An open letter from an e-bike commuter
 

Calm down, bros.

This bike does 28mph and people are seriously freaking out when I pass them. Yes, I’m cheating. Yes, a pedal-assist bike is legal on the bike paths (here anyways). It’s nothing against you personally. You are faster than me on a regular bike. I’m just a guy with a long crappy commute trying to get back and forth as quickly and safely as possible. There will probably be more of us.

I can drive but the freeways are an absolute nightmare at rush hour. My commute is 18 miles each way and e-biking only takes about 30 minutes longer total plus I’m getting some great exercise. One less car and all that.

Here are a of couple of examples:

I passed a few guys in a group. This was a clean pass on a MUP with no oncoming traffic. One of the guys sprints after me, takes a look at my bike and starts yelling things like “that’s an electric bike! you’re cheating! buy a motorcycle if you can’t handle it!’ I slowed down and tried to have a civil conversation but he was just ranting so I continued on.

I passed a guy on the same MUP. A little bit later I slowed down for an intersection and he passes me back, which is fine. We’re going 26mph, which is my normal cruising speed for about a mile and he starts running out of steam so I pass him back and I’m gone. I don’t know if he was mad or just using me as a training tool (which is fine). If I see him again maybe I’ll try to have a chat with him.

Thanks for reading :)

This reminds me of the guy who dialed it up to 400W and droped the hamer - just ignore people like that. Smile and nod, maybe even a slight wave, then move on.

I think it is a great idea. As long as it is out in the open, why should anyone get their bib in a bunch.

Frankly I see the e-bike as a great tool for keeping up with your faster friends. Why shouldn't you ride with them at your top output, but their faster speed. It's just like golf. Using the handicap allows folks of dissimilar ability to enjoy the sport together.

Don't do 28 on the bike path. Doesn't matter what kind of bike you have. Pedestrians.

E-bikes are all good with me. People get all worked up over all kinds of crazy stuff. I think a lot of guys and gals around here are very competitive when people pass them. I'm mostly a commuter/utilitarian rider (strictly ride vintage bikes, I don't ride recreationally very much, don't wear cycling gear and often carry a bag or pannier of some sort) and once passed a lady and dude in full on bike gear on race bikes. I think I was going like 17 mph with one pannier with some light groceries and frankly was surprised I passed them. At the next light I heard them behind me. I'm quick off the line and jumped out pretty good when the light changed but I heard them coming behind me. They ended up passing me and I kinda chuckled at the whole thing because I wasn't rushing along trying to pass them (felt good though!) but they obviously felt they HAD to pass me. People are just as crazy whether they're driving a car or riding a bike. I just try to ignore them though sometimes people are just a-holes and it's hard. In those cases, pedal harder :thumb:

There's truth to this too. Going 26 on a MUP is not safe for anyone. If you passed me going that fast I might yell at you too.

28 mph ebike on the MUP is illegal in most states, including Oregon as far as I can tell (limited to 20 mph ebikes). Most MUPs have a much lower speed limit, 12-15 MPH regardless.

Wuss :mad:

Just kidding, I don't care if anyone has a motor on their bike.

A few years ago someone came into a Burger King where I'd stopped and accused me of having a motor in my tail box. I thought it was hilarious at the time, and I told him you know, that sounds like a pretty good idea.

wait how do you get exercise when the bike does all the pedaling for you?

the max speed in my state for an e bike is 20 mph

I realize that every MUP is different, but 28mph? Huh.

I wouldn't give a damn if you passed me on a road with a striped bike lane but the local MUPs are another matter. Most are not wide enough for you to give me a couple of feet (same as a vehicle doing 25 mph or faster), many have fences along the path, and due to water conservation many have stones lining the path so there is no place to bail out. If you are traveling at 28 mph you are going at 41 feet per second and that does not give you or anyone else the time to react to a problem.

If you expected sympathy, you will not get it from me.

Yeah Bro. Complain to people, about people complaining about you. Very Brolicous

Things may be different where the OP lives but in the state of Georgia, the electric motor must disengage at 20 MPH. To be an e-bike, the motor must be incapable of propelling the bike at no more than 20 MPH.

If you are doing 28 MPH under power of the motor then it is a moped and should not be on the path.

If you are going 30 MPH under power of the motor then it is a motorcycle and you need license, registration, insurance and everything else a motorcycle needs.

Riding a motor vehicle on the path where I ride is a $1000 fine.



-Tim-

Seems to me that an e-bike, which has a battery driving an electric motor, would be illegal on MUP's that typically have "No Motorized Vehicle" signs. I'm pretty sure the paths in NYC that I ride are like that.

I'm seeing motor scooters on these paths. At some point folks will find it's OK to use an e-bike, then the scooter folks see that and say "hey, it's faster then being on a highway". Then the motocysles see that, etc.....

As far as I'm concerned you should keep the **** off of the paths.

At least offer to motor pace.

+1

Get on the road if you're going to do that kind of speed.

Yeah, 28 mph is both grossly inappropriate and illegal on most MUPs

If you're cruising at 28mph, you're a much better fit, for your safety, and the safety of others on the road.

Successful troll is successful troll

I would. Just as a matter of pride, I'd grab your wheel, draft, recover, then sprint out site. ( and turn off before I settle back I and get caught).

Some things just can't be tolerated.

And this is why there is some other place for ebike threads....

You're complaining about someone complaining about people complaining to them? Where will it end?

Just make sure you flag your e-bike rides as such in Strava ;)

Geoff

I strictly a "NO HARM, NO FOUL" person, so as long as you didn't cause me any grief, I wouldn't care what you ride or where. This goes triple, since you're 3,000 miles away.

To clarify, the OP said the bike was capable of 28 mph, he didn't say he passed at 28 mph. It could have been at 20 mph, or much slower, on the MUP. But then again, passing a group on a MUP even at 20 mph seems pretty dangerous too.

But like others have said, 28 mph max speed seems high for an ebike. I think most of ebikes I've seen the motor cuts out at 20 mph.

I think ebikes are great for long commutes, and if I had one that was 18 miles one-way I'd totally consider getting one, because that's a long time to spend getting to work and back.

I was once passed by a large gentleman on an ebike on the middle of a hill, on a bike lane, like I was standing still. I didn't feel the impulse to yell at him. I was think, man, that's cool!