East Peoria, IL — A Pekin man who describes said Tuesday he is stunned that a full year of what he calls “intense eBike training” has produced “literally zero” weight loss, despite logging “10 whole miles a day” almost exclusively in Turbo mode.
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work,” said 37-year-old Drew Nocluson, speaking between bites of pepperoni pizza outside a Casey’s gas station, where he was refueling with a family-size box of Hostess donuts and what witnesses described as a mop-bucket-sized soda. “I’m out there grinding. Ten miles. Every day. Turbo the whole time, sure, but I just ride more than I would on a normal mountain bike to make up for the motor.”
Nocluson, who has not altered his diet, sleep schedule, alcohol intake, or late-night snacking habits, said he assumed the added distance would “cancel out” any assistance provided by the 85Nm motor on his eBike. “If I just go farther, it’s basically the same thing as pedaling harder. It’s science, but it just isn’t working,” he said.
Friends say Nocluson’s typical ride consists of blasting out of the parking lot at 20 mph without breaking a sweat, completing one loop, and then uploading the activity to Strava with the caption “No Days Off.” He estimates he burns at least 2,000 calories per ride, though he admits he has never checked the actual data. “The bike says I did 10 miles. That’s double digits so that should be enough,” he said.
Health experts contacted for comment noted that riding an eBike in Turbo mode can provide light physical activity but is unlikely to offset a daily routine that includes convenience-store breakfast burritos and a half-gallon of Mountain Dew as an afternoon pick-me-up. Nocluson challenged the suggestion. “It’s actually a half-gallon of Diet Dr Pepper,” he said. “There’s no sugar. I’m not an idiot.”
Despite the lack of visible progress, Nocluson remains optimistic and believes the issue may be equipment-related. “I think I just need a more high-powered eBike so I can get in more hours,” he explained, wiping grease and licking chocolate from his fingers. “If I can average 15 miles a day on an even bigger motor, the weight has to start coming off. It’s math.”
At time of writing, Nocluson was seen browsing online listings for a 100Nm “Race Edition” eBike upgrade while finishing the last of his donuts, reportedly confident that “next season is going to be different.”
