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The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

nytimes.com

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Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#111

Post by gpvos »

parineum wrote: post #65
kevincrane wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most bikers only use the sidewalk when the road infrastructure as-is isn’t safe enough for bikers. And I fully agree that there are a lot of bad bikers, but a bad biker is a nuisance to a driver while a bad driver is a potential fatality to a biker.

> Most bikers only use the sidewalk when the road infrastructure as-is isn’t safe enough for bikers. You have to see how this is a completely selfish position right? The road is dangerous for cyclists so cyclists make the sidewalk dangerous for pedestrians. Sure there's a difference in degree but that's not a justification. > And I fully agree that there are a lot of bad bikers, but a bad biker is a nuisance to a dri…

> You have to see how this is a completely selfish position right?

That depends how busy the sidewalk is, and how the cyclist behaves. Conversely, I see videos of many places in North America where cycling on the road, even in dedicated cycle lanes, is a suicidal activity.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#112

Post by nradov »

White_Wolf wrote: post #103
paiute wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

only because we have brain dead laws on e bikes. why not 24.5 mph? I see actual electric motorcycles on our bike paths all the time, I have never seen them cause a real problem. People on normal bikes cause all the problems because they have so much invested in their current speed.

tbh I wouldn't mind the peed limit being higher but introduce some sort of driving lic and exam for it with periodic re-testing. Also re-testing should be mandatory for car drivers too. Both theory, practical, reflex testing. I ride a bicycle, bike and drive a car and the ammount of crazies on all sides leaves me speachless sometimes. I see cyclist cutting off cars and shooting into a roundabout just because cars wil…

I don't understand what you're asking for. There are already electric motorcycles which don't have artificial speed limiters. Those require a motorcycle license and can be driven on any road.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#113

Post by dan-robertson »

clairity wrote: post #64
paulgb wrote: post #4

The thing that excites me most about e-bikes is that they change the politics around cycling. Proponents of efforts to make roads safer for cyclists have always gotten pushback from people who think that cycling is a niche hobby of rich lycra-clad yuppies. With e-bikes becoming more common, I know a number of people who would not have touched a bike share but are using it as a replacement for Uber/Lyft rides. People…

i'd personally like to see two policy changes (especially in a city like LA that's perfect year-round for biking): 1. convert curbside parking into dedicated and protected bike lanes (not everywhere, but extensively) 2. require bike parking (preferably covered and right next to entrances/foot traffic) and liability requirements anywhere that has a (car) parking lot this would put biking on par with cars and would enc…

Isn’t LA extremely sparse to the extent that cycling is a lot of effort because of long distances? I suppose e-bikes help but don’t you still lose a lot of the advantages—less time at the start and end of journeys and less distance from parking areas—to the increased travel time from large distances?

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#114

Post by ceras »

rcMgD2BwE72F wrote: post #22
multjoy wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you remove the speed limiter you are riding an electric motorcycle, which needs to be somewhere other than with pedestrians and cyclists.

>with pedestrians Do some cities actually let cyclists bike on sidewalks? I bike 24/7 but this seems crazy. Bicycles needs their own, separate, protected paths, at the road level. Period.

Besides Europe, I remember seeing several sidewalks in Japan that allowed it. And many (most?) streets in Japan are fully mixed across modes, and have no sidewalk, so you'll see bikers+pedestrians(+cars) combined there too.

There's something very nice about these types of mixed streets, but they're pretty much unheard in the US. They work very well on small residential streets, where cars would otherwise get 80% of the street width reserved to their use, even where car traffic is low.

Also, US sidewalks tend to be extremely narrow, which makes it worse to share modes.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#115

Post by agumonkey »

timbit42 wrote: post #89
zwieback wrote: post #26

I'm a year-round non-e-bike commuter in Oregon. I love e-bikes but until you can ride without getting soaked it'll be successful only part of the year in most of the US. We need something between the e-bike and golf-cart style EVs to fill the gap, some kind of sophisticated fairing or a 3 wheel format that isn't super dorky.

Have you looked at the Organic Transit ELF or Better Bikes PEBL?

the first one who makes a thin stylish variant will be rich

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#116

Post by kristjansson »

One of the riskier aspects of e-bikes is the subversion of other road-user expectations. If I see someone on (what appears to be) a bike, feet on pedals, (apparently) coasting, a few decades of biking and driving lead me to expect that person to stop, or at least slow down. On an e-bike, though, they might maintain speed, or accelerate (!) without any change in attitude.

No harder to judge than a motorcycle, of course, but it will take time for 'static person on bike' to connote 'might accelerate without warning!' to the navigational lizard brain.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#117

Post by soperj »

kristjansson wrote: post #116

One of the riskier aspects of e-bikes is the subversion of other road-user expectations. If I see someone on (what appears to be) a bike, feet on pedals, (apparently) coasting, a few decades of biking and driving lead me to expect that person to stop, or at least slow down. On an e-bike, though, they might maintain speed, or accelerate (!) without any change in attitude. No harder to judge than a motorcycle, of cours…

For the most part I've found that drivers pay little to any attention to bikers as is, let alone to whether they're pedaling or not.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#118

Post by nradov »

jacquesm wrote: post #20
multjoy wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you remove the speed limiter you are riding an electric motorcycle, which needs to be somewhere other than with pedestrians and cyclists.

That depends on the conditions. If you adapt to the conditions then that would be fine, if you don't then even at normal e-bike speeds you are a danger. I never got why we have 200 Mph cars but a moped that can go 30 over the legal limit gets confiscated.

Only a tiny handful of expensive sports cars can actually reach 200 mph. While there a few limited exceptions, in most jurisdictions anyone caught driving at 200 mph will be arrested and the car impounded.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#119

Post by NoPicklez »

kristjansson wrote: post #116

One of the riskier aspects of e-bikes is the subversion of other road-user expectations. If I see someone on (what appears to be) a bike, feet on pedals, (apparently) coasting, a few decades of biking and driving lead me to expect that person to stop, or at least slow down. On an e-bike, though, they might maintain speed, or accelerate (!) without any change in attitude. No harder to judge than a motorcycle, of cours…

I find this happens to me on a normal bike and its one of the main problems I deal with. A driver comes to a corner and looks to give way and sees a cyclist, depending on their judgement after their initial glimpse of me they might think I'm going slow only to realise I'm actually travelling much quicker. They pull out and I have to brake in order to not hit them.

I think we've all done the same thing in a car as well as some point.

Re: The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

#120

Post by Spooky23 »

kevincrane wrote: post #18
paulgb wrote: post #4

The thing that excites me most about e-bikes is that they change the politics around cycling. Proponents of efforts to make roads safer for cyclists have always gotten pushback from people who think that cycling is a niche hobby of rich lycra-clad yuppies. With e-bikes becoming more common, I know a number of people who would not have touched a bike share but are using it as a replacement for Uber/Lyft rides. People…

> Proponents of efforts to make roads safer for cyclists have always gotten pushback from people who think that cycling is a niche hobby of rich lycra-clad yuppies. Which I think is misguided pushback btw (which I think you agree with based on the context). I see it as a chicken and egg thing. The roads are unsafe for bikers, so the only people who bike are those who are super dedicated to it. Then when people ask fo…

You have a point, but the Lance Armstrong wannabes make everyone miserable. In my area, they “took over” a popular bike trail and now kids and more casual people are pushed aside.

It’s like dealing with serious lap swimmers.

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