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Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

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Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#51

Post by jlarocco »

alrs wrote: post #43
tobltobs wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those other cyclists will be the ones who will loose access to the trails. After two difficult decades of finding a balance between hikers and bikers on the trails these new breed of trail ebiker destroy the hard found compromise. As sooner as ebikes are forbidden on trails as better.

They're motorcycles, they are already forbidden.

You've hit the nail on the head. To a lot of people (myself included), they're more like electric motorcycles.

I don't really care if people choose to ride them, but there are already designated trails that allow motorized access, and poaching mountain bike trails is going to ruin it for everybody.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#52

Post by alistairSH »

alrs wrote: post #43
tobltobs wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those other cyclists will be the ones who will loose access to the trails. After two difficult decades of finding a balance between hikers and bikers on the trails these new breed of trail ebiker destroy the hard found compromise. As sooner as ebikes are forbidden on trails as better.

They're motorcycles, they are already forbidden.

Tell that to the guys riding them.

I beginning to see a few on the local multi-use trail (where motorized vehicles are banned). One even has a giant fairing and looks more like a tuk-tuk or e-car than a bicycle.

Right now, there are few enough that it's not a big problem. But, the tuk-tuk e-bike is larger than a normal bike, so it's hard to pass (or make a pass) and will do more damage in a collision. Some of them are faster than the average road bike - I've seen several hybrid-style e-bikes cruising at close to 20mph with the rider soft-pedaling.

It's a can of worms for sure.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#53

Post by fulafel »

csours wrote: post #28
doctorpangloss wrote: post #11

eBikes are sincerely a great alternative to cars for me. I've been using an electric bike (Stromer ST1) for about 3 years now in LA and Boston. It makes perfect sense for these cities. The total cost of ownership is way below a car, due to the low cost of Uber, other people with cars, insurance and gas. In high traffic and hard parking cities like LA and Boston, I get to my destination faster. And though a bicycle is…

Only 7x dangerous? I assumed it was like 100x... Is that 7x incidents or serious injury? It would also be interesting to see it expressed in hours rather than miles.

Walking must be practically suicidal by that measure.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#54

Post by digi_owl »

tobltobs wrote: post #48
alrs wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're motorcycles, they are already forbidden.

In europe they are still allowed everywhere if they are constructed as a pedelec with a top speed restriction.

25kmh with pedaling (you can go faster, but the engine will stop assisting at that point) and 6kmh on just engine.

I keep seeing videos on /r/ebike and similar from USA where some yahoo has ordered engine and battery from Ebay or China that can push the thing way into motorcycle range.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#55

Post by jlarocco »

websitescenes wrote: post #9
rzt wrote: post #6

Pretty serious MTB/cyclocross racer here that's done a lot of trailbuilding and trail advocacy: a lot of dudes are scared that offroad ebikes are going to kill access to hard-won trails. It's a not-unfounded fear as motorized bikes are pretty dang close to motorcycles in most people's eyes. That said, I'd love to have an ebike! I have a 26 mile one-way commute (that's a 30 minute train ride) but every once in a while…

Long time cyclist and bike shop owner here. I recently put an electric hub motor on an old DH bike and have been riding local trails. I have to admit, I did not expect the push back that I have received from cyclists. I get trolled, called names and targeted all because I like to ride my ebike on the trails. Funny thing is, nobody else seems to care. Only other cyclists.

I'm also a cyclist, and I don't really care what other people do. However, my view is that if the trail allows other motorized use (dirt bikes, ATVs, etc.), it should also allow electric bikes. If the trail does not allow other motorized access, it should also be closed to electric bikes. I'm sure it's only matter of time before trailhead signs and regulations catch up.

As you probably know, mountain bikers already struggle to get access to a lot of trails. Zipping around even faster is a sure fire way to lose access.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#56

Post by agumonkey »

ams6110 wrote: post #31
totally wrote: post #25

Daily (manual) biker here (~70 miles per week). These ebikes are a clever hack. In China they skirt motorcycle laws. In the US they can make use of bike paths. You can make good time and your commute is generally the same duration regardless of traffic. At least, that's true in Silicon Valley. Last I checked (a few years ago) pedaling the ebikes is like pedaling a tank. Batteries and motors a heavy bike make. So you'…

If you're male, consider that long-term bike riding can cause infertility, erectile dysfunction, and prostate problems esp. depending on the saddle you use.

That's if he uses a saddle.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#57

Post by websitescenes »

derekp7 wrote: post #36
websitescenes wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Long time cyclist and bike shop owner here. I recently put an electric hub motor on an old DH bike and have been riding local trails. I have to admit, I did not expect the push back that I have received from cyclists. I get trolled, called names and targeted all because I like to ride my ebike on the trails. Funny thing is, nobody else seems to care. Only other cyclists.

Out of curiosity, how stealth is your setup? And when you get flak, are you running in pedal assist mode, or throttle only? In my case, I've got a smaller (geared) hub motor on the back, you wouldn't know it was there unless you were looking for it (hides nicely between the gear cluster and the disc brake). The only obvious ebike sign is the large battery (shaped like a water bottle, but sized more like a long 2-lite…

Super silent but It's a frankenbike; Huge battery on the toptube.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#58

Post by digi_owl »

URSpider94 wrote: post #16

The e-bike situation in China is very different from the US. These are people who are moving UP from human-powered bikes, or walking, to their first vehicle -- not buying them so that they can leave their car at home and feel the wind in their hair. Here's a photo of a very typical Chinese e-bike: http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00zsrEyYQIYOqo/Chinese-El... As you can see, it has a second seat in the back for a pa…

On that note, i ran into a kickstarter on one that was styled more like a motorcycle than a typical bicycle.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/782844499/the-super-73

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#59

Post by cb18 »

goldmouth wrote: post #42

Does anybody know of a good, complete, ebike conversion kit for an older trek mountain bike? I have a 4.4 mile round trip commute but I don't really want to spend $1000+ , plus I'm pretty diy.

Just get some smooth tread tires that will be better for pavement travel.

2.2 miles takes about 40 minutes to walk.

On a bike and mostly flat terrain, 10-15 minutes max.

Unless the commute is a steeply graded 2.2 mile slope the motor seems overkill and providing little if any benefit to travel time or enjoyment. Wouldn't you rather get to work with a little endorphin rush?

Maybe ride the route first after work or on a weekend to show yourself you can do it. But after a commute or two you will quickly see it's nothing and likely want to ride even further.

Re: Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?

#60

Post by DigitalJack »

digi_owl wrote: post #58
URSpider94 wrote: post #16

The e-bike situation in China is very different from the US. These are people who are moving UP from human-powered bikes, or walking, to their first vehicle -- not buying them so that they can leave their car at home and feel the wind in their hair. Here's a photo of a very typical Chinese e-bike: http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00zsrEyYQIYOqo/Chinese-El... As you can see, it has a second seat in the back for a pa…

On that note, i ran into a kickstarter on one that was styled more like a motorcycle than a typical bicycle. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/782844499/the-super-73

It's pretty dangerous riding a motorcycle. And I just mean the danger from other motorists. Imagine if your motorcycle was silent.

I know people raised the same concerns about electric cars back in the day, but people are far more likely to not "see" a motorcycle.

Maybe mitigate with a strobe light, but I find those very distracting when I drive by a cyclist.

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