The popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down • Hacker News Board

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

#311

Post by brendoelfrendo » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:48 AM UTC

TulliusCicero wrote: post #206

kristjansson wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could have bakeries, small groceries, etc. within _walking_ distance right now, if zoning allowed them to be integrated into residential areas, and people didn't expect parking. Would that we could...

Depends on the surburb, I've definitely seen many where walking distance wouldn't work very well, there just flat out aren't that many people. You'll have a subdevelopment where there's 50-100 houses or whatever, and it's connected to a highway and otherwise surrounded by a bunch of green space. That's not enough people to support more than a kiosk's worth of retail, probably.

I mean, that's really a self-reinforcing cycle. Car culture leads to car-centric development leads to car-dependent suburbs leads to more need for car infrastructure. Nothing said those suburbs had to be built that way, except that's what people expect (and whatever local zoning ordinances ear-marked the land for single-family homes).

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

#312

Post by johnwalkr » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:50 AM UTC

jmcphers wrote: post #208

kevincrane wrote: post #18

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…

I think this is North American centric. In Asia and Europe housing to job centres is probably closer on average due to zoning. There’s less separation of “suburban housing areas” and “working areas”. There’s also less separation to shopping, etc so bikes are more feasible in general.

For these reason and I’m sure others, bicycles for commuting are more popular outside of North America.

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

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Post by jay_kyburz » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:53 AM UTC

xvedejas wrote: post #233

BackBlast wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

I don't know about the US, but a stop sign here in Australia means complete stop. If you fail to fully stop in your driving test it's an instant fail. If you fail to fully stop and there is an accident, you will be at fault.

In Australia, bikes are required to follow the same rules as cars when on the road.

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

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Post by Ticklee » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:54 AM UTC

The problem with e-bikes is that they have been hampered down so hard by regulations.

No throttle, only pedal assist, 250w motors maximum and no assist over 25km/h turns it from the perfect future-proof vehicle for inner-city use and suburban commuting into a weird hybrid that isn't fast enough to replace a light road bike, But also not strong enough to haul multiple saddlebags full of groceries up hills without breaking a sweat.

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

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Post by johnwalkr » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:54 AM UTC

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #223

danielheath wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Public transportation and city bike rental systems should be free to ride. This would depend on first fixing the poverty and homelessness that make theft, vandalism and antisocial behaviour so common. These things cost money to protect them from the impact desperate people otherwise have on them. Now, I’d be thrilled to help pay for that to all happen, but the order should be respected; making trains and buses free…

"making trains and buses free isn’t as simple as it sounds." It might be expebsive, but it's definately as simple as it sounds. I do not see how vandalism will be any different than it is today

Most cities make roads and abundant parking free, there’s no technical reason why other forms or transportation can’t be favored instead.

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

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Post by totetsu » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:57 AM UTC

I've noticed 40% of the e-bike share use here in Big City Japan is by food-delivery-app riders, And another 40% is by people going full speed down the foot path.

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

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Post by wolverine876 » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 2:57 AM UTC

beebmam wrote: post #305

wolverine876 wrote: post #298

What is the solution for weather? Major cities in the US can regularly be in the 30s F (~0-5 C) in the winter. Add to that a nice 10-15 mph wind in your face from riding. And especially add snow and ice - or worse, rain or freezing rain - and I don't see many people wanting to rely on an e-bike for unavoidable trips.

As someone who lives in this part of the country and uses an ebike for nearly everything for the last 4 years, it can be pretty annoying. Especially when it's raining, as I'm going to get soaked and there's pretty much nothing I can do about it other than bring a change of clothes and find a place to warm up when I get to my destination. I use these to keep my hands warm while riding: https://cozywinters.com/shop/bar…

How do you ride safely on snow and ice, especially around traffic - one skid and the cyclist could be history.

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

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Post by clairity » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 3:05 AM UTC

mike_d wrote: post #210

clairity wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

3. Dedicated bike police enforcing bike laws.

that would be a waste of resources. in my area, it's the cars that need more enforcement. every single day i see multiple cars brazenly running stop signs and sometimes even stop lights. they don't even slow down. that's potentially deadly; not so with bikes.

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

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Post by jay_kyburz » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 3:06 AM UTC

mulmen wrote: post #246

I like that e-bikes are getting more people on two-wheeled transportation. I dislike that people are effectively riding motorcycles on dedicated bike paths. I especially dislike that companies get to profit from cluttering public spaces with bicycle and scooter litter. My hope is that long-term we get the e-bikes into the street where they belong and combine that with traffic calming measures to make scooter commutin…

I don't think children, or anybody without a drivers license should be allowed to ride on the road at all.

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

#320

Post by jay_kyburz » Tue, Nov 09, 2021, 3:09 AM UTC

Ticklee wrote: post #314

The problem with e-bikes is that they have been hampered down so hard by regulations. No throttle, only pedal assist, 250w motors maximum and no assist over 25km/h turns it from the perfect future-proof vehicle for inner-city use and suburban commuting into a weird hybrid that isn't fast enough to replace a light road bike, But also not strong enough to haul multiple saddlebags full of groceries up hills without brea…

I hope that electric motor cycles will come down in cost and weight. A little faster than ebikes, and silent, but with all the safety features of a motorcycle. And registered. And requiring a license.