101–110 of 244 posts
I use a Solowheel unicycle. It is perfect for me to run my errands around my neighboorhood but wouldn't use it to commute to work. The only problem so far is that they are rather on the heavy side otherwise i'd commute between public transportation and the final destination. They seem hard to ride but once you spend 10 hours on one it becomes second nature, almost easier than walking..
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does this logic extend to showering, pedestrians, and automobile passengers and drivers? All suffer as many or more head injuries per year than cyclists.
They may have more head injuries than cyclists(citation?) but unlike cyclists you're not at risk of being run over by a car after a fall in your shower and also you're probably not showering at 25km/h when you fall so the potential damage is much lower.
analysis: https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/why-dont-americans-wear-hel...
A head injury that results from speed or post-strike collisions is still recorded as a "cyclist head injury" so I don't think your points change the numbers.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are right about that. I'm hoping eventually this will become popular enough that cities will open more dedicated bike paths separate from traffic. I've even heard rumors of our city closing and dedicating the main street downtown for bikes and pedestrians.
I would also add that Santa Barbara generally has some of the most delicious air i've experienced in a place that still has restaurants, stores, jobs, etc. It surely gets worse with proximity-to and volume-of car traffic but overall the air quality here vs. other places i've lived is noteworthy[0]. (0: except when there's fires.)
Which is a given in the winter :(
A while ago, I was seriously considering buying a bike (A regular one, 110 CC). I didn't because there's no way in hell my partner will let me ride it for the main purpose that I wanted to buy it for, take our 6 yo to school (as I wanted to buy it mainly for that, as riding a bike is much faster in the city where I live, Buenos Aires). I just went to the site where I do all my purchases, and that same bike is at the…
For those who have e-bikes, what are your thoughts on riding them without the motor assistance? Is it heavy and difficult? Do they have battery regeneration from breaking? I've been on the fence about getting one, and normally ride a crappy hybrid bike to and from work every day, which an e-bike would be useful for. But I also do 40+ mile trips on weekends and am afraid that if the battery dies, I'll be lugging a hea…
It’s basically impossible. Unpowered hub motors drag a lot. Unpowered mid-drives are better because they have clutches or freewheels, but you’re still pedaling a fifty-pound bike. Some ebikes do have regeneration triggered by brake lever switches but it’s pretty rare. Others have a regeneration mode switch. Most just don’t bother. What you should understand about these bikes is the power delivered by the motor, and t…
Note that I have fond memories of pedalling girls around on the back of my unassisted bike back in the day, so I might not be an average rider.
I truly believe e-bikes will be the future of transportation. What's holding them back is dumb legislation. In EU, they are limited to 25 km/h top speed and 250 W motors, which is not enough for everybody. Legislators think that if they are allowed to become more powerful then more people will die in accidents. True, but cars kill even more people so why don't we ban them? For fit people in good weather, 250 W is ple…
So, the future of transportation is an e-bike with more power so it can have higher top speeds, carry larger loads, and operate more safely in adverse weather conditions. Of course, with higher top speeds you will probably want a windshield to protect the driver from bugs, debris, or precipitation. Hard to concentrate when you are getting hit in the face with stuff at 45 kph. And really once the windshield is there,…
Just wanted to point out the "GeoOrbital" wheel. It's an all-in-one battery-motor-wheel that can replace the front wheel of most conventional bikes in a minute or two. Presto! New eBike. https://www.geoo.com/ (Hmm, I can't reach their site at the moment.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoOrbital
Earlier quoted context omitted.
They may have more head injuries than cyclists(citation?) but unlike cyclists you're not at risk of being run over by a car after a fall in your shower and also you're probably not showering at 25km/h when you fall so the potential damage is much lower.
here: https://bmcemergmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s1287... analysis: https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/why-dont-americans-wear-hel... A head injury that results from speed or post-strike collisions is still recorded as a "cyclist head injury" so I don't think your points change the numbers.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don’t need cars in order for a helmet to be important. An acquaintance of mine was killed running into a slightly raised piece of ground that he didn’t see... wasn’t wearing a helmet and was thrown over his handlebars. Doctors say he would have walked away if he had been wearing a helmet.
Absolutely. But, there's a risk analysis - if there's good bike infrastructure, and I'm riding townie bike (slow and can put feet down vs a road racing bike), the risk is much lower. There's also evidence that requiring helmets reduces cycling among the general population. Partially because it's an extra thing to buy/maintain, but it also creates more work for commuters - they have to redo their hair at the office. R…
1)Most cities suck at biking infrastructure, including Europe if you exclude the poster childs like Amsterdam or Copenhagen.
2)It's not wearing a helmet that reduces cycling throughout the population it's the lack of infrastructure. Helmet necessity is a direct effect of that not the cause.
3)You can't make helmets a requirement, it's up to you if you can live(pun not intended) with the consequences of an accident without a helmet or not.
I ebike 20 miles for work every day and live it. I don’t use my ebike for small errands because it’s too easy to just rip expensive stuff off of it while locked up. Also, the picture shows a rider with no helmet which is insane. I wear a motorcycle helmet and leathers. The speed limit for ebikes on roads in CA is 28, which is deadly with even a normal bike helmet. Finally the article says that the new models are ligh…
I converted a nice traditional steel frame bike to with an e-bike kit. I would not really recommend that route - especially not if you’re hauling around a kid or gear like me. I was blowing through brake pads every 3-6 months and for most people it’s probably best to buy a nice e-bike that’s well built and tailored to the task.