Neti Neti (eBike), part I
As a 20-something, I eagerly consumed all things Yoga. At that time, my tastes were distinctly biased toward Modern Postural Yoga, though I did have a budding interest in yoga philosophy. In my nascent studies of Yoga philosophy, one the first practices I learned was that of Neti Neti, or not this, not that. In not this, not that contemplation, practitioners realize their essence, or Atman, by exploring everything that it is not; I am not my role in this life, nor my possessions, nor even my body. I am not this, not that. While I am not my possessions, I have come to view riding an eBike as a practice of Neti Neti.
Last Summer a friend lent me his Trek eBike while he rehabbed from surgery. At first I was pretty lukewarm about the offer, and I had a lot of good reasons why I didn’t need that eBike in my quiver. The Trek Super Commuter didn’t fit me very well, I already had a bike that I liked a lot, and besides, eBikes were for old people. Sadly, the latter judgment figured prominently in my snap judgment on eBikes.
Despite my misgivings, I accepted my friend’s generous offer. At first the red eBike sat unused, though I started taking it out on evening rides, since its built-in lighting system was very powerful. Those evening rides turned into Gilligan’s Island sorts of forays (do you remember the Gilligan's Island theme song? A 3-hour tour…) Despite my plans to go out for 20-30 minute rides, I’d spend hours on that bike exploring the hills surrounding my home in the Driftless Region. For the duration of those rides, I could not wipe the smile off my face. My begrudging acceptance quickly morphed into an eager embracing.
Despite embracing the joy of riding this eBike, I still had inner voices populating my mind with all sorts of judgments. I had a non-trivial attachment to my identity as a fit and strong person, and the eBike posed an existential threat to that identity. Like the Transitive Law in mathematics (if A=B and B=C, then A=C), if I loved riding this eBike and eBikes were for old people, then what?
I identified two problems in these analyses. One, I am no longer 25 years old. No bike or anything else external will change the essential fact that I’m participating in the birth, old age, sickness and death adventure. While I have an intellectual understanding of this fact, it’s clear I have layers of acceptance and non-judging to engage with (work in progress). The other task was to reframe what an eBike is and is not, which is how I was reminded of Neti Neti in the first place.
On those initial rides around the countryside, I was reminded of the joy I derived from riding motorcycles. I rode motorcycles for decades, and while I ultimately gave them up when I returned to school (a longer story for another day), there were aspects of motorcycling that I loved and missed. The eBike scratched that itch.
The eBike also provided a great workout. Since the motor assist was adjustable, I’d pedal pretty much unassisted on the flats, and then dial in the assist for the uphills. This allowed me to keep my heart rate in the Zone 2 sweet spot for hours on end. The motor’s assistance allowed me to bike for longer durations, and this translated into more hours of cardio per week than pre-eBike.
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| I recently picked up a custom eBike I ordered last year. It fits really well, and I'm tempted to ride it all the time! |
These two observations coexisted for awhile – is the eBike a motorcycle or a workout-bike? Late last Summer, it dawned on me that the eBike is not anything I’ve done before. It’s not a workout-bike nor is it a stand-in for a motorcycle. The eBike is a new activity that I hadn’t done before. And taken as its own thing and unique experience, I found myself embracing this activity with less reservation and greater enthusiasm.
The eBike is not this and not that. I've come to view the eBike as its own unique activity that encompasses aspects of biking with aspects of motorized transportation. eBikes generally facilitate higher levels of physical activity (some great studies bear this out) and also hold promise as a low-emissions personal transportation solution. Have you had a chance to ride one?
If yes, I'd love to hear about your experience with an eBike in the comments.
Comments
My eBike experience:
I am 77 years old and have been cycling as an adult since I was thirty. Six years ago I was hit by a car while on my bike. While in rehab, I crossed paths with Rob English, a local bike racer (TT champion of Oregon) and bike builder. He agreed to build an eAssist bike for me but it would be almost two years before I would receive it. I ordered the bike because I wanted something that would allow me to ride into my 80's. What a shock when I took possession of the bike. Instead of a platform for old age, it was the fountain of youth. I instantly felt ten to fifteen younger while on the bike. Big climbs that I sought out when I was younger but avoided now were available to me. It is pure joy. Many times I mourn the loss of my younger self when I kayaked rivers, bike toured or did outback XC ski adventures. What the eAssist does for me is to let me be my younger self again even if it is only while on the bike. I ride it 3000+ miles a year each year since taking possession. On the flats I find that I put in the same energy as I did without assist. I put the same force on the pedals and go at the same cadence. In other words I am putting the same energy into the pedals but I am going 20% faster and 20% farther and I can ride more often. On hills is another story, I appreciate boost I get from the motor.
I appreciated your comments on eAssist. Assisted bikes outsell standard bikes in the Netherlands, Leonard Zinn, the bike maintenance guru, because of health issues rides one, Richey the bike designer rides one. I have seen unfit people riding on hills that they could not do without a motor and there is an ear to ear grin on their faces.
-Dale