41–50 of 103 posts
It could replace cars as long as it's not snowing, or raining, or too cold outside, or you don't have stuff to carry. You know what could replace cars for millions of people? A subway. But first we have to work on legalizing high-density urban environments with narrow streets...
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'm fairly excited about the Arcimoto SRK[1], which is supposed to be available in small quantities this year. It's supposed to be snappy and stable, goes up to highway speeds, and should be a fair bit safer than a motorcycle with the frame and roll cage. At $12k base, you're definitely paying a premium for the electric aspect, but I think it's reasonable. It's at least close to electric motorcycles (like Zeros[2]). How the weirdness of a three-wheeled vehicle (I see them around, but not often) will stack up against safety stigma remains to be seen.
[1] https://www.arcimoto.com/ [2] http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/
I don't care who rides what on a street. What I do care about is people riding them on small narrow paths made for cycling at best speeds, at 24-28 mph. As someone who raced for 10+ years and still rides 120ish miles a week, I don't even ride that fast around bike paths. It's just too dangerous with joggers, strollers, kids on bikes, whatever. When I see e-bikes zip past, I don't get jealous... I get pissed off. I can drop into my small cogs and ride that fast too - I just don't because it's dangerous.
And on trails, I'm sorry - I hold the stance that you can just go find a motocross trail. Mountain bikers put too much effort for too many years into getting what few trails we have built, and inexperienced people on motorcycles do nothing for keeping those trails.
So, if you want it to replace your car, then great, have it. Whether you just want to be eco-minded or got yourself a DUI - I don't care, have fun. But stop trying to use it in places we've fought to get for bicycles.
edit: gender.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
I do however find the traditional bicycle, due to its simplicity, reliability, and efficiency, to be one of our best inventions.
I'd love to commute like this except that I live on the west side of Lake Washington and my job is on the east side of it[0]. And I work odd hours. There are exactly two bus route combinations that will get me across the lake: route 545 is a straight shot and route 550+RapidRide B is the one with the transfer. Except that, especially on days with nice weather like today, the bus is unusable when I leave work because all three slots on the bike rack may be filled and Sound Transit / King County Metro has an absolute rule against bringing a non-folding bike onto a bus[1].
I wish I could bike to work, and thus get used to biking more for general stuff. But I can't count on being able to bring my bike back home with me at night so it's walking+buses for me. I suppose I will just wait five years until East Link arrives at Northgate.
0 - Changing jobs or moving house are both non-starters since I've worked where I have for a very long time, almost two decades, and I'm lucky enough to have bought a small house.
1 - Sound Transit and King County both say that bikes are unsafe to carry on bus transit because the bus operates on a road and unexpected things might happen. My rebuttal has always been: OK, so why are bikes allowed on Link south of International District Station? Because, pardon my technicality, the train is also operating in the road. Or why are bikes allowed to be walked onto either streetcar (both of which are operated by King County Metro) since both very much operate in mixed traffic?
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).
How expensive is an electric bike? How do you keep it from getting stolen?
But I'm in Tokyo so I'm not worried about theft at all. It has an integrated lock on the back wheel and this blocks the handle too.
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…