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My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

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Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#31

Post by mc32 »

Benjamin_Dobell wrote: post #6

I've never lived anywhere near where I worked or studied - absolutely not within push-bike riding distance. So I used to ride a motorcycle. However, after several near misses with oblivious car drivers I decided I didn't want to die. Riding a push-bike is great for your fitness, but it's not feasible if you have a long distance to travel every day. That can be assisted by public transport, but that means you need rea…

I agree with motorbikes and scooters being more efficient land-use wise and fuel -wise --but in certain countries where they are abundant, it was not uncommon for me to witness riders flouting motor vehicle code (ignoring traffic lights, going against traffic, making unpredictable manoeuvers, casual helmet use, overloading, etc.), and I'm not talking about rural backwaters, I mean main cities with dedicated lanes for motorbikes. In my commuting, it was about once a week I witnessed something requiring an ambulance.

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#32

Post by jseliger »

i2amsam wrote: post #9

Through happenstance I rode an bike with electric pedal assist a couple years ago, thinking that electric bikes were not for me, but why not try. I was instantly hooked, the high-quality pedal assists feel "magical", like you are just stronger or that your always headed down a gentle slope. They are also very quiet which helps make the experience (at least for me) a bit dream-like and surreal. I really recommend ever…

Through happenstance I rode an bike with electric pedal assist a couple years ago, thinking that electric bikes were not for me, but why not try. I was instantly hooked, the high-quality pedal assists feel "magical",

I think this is a key point and what many, many people are missing in this thread. Ebikes can seem kinda lame or gimmicky. Then you actually try riding one and they suddenly make a lot more sense.

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#33

Post by solarengineer »

dingo_bat wrote: post #29

If I'm going to travel more than 3 kilometres or so, I'm doing it in a car. Motorcycles and cycles are just too unsafe for daily commuting, no matter how environmentally friendly. They will never replace cars for "millions of people".

Where do you live (where it is unsafe)? There are millions in my country (India) who safely use bicycles, mopeds, and motorbikes. The degree of safety depends upon the culture of the city as well as the road (highway, valley, etc).

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#34

Post by Johnny555 »

_m8fo wrote: post #16

I have very mixed feelings about riding bikes in cities. The health benefits can be completely negated (or worse) depending on the air quality around where you are riding. There are certainly reasons to ride other than that -- speed, freedom, etc. Electric bikes are good in that you can get to your destination faster than a regular bike, reducing exposure to the mentioned issues. There are few downsides to going elec…

If you live in a city where the air quality is so bad that getting outdoor exercise is worse than not exercising, then you ought to move out of that city since it's killing you.

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#35

Post by Johnny555 »

rocky1138 wrote: post #4
kingbirdy wrote: post #3

It's a decent article, but I don't believe for a second that exchange at the beginning actually happened

It's plausable from my experience riding an ebike. I've been yelled at by cyclists claiming that I'm not allowed to use trails, etc. and from /r/ebikes it's common to read that many cyclists call ebike riders "cheaters".

Depending on your locality and the power of your eBike, they may be right -- eBikes are restricted on many trails.

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#36

Post by llukas »

_m8fo wrote: post #16

I have very mixed feelings about riding bikes in cities. The health benefits can be completely negated (or worse) depending on the air quality around where you are riding. There are certainly reasons to ride other than that -- speed, freedom, etc. Electric bikes are good in that you can get to your destination faster than a regular bike, reducing exposure to the mentioned issues. There are few downsides to going elec…

Sitting in a car is still worse as you're exposed to same air but got no benefit. (unless you sit in HEPA filtered tesla or something...)

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#37

Post by viral_krieger »

wildrhythms wrote: post #26
Benjamin_Dobell wrote: post #6

I've never lived anywhere near where I worked or studied - absolutely not within push-bike riding distance. So I used to ride a motorcycle. However, after several near misses with oblivious car drivers I decided I didn't want to die. Riding a push-bike is great for your fitness, but it's not feasible if you have a long distance to travel every day. That can be assisted by public transport, but that means you need rea…

Thanks for mentioning the stigma around motorcycles and scooters in the U.S. They are seen as grown up toys, yet all over the world motorcycles serve as a primary means of transportation for millions of people. Careless drivers obviously aren't targeting motorcycles, but I think there's a collective lack of mindfulness to their presence on the road. Anecdotally, I became a better car driver after just a few weeks of…

What did you learn from riding a motorcycle?

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#38

Post by hollerith »

llukas wrote: post #36
_m8fo wrote: post #16

I have very mixed feelings about riding bikes in cities. The health benefits can be completely negated (or worse) depending on the air quality around where you are riding. There are certainly reasons to ride other than that -- speed, freedom, etc. Electric bikes are good in that you can get to your destination faster than a regular bike, reducing exposure to the mentioned issues. There are few downsides to going elec…

Sitting in a car is still worse as you're exposed to same air but got no benefit. (unless you sit in HEPA filtered tesla or something...)

Although a HEPA filter can be very helpful, it does not remove most of the pollutants in car exhaust (CO, NOx, SOx).

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#39

Post by jessaustin »

dheera wrote: post #19

I commute on an electric bike in the Bay Area. Electric bikes are awesome to ride, but here are a summary of the main issues I've experienced so far: - LIES, LIES, LIES ABOUT RANGE -- I have a Gigabyke (gigabyke.com) which ships with an SLA battery (a horrible design desicion) and claims a range of 35 miles and a maximum rider weight of 250 pounds. Good luck. I weigh half that and when I got it new, I clocked in exac…

IMHO there's nothing inherently wrong with a cyclist "running" a red light. Cyclists are likely to be more aware of traffic conditions than motorists, and they have a strong interest in ensuring intersections are clear before entering. As with anything else, judgment matters. It's unfortunate that occasionally motorists will be sitting at a red light when they see a cyclist carefully approach the intersection and cross when it's safe to do so, rather than when the light turns green. That experience will be frustrating, but they'll have to get over it.

Re: My Electric Bike Is Not ‘Cheating.’ It Could Replace Cars for Millions of People

#40

Post by ScottBurson »

dheera wrote: post #19

I commute on an electric bike in the Bay Area. Electric bikes are awesome to ride, but here are a summary of the main issues I've experienced so far: - LIES, LIES, LIES ABOUT RANGE -- I have a Gigabyke (gigabyke.com) which ships with an SLA battery (a horrible design desicion) and claims a range of 35 miles and a maximum rider weight of 250 pounds. Good luck. I weigh half that and when I got it new, I clocked in exac…

> In California at least, it's technically a motorcycle if it goes past 20 mph

No longer true! New laws [0] went into effect at the beginning of this year. There is now such a thing as a Class 3 e-bike that can provide assistance up to 28mph. (I find that's about as fast as I want to go anyway.) When I have to mix it up with cars, the extra speed is a big help.

As for weight, it's really a matter of how much money you want to spend. My e-bike is a converted touring bike, with an EcoSpeed mid-drive, and the weight is very reasonable. I usually bike in to work using leg power (there's a shower at the office) and cruise home with the motor in the evening. There's probably somebody building e-bikes that are also good bicycles; if not, do your own conversion. -- Oh! I just went to the Gigabyke web site. Those aren't e-bikes; those are electric mopeds! Maybe technically they can get away with calling them e-bikes, but they obviously have much heavier frames and wheels. 180 lb, yikes! Okay, I just weighed my bike, and it's 54 lb with battery -- certainly not light by bicycle standards, but entirely tolerable for pedaling.

My bike has a steel frame, so I have no trouble with traffic light sensors. I'm very surprised you do, with 180 lb of metal underneath you!

[0] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml...

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