Live data from Hacker News

The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down

nytimes.com

231–240 of 599 posts

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

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

> It’s super unfortunate that it still gets the stereotype as a “rich white people” activity when it’s really so much more financially accessible than a car. It's true that a bicycle is itself cheaper than a car, but housing within biking distance to job centers sure isn't. In my view this is the primary reason bicycle commuters are stereotypically rich folks. The bicycle itself isn't the expensive part; you need pro…

Housing within bicycle commuting distance (under 5 miles) in many cities is abundant, if you’re willing to forgo a car. Especially if you convert the car savings to rent or mortgage payments.

Basically, if you can be all-in on not driving, you save a lot. But once you even want to drive a little bit, the savings to driving only sometimes instead of all the time is not very large (and can in fact be negative, as you pointed out with needing closer housing with parking). Unless it allows you to go from a two to one car family.

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

#232
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…

Another obvious point, I think, is that, no matter how much you like driving, crawling on the highway at rush hour is not the least bit enjoyable.

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

#233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

It's... complicated... I rode a bike to school when my limited money would buy a very bad car or a nice bike. So I opted for the bike and had to ride it because that's all I had. I did that for a couple of years - even in the cold and ice. My commute distance varied in my biking days, from 6 to 20 miles. I always obeyed all the traffic laws, though occasionally in the early AM I'd find lights that would not turn gree…

I have been explicitly told by my local bike coalition not to stop fully for stop signs. Stopping fully is not particularly safe and local motorists don't even expect it. Given that information, what do you think is the correct behavior for a beginner cyclist like me?

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

#234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That's fair, but (in my area at least) they're a lot more rare than asshole cars parking in bike lanes or driving too fast. I'd take over-aggressive bikes over thoughtless and negligent drivers any day of the week.

Absolutely agreed!

Overall it’s hard for different physical capabilities to share a resource. If the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that peoples perceptions and ability to act in the common good are wildly inconsistent.

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

#235
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mixed-use paths are an extremely bad idea and dangerous for everybody. I actively avoid them as a pedestrian and as a cyclist. They should all disappear. If ebikes help to accelerate the inevitable dismissal of these stupid mixed-use lanes, so good! A bike-friendly infrastructure is based on three separate networks, for pedestrians, cycles and cars. Each of the three networks must be continuous, reasonably complete a…

That's a nice ideal but it's just not realistic in most existing built up areas. There's literally not enough space for three separate networks without knocking down existing buildings and buying a lot of land through eminent domain. Let's focus on what can actually be achieved with realistic levels of funding.

A bike lane can carry more people than a car lane.

Especially in the US there is plenty of space you can take away from cars, both lanes and parking.

The Netherlands did not knock down and rebuild Amsterdam to build bike paths. They took space back from cars.

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

#236
post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get decent e-bikes for under $1k. It is still a lot but not ridiculous

Got any recommendations?

I spent about $1500 on the 500 series from Ride1Up and paid $100 for a bike mechanic to assemble it: https://ride1up.com/product/city/

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

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

Another obvious point, I think, is that, no matter how much you like driving, crawling on the highway at rush hour is not the least bit enjoyable.

I didn't mind it, but I had a plush, quiet, comfortable car with an excellent sound system and that cruise control system that follows the car ahead of you. Would listen to music, a podcast, audiobook, or just enjoy some quiet solitude, all climate controlled. Some cars even have massaging seats now.

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

#238
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

Throw into this confusion a badly implemented public transportation system that you find in most US cities. Public transportation and city bike rental systems should be free to ride. We all pay taxes to keep roads maintained, we should all pay taxes to keep public transportation maintained. Not charging would help busses keep their schedules with less queuing and waiting, tourists would be less likely to rent a car,…

At the very least it should be much cheaper than driving.

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

#239
E-bikes themselves won't revolutionize transportation, but micromobility will. If I ever get free time and a shop to work from, I want to build miniature go-karts so low-income disabled and elderly people can move around dense cities (lots of people can't ride bikes) that are also covered from the elements. But urban infrastructure isn't designed with this in mind, so even if I build them and people can afford them, they might not be practical. The hope is that e-bikes spurn a discussion towards more micromobility solutions to create a wider impact.

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/future-of-mob...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferdungs/2021/07/19/why-mi...

https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/spring-2021/micromobil...

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

#240

Fuelled by the smartphone battery revolution. Like hydrofoil surfboards [1], one-wheel skateboards [2], electric paragliders [3]... what next!? 1. https://youtube.com/watch?v=i9yCe6ibhzU 2. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XNqOU4jx62I 3. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BeayJZzaXjM

bike lights have gotten immensely better over the last decade too, mainly due to better battery energy density

Bike lights sold in the USA are, unfortunately, almost universally garbage, with circular flashlight beams that blind both the rider and everyone coming toward them. Battery and LED technology has not helped, it has made the situation worse. Lights like those marketed by NiteRider, that are multiple times brighter than car headlights and do not have cutoff optics, should be against the law.

Fortunately, due to the size of the European market and the good sense of European bike regulations, virtually all factory-built e-bikes are coming with good headlight optics and usually a sensible mount point for the light, lower than the handlebars.

Post reply on HN