeks, simply USE the bike. And consider widening your "scope of use". You will likely discover it can enable you to do more things than you would have in the past.

I added saddlebags to mine, and that broadened the "scope of use" for me. My wife added a basket to hers, and it is the same story. We used them to do some "grocery getting" from time to time. We use those grocery trips to get a cup of coffee and we do other things as well.

 

[neutron]

I didn't have that problem. I was in love with mine from the first ride. Maybe it was because I test rode a couple of other ebikes before I got mine and the one I bought was so much better that the test ride bikes. As others have suggested, lower or turn off the pedal assist and you will soon be turning it back on. Ebikes are designed to be used with a motor assist. They suck without it.

 

[biknut]

This is why everyone needs at least 3 bikes.

 

[Smaug]

Hi All,

I spent quite a while researching and just bought my first e-bike a few days ago. My feelings on it so far are complex (I'm pretty scared I made an expensive mistake), and I could use a little help unpacking from people who have a similar perspective.

Long story short: I bought a Velotric Discover 1 and am wondering if I shouldn't have bought a Velotric T1 ST or comparable. The Discover 1 has a 500W rear cadence sensor thingy (sorry I'm still not up on the lingo) and the T1 ST has a 350W torque thingy.

This is the weirdest sentence to type, but I have to say that after making it really really easily up the hill in Griffith Park, I am wondering if my bike is to "E" for me to enjoy.

Some background: grew up riding bikes as I'm sure a lot of us did. Rode a lot in my 20s. Stopped riding when moved to LA because I just don't enjoy dense urban riding. Wanted to try an e-bike to get back into it, knew from previous brief re-intros to biking that without assist, I would be hating the hills too much to truly get back into it. I like getting in shape, but I have to trick my brain into thinking it's fun... I'm not one of those people who prefers to grit it out, though I wish I were.

So I'm conflicted. I don't yet know my options for trade in from the store I bought from (a licensed dealer for Velotric in the area)... there is a really high chance that I'm basically out of luck. But if I were, I wanted some feedback before starting the process of trying... it would be hilarious to have double the buyers regret.

The reasons I think a T1 ST (350W motor, torque sensor) would be better for me is because:
• it is lighter, and I can haul it in and out of my house much easier, which is already proving burdensome on the hill I live on
• the cadence sensor on the Discover 1 just isn't natural for me. The cheating feeling isn't very enjoyable, which I find to be very weird. It just feels like cruise control more than pedal assist
• The heavy feel and power is more like a scooter than a bike for me

That said, I am really bad at spending money and may just be in the throes of that. Will I get used to and love the Discover 1?

My *only* use case is exactly what I did this morning: get up and grab water and coffee and ride into the park. I don't plan on using it for groceries, I won't be commuting to work. I will say that I wouldn't mind being able to take off the front tire and put it in my back seat to potentially use it in other places. I was able to get the Discover 1 into my car this way for the ride home post buying, but it was not a process I would readily want to do.

Side note: I'm in my 40s and fairly fit. I walk a lot lot.

Anybody else experienced these feelings that their new bike is too much like a scooter? Doing my homework, the ability to do exactly what it did, crush a pretty good hill, was the most important thing. But now I'm not so sure.

PS - Yes I know I am dumb and should have done more homework, or rented, or whatever. I accept that.

You're over-thinking it. You can get as much or as little workout as you want on that bike, even with its cadence sensor. You just have to learn how to use it. For example, if you're going up a hill that you would normally climb unpowered at 8 mph, set the PAS to a speed that is just under that and work to your heart's content. As you start to peter out, the motor will make up the difference.

I also think you're being quite narrow-minded when you say: "My *only* use case is exactly what I did this morning: get up and grab water and coffee and ride into the park. I don't plan on using it for groceries, I won't be commuting to work." Why the hell wouldn't you commute and do grocery shopping with it? Especially as an eBiker, you have to get out of this typical American mentality that bikes are only for sport and deliberate exercise.

That same power that makes it as easy as you want to climb a hill also means that riding with 50 lbs. of groceries is no big deal. Or that you can get to work dry. Get yourself a good rack and set of panniers and expand your horizons.

The shop will almost certainly not take the bike back, as now it is used. If they do, they'll give you a "generous trade-in amount", which will still have you getting spanked.

Just ride it, learn about it, enjoy it and see how it goes. If you want something different later, buy another one, maybe either a lightweight model or a folder. (but you will come to miss the power at some point)

 

[FrankR]

Enjoy your bike. Eventually, you will come upon situations where you are glad you have a little more motor.

And don't view the PAS settings as set it and forget it. Change it as you ride. If it's too easy, shut it off or dial it down.

Based on your description, I think you bought a good matching bike. IMHO, the ebike world starts at 500w. 250w and 350w bikes are too limited - at least for this gravitationally challenged guy.

 

[munirider]

What everyone else said, and also it depends on where in LA you live but there are some big hills in southern California that your 500W hub motor will struggle with. The longer you have it and roaming farther from home you will come to appreciate having all the power you do have and will probably want more. 500 watts is not a big hub motor.

 

[n0kin0bu]

Hi All,

I spent quite a while researching and just bought my first e-bike a few days ago. My feelings on it so far are complex (I'm pretty scared I made an expensive mistake), and I could use a little help unpacking from people who have a similar perspective.

Long story short: I bought a Velotric Discover 1 and am wondering if I shouldn't have bought a Velotric T1 ST or comparable. The Discover 1 has a 500W rear cadence sensor thingy (sorry I'm still not up on the lingo) and the T1 ST has a 350W torque thingy.

This is the weirdest sentence to type, but I have to say that after making it really really easily up the hill in Griffith Park, I am wondering if my bike is to "E" for me to enjoy.

Some background: grew up riding bikes as I'm sure a lot of us did. Rode a lot in my 20s. Stopped riding when moved to LA because I just don't enjoy dense urban riding. Wanted to try an e-bike to get back into it, knew from previous brief re-intros to biking that without assist, I would be hating the hills too much to truly get back into it. I like getting in shape, but I have to trick my brain into thinking it's fun... I'm not one of those people who prefers to grit it out, though I wish I were.

So I'm conflicted. I don't yet know my options for trade in from the store I bought from (a licensed dealer for Velotric in the area)... there is a really high chance that I'm basically out of luck. But if I were, I wanted some feedback before starting the process of trying... it would be hilarious to have double the buyers regret.

The reasons I think a T1 ST (350W motor, torque sensor) would be better for me is because:
• it is lighter, and I can haul it in and out of my house much easier, which is already proving burdensome on the hill I live on
• the cadence sensor on the Discover 1 just isn't natural for me. The cheating feeling isn't very enjoyable, which I find to be very weird. It just feels like cruise control more than pedal assist
• The heavy feel and power is more like a scooter than a bike for me

That said, I am really bad at spending money and may just be in the throes of that. Will I get used to and love the Discover 1?

My *only* use case is exactly what I did this morning: get up and grab water and coffee and ride into the park. I don't plan on using it for groceries, I won't be commuting to work. I will say that I wouldn't mind being able to take off the front tire and put it in my back seat to potentially use it in other places. I was able to get the Discover 1 into my car this way for the ride home post buying, but it was not a process I would readily want to do.

Side note: I'm in my 40s and fairly fit. I walk a lot lot.

Anybody else experienced these feelings that their new bike is too much like a scooter? Doing my homework, the ability to do exactly what it did, crush a pretty good hill, was the most important thing. But now I'm not so sure.

PS - Yes I know I am dumb and should have done more homework, or rented, or whatever. I accept that.

My first ebike was a 1500watt 'Aostirmotor. I tell everyone that I had to run along the side of it and jump on like riding a cow. I bought it sight unseen. bad idea. But the upside is that they are easy to resell. bought a Fucare Scorpion. couldn't be happier!

 

[Smaug]

What everyone else said, and also it depends on where in LA you live but there are some big hills in southern California that your 500W hub motor will struggle with. The longer you have it and roaming farther from home you will come to appreciate having all the power you do have and will probably want more. 500 watts is not a big hub motor.

If he sticks to his one narrow use case, he bought way too much bike.

If he opens his mind a bit, he'll come to appreciate what he has.

While it's true that 500 W is not a large hub motor, it is quite a lot of extra power compared to a normal person's legs.

A strong pro cyclist can generate around 500 W for only a few minutes at a time. This is a guy who trains every day and pays his bills by being fast. I'm a club cyclist averaging 14-15 mph for dozens of miles at a time and my average power is closer to 100 W, with a peak of 200 W. With that in mind, 500 W is a lot of extra power.

I don't have to tell you this, but for the OP, the thing to consider is that on a bicycle, it is not just power that counts, but power:weight. The cyclist who is pulling 30 pounds less weight doesn't have to make as much power to generate the same speed as the heavier guy. That's why it's tricky to figure out.

 

[Annieolnie]

Hi All,

I spent quite a while researching and just bought my first e-bike a few days ago. My feelings on it so far are complex (I'm pretty scared I made an expensive mistake), and I could use a little help unpacking from people who have a similar perspective.

Long story short: I bought a Velotric Discover 1 and am wondering if I shouldn't have bought a Velotric T1 ST or comparable. The Discover 1 has a 500W rear cadence sensor thingy (sorry I'm still not up on the lingo) and the T1 ST has a 350W torque thingy.

This is the weirdest sentence to type, but I have to say that after making it really really easily up the hill in Griffith Park, I am wondering if my bike is to "E" for me to enjoy.

Some background: grew up riding bikes as I'm sure a lot of us did. Rode a lot in my 20s. Stopped riding when moved to LA because I just don't enjoy dense urban riding. Wanted to try an e-bike to get back into it, knew from previous brief re-intros to biking that without assist, I would be hating the hills too much to truly get back into it. I like getting in shape, but I have to trick my brain into thinking it's fun... I'm not one of those people who prefers to grit it out, though I wish I were.

So I'm conflicted. I don't yet know my options for trade in from the store I bought from (a licensed dealer for Velotric in the area)... there is a really high chance that I'm basically out of luck. But if I were, I wanted some feedback before starting the process of trying... it would be hilarious to have double the buyers regret.

The reasons I think a T1 ST (350W motor, torque sensor) would be better for me is because:
• it is lighter, and I can haul it in and out of my house much easier, which is already proving burdensome on the hill I live on
• the cadence sensor on the Discover 1 just isn't natural for me. The cheating feeling isn't very enjoyable, which I find to be very weird. It just feels like cruise control more than pedal assist
• The heavy feel and power is more like a scooter than a bike for me

That said, I am really bad at spending money and may just be in the throes of that. Will I get used to and love the Discover 1?

My *only* use case is exactly what I did this morning: get up and grab water and coffee and ride into the park. I don't plan on using it for groceries, I won't be commuting to work. I will say that I wouldn't mind being able to take off the front tire and put it in my back seat to potentially use it in other places. I was able to get the Discover 1 into my car this way for the ride home post buying, but it was not a process I would readily want to do.

Side note: I'm in my 40s and fairly fit. I walk a lot lot.

Anybody else experienced these feelings that their new bike is too much like a scooter? Doing my homework, the ability to do exactly what it did, crush a pretty good hill, was the most important thing. But now I'm not so sure.

PS - Yes I know I am dumb and should have done more homework, or rented, or whatever. I accept that.

Hi, my feeling is that you should go and see your dealer. It is very early in the season and they would not have any trouble moving your bike at a slight discount. You seem like someone who would be more comfortable with a torque sensor as it is much more like riding an analog style bike. It is still not too late to test ride or rent some other bikes to find one that makes you happy. One of the major attributes of ebiking is it should make you happy. Go talk to them.

 

[studebakergringo]

E bikes are like cabin cruises or a truck They are very heavy
I miss my 10 speed and my Motorcycle ! They do make special e bikes but they are very expensive ! If you bought a heavy clunker , that's what you are stuck with. You can modify it and upgrade parts on it to make it better .

 

[neutron]

I hope we hear back from the OP. Now that he's had a few weeks to get to know his bike, I'm wondering if he has changed his mind about his purchase.