Bike Forums - Why The Trashing of E-Bikes

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- - Why The Trashing of E-Bikes (https://www.bikeforums.net/electric-bikes/428809-why-trashing-e-bikes.html)

aw, that is so sweet!

Can someone enlighten me how a forum on e-bikes has spent 90% of its time discussing e-scooters? Surely the name of the 2 things gives the answer to the endless discussion! Another gripe is the universal description of e-bikes as powered cycles , there are undoubtedly non-pedal powered cycles but surely what this forum is discussing are pedal assist cycles ie.pedelecs am i missing something here ? or lost the plot? ps i ride a Panasonic drive unit powered BH E-motion weighing 50lbs. range 45 miles charge time about 1 hour and rides nicely if unassisted ie i am not stuck if battery gives out Al

Quote:

Originally Posted by riva (Post 8024974)

In terms of carbon footprint and displacement of pollution- Who gives a crap. Anything that weighs 1/20 of a car is going to have a smaller footprint, whether its pedal powered or electrified. No matter where the energy comes from. Half the battle to get people to move eco will be getting them out of the mindset that they need to haul around 4000 pounds of vehicle everywhere they go. Nevermind what kind of engine technology they use to do it. Anybody on two wheels is doing well as far as this goes. Even a Harley's mileage is on par with the best of the cars out there.

Sure, if mileage is your only criteria but gasoline powered mopeds with two stroke engines are notoriously nasty polluters as any one who has spent time most large cities in Asia can testify. See this article about Shanghai Electric is the way to go and don't forget noise pollution. So, I would rather someone drives an electric car than a two-stroke moped.

hey ako, good point

btw what does you username mean :-)) i'm gonna go google it

Quote:

Originally Posted by chainstrainer (Post 7996013)

Apologies up front for not reading through 104 posts but I wanted to chime in on the OP's inquiry anyway. I think electric scooters, e-bikes and pedelecs are all varying degrees of two wheeled transportation. Pedelecs (electric-assist bicycles that require pedaling effort) are closest to what bicycles are intended to embody in that human physical effort is the key to propulsion and not the battery. Pedelec bikes are primarily driven by human-power that can be augmented by electric power to extend the effectiveness of bicycle transport for certain rider conditions. The best designs of this type are viable bikes - that is to say they are not so unwieldy or otherwise encumbered that they can't be solely pedaled if necessary. I think the less a design depends on the rider to move, the less identifiable it may viewed as a bicycle by cyclists, and the more likely it is to be "trashed".

Some great points (including my apology for not reading all 124 posts).

To add to the discussion... I tried an Ontario qualifying 'e-bike'. It was basically an electric scooter with pedals that were more for show that function... at ~120-140rpm I was doing about 12-15 kph (and, I'm sure, I was also amusing anyone who was watching). To qualify as an e-bike in Ontario top speed can't exceed 32 kph and there are limits to power as well... I would not want to ride this thing on a MUP (and definitely not a sidewalk) for safety reasons but after my experience I most certainly would not want to ride it on any street other than a residential-type road... why?

It's way too slow... I can out accelerate and outpace this thing with the greatest of ease on my heavy loaded touring bike.

Because it looks like a scooter, drivers expect you to be able to keep up with traffic... they don't drive in your vicinity as if you're a cyclist, they drive as if you're a motorcyclist. (Maybe with a decade or two of education drivers will 'get it' but I'm not holding my breath).

I have logged 6000 km here in the Toronto (and North of Toronto) area on my touring bike -- I don't always like riding on the busier streets but I have never had massive fear for my life or well-being. One short trip to the local Shopper's Drug Mart to get a prescription (using the e-scooter) was absolutely terrifying.

I'd like to check-out BioniX or the Coppenhagen wheel, because as a 212lb rider hills and even headwinds are my worst enemy... if I had a little boost at times like that, it would be very nice.

If I lived in a small town the e-scooter might be more attractive for short trips to the grocer, pharmacy, library, etc... but as a city-dweller you can count me out. Now a BioniX on the other hand... I'd certainly like to try one out.

I find that black people are the most accepting of my e-bike. Most of them want one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autoworker (Post 6871288)

I think "scared" is not quite what I'm feeling when I see you guys on your e-scoots.

http://snaposhawa.com/display/20494/255/

some one going past you on a harley will probably think the same about you. its all relative , its the playground dont join that gang join ours mentality.
grow up!it seems to be happening on a lot of forums, infighting because onegroup determines they are the true path and all others are sinners. whats next being better because you wear cool sunglasses?

wait a minute i'd better check my spelling. oh f--k it, sorry miss

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIBLA53 (Post 10149470)

that means i'm probably ineligable to call myself an ebike rider then. i have an " inferior" hub 750w motor, with "inferior" sla batteries in an " inferior" fully sprung mtb. and if it ever runs out of batteries, at 62y, i could certainly not peddal it home exept dowhill. does this mean i have to swap my badge to scooter rider?

I like your point, Caribou, regarding how motorists perceive a scooter-like ebike vs a bike looking ebike.

This happens a lot: I'm going down Shaw (Toronto) at maximum allowed speed of 40 kmph on my bike (I know what you're going to say but bear with me)

A tailgating car is honking at me.

Where am I? I'm on the only lane going in this direction.

Am I taking up the entire lane? Yes, it's a narrow road and there are cars parked on the right. And once the lane got wider, a skateboarder was off to my right ahead of me.

Can the motoris see me and the foreign objects? I assume so, since he's right behind me and his windshield seems to be clean.

There are other not so obvious reason why a bike may be taking up the entire lane: potholes, slower moving objects, parked cars etc...

Had I been a motorcycle doing the same speed, no problem.

I'm not making up these rules... apparently motorists get their licence once they pass tests which cover this material. Cyclists should be familiar with these rules/tips as well before taking to the road... I know first hand and I hope to blog about it some more on a lighter note in the future. :thumb:

Thank you for reading :D