Originally Posted by
linberl
I wonder if ebikes will appeal to milennials, though. My son has never had a car, bikes everywhere, and would not use an ebike. Part of the appeal to him is the ability to eat any darned thing he wants in any quantity because he rides so many miles. And drink beer, lots of beer, lol. Of course milennials are probably not a big target for folding bikes, either. E bikes definitely appeal to the older crowd, which typically has more disposable income. I see lots of people on ebikes where I live but I don't think one has been in their twenties and few in their thirties. Maybe that's not true everywhere, though, but I suspect regular bikes will be around because....youth.
Lightweight ebike make great sense as a urban transportation, which has been the main role of folder bikes for years. I recently saw a $300 electric kickboard with 25km/h top speed and +20km range that weighs as little as 8kg (it folds too). Except for the fitness benefit, those ebikes are much more practical than expensive (and mostly much heavy) folding bikes.
And road bikes and MTBs are less affected because they are more about fun and fitness than transportation method.