Electric bike, stupid love of my life • Hacker News Board

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#151

Post by namdnay » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:43 PM UTC

paganel wrote: post #8

There is no way for me to let a ~2000 euros object of mine unattended and out in the open. I barely leave my current bike like that, and that "only" costs ~300 euros. More generally, I feel like this is a subject that doesn't get discussed often enough. Yes, most probably the writer of this article can eat the 2000 euros loss if his e-bike gets stolen, but the majority of the population cannot. It also sucks that the…

Now that Decathlon are flooding the market with reliable sub 1k ebikes, second hand prices have also lowered and it’s not hard to pick up a reasonable one for 700-800 eur

Having a motor also means saddlebags and hence the possibility of using a motorbike chain

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#152

Post by aBioGuy » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:47 PM UTC

bluescrn wrote: post #15

ndsipa_pomu wrote: post #3

It amazes me how little attention e-bikes are given in terms of reducing traffic, pollution, CO2 etc. The BBC is especially bad at this - they promote lots of articles singing the praises of electric vehicles (i.e. cars) and almost never mention e-bikes as being far better for a lot of use cases. It also grinds my gears that there's tax breaks for getting e-cars and nothing for getting e-bikes. It's almost as if poli…

Unless bike theft is solved, an e-bike will remain a toy for the weekends for most people. An expensive e-bike is a prime target to thieves. They require a secure indoor storage space at both ends of the any journey, and many potential users lack that, either at their workplace or their home (e.g living in an apartment only accessible via stairs)

Unpopular (?) opinion: don't worry about theft. If you are making developer-money then a $1000-$3000 bike is a trivial amount of money. Just use a cafe-lock with a sturdy chain and go about your life. It gets stolen? Buy a new one. Seems silly to be hesitant on a eBike because of a theoretical concern. Finding an environment where you are reasonably safe from getting murdered by a vehicle should be your primary concern. Everything else is just noise.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#153

Post by BlargMcLarg » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:48 PM UTC

hughesjj wrote: post #105

js2 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> E bikes really are the best form of travel Whether an E bike is the best form of travel is going to depend on a lot of factors. It's certainly less flexible than a car. For one person who doesn't need to carry a lot and who lives somewhere that has dedicated bike lanes or can at least safely share the road with cars and where the weather is neither much too cold nor much too hot and there aren't daily thunderstorms…

Depends. If you're out in the boonies with nothing but shoulderless rural highway roads then yeah, ebikes aren't great, but for the majority of Americans (let alone westerners or people in general) ebikes are more than enough. I'm 6'2" 260lbs and can ride a lectric xpedition all over Seattle hills with my girlfriend on the back and enough gear to have a picnic and go shopping for a fun day out. The same bike has a tw…

>In Amsterdam, there's this thing called a bakfiet, which is super popular

It's not super popular. The things are a hassle to carry anything with, and any small things are easier done with a regular bike with a satchel or just carrying the bags. Doubly so in a place like Amsterdam, where general commodities are within walking distance and any big things are near a central station.

>It's big enough for you to put two teenagers

Two teenagers? With the average Dutch height? Are you trying to break their legs?

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#154

Post by CubsFan1060 » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:48 PM UTC

dghlsakjg wrote: post #139

jeffbee wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think this can be ignored. The bulk of ebike injuries to children are coming from throttle-having class 2 bikes and in my view these should simply be outlawed. I’ve seen people crash then who clearly thought they were stopping, but who were holding the throttle. They were riding a motorcycle without motorcycle training. Torque-assist pedal systems are perfectly intuitive to anyone who knows how to ride a regu…

Unlike a motorcycle, if you engage the brake on an ebike, the motor is completely disabled in every model I’ve ever seen. You can hold the throttle wide open, and it won’t matter if any amount of brake is applied. E-bikes just aren’t that dangerous, especially compared to a full power motor vehicle. I suspect that the bulk of injuries to children on e-bikes are happening in throttle models because those are cheaper m…

I don't think your statement about mid drives is correct.

There are some (a small amount) that support throttle. For example: https://bafangusadirect.com/products/bafang-1000w-bbshd-mid-...

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#155

Post by hughesjj » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:49 PM UTC

BlargMcLarg wrote: post #153

hughesjj wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends. If you're out in the boonies with nothing but shoulderless rural highway roads then yeah, ebikes aren't great, but for the majority of Americans (let alone westerners or people in general) ebikes are more than enough. I'm 6'2" 260lbs and can ride a lectric xpedition all over Seattle hills with my girlfriend on the back and enough gear to have a picnic and go shopping for a fun day out. The same bike has a tw…

>In Amsterdam, there's this thing called a bakfiet, which is super popular It's not super popular. The things are a hassle to carry anything with, and any small things are easier done with a regular bike with a satchel or just carrying the bags. Doubly so in a place like Amsterdam, where general commodities are within walking distance and any big things are near a central station. >It's big enough for you to put two…

You got a point on dutch teenager height lol. By super popular I mean most blocks id see at least one or two parked or riding by me. I was staying around the museum district. To your point though I suppose when there's like 50 bikes per street in some of those areas along the that doesn't make it "super popular". ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/SDP55mmEDotWMuaK8 )

I've seen them before in Seattle too around 2017 when prime now was still a thing.

I shouldn't have said super popular, you're right, and more like early than late teenagers (thinking of my brothers), and even then I don't think it would be comfortable. I am saying they're an option if you really need the cargo room though.

Stuff like this is comically large imo

https://urbanarrow.com/family-bikes/family/

And then there's the absurd https://www.icebike.org/biggest-cargo-bike/

Realistically this is my gf's bike, albeit with the running boards and a pop up basket in place of one seat in the back

https://ebikeescape.com/lectric-xpedition-review/

And this is a newer trim of my bike, although I have paniers and a pop up cargo basket on the rear rack

https://www.juicedbikes.com/products/ripcurrent-s

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#156

Post by mitthrowaway2 » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:49 PM UTC

dota_fanatic wrote: post #13

paganel wrote: post #8

There is no way for me to let a ~2000 euros object of mine unattended and out in the open. I barely leave my current bike like that, and that "only" costs ~300 euros. More generally, I feel like this is a subject that doesn't get discussed often enough. Yes, most probably the writer of this article can eat the 2000 euros loss if his e-bike gets stolen, but the majority of the population cannot. It also sucks that the…

The author lives in Japan. The probability of it getting stolen is approximately zero.

Coming from a city where bike theft is severe, the biggest culture shock for me in Japan was seeing how they "lock" their bicycles: loop a flimsy metal ring through the back wheel, and walk away. You could easily still wheel the bike away on its front wheel or toss it into the back of a truck. And yet, it will always still be there when you come back. Amazing.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#157

Post by pmg102 » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:50 PM UTC

In the UK, as in Europe and Australia I believe, Ebikes ("pedelecs") are legally limited to assistance only up to 15mph=25kph (it's possible to exceed this downhill, of course). As someone used to riding a regular pedal bike, I would say this is close to but not quite fast enough to feel comfortable among urban traffic. Yet raising the limit to say 20mph could feel arguably unsafely fast on a shared use path through a park. It's a dilemma.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#158

Post by brnt » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:50 PM UTC

tjoff wrote: post #35

swader999 wrote: post #6

E bikes really are the best form of travel. The only issue is how do you get rid of that ridiculous looking grin on your face. You just had a huge rush, got a bit of exercise, paid nothing for parking, eight pennies for 'gas', and beat all your co-workers who were stuck in traffic. The grin is real and not a good look professionally at the office when commuting. Thanks ebikes.ca, endless sphere forums and Sheldon Bro…

The problem of thieves is such a downer though. Against all kinds of bikes, really takes both the joy and the utility out of it. Same with owning a scooter and similar vehicles. And even if you have good and safe parking at home and at the office (great!), which will cover the vast majority of trips it still limits the usefulness of a vehicle to be so tied up. Yes, there are solutions/mitigations/compromises. But exp…

Although love of the new is gaining territory here too, let me share some once universally accepted Dutch advice: thou shalt ride an old clunker worth no more than the lock you secure it with.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#159

Post by kjkjadksj » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:50 PM UTC

mitthrowaway2 wrote: post #149

kjkjadksj wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bike theft is solved the same way car theft is solved. You merely insure the bike.

That works if bike theft is a rare condition that strikes a few unlucky people. But if bike theft is really a chronic problem, insurance can't possibly cost less than buying a new bike every time it's stolen. Otherwise the insurance company would lose money.

The insurance pool isnt just bikes. Renters insurance you are insured in the few hundred grand range if you really tallied up what is covered. A couple hundred dollar bike is hardly a dent in comparison to what the premiums are designed to potentially cover.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#160

Post by globular-toast » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 4:54 PM UTC

bluescrn wrote: post #15

ndsipa_pomu wrote: post #3

It amazes me how little attention e-bikes are given in terms of reducing traffic, pollution, CO2 etc. The BBC is especially bad at this - they promote lots of articles singing the praises of electric vehicles (i.e. cars) and almost never mention e-bikes as being far better for a lot of use cases. It also grinds my gears that there's tax breaks for getting e-cars and nothing for getting e-bikes. It's almost as if poli…

Unless bike theft is solved, an e-bike will remain a toy for the weekends for most people. An expensive e-bike is a prime target to thieves. They require a secure indoor storage space at both ends of the any journey, and many potential users lack that, either at their workplace or their home (e.g living in an apartment only accessible via stairs)

It seems pretty simple to replace one car parking space with secure parking for five or so bicycles. Just need to massively reduce spending on car infrastructure and other subsidies for cars and reallocate the money to bicycles instead.