Definitions first. How do I define e-bike. An electric motor
assisted bicycle that can be pedalled easily without the assist
turned on and that requires pedalling for the motor assist to
function. Any so called “e-bike” that does not requiring
pedalling to move (except when coasting) is a variation on an
electric motorcycle or scooter.
We are
midway into our second season with our Norco Scene VLT e-bikes and
both my wife Christine, whose idea it was, and myself, who was
somewhat reluctant, are extremely happy with them.
What my
clickbaitish headline is actually meant to convey is the fact the
Norco Scene VLT is a great bike for someone like me who prefers to
ride under my own pedal power most of the time.
The
first thing I noticed when I first tried out Christine’s Norco
Scene VLT (she bought hers first) was that without the power assist
on it was no more difficult to pedal than our Brodie Sterling
hybrids. I have no doubt that with the extra weight there is probably
a measurable amount of more effort required, but certainly not a
noticeable amount to the rider. Part of that might be the fact that
these are not inexpensive machines so the gears and bearings are high
quality probably contributing to less rolling resistance and somewhat
making up for the extra weight of the motor and batteries.
So let
us talk about the hardware.
The
first thing you will probably notice is the lack of a top tube, not
even the slanted type found on so-called women’s bikes. I never
quite understood that. A top tube you cannot slip off your seat onto
would be one of my top design choices for a men’s bike. But this
bike is a fully step through bike meaning no worries about top tube
injuries and no needing to throw your leg over the bike when starting
out.
The
next thing you will notice is that this is a fully upright bike.
While racing bikes and mountain bikes have you bent over the top for
increased speed or control and hybrid bikes put you in a somewhat
less bent over position, this bike is designed for comfort and is
fully upright something you will appreciate on longer rides. The
upright stance however does not prevent one from leaning forward on
the hills for more power,
You may
also notice the dropper seat on the Norco Scene VLT. Originally
designed for mountain biking, so that you can lower your seat for
downhills or technical sections, on the Scene the purpose is to allow
you to have your feet firmly on the ground when stopped for stop
signs or red lights. My wife Christine loves hers but I have not
really been able to get into the flow of using it.
Something
I did not notice until I had to repair a flat tire (tube) is the
through axle on the bike. All previous bikes I have owned have had
the axle as part of the wheel. With that setup it is possible to
misalign the gears or disc brakes if you do not tighten the quick
release carefully, although this has only happened a few times for
me. With the through axle, the wheel sits in the frame independently
and the axle slides through both the wheel and the frame always
aligning the disc brakes and chain in the same position.
While
we are talking wheels, the Scene has 27.5 inch wheels, halfway
between the traditional mountain bike wheel size (26 inches) and the
normal racing bike wheel size (29 inches), although 27.5 inch wheels
are becoming the most popular mountain bike size now. The bike also
comes with hydraulic disc brakes. The approximately 2 inch tires are
suitable for a wide variety of riding surfaces.
Perhaps
the most significant difference, other than the motor, on the Norco
Scene VLT from most bicycles today is that it only has one gear range
rather than three and thus no front derailleur. While one might want
more gear choices for competitive racing or technical mountain
biking, the 9 gears on the Scene are more than adequate for the
utilitarian or recreational cycling one will use the bike for. This
provides the advantage of having the gear shifter on the right
handlebar and the power selector on the left handlebar without an
additional gear shifter on that side to cause confusion.
Of
course as an e-bike the Norco Scene VLT comes with an electric motor,
integrated into the bottom bracket, and a battery. The power assist
has three levels, eco, normal and high, four if you include off. It
also has a setting to power the bike slowly while walking it if
desired.
With
the electronics comes a bike computer. We have always had problems
with third party bike computers on our other bikes but this one works
flawlessly. The only complaint I have is the size of the display
which only has room to show the power level and one other item, we
usually set it to show speed. The bike computer works as long as the
battery is turned on even if the power assist is turned off. The bike
computer keeps track of: speed, trip distance, total distance, range,
time taken, speed, average speed, maximum speed, cadence, and current
time.
As to
power consumption, my wife Christine usually rides in eco mode full
time and we have done over three hour 60 km rides with her power not
dropping to 50%.
You
might be asking, what about rain, can I ride a bike with an electric
motor in the rain. The Internet seems to have varying opinions
about this. What I can say is that we have rode our Norco Scene VLTs
in the rain (but not downpours) as well as through shallow puddles
and even got stuck in the mud once without any apparent problem
(yet). But I would certainly avoid submerging the bottom bracket or
motor under water.
Now the
big question is why pay more for an e-bike when you could buy a
regular bike for much less.
I tend
to use my power assist as another tool along with the gears. However
how and when I use it often just depends on mood, whether I want to
go all out for a workout and avoid the power assist altogether, just
go for a more casual ride, or go for a much longer ride where I want
to manage my exertion more carefully.
The
latter case is most interesting. Killer hills can take a lot of
exertion and just reducing that exertion with power assist for those
short sections may be able to increase your total distance for the
ride or just make the ride more enjoyable.
Wind,
of course is another factor. The availability of power assist means
you can go out on windy days and have some help pedalling into 30 km
+ winds.
In many
cases just having the power assist available may lead people to try
out longer and more difficult routes than they otherwise would.
The
other benefit is power assist allows “weaker” riders to ride with
stronger ones by using the power assist to equalize their pace.
There
are two particular scenarios I can think of for the use of power
assist.
The
first is commuting where one can go faster and with less exertion and
avoid arriving at work hot and sweaty, especially if shower
facilities are not available. Then on the way home one can turn it
off and get your daily workout.
The
other is really hot days when one can use the power assist on killer
hills to avoid dangerously over-exerting in the heat.
As to
what setting to use, I have found that the lowest eco mode is all
that I normally use and usually only throw it into high if I have had
to stop for some reason and then want to catch up quickly to my
riding partner. Everyone will, of course, have their own preference.
Many
people will intuitively think that using an e-bike means you get less
exercise but that is a misunderstanding. Most people will ride at a
comfortable pedalling pace for them. With an e-bike the power assist
will just allow that pedalling pace to take them on longer rides
faster. Indeed the peace of mind of knowing the assist is there will
likely lead people to ride more often and go on longer and more
difficult rides. More riding means more exercise.
So, no,
your friend did not buy an e-bike because they are lazy.
Full specs for the
Norco Scene VLT can be found here.
Norco also makes a
similar e-bike with front suspension, the Norco Indie VLT.
Norco
also makes a non e-bike version of the Norco Scene.
The Norco scene can
be purchased in Ottawa or Carleton Place at Joe Mamma Cycles.
One last comment, if
an e-bike is beyond your budget but you are looking at buying a new
bike for commuting or recreation I would certainly recommend looking
at a step through upright bike if comfort is more important to you
than speed.
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