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Electric bike, stupid love of my life

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Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#191

Post by giobox »

throw0101a wrote: post #175
zimpenfish wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know someone who carries a lot, lives in London (some dedicated bike lanes, not many), the weather is, uh, random at best, and he does the shopping, commutes from SW London to Farringdon, etc. All using an e-bike with detachable cargo trailer. If I didn't live on the 3rd floor[1], or had bike storage downstairs, I'd get one ASAP. [1] I need an e-bike for the same reason I can't carry 20kg up 4 flights - my right kn…

> If I didn't live on the 3rd floor[1], or had bike storage downstairs, I'd get one ASAP. Folding bicycle? * https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20048132/best-folding-... * https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-folding-bike... There are e-bike variants available as well. (General consensus seems to be Brompton is (at) the top tier, but not cheap.)

Electric folding bikes are typically pretty heavy, I own a couple - my wife for one would really struggle to carry either of them to the first floor let alone the third.

Most electric folding bikes, the fold allows easy moving in cars/elevators or storage, I would not personally recommend them for multi-floor stair commutes unless you are comfortable with what you are getting yourself into.

I've also had two former colleagues trade folding e-bikes for folding e-scooters just to avoid the hassle of taking the folding e-bike up two flights of stairs at the office end. The e-scooters are far easier to maneuver/stow on busy commuter trains if that is a factor too - you can get roughly the same range at 50% of the weight and its far smaller folded.

As a typical example:

* https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radexpand-electric-fo...

That's a 64lb/29kg bike, and not uncommon for a folding ebike.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#192

Post by dghlsakjg »

gnicholas wrote: post #182
dghlsakjg wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> E-bikes just aren’t that dangerous, especially compared to a full power motor vehicle. Sure, but we don’t let children drive full power motor vehicles (except older teenagers after passing a test, and obtaining liability insurance).

And yet, full power motor vehicles kill thousands of children, while e-bikes kill single digit numbers of children.

If your argument is “somebody think of the children” then you have to consider that any child in the US is far, far, far more likely to be maimed or killed by a car while on their bike, then by their bike while on the bike.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#193

Post by sleepybrett »

SmellTheGlove wrote: post #180
sleepybrett wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the rad-expand, which also looks 'stupid' but I love it anyways. But yeah it's great that they didn't go the way of vanmoof with an app required to unlock it etc. If they do in fact go under my only concern would be a replacement battery I guess? Or is that all standardized (it looks similar to the batteries on all the rent-to-ride e-bikes I see around).

Yeah I think these batteries aren’t uncommon, as far as the voltage and form factor goes. My understanding is the biggest risk is safety. There’s a lot of junk out there, whereas Rad did a good job ensuring it’s supply chain on these. My battery is nowhere near any noticeable capacity loss so I haven’t really looked hard at batteries yet.

Same both on the concerns. You get stories out of NYC where couriers/doordashers store their bikes in their apartments and during charging their batteries self-immolate. In a few of these stories you hear about guys having done slapdash repairs on their batteries.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#194

Post by pigscantfly »

c-cube wrote: post #98
wpietri wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel that one for sure. I live in San Francisco and was a dedicated cyclist. I had 6 bikes stolen in my first years here. But I was stubborn, got cannier, and kept the 7th long enough for it to look scruffy. Which let me keep it for years. But then it got stolen while locked up behind a 12-foot fence and something went out of me. I just gave up. I still make occasional trips on the Lyft bikes, which are fine. And I…

I haven't tried but I'm curious about them: would a foldable (e)bike do it for you? You just don't leave it outside at all! I've been eyeing the Bromptons but without a commute it's harder for me to justify the cost.

I had a foldable e-bike for two months (was great) in SF before it was stolen. Someone saw me ride up to my house and enter the basement entrance where I kept it locked to a pole in a utility closet. Later on, they grabbed a food delivery bag, told another tenant they were making a delivery, got buzzed into the building, and stole the bike. They didn't get either battery, but I haven't bought a bike since.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#195

Post by thfuran »

aBioGuy wrote: post #152
bluescrn wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 conce…

The average software engineer salary is about $110k in the US and about $55k in the UK. You're just living in some ridiculous bubble.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#196

Post by isoprophlex »

globular-toast wrote: post #163
rcpt wrote: post #126

Greatest thing about bikes, and this still applies to ebikes, is that you actually experience and participate in the city you live in. You learn the small roads, you see other people and they see you, you spot tiny businesses and interesting parks. I lived in Los Angeles without a car for a few years. I often met people who lived here much longer but knew almost nothing about the local area despite having intimate kn…

I know people who can't get around without a car with GPS navigation. They do not know the way to the shops or their friends' houses. It's interesting to me that road rage is non-existent between cyclists and pedestrians. It seems to be a manifestation of the frustration of being reduced to a metal box with a monotone horn, a couple of lights and the ability to go forwards and backwards. On a bike you're still a pers…

If you are a tourist in a Dutch city you will quickly be disabused of the notion that there is no road rage between pedestrians and cyclists. Do not ever idly wander into a Dutch cycle lane, at any cost. You will be treated as invisible, people will cycle straight through you.

Should they for some reason take notice of you, they will not slow down one bit, but swerve away imperceptibly, infinitesimally, from a collision, thus making sure you are sufficiently rattled by the encounter.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#197

Post by ben-schaaf »

gerbilly wrote: post #83

Unpopular opinion: Ride a regular bike. In terms of theft, just use a beater bike for commuting. By getting rid of the 'E' part of the bike, you'll get more exercise and won't have to worry about theft. For years I rode a beater that I found in the garbage and that I fixed up with some parts I had lying around. Later I upgraded to a singlespeed because derailleurs freeze up in the winter. It's a trek earl. Seriously…

I've got a big hill on my commute, wasn't fit and it gets up to 40C in the summer here. For me it's ebike or car.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#198

Post by dghlsakjg »

jeffbee wrote: post #143
dghlsakjg wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Rad brand bikes with hydraulic brakes do not integrate the brake lever with the motor controller. Even on the ones you mention, that integrate the brake and motor controller, it’s still possible to come to a stop, release the brake lever, and then take off unintentionally into cross traffic because you were holding the throttle open the entire time. It’s a bad interface. Total agreement on the other part but the inju…

Huh. I wonder if this was an early model thing. My 2020 Rad has a throttle disconnect on both brakes and the rad parts and instructions for those parts include the brake sensor. The brake handle sensor on mine also operates a brake light. On the mechanical disc brake rad that I have they even go so far as to disable the brake lever adjustment by putting a warning sticker over it to ensure that you don’t adjust it out of range of the limit switch.

https://support.radpowerbikes.com/hc/en-us/articles/44061799...

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#199

Post by dghlsakjg »

CubsFan1060 wrote: post #154
dghlsakjg wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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-...

True. There are a few models of hardware that allow it with a special front freewheel attachment, but generally speaking mid drive bikes are 1. Vastly More expensive 2. Almost never have a throttle only mode.

Re: Electric bike, stupid love of my life

#200

Post by sleepybrett »

SmellTheGlove wrote: post #185
sleepybrett wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in ballard and my company has an office downtown. Two weeks back I needed to go in for a day as my home internet was down and decided to take my cargo ebike (it's been lovely out). I'm not sure I'd want to commute on a cargo bike every day, but it was a great ride, both ways, along the ship canal trail. (Little detour on the way home down to figurehead brewing to hit up the midnite ramen truck for dinner)

The little detours make ebike commuting fun! Out of curiosity did you cross the canal at the Ballard Bridge or somewhere else? I haven’t crossed that bridge yet because I really don’t want to ride on 15th.

I take the ballard bridge and it's one of the shittier parts of the commute, I'm considering swapping to the fremont route. I don't really ride on 15th. I live in old ballard so I just swing down though russel/tallman and onto 17th and then just take the the ballard way sidewalk to the ballard bridge entrance. The pedestrian path on either side is rideable as long as there is no-one else around, you may be reduced to walking your bike though. So yeah I'd avoid 15th proper and just take a side street down to ballard ave.

That said the ramen truck would be quite a detour if I took the fremont bridge as it's in interbay near fishermen's terminal.

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