Hmmm. Did they talk to any actual #ebike riders for this article? Mine is not top of the line, but it's also not much different from a regular bike. Only difference is I can make it up hills without dying. And slowing down / going slower is super easy. https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/e-bike-safety-how-to-train-people-to-use-electronic-bikes.html
I guess my problem is that articles like this push the " #ebikes are more like motorbikes/scooters than manual bikes" which just isn't true. If I don't pedal, I don't go.
That's why more and more I'm referring to mine as "a bike with electric assist" rather than an #ebike .
@hfrazey
I love my ebike*, which is pedal-assist and throttle. I think the throttle is what hooked me for city riding because it helps with the loss of momentum that discourages riders from obeying 🚥 & 🛑.
*My ebike is currently on my needs-replacing list for reasons but I would want the same feature combo in a replacement.
@stelepami yes the throttle helps so much! Mine has both too
@hfrazey
I feel like the safety benefits of being encouraged to obey stops has to outweigh some of the risk of supposedly-going-faster. And yeah, I'm still nowhere near the speed of some of those Greenway spandex suits!
@hfrazey Some cities in Germany are building "bike highways" to help with the speed problems, bike paths along relatively direct routes on which regular pedestrians are disallowed and you're allowed to drive much faster than on the regular lanes
@elomatreb that would be awesome! I would get run over by physically fit riders though, even if I turned my assist up to five 😜
@hfrazey tweets like this one don't help their cause: https://twitter.com/LdnOntBikeCafe/status/990964880126758912
One time I was road riding on our Greenway and pushing hard (20+ mph), and a woman ahead of me was keeping out of reach on a regular-looking ebike. Definitely not pedaling.
I want more people to get out and ride, but...you know?
@mattbk anything that gets people out of their cars is a good thing IMO
@hfrazey what really gets me is the author acts as if people don’t drive recklessly in cars that easily go much faster with less ability to see the road.
Plus, infrastructure in the US is fundamentally broken.
ALSO. The ebikes described in this article are basically mopeds. There are three classes of ebike, and I can understand the desire for caution in non pedal-assist models. But... UGH
@deathmlem You nailed it much better than I did!!
@hfrazey lol, no prob. Stuff like this really boils my potato. I can’t wait to get an e-cargo bike and live my dream of going to the hardware store without using the bus
@deathmlem I love my ebike. It has made bike riding possible for me in my hilly neighborhood!
and even when I push it, I am still getting passed by dozens of other riders on non-ebikes lol. #ebike