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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

#591

Post by mulmen »

cptskippy wrote: post #570
mulmen wrote: post #568

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you speaking in absolutes? High speed e-bikes are a problem on my local bike path. They should either go slower or ride in the road. How is this controversial? E-bikes are fine if people ride them responsibly. But terrorizing the locals isn’t a good way to drive adoption. I actually think the Super73 is great, on the road. I’d like to see something even more capable. I’m hoping they lead to light e-scooters (…

What absolute are you accusing me of? You're the one who said all ebikes should use the road. My point is that not all ebikes are equal and relegating all of them to the road because of Super73 isn't the answer.

Ideally, yes. All motorized vehicles could share the road.

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

#592

Post by tonyedgecombe »

sbierwagen wrote: post #167
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…

>from people who think that cycling is a niche hobby of rich lycra-clad yuppies This has never been true, of course. As you would expect for something that costs a hundredth as much as a car, bicycling to work has always been more common among the poor: https://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/05/08/low-income-americans-...

It was interesting to see some cycling groups in the UK lobbying against the introduction of e-bikes when the EU was legislating for them.

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

#593

Post by sudosysgen »

blunte wrote: post #583
sudosysgen wrote: post #567

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I only had a pedal bike, I would often go 30km/h on a flat. I'm happy you can't assume bikes are super slow anymore.

If you're not on a road bike, and you're riding 30+ minutes, I doubt you're going that fast. You can, but you're going to arrive sweaty and tired. People just don't ride that fast on non e-bikes here in the Netherlands, not normally.

I was not on a road bike, I was on a hybrid or MTB.

Sweat was an issue, but you get used to it and it stops being tiring

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

#594

Post by rrrrrrrrrrrryan »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #539
sdenton4 wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The right way to drive a little bit is car share programs, or just eating a car rental fee occasionally. Mean cost of car ownership in the US is over $9000; you can buy a damn fancy e-bike and rent a car a few times in a year and still come out quite far ahead. (and you only need to buy the e-bike approximately once.) https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/average-annual-cost-...

I had a friend who used to rent a limo for first and special dates. Even that was cheaper than owning a car.

Limos (especially older ones) are surprisingly cheap. Growing up, my family of 5 used to take a limo to the airport for vacations. It felt kind of ridiculous, but it was actually about the same price as the 2 taxis we would've had to take (and obviously way more pleasant), which itself was cheaper than parking and leaving a car at the airport.

It probably says more about how expensive taxis were pre-Uber. I'm sure ride shares are a nontrivial part of living without a car today.

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

#595

Post by paiute »

Arainach wrote: post #101
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.

Because kinetic energy is proportional to the square of velocity, and 25mph is 56% more energy which is a huge problem in a collision with a pedestrian or a crash. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/05/31/3-graphs-that-explain... It's also a big issue with response time and with the rate pedestrians expect bicycles to be travelling. You shouldn't bike on the sidewalk because no one is looking for vehicles going more th…

This is a good example of how we get bad laws... Should overweight cyclists be forced to have a lower speed? I can still get my ebike to 25 mph down hill, I would never dream of passing a pedestrian at that speed. I picked 24.5 for a reason and not 25 BTW.

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

#596

Post by devilbunny »

forgotmyoldname wrote: post #244
Maarten88 wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd suggest starting with bike paths to schools. Kids don't have the problems you mention, they also don't have an alternative when they want to travel independently.

A lot of Americans are morbidly afraid of their children being away from adult supervision for more than a minute. I think suggesting 10 year olds ride a bike instead of taking a car or bus might infuriate more than a few people.

Not irrationally; there are numerous well-publicized incidents, such as child protective services being called for a six-year old playing unsupervised in their own front yard. Or, and I do forget the state (though I think it was Maryland), a state official saying that children under fourteen should never be left alone unsupervised for any length of time. When I was twelve, I babysat my little sister all day and made us hot lunches. Nothing fancy - just your standard packaged noodles or similar - but yeah, I knew how to use a stove safely.

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

#597

Post by BackBlast »

Scroedingershat wrote: post #396
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…

> Now, as a driver, I am appalled at the behavior of cyclists. With my experience I take interest in and carefully watch their behavior. > Running red lights and not stopping for stop signs is the worst. And it's pretty universal. Some areas have a yield at stop signs law for bikes so the stop signs could be legal, but I think a major driver of this kind of behavior is bike hostile infrastructure. If you've stopped f…

The only cyclists I actively disliked were those who had stripped their reflectors and then rode around dressed in black at night. Scared me half to death when I finally saw them. That move agitated me quite a bit. Thank goodness I've only run into that once.

Seems to me that it's a very bad idea to disrespect in ways that actively make your own life less safe. Especially on something as fragile as a bicycle. Regardless of the disrespect heaped your way.

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

#598

Post by mackrevinack »

dTal wrote: post #245
jackorange wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the issue goes further than that into being a societal problem. Majority of America is overweight, staring down at their phones day and night, and dread physical activity. They also like to flex their position and wealth to others, one of the reasons why pickup trucks and big SUVs sell in great numbers. These people are in no hurry to transition to riding bikes. The only way biking might work is if some popul…

E-scooters might be a way in. They're not as fast or as safe (to the rider), but they're practical in way e-bikes aren't due to portability. You can carry one into the office and charge it under your desk. And they lack the cultural baggage of cycling. And it's possible to look suave on one in a way that bicycles make difficult.

i didn't know it was possible to look suave on one of those scooters but it's subjective i suppose!

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

#599

Post by mackrevinack »

cuddlybacon wrote: post #191
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…

> Safer roads means more people will bike, which means biking will stop being seen as an elitist thing. I don't think it is just safety. Most people understand an e-bike is going to be more dangerous, but they are popular anyways. The other factor is distance. e-bikes increase the distance that can be covered by a significant amount, which changes a lot of commutes from "too far" to acceptable. The only people who ca…

its like some minimalists you see bragging about how they only have 1 spoon and 1 bowl and have no need for any other cutlery. like yea that's really easy when you are living in a city and within a five minute walk of multiple cafes and restaurants or where you can order takeaway. try living with 1 spoon out in the middle of nowhere and get back to me please
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