What do you think about e-bikes?
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For anyone looking to buy, I have 2 pieces of advice (coming from my mom and bf who have/had electric assist bikes):
1) Do it! They are great!
2) You are paying for a relationship with the bike shop as much as you are paying for the bike. Think of that when considering price and where you buy it. Brakes, cables, etc. can be serviced by any bike mechanic. But, you'll need to update the firmware and replace the battery eventually on an ebike and only shops familiar with your make and model can help you with that.
As far as paths go...it seems like enforcing a speed limit for all bikes would make more sense. I can easily pass most ebikes when going downhill on my bike. I am all for outlawing combustion engines on paths, trails, sidewalks, etc. But I vote to allow electric motors, specifically because of the booming aging population and the subsequent eventual boom in power chairs, mobility scooters, etc. I would hate to exclude this huge and growing population from using these paths. Also, where I live hoverboards, segways, and electric skateboards are popular, and it is weird when this population uses the road.4 -
I am a candidate because of my knees. I feel like I am stuck doing short loops because I have had a couple of bad experiences with a knee acting up causing me to have to do a painful return trip. It's degenerative arthritis and I can't really get better. Because it might happen, I have trouble keeping up if I ride in a group (a recreational group). The harder/faster I pedal, the more likely I am to go gimpy. I want to pedal and be assisted unless one of the knees complains a little too loud and then I want to be able to turn around and get back without having to exert much, if any, force with my own power.
Here in NC, if they go 20 or less they are treated like any other bike. The group I would like to ride with stays under 15.1 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »Do they make noise above that of a human-powered bicycle?
Mine doesn't. Very quiet.0 -
I have had mine for a little over a month and have put 400 miles on it. I commute to work about 18 miles roundtrip. It's so much fun!
I ride a RadPower City bike. It maxes out at 20 mph, which I have only hit a few times. I move along somewhere between 13 and 17 mph on a mixed-use urban trail. Plenty of regular bikes pass me every day, and I pass some as well. I am posing no additional hazard to anyone.
I certainly get some exercise as I keep it on the lowest power assist mode except on hills, when I generally use level 2 assist (2 out of a possible 5 levels). I also make regular use of the throttle to get a good (and easy) start after stopping at an intersection. I use my level 5 power assist only on really, really steep hills.
Some naysayers have insisted it isn't a bike, or that I'm not really getting much exercise, or that I'm dangerous. Well, I'm certainly getting more exercise than I'd get in the car. (I get my heart rate up and get a little sweaty and out of breath.) And I'm not going faster than many of the bikes already out there.
I've seen so many beautiful sunrises, ridden through the fall leaves, seen the city skyline, the lake, and the canal every day, and gotten some good exercise. I haven't even minded the rain. It just feels great to be outside and moving.
It's the best thing I've bought in a long, long time.
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Our multiple use trails are posted at 15 mph, so it doesn't matter how fast a bike (or rider) can go - as long as they don't exceed the posted speed there should be no issue. In bike lanes I would say as long as the rider is obeying traffic and safety rules I don't see a problem. Speaking as a recreational rider who is routinely cut off by arrogant team groups on regular bikes I would say the issues would be due to the rider, not the bike.4
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Should these be allowed on non-motorized trails?0
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Speaking as a recreational rider who is routinely cut off by arrogant team groups on regular bikes I would say the issues would be due to the rider, not the bike.
Yes.I have had mine for a little over a month and have put 400 miles on it. I commute to work about 18 miles roundtrip. It's so much fun!
I ride a RadPower City bike. It maxes out at 20 mph, which I have only hit a few times. I move along somewhere between 13 and 17 mph on a mixed-use urban trail. Plenty of regular bikes pass me every day, and I pass some as well. I am posing no additional hazard to anyone.
I certainly get some exercise as I keep it on the lowest power assist mode except on hills, when I generally use level 2 assist (2 out of a possible 5 levels). I also make regular use of the throttle to get a good (and easy) start after stopping at an intersection. I use my level 5 power assist only on really, really steep hills.
Some naysayers have insisted it isn't a bike, or that I'm not really getting much exercise, or that I'm dangerous. Well, I'm certainly getting more exercise than I'd get in the car. (I get my heart rate up and get a little sweaty and out of breath.) And I'm not going faster than many of the bikes already out there.
I've seen so many beautiful sunrises, ridden through the fall leaves, seen the city skyline, the lake, and the canal every day, and gotten some good exercise. I haven't even minded the rain. It just feels great to be outside and moving.
I'd never really thought about it before (I think I read one article about eBikes in a bicycling magazine that was kind of neutral) and hadn't realized they were a big thing at all, and probably been a bit negative about them (it's fake, why not ride a real bike) UNTIL I read your other thread, which turned me around on them and made me realize they could be really useful and positive. One thing that I hadn't really thought through before was commuting in hilly areas -- I bike commute in Chicago which is, uh, not hilly, to put it mildly, but my parents are just north of Portland in a hilly area and live on top of a huge, long, steep hill (it's basically the mile at the end of any run starting and returning to their house and kicked my kitten last time I did it), and even though I've done a number of hilly rides I really can't imagine bike commuting regularly with that as part of it (the darkness of the area would be a different and separate problem). Your thread made me think through all that and see how helpful the ebike could be.
Personally, as someone who does basic riding in a flat area, I train for hills and have been in decent hill shape from doing that, but downhills that are steep scare me and I tend to take them probably overly slow (on my last hilly trip I was passing most people going up and getting passed going down, and that happened to me in my last triathlon too). So even with an ebike the commuting element would not necessarily be fixed for me, but I understand that's me and my lack of experience. ;-)3 -
One thing that I hadn't really thought through before was commuting in hilly areas -- I bike commute in Chicago which is, uh, not hilly, to put it mildly, but my parents are just north of Portland in a hilly area and live on top of a huge, long, steep hill (it's basically the mile at the end of any run starting and returning to their house and kicked my kitten last time I did it), and even though I've done a number of hilly rides I really can't imagine bike commuting regularly with that as part of it (the darkness of the area would be a different and separate problem). Your thread made me think through all that and see how helpful the ebike could be.
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Here in Seattle it's hard to find a spot that isn't hilly. And quite a few of the hills are HILLS -- really steep. That's why our city has so many nice views. And also why I love my ebike!3 -
This is exactly right!I would say the issues would be due to the rider, not the bike.
It makes no difference whether its someone on electric bike going 20mph being inconsiderate to the people around them, or someone on a traditional bike.
I've ridden a decent lightweight hybrid bike for the past 5 or 6 years but only really for the purposes of going out for a bike ride. I hardly ever used it for transport - mostly because I really struggle on hills and get all sweaty so I don't want to be arriving somewhere like that. Since having an electric bike I've found myself trying to find excuses to go out on it - going to the market in town? Cycle instead of drive. Want to visit that country pub the other side of the hill? Get the bike out. Going to the station? Cylce instead of catching the bus. Anything that encourages us to be more active has got to be a good thing.
The only problem is that last time I was on MFP cycling was my main way of earning extra calories.....not sure I can do that now because whilst I obviously expend some energy, the motor does provide a lot of help.1 -
They are great for the elderly or infirm, so they can get out and excersizing, or people who don't have motorised transport who for whatever reason do not use public to get to work. In the UK they are treated as pedal cycles in a legal sense. For young/healthy people they are not necessarily a good thing, as you dont get the benefit of true cycling.1
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As a young(ish) healthy person who has a car and access to public transport I totally disagree. Which is better? Easy cycling or no cycling? Any exercise is better than no exercise. To be clear, I'm talking about pedal-assist bikes where any effort you put in is magnified by the motor, not "twist & go" throttle ones which you don't have to pedal.thechiopodist wrote: »They are great for the elderly or infirm, so they can get out and excersizing, or people who don't have motorised transport who for whatever reason do not use public to get to work. In the UK they are treated as pedal cycles in a legal sense. For young/healthy people they are not necessarily a good thing, as you dont get the benefit of true cycling.
I think too many people have a limited view of cycling and see it either as a sport you do for exercise, or as a poor-person's transport because they don't have any other option. I suppose I'm closer to the Dutch and Belgian way of thinking about it....its just another transport option, walk, cycle, bus, tram, drive: all are equally good and have their pros and cons.4 -
I have
a scooter. I love it.
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A lot of people in here are saying these are the answer to hills. It's actually a lot of fun to ride hills on your own power.
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NorthCascades wrote: »A lot of people in here are saying these are the answer to hills. It's actually a lot of fun to ride hills on your own power.
I love riding hills on my own power (and I'm actually kind of strong at it)--as long as I get the reward of riding down them afterwards!1 -
I'm a bit of a traditionalist and i don't like them. I try to convince myself to be ok with them in my lane, they are better than cars, i mumble under my breath, but...it's not really taking. I mean, clearly, those who ride them not cyclists, so it's a completely different breed of bike riding crowd, not a fan though. And while wee are at this subject of them being in my lane, what's up with runners in my lane? I can understand if there is nothing else, like no sidewalk. But it there's a beautiful sidewalk on both sides of the road and runner takes a bike lane and won't even move to allow me to stay there too, therefore forcing me out into the traffic with impatient and intolerable and often distracted car drivers? What am i missing here?
*I think my patients is the smallest and thinnest muscle in my body*2 -
I'm a bit of a traditionalist and i don't like them. I try to convince myself to be ok with them in my lane, they are better than cars, i mumble under my breath, but...it's not really taking. I mean, clearly, those who ride them not cyclists, so it's a completely different breed of bike riding crowd, not a fan though. And while wee are at this subject of them being in my lane, what's up with runners in my lane? I can understand if there is nothing else, like no sidewalk. But it there's a beautiful sidewalk on both sides of the road and runner takes a bike lane and won't even move to allow me to stay there too, therefore forcing me out into the traffic with impatient and intolerable and often distracted car drivers? What am i missing here?
*I think my patients is the smallest and thinnest muscle in my body*
I would disagree with idea that all those riding electric bikes aren't cyclists. I agree that anyone who is riding the motor without putting much work into the peddling is essentially riding a moped and shouldn't be riding in the bike lane, but many riders are only using the motor to boost them up hills they wouldn't be able to ride without the help, and if behaving in an appropriate manner in terms of speed and curtesy I don't have any problem sharing the bike lane with them, personally.
When it comes to runners, you're not missing anything, in my opinion! I think many prefer the softer landing of the asphalt over the more unforgiving concrete sidewalks, but yeah, they don't belong in the street when they're forcing cyclests to go around them. I'll run in the street through our empty housing tract, but the minute I get to a busy area it's up on the sidewalk - I've had to go around too many oblivious runners on my bike to inflict that on anyone else. It's especially annoying when cycling on an expressway with "no pedestrians" signage, when there's a parallel path or road to use. Having to duck out of the bike lane on an expressway is plain dangerous and leads to savagely negative thoughts
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I'm a bit of a traditionalist and i don't like them. I try to convince myself to be ok with them in my lane, they are better than cars, i mumble under my breath, but...it's not really taking. I mean, clearly, those who ride them not cyclists, so it's a completely different breed of bike riding crowd, not a fan though. And while wee are at this subject of them being in my lane, what's up with runners in my lane? I can understand if there is nothing else, like no sidewalk. But it there's a beautiful sidewalk on both sides of the road and runner takes a bike lane and won't even move to allow me to stay there too, therefore forcing me out into the traffic with impatient and intolerable and often distracted car drivers? What am i missing here?
*I think my patients is the smallest and thinnest muscle in my body*
I would disagree with idea that all those riding electric bikes aren't cyclists. I agree that anyone who is riding the motor without putting much work into the peddling is essentially riding a moped and shouldn't be riding in the bike lane, but many riders are only using the motor to boost them up hills they wouldn't be able to ride without the help, and if behaving in an appropriate manner in terms of speed and curtesy I don't have any problem sharing the bike lane with them, personally.
Agree with this.
On runners (and I'm more a runner than a cyclist, but do both), I really haven't seen it around here -- not when cycling or when driving. We have good sidewalks, though, so I wonder if maybe it's where the sidewalks are not consistent? Like where my parents live there's one on both sides of the road for a while and then one side ends for a while and then it's on the other side, so you'd be crossing back and forth, potentially (which I did when running around there, since the option was running in the road).
One other possibility, I suppose, is if you are talking about winter. Often I find the biggest impediment to running in the winter is icy sidewalks, NOT the cold. If the bike lanes are cleaned off (as ours often are) and the sidewalks are dangerous, maybe that's why? That said, I wouldn't run in the bike lanes, because I perceive that as dangerous and just not where you are supposed to be. When the sidewalks are icy I go to the path (if it's cleared off) or run indoors.2 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I'm a bit of a traditionalist and i don't like them. I try to convince myself to be ok with them in my lane, they are better than cars, i mumble under my breath, but...it's not really taking. I mean, clearly, those who ride them not cyclists, so it's a completely different breed of bike riding crowd, not a fan though. And while wee are at this subject of them being in my lane, what's up with runners in my lane? I can understand if there is nothing else, like no sidewalk. But it there's a beautiful sidewalk on both sides of the road and runner takes a bike lane and won't even move to allow me to stay there too, therefore forcing me out into the traffic with impatient and intolerable and often distracted car drivers? What am i missing here?
*I think my patients is the smallest and thinnest muscle in my body*
I would disagree with idea that all those riding electric bikes aren't cyclists. I agree that anyone who is riding the motor without putting much work into the peddling is essentially riding a moped and shouldn't be riding in the bike lane, but many riders are only using the motor to boost them up hills they wouldn't be able to ride without the help, and if behaving in an appropriate manner in terms of speed and curtesy I don't have any problem sharing the bike lane with them, personally.
Agree with this.
On runners (and I'm more a runner than a cyclist, but do both), I really haven't seen it around here -- not when cycling or when driving. We have good sidewalks, though, so I wonder if maybe it's where the sidewalks are not consistent? Like where my parents live there's one on both sides of the road for a while and then one side ends for a while and then it's on the other side, so you'd be crossing back and forth, potentially (which I did when running around there, since the option was running in the road).
One other possibility, I suppose, is if you are talking about winter. Often I find the biggest impediment to running in the winter is icy sidewalks, NOT the cold. If the bike lanes are cleaned off (as ours often are) and the sidewalks are dangerous, maybe that's why? That said, I wouldn't run in the bike lanes, because I perceive that as dangerous and just not where you are supposed to be. When the sidewalks are icy I go to the path (if it's cleared off) or run indoors.
I'm in the south, so it's always summer here with a few random cold days, but no ice or snow. Just rude people, I'm guessing and ignorant. As mph323 pointed out, it could be that they are seeking asphalt instead of concrete, idk. Also, everything is pretty flat, where i live. So whoever rides ebikes here doesn't have to deal with a lot of hills, and ebike is no different than a moped. Therefore they shouldn't be in the bike lane0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I'm a bit of a traditionalist and i don't like them. I try to convince myself to be ok with them in my lane, they are better than cars, i mumble under my breath, but...it's not really taking. I mean, clearly, those who ride them not cyclists, so it's a completely different breed of bike riding crowd, not a fan though. And while wee are at this subject of them being in my lane, what's up with runners in my lane? I can understand if there is nothing else, like no sidewalk. But it there's a beautiful sidewalk on both sides of the road and runner takes a bike lane and won't even move to allow me to stay there too, therefore forcing me out into the traffic with impatient and intolerable and often distracted car drivers? What am i missing here?
*I think my patients is the smallest and thinnest muscle in my body*
I would disagree with idea that all those riding electric bikes aren't cyclists. I agree that anyone who is riding the motor without putting much work into the peddling is essentially riding a moped and shouldn't be riding in the bike lane, but many riders are only using the motor to boost them up hills they wouldn't be able to ride without the help, and if behaving in an appropriate manner in terms of speed and curtesy I don't have any problem sharing the bike lane with them, personally.
Agree with this.
On runners (and I'm more a runner than a cyclist, but do both), I really haven't seen it around here -- not when cycling or when driving. We have good sidewalks, though, so I wonder if maybe it's where the sidewalks are not consistent? Like where my parents live there's one on both sides of the road for a while and then one side ends for a while and then it's on the other side, so you'd be crossing back and forth, potentially (which I did when running around there, since the option was running in the road).
One other possibility, I suppose, is if you are talking about winter. Often I find the biggest impediment to running in the winter is icy sidewalks, NOT the cold. If the bike lanes are cleaned off (as ours often are) and the sidewalks are dangerous, maybe that's why? That said, I wouldn't run in the bike lanes, because I perceive that as dangerous and just not where you are supposed to be. When the sidewalks are icy I go to the path (if it's cleared off) or run indoors.
I'm in the south, so it's always summer here with a few random cold days, but no ice or snow. Just rude people, I'm guessing and ignorant. As mph323 pointed out, it could be that they are seeking asphalt instead of concrete, idk. Also, everything is pretty flat, where i live. So whoever rides ebikes here doesn't have to deal with a lot of hills, and ebike is no different than a moped. Therefore they shouldn't be in the bike lane
I live in New England. Not spending a lot of time outside doing anything right now, but I am a runner and a cyclist. The policy in our town is "share the roads"--cars, bikes, and pedestrians/runners--the speed limit on most of the roads is under 40 mph. We have limited sidewalks, but they are not well-maintained (even in the summer time) so I run on the roadside. Additionally we only have sidewalks on one side of the road, so it means making extra crossings (without crosswalks) to get there. Anyways... Runners should be running against traffic while cyclists ride with traffic--the time spent passing should just be a brief moment.0 -
In the UK they are speed regulated to 15mph at which point the assist cuts out.
Untill i lost weight I was struggling with my commute to work and was either going to stop cycling or buy an ebike to make the hills less of a strain on my bad knee.
In the end hummed and hawed about the expense and lost 20kg instead.
Im cycling every day again , but i still have niggling knee problems and at some point will buy one.
That point will be when knee strain makes the cycling uphill parts of my route too painful.
I regularly talk to one gentleman at work who has a worse knee issues who has rediscovered cycling after buying an ebike.
So for the older or infirm, or for Mountainbikers who want the assist for getting uphil - it makes cycling accessible again.2
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