BikeArkansas

I named this before. The mayor of North Little Rock (the town with the best bike paths) was asked about electric bikes. He said "no motorized vehicles" MEANS no motorized vehicles. No one left not knowing what he meant.

There is your one area. However, what is a "legal" e-bike? An electric motor is an electric motor, right?

rossiny

Well maybe they need to be called "electracycles" then. It still would be better than more cars.

shelbyfv

I'd be happy to see more folks riding ebikes instead of driving. Seems like a good way for people to enjoy being outside. I remain unconvinced that they have much relevance to cycling.

Cyclcist11023131

It took me three years to raise my avg speed to 20.1 mph. I crashed few times, learned what I could and couldn’t do. I learned how to brake under different conditions. My ass turned to steel. My body changed. I learned how to avoid going over the handle bars. When to go fast and when to slow down. My bike is 18 pounds, light and agile, I can ride out of most problems. E-bike are getting lighter but most still weigh over 50 pounds, even more fully loaded down like many are. Many are new riders. Most have no idea when to slow down, just barreling through crowds and dangerous areas. Many are talking on their phones. Because they can. I’m friendly with most and have tried to ride with people on e-bikes. They speed up and get in front of you and then let up and slow down in front of you. This robs your momentum. Then they hit the throttle and take off. I don’t know if this is lack of skill or if those bikes either speed up or slow down with no way to just cruise. Baskets, panniers, fishing rods, boxes strapped to their sides, full throttle thru the crowded sidewalks of Newport Beach will probably last until somebody dies. It won’t be long. I’m sure most e-bike riders are wonderful people, and like anywhere, the A- holes stand out. It’s just these Holes can do so much damage. Soon there will be lightweight, 100 hp electric motorcycles with real tires and adequate brakes. I think they would be a blast. On the street.

ironwood

Sorry to hear about your condition, and I hope you can manage it reasonably well in the coming years.

When I read your post I thought you were saying that because you were getting close to sixty, you were getting old. Now there is a clearer explanation.

Good luck.

350htrr

Right... BUT... are you saying that all E-Bikes are the same because they all have motors, and my E-Assist (No 3, 350 watts) is the same as the other two E-Bike types, (1 & 2, 750 watts).? All are legal in the USA basically.

350htrr

People can put up signs that can say anything, if the law says different and allows E-Bikes to be considered regular bicycles in that area, then E-Bikes can go there, the law WILL prevail... Sometimes somebody just has to test it.

rydabent

So you are saying that someone that is infirm or rather old say 85 are lazy, because they might need a little help on hills?

rydabent

Looks like out and out discrimination to me.

rydabent

Looks like now you can transfer your discontent to those that ride e-bikes.

rydabent

Hmmmmmm did I miss the election for the people that dictate what a cyclist can and cannot ride******************************

350htrr

Some federal laws trump state laws some state laws trump local laws some local laws can be challenged...

350htrr

As I said depending on where you live you basically are allowed to ride an E-Bike wherever you are allowed to ride a bicycle... This is actually about the only law I know of, so what can happen in other places I have no knowledge. https://www.bikeforums.net/attachmen...1&d=1514859906

BikeArkansas

All the trails in my home town have signs that say,"No Motorized Vehicles". Bicycles and trikes (me and only a couple more), ride the trails regularly. Electric motor bicycles and trikes are not allowed. It makes no difference what name you put on them, E-assist, E-bike or whatever, they are not allowed on the trails here. They can be ridden on the streets. Since we have a very low crime city, the police have some time to check on the trails and do a good job of keeping mopeds and electric bikes off these trails.

Biker395 

I'm sorry, but I've heard that argument too. It's nonsense.

Adding gears to a 1 speed motorcycle doesn't change the essence of what it is ... it is a motor driven vehicle.

Adding gear to a 1 speed bicycle doesn't change the essence of what it is ... a human powered vehicle.

But it does illustrate one point. If pedaling is difficult for you, it is always possible to get lower gears instead of resorting to a motor. The reason for going to the motor is to get higher speeds without the effort required to do that under human power.

As people have stated (and repeatedly), no one begrudges someone who needs a motor-assisted bike from having one. They have their place and their benefits. But ebikes are fundamentally different than a standard bicycle in one huge respect ... they are driven by a motor (albeit with an sophisticated throttling system).

As for where ebikes are permitted and where they are not, my experience on bike paths and the like for some 35 years tells me this: There is virtually NO enforcement of any laws whatsoever on the bike paths. Human powered vehicles are self regulating in terms of speed ... motorized vehicles are not. And that is why they are a Pandora's box.

momsonherbike

Note to TruthBomb -

You need to practice your photoshopping skills. Seriously.

Wouldn't hurt to lighten up on the hate a little bit either so that you don't feel compelled to post what are obviously photoshopped signs in an attempt to make them look real.

Telkwa

To The Original Poster -
I read the first coupla pages before skipping to the end. I'm approaching 62. Same thing here - body (and mind) not performing as expected.

I grew up on bicycles, but have since gone through long dry spells. My wife and I talked about it for months, and finally bought two pedelecs a coupla weeks ago. Knowing full well this was a big gamble on how much they'd even get used.

There's an old logging road on our property. 30 years ago I tried and failed to pedal up to the top with a mtn. bike. Too steep and long.

This time of the year, the road is covered with slimy leaves and half-rotten branches blown out of the trees, making it vastly more tricky than summer. I pedeleced up to the top while talking with a high school buddy on my phone. He asked what was wrong as I got close to the top cause I was starting to huff & puff. Lived here 40 years, never pedaled a bike to the top before.

Yes, yes, there are places that are legally closed to e-bikes, but for the older person who can't ride like a teenager anymore e-bikes open up more possibilities than they shut down. I mean, really, I'd like to think that I'm gonna go tear up the singletrack but it's probably not gonna happen...

Don't let people with their own agendas dissuade you. Life is too short. If you can afford to, treat yourself.

BTW, I bought a Haibike SDURO Hard Nine 1.0. Medium frame. I would have been curious to try the Large frame but they didn't have one. The SDURO is the cheapest line of Haibike pedelecs. The XDURO's come with Bosch motors, better components, etc.

Maelochs

Don't know about the body but the mind seems to work.

unterhausen

It's not as easy for me to get into shape as it has in the past. And I discovered a few years back that I like to ride even if I'm not going fast. Which lead to me getting much slower. And weight is an issue. Now that I'm trying to get faster again, it has been a struggle. I am not yet 60, so I don't think my goals will really be an issue, I just need to work harder to get to them. I know a lot of 70 year olds that are faster than me. I expect to be faster when I'm 70 than I am now. I expect to be suffering from dementia at 85, so that is something to look forward to.


I have wanted an ebike for a while for commuting. A lot of why I ride a bike for enjoyment is riding the bike, so I doubt I will be out cruising around on it for fun very often. But errands and commuting it would be ideal for me. It's over 100ft/ mile of climbing for me on my commute, that's not an easy ride. One of the fastest cyclists (under his own power) I know rides one on his commute, he loves it. I was looking at a Bafang mid drive unit, there is an extreme version of it for $250 (30%) more, I probably will get that even though it's not technically street legal. I am always very considerate of pedestrians and other road users, so I will only use the extra power for good, not evil.

I think my wife would really like an ebike. She likes to go biking at the shore, where it's flat. But she won't ride around here. Not sure it's worth the investment. I keep hoping that one of the lines of bikes that my LBS carries will have an ebike suitable for her. They dropped Trek because of corporate shenanigans, so that is unfortunate.

I think the problem that many cyclists have with the idea of ebikers is mostly theoretical. A lot of the people that will be riding ebikes in the future will be unconcerned about the reputation of cyclists as a whole. So it could be an issue for us. Counterbalancing that is that the more people that ride bikes, the better, even though they aren't like us.

Maelochs

They all say that, in the beginning.

Classtime 

[QUOTE=Telkwa;20128734]To The Original Poster -
I read the first coupla pages before skipping to the end. I'm approaching 62.

There's an old logging road on our property. 30 years ago I tried and failed to pedal up to the top with a mtn. bike. Too steep and long...I pedeleced up to the top while talking with a high school buddy on my phone. Lived here 40 years, never pedaled a bike to the top before.

Are you saying that you should have gotten an electric bicycle 30 years ago and you would have had more fun in your life. Hey Zeus! I'm taking a few minutes several days a week and doing lunges so I can one day keep up with the other 60 year olds on group rides, and you guys are giving up. Just take those motor bikes out on the road and keep them off the MUPs and out of the bike lanes. (I'd get a motor bike, but my wife said long ago that she would divorce me if I ever got one.)

350htrr

I think It's the motor that most people have a problem with...

I have a problem with how it's applied (throttles) and thus can be misused...

I have had my E-Assist bicycle for 6 years and think it's great, makes the rides more fun and 35% assist on level 1 makes it a 65% pedaling effort on my part on small hills or going into the wind, and I quite often don't even use it on level ground, or I am pedaling 100% under my own power as the assist shuts off at 32Km/Hr and I go faster than that...

Garfield Cat

What about those road bikes equipped with the hidden electric motor? The one's that are used in road bike races?

They aren't e-bikes, are they?

Trsnrtr

I’m 66 but usually an early adopter of technology. I was on Strava when it was in beta, use eTap on one of my bikes (installed this week) and have 11 speed on two more. Went to SIS in '86 and my riding buddies thought I was nuts. Bought a smartphone back when they weren’t all that smart.

New stuff? Bring it on.

TimothyH

I agree, not with the photoshopped part but with lightening up.

@TruthBomb, I'm not sure you understand how calling people confused and calling into question the reading comprehension of anyone who disagrees with you comes across. It is highly insulting and quite frankly, in very poor taste.

It's just that your posts read as if you might be a very angry person or even a mean person. As is typical with internet forums, that probably isn't the case in real life. Many of us would be glad to have conversations but are hesitant because we simply don't feel like being told we are confused or can't read.

I don't hate you and don't wish you any ill but am speaking as one of many who feel this way.


-Tim-