July 29, 2025 – Andy is in OurLittleCorner today
Can I Call Myself a Cyclist If I Ride an E-Bike? An “Electro Octo’s” Dilemma
Like a number of other folks I know, I took up cycling when my knees started giving me problems. That was about forty years ago and my orthopedist had recommended that instead of pick-up basketball and running (my two major sources of exercise at the time) I should consider taking up a more joint-friendly form of exercise —such as swimming or cycling.
I couldn’t imagine being seen in a pair of Speedos at my age — so I got a road bike, started pedaling, and never looked back (aside from using a ridiculous-looking mirror attached to my helmet). It took a number of years and umpteen miles of pedaling up and down River Road (during my lunch breaks at LSU) before I dared call myself a cyclist.
During those informative years I learned that it takes more than merely riding a bike to claim “cyclist” status. The saying “you are what you wear”carries a lot of weight in the cycling community. For example, riding a bike without a helmet is not only unthinkable but that helmet on your head should be equipped with a Multi-directional Impact Protection System or something called “WaveCel.” Additionally, it helps to have a jersey that speaks for itself, boasting of rides and club affiliations that will impress other cyclists. A padded pair of spandex shorts (which are just a notch less immodest than Speedos) not only will save your butt after hours in the saddle but the subtly displayed logo will assure fellow cyclists that you are a member of the tribe .
The priciest investment in a cyclist’s identity is the bike. Although I’m no gearhead like some of my fellow cyclists, I am able to recognize various bike models and their associated levels of prestige (usually directly correlated with their price tag). I should mention that my own bikes over the years have tended to be mid-range models — not the top of the line but close enough to be considered appropriate for a”mid-range” cyclist like myself.
Of course, what counts most is where the rubber meets the road. Upscale gear and expensive road bikes mean little if you can’t pass muster on a group ride.
I had been able to “pass muster” as a cyclist until sometime in my late seventies when my ability to keep up on group rides began flagging. I was arriving at our coffee breaks when everyone else had finished their coffee and were getting ready to get back on the road. That’s when I started to consider getting an e-bike, even though my ego (or pride?) made me balk at such a thought. I decided to wait until I turned eighty which for some reason seemed to me to be a symbolically appropriate age milestone to justify getting an electronic boost.
It’s been two years since I reached that milestone and bought my e-bike. To be honest I love it. On club rides I am once again able to keep up with the group and to enjoy my coffee without feeling rushed. But getting an e-bike has come with a price (beyond the outlandish amount I paid for it) — it’s made me feel like an imposter and defensive. I can feel the pain of the author of a recent Cycling Weekly article entitled “Why do I feel like a cheat every time I ride my e-bike?” Here is some of what he writes:
I love my e-bike but struggle with the shame that accompanies me on my rides…
…The reaction from other cyclists is rarely rude, at least not vocally. Yet, their expressions always reveal a world-weary mix of pity and contempt. To them, I’m not a roadie; I’m a fraud. A tragic, wannabe, e-bike-owning loser.
Despite the nagging thought that I may be “cheating,” I haven’t sunk to the depths of seeing myself as a tragic, wannabe, e-bike-owning loser. For one thing, there’s my age. Although some parts of getting old suck, Mark Twain’s comment that “age has its privileges” has its merits. I’ve discovered that once other riders know my age they’re a bit more tolerant of my “unfair” advantage.
Also, I’m not the only one on an e-bike. During my twenty-plus years as a member of the Santa Rosa Cycling Club the number of my colleagues who have taken the e-bike plunge has steadily grown. On a recent ride one my cycling friends suggested that those of us in our 80s with e-bikes should call ourselves “The Electro Octos.” I kind of like that name.
In addition to playing the age card, I often feel compelled to explain to other riders that I’ve programmed my e-bike to stay at a relatively low power level. This means that keeping up with the others requires considerable effort on my part, hopefully confirming that I’m still a serious cyclist. I’m not sure if that really works, but it convinces me.
When all is said and done, my e-bike-induced cyclist-identity dilemma is small potatoes. Owning an e-bike has been a very positive game-changer for me. Being able to get out on the beautiful Sonoma County roads with a group friends is a joy that trumps my dilemma worries. It allows me to go on some of my favorite rides I used to do when younger but would be hesitant to tackle now. The ability to ride with and interact with younger cyclists (mostly in their 60’s and 70’s ) has been a big plus.
The icing on the cake for me is that riding an e-bike provides the opportunity for some self-deprecating humor — because if nothing else, all “real” cyclists should have a sense of humor.
Andy, you always have been and always will be a mentor and a model cyclist to me. I want to grow up to be you!
Thank you; I’m flattered (even though you are anonymous). However, you need to know that I never did grow up.
I am so with you on this!
After my recent spine surgery, I’m thinking an e-bike will be my only option to get back on the saddle. Being shameful with that thought, I phoned a few hard-core riders I’d ridden with for 15 yrs in Iowa but haven’t been with the past 5. Damn, they’ve e-bikes!
Terry
My Iowans and I are all in our late 70s.
If you all stick with it you will soon be eligible to form an Iowa chapter of Octo Electros
So good to hear from you! You have a much better excuse than I for the e-bike option; I hope you take advantage of it. It’s good that your hard-core friends have e-bikes – you can get lots of good advice and moral support from them. n Cheers.
What a dilemma! #electricbikesrcool
“Old’s Cool” too.
Old is cool in the sense that I am finding that I have a harder time getting warm these days. But I get your drift.
#thanks4thecoolcomment
We will all have e-bikes (or e-whatever’s?) eventually…. How many other activities get 80 year olds in nature on their own power? Your food blog post didn’t include the many sugar and caffeine laced destinations we explore, guilt-free, because of cycling, despite what Mr. Pastis illustrates.
Thanks for the note. Maybe by the time you’re ready for a bike power assist they will have h-bikes (hydrogen powered).
But, can you call yourself an athlete? That is the question! Jina and Alan and I decided you might just be an athlete at this juncture.
I have spent much of my life demonstrating my lack of athleticism, but thanks anyway.
I too believe there is a e-bike in my future! And I too think that it will be when I turn 80. Why is that?
More importantly, it is great to go against the grain and do what makes you happy and not everyone else. The more I ride, the more I realize the groupthink is almost always wrong for almost everyone. For example, “lighter is faster” and higher pressure in your tires makes you go faster. For me now it’s about comfort and the bike needs to support that. And saddles do not have to hurt your a** to be a roadie! I could go on…
I enjoy your blog, even if it’s not about bikes!
Thanks. It’s not often that we are honored with a comment from a former president of the Santa Rosa Cycling Club. Although “going against the grain” is not one of my strong suits, your point that we can’t always fret about what others think is valid. And the older we get, the more anti-grain we can get away with (if that makes sense). I am looking forward to your initiation into the Electro Octos whenever you get to that milestone age.
Hi Andy
I recently came across a Road & Track article about the strangeness of French cars. I stopped reading when I got to this:
“Paris, a global artistic epicenter, was at that time a seminal locus of modernism. This emergent style attempted to make sense of industrialization’s unmooring of political and fiscal hierarchies, as well as the undermining of socioreligious beliefs by then-novel scientific insights like evolution.”
This may provide some insight on the role of electric bikes in modern society.
Just when I think I have a handle on things you muddy the waters. I had assumed that grappling with the decision to get an e-bike would in fact strengthen our socioreligious beliefs. After all, my e-bike was a godsend. And what are you doing reading Road & Track? In any case, it’s always a treat to get your input.