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E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

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Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#31

Post by panzerboy »

wongarsu wrote: post #23
sp332 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are Belgians really doing 28 MPH on a regular basis?

I think ebikes are limited to 25km/h (15mph) across the EU. That's a speed a commuter might reach on a regular bike on flat terrain, the motor just helps making it effortless and terrain-independent. It's still advisable to wear a helmet since cars drive faster than that.

There are eBikes which can go up to 45km/h. For those wearing a helmet is mandatory. They also have number plates and you have to have a dedicated insurance.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#32

Post by retrovm »

Pigo wrote: post #25
intc wrote: post #7

Hmm. What about a regular bike which one moves with muscle power? Had a nice ~85 km afternoon loop today. =)

You're talking to people who sit in front of computers most of the day, lol

I have a suspicion that our industry harbors an above-average number of bicyclists.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#33

Post by Japhy_Ryder »

retrovm wrote: post #22
nkingsy wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure with a 250w ebike and no cars go nuts. I have a 1500w motor and share a road with semi trucks

You're welcome to wear whatever you want while riding your illegal whatever-you-call-it. Don't scold the rest of us.

You seem very defensive in your position of advocating people be less safe on their bikes. Quite odd. Anyway, good day. "There is good evidence that bicycle helmets are effective in reducing head and facial injury in the event of a crash [...]" [0]

0. Ivers R. Systematic reviews of bicycle helmet research. Inj Prev. 2007;13(3):190. doi:10.1136/ip.2007.015966 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598379/

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#34

Post by CydeWeys »

nkingsy wrote: post #19
retrovm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Helmets are for sports. Ebikes have a ~50% market share in Belgium where approximately nobody wears a helmet ever. It's really not an issue.

Sure with a 250w ebike and no cars go nuts. I have a 1500w motor and share a road with semi trucks

The helmet isn't going to protect you from semis, unfortunately. Here in NYC most cyclist deaths are caused by being run over by larger vehicles, which can easily be fatal even at slow speeds regardless of whether you're wearing a helmet or not. No helmet is going to support the weight of a truck.

Now I do wear a bike helmet when biking for other reasons, but I give trucks wide leeway.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#35

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

retrovm wrote: post #10
nkingsy wrote: post #6

I ebike 20 miles for work every day and live it. I don’t use my ebike for small errands because it’s too easy to just rip expensive stuff off of it while locked up. Also, the picture shows a rider with no helmet which is insane. I wear a motorcycle helmet and leathers. The speed limit for ebikes on roads in CA is 28, which is deadly with even a normal bike helmet. Finally the article says that the new models are ligh…

Helmets are for sports. Ebikes have a ~50% market share in Belgium where approximately nobody wears a helmet ever. It's really not an issue.

Helmets are for any activity that has an impact risk to your head which includes cycling not just sports.

I live in Austria where few cyclists wear helmets yet my girlfriend who works in the local hospital sees patients coming in with serious head injuries on a daily basis from biking accidents that could have easily been prevented by wearing a helmet. Since then we both wear our helmets religiously.

You don't even have to get hit by a car. An unfortunate collision with a texting pedestrian, some dog on a leash jumping in front of you or another cyclist could be enough to smack your melon on the asphalt.

Just because you hear Europeans aren't wearing helmets doesn't mean it's the model to follow. I see wearing a helmet the same as wearing a seatbelt. Sure I never needed it since I never had an accident and it feels slightly uncomfortable but I know it could save my life.

It's up to you how much you value your head.

I highly doubt ebikes have a 50% share in Belgium. Do you have any references on that claim? Last year I visited Belgium's 4 major cities and almost every cyclist I saw was on some old half broken bicycle.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#36

Post by bambax »

nkingsy wrote: post #6

I ebike 20 miles for work every day and live it. I don’t use my ebike for small errands because it’s too easy to just rip expensive stuff off of it while locked up. Also, the picture shows a rider with no helmet which is insane. I wear a motorcycle helmet and leathers. The speed limit for ebikes on roads in CA is 28, which is deadly with even a normal bike helmet. Finally the article says that the new models are ligh…

I built myself an ebike with a Bafang BBS02 18 months ago, and use it constantly. The main problems are:

- No safe parking anywhere. So far so good but it's only a matter of time before my bike gets stolen.

- Range. Much too short (less than 40km in my experience).

Yet, it's fantastic. It changed my life. It almost totally replaced my motorbike for every trip except the longest ones (I live in Paris so most trips are short).

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#37

Post by AJ007 »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #35
retrovm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Helmets are for sports. Ebikes have a ~50% market share in Belgium where approximately nobody wears a helmet ever. It's really not an issue.

Helmets are for any activity that has an impact risk to your head which includes cycling not just sports. I live in Austria where few cyclists wear helmets yet my girlfriend who works in the local hospital sees patients coming in with serious head injuries on a daily basis from biking accidents that could have easily been prevented by wearing a helmet. Since then we both wear our helmets religiously. You don't even h…

Does anyone have head injury statistics? I know falls are a major cause of preventable death in the US, but I don’t even know how those break down between someone on a bike vs an old person falling over.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#38

Post by nkingsy »

josefresco wrote: post #12
nkingsy wrote: post #6

I ebike 20 miles for work every day and live it. I don’t use my ebike for small errands because it’s too easy to just rip expensive stuff off of it while locked up. Also, the picture shows a rider with no helmet which is insane. I wear a motorcycle helmet and leathers. The speed limit for ebikes on roads in CA is 28, which is deadly with even a normal bike helmet. Finally the article says that the new models are ligh…

Link for those interested (as was I): https://www.bafangusadirect.com

Em3ev and Luna are the name brands if you’re buying it with a battery (nice since it will be wired up for you).

Chargers are a pain since you want an 80-20 charge cycle.

The name brands have options for this and you know what battery cells you’re getting.

I used the meanwell hlg 54a to make my own chargers. They are the best value and ul listed if you don’t mind doing your own connections and have a voltage meter

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#39

Post by Pigo »

retrovm wrote: post #32
Pigo wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're talking to people who sit in front of computers most of the day, lol

I have a suspicion that our industry harbors an above-average number of bicyclists.

I agree. I was just joking. I've been enjoying biking more the past year especially. There's some really great bikes these days.

Re: E-bikes could be the electric revolution cities need

#40

Post by tentboy »

jdavis703 wrote: post #28
retrovm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Helmets are for sports. Ebikes have a ~50% market share in Belgium where approximately nobody wears a helmet ever. It's really not an issue.

Yes and there’s an analogy here between car commuters and car racers. We don’t expect “normal” car drivers to wear helmets. But professional racers absolutely wear helmets. Even in the case of commuters, a helmet could save your life in an accident. For any drivers who thinks bike commuters need helmets, I would encourage you to also get car helmets for you and your loved ones: https://www.amazon.com/RaceQuip-253116-…

This is a terrible argument it is not a one to one comparison.

If you are shunted in the rear on the way to work in your car you might have a inconvenient morning and an insurance claim. If the same thing happens on your bike you could quite literally die from a head injury.

I skated for a long time and didn't wear a helmet because of comfort/looks. I've become a bit more wise since and won't share the road with cars without my helmet when I'm cycling

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