Leisesturm

A few years? You mean a few decades. Unfortunately, in only a couple decades, humanity will have other problems (outlined in other posts) that will make sheer survival the main priority of most humans still living (if you want to call it that). And, as long as I am in buzzkill mode, might I observe that, other than Orca, the toothed whales aren't considered especially communicative. The baleen whales (Humpback, Right, Blue ...) are likely what you were thinking of. You Romantics are going to be the first to go. Not judging, I am more of a Romantic than not. But at least I am not in denial about how this all shakes out ...

brixxton

The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is truly an animal of extremes. They have a complex social structure and a diverse communication system.Sperm whales are animals that form lifelong relationships, that babysit for each other, that have family traditions passed on by grandmothers, that learn a communal dialect, and have different ways of life that resemble our various cultures, some of which coexist in in multicultural societies. They live rich, complex and interesting lives that many of us would be surprise to learn about.

Communicate ? The Dominica Sperm Whale Project

there used to be a T-Shirt with a picture of a whale on a bike with the slogan underneath
'A WOMEN WITHOUT A MAN is like a WHALE WITHOUT A BICYCLE"

I may be a dreamer but my sailboat is ready. I'm taking my first gen Specialized Hard Rock with me and lots of vaseline to coat the bits that rust. I'm looking for something that isn't a small wheeled fold up. Any thoughts?

vespasianus

You are 100% right about that. I just came back from Spain and honestly, everyone was on an e-bike. All the commuters, the delivery guys, everyone was on an bike. Honesty, it is a great thing.

rsbob 

Just about the same in Norway, where I was in Sept. Saw a handful of human powered bikes but the majority of bikes, scooters and cars (85% of all new car sales) were electric.

Doc_Wui

My wife and I started riding ebikes eight years ago when I turned 65. .Both of us casual cyclists, who probably racked up 100 miles in a summer. I thought we would ride more often, and we did. We've averaged 2500 miles each the last three years. Just did a 25 mile ride a few days ago when it turned sunny and hit upper 40's. Not bad for December in Chicago.

I think it keeps us in better shape than no riding at all, The first year I did lose 20 pounds, but haven't improved. My wife has lost quite a bit though, down to what she weighed when I met her.

brixxton

The Ruscombe Gentleman's Steam Bicycle

freeranger

I hope it never sunsets! But the number of motor powered bikes/4 wheelers, etc. that I see the kids riding around our neighborhood has me wondering. Plus the greatly increasing numbers of e-bikes I enounter. I think there will always be those of us who want to rely on pedal power. I do, so long as I can, and at 72 and still feeling good, hoping to pedal for a long time to come. Some hills I used to ride up on the mtn.bike might become a walk up, but so far I haven't met a hill I was unable to walk if needed. The number of kids using other than pedal power has me concerned though.

PeteHski

What are you concerned about exactly?

Chancy

Childhood obesity.

Tailwinds,
Chancy

Leisesturm

Zero percent of American children (and 2% of adult cyclists) ride a standard bicycle enough hours a week to make any measurable difference in their BMI vs using a bike that is e-assisted. If they are a normal weight it is due to diet and/or genetics. Human power will sunset, it is doing so as we speak. Still, with America having the least active cyclists of any country considered 'developed'; how can it possibly matter if even 10% (unlikely, more like 3%) went electric? 10% of 0.5% is still below any threshold of significance.

PeteHski

e-bikes are certainly not the cause of childhood obesity, so I wouldn't worry about that.

freeranger

Powered "vehicles" (e-bike, electric mini-bike, etc.) may not contribute to obesity, but they don't contribute a lot to muscle tone either. Only talking about kids, adults have most likely developed their muscle tone, and have other reasons for choosing an e-bike.

rvman

At least when their on the electric powered anything , their not in front of a TV monitor where they definitely won't get any exercise.

PeteHski

There are actually very few "kids" e-bikes on the market. The cost is prohibitive for most parents. Maybe where you live all the little kids are zooming around on e-bikes, but I don't see any of that here. Most kids are still riding manual bikes - if they are riding bikes.

I-Like-To-Bike

Reading books, playing musical instruments and/or painting don't do a darn thing for contributing to muscle tone or combating obesity; does that mean those activities are worthless and should be discouraged?

freeranger

???? I was comparing different means of powering a bicycle, or other "vehicle" (and mainly by kids) vs using a motor. Other activities never entered the discussion. And the activities you mention have nothing to do with using muscle power on a bike vs a motor or motor assist. I never said you should curtail other activities, nor did they even enter the discussion. Now, if you want to discuss whether walking, running, or pushing a gas pedal in a car contributes more to muscle tone, then you have a comparison. But playing music (which I do), to riding a bike--two totally different pursuits. Sorry you are so defensive, but don't see your point.

PeteHski

Can you link to some examples of e-bikes being ridden mainly by kids?

freeranger

I never said they were ridden mostly by kids. Read post #62 completely--I'm outta here. No sense getting into a pi**ing contest. Might as well state that I was discussing playing music! Bottom line---kids, who are still growing and developing muscle tone, will get a better workout and develop more muscle tone while riding a pedal powered bike vs an e-bike or other motorized or motor assisted transportation.

PeteHski

What I'm getting at is that e-bikes are way too expensive for 99% of those kids, so it simply isn't an issue. Also most ordinary kids riding around on normal bikes are not really all that focused on developing muscle tone anyway. This idea that e-bikes are going to undermine the fitness of the next generation is laughable.

late

Europe is going through a historic bike boom. It's not just bikes, either. Cities are turning their cities into bike friendly places. Ebikes are outselling regular bikes, and that is making for longer cycling commutes. This is more than what we would call a boom.

Bottom line: build a safer city, and people will ride. It's happening all over Europe. Paris used to be a white knuckle experience on a bike, now it's bike friendly.

Because we are stupid, this will happen here, eventually. If Northern Europe can get bike friendly, anybody can. Just so you know, money is not the problem, it's politics.

If you've never lived in a people friendly city, you're missing something.

Biker395 

In my hood, I would estimate that 80+% of the people on ebikes are preteens.

PeteHski

Beverly Hills? Which of these e-bikes are you seeing all these pre-teens riding?

https://rascalrides.com/kids-electric-bikes/

Our pre-teen does happen to ride an e-bike: https://www.ben-e-bike.net/en/ben-e-...power-pro_140/
But they are hellishly expensive and I've seen literally zero other kid's e-bikes out in the wild.

I suspect we are talking about completely different things here.

Biker395 

Coastal Southern California. Not exactly Beverly Hills, but reasonably affluent. I don't think we are talking completely different things at all.

What kind of ebikes? All kinds. Some are clearly throttle controlled, others I suspect are pedal controlled. Some are cargo looking bikes, others look to be cheaply modified with an external battery. About the only kind of ebike I don't see pre-teens riding are e-road bikes like this.

PeteHski

Given that the kid's e-bike market is a tiny niche compared to adult e-bikes, this idea that 80% of ebikers you see are pre-teens doesn't really stack up. I'm sure it varies somewhat by location, but 99% of e-bikes sold here in the UK are adult sizes. I know this from first hand experience of buying kid's e-bikes i.e. they are actually very hard to get hold of. Throttle controlled e-bikes are pretty much non-existent on this side of the pond. They are all pedal assist bikes. There are kids on electric scooters etc, but I don't count those as bikes.

Biker395 

I think you're assuming I am speaking about small bikes designed only for kids. I am talking about what at least appear to be adult bikes in smaller sizes, not bikes designed for first time children riders. And I think my description of "pre-teens" may be a bit off. I am speaking of a demographic that appears to be 10-15 years old. I guess pre-driving age would be a better description.