251–260 of 308 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the path is mixed with pedestrians, 20mph on a bicycle is irresponsible whether peddling or ebiking.
If there are pedestrians it’s a sidewalk, not a bike path, and a bike should not be on it at all unless the rider has dismounted.
Coming from conventional bikes, I don't understand who this is for. Carbon fibre frames are prohibitively expensive and the market for them serves very involved, often professional or semi-pro cyclists whose performance bottlenecks are imposed by the bike instead of themselves. Ditto for some of the other details on the bike, like the medium-dish carbon rims — all for the sake of weight savings and aerodynamics (sinc…
I live in the Bay Area on the peninsula - I could easily name ten coworkers that have carbon bikes and usually more than one. They also often commute on them. They’re expensive, but the market exists (at least here). Ride portola loop or old La Honda on any given day and you’ll probably pass 100k worth of bikes.
This is really cool from a tech perspective. I’m sure it’s a great product too. The thing that bothers me about e-bikes in the US specifically is that we seem to be rediscovering scooters but worse. Among other things I am a motorcycle rider. I took the class. Before the pandemic I commuted on a 1970 Honda CB450. I know the risks, and the rules. These are mopeds at best . Electric motorcycles at worst . Europe and es…
> I am optimistic that these kinds of devices will get more people on two-wheeled personal transportation but I’m concerned about the people going 30mph on bike paths or riding in the road with no education. At 20MPH your turbo assist turns off completely leaving the rider in this weird state where 1MPH slower is easy and 1MPH faster is brutal. If you are going 30MPH anywhere on this, it's because you are a world-cla…
Another dimension of this phenomenon is electric cars. Teslas are somehow synonymous with "self-driving" even though they could have the same capabilities with gas motors.
Somehow electric motors are translating to "new rules" even though we have existing rules that apply.
> At 20MPH your turbo assist turns off completely leaving the rider in this weird state where 1MPH slower is easy and 1MPH faster is brutal. If you are going 30MPH anywhere on this, it's because you are a world-class cyclist or are going downhill.
A buddy of mine bought an e-bike this summer that can go 30mph for 30 miles. I see bikes like this on the local bike path regularly.
> People ride on roads with no education all the time, we call them drivers. People going 20MPH on a 30 pound bike aren't dangerous to others. People surfing the web while driving a 6 ton truck are dangerous to everyone.
What? Where can you drive a car without taking a driving test and getting a license?
30lb bikes going 20mph are absolutely a threat to pedestrians.
Inattentive drivers are dangerous but that's entirely irrelevant to this conversation outside of it being a reason people are scared to ride their electric motorcycles in the road.
Coming from conventional bikes, I don't understand who this is for. Carbon fibre frames are prohibitively expensive and the market for them serves very involved, often professional or semi-pro cyclists whose performance bottlenecks are imposed by the bike instead of themselves. Ditto for some of the other details on the bike, like the medium-dish carbon rims — all for the sake of weight savings and aerodynamics (sinc…
Lots of hobbies (I want to say male hobbies , but presumably there are female examples as well) attract people buying equipment that cannot be objectively justified by the skill level of the practitioners buying it: The proverbial titanium head drivers in golf, fancy mics, amps, and instruments in music, tricked out hiking gear, etc. This might be an increasing phenomenon in advanced middle age, as we have more money…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Decoupling transportation and exercise is valuable even if you are in shape.
why? if time is your most precious asset, coupling them makes the best value you can get
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I am optimistic that these kinds of devices will get more people on two-wheeled personal transportation but I’m concerned about the people going 30mph on bike paths or riding in the road with no education. At 20MPH your turbo assist turns off completely leaving the rider in this weird state where 1MPH slower is easy and 1MPH faster is brutal. If you are going 30MPH anywhere on this, it's because you are a world-cla…
Two stroke mopeds are not new but I do not see them on bike paths. I do see them in the road. e-bikes that comply with the existing laws have similar capabilities to mopeds yet people ride them on bike paths. Another dimension of this phenomenon is electric cars. Teslas are somehow synonymous with "self-driving" even though they could have the same capabilities with gas motors. Somehow electric motors are translating…
In the US, driving instruction is basic, and easy to pass and most people have long forgotten it. Trying to suggest they are "Educated" is ridiculous.
> 30lb going 20mph bikes are absolutely a threat to pedestrians.
Absolute nonsense. The number of pedestrians injured each year by cyclists is tiny, likely zero most years. eBikes don't change this because fundamentally. Cyclists (acoustic or electric) are much more alert than car drivers because if you aren't alert on a bike you get smashed by someone in a car. Cyclists don't hit pedestrians out of self preservation. Hit a pedestrian and it's going to fucking hurt. People in cars hit pedestrians without even noticing.
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Almost all cycling paths around my area are mixed bicycle/pedestrian.
So there are no cycling paths in your area.
The semantics of "bike path" are not interesting here. I ride my bike at around 8mph. I don't pass many conventional bicycles. I don't get passed by conventional cycles much either. When I do it is often by someone on an e-bike going twice as fast.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Two stroke mopeds are not new but I do not see them on bike paths. I do see them in the road. e-bikes that comply with the existing laws have similar capabilities to mopeds yet people ride them on bike paths. Another dimension of this phenomenon is electric cars. Teslas are somehow synonymous with "self-driving" even though they could have the same capabilities with gas motors. Somehow electric motors are translating…
> What? Where can you drive a car without taking a driving test and getting a license? In the US, driving instruction is basic, and easy to pass and most people have long forgotten it. Trying to suggest they are "Educated" is ridiculous. > 30lb going 20mph bikes are absolutely a threat to pedestrians. Absolute nonsense. The number of pedestrians injured each year by cyclists is tiny, likely zero most years. eBikes do…
Yes, roads are dangerous. This is my point.
30lb bicycles weigh a lot more than 30lb when you put riders on them. The energies involved can and do injure people.