nasabiker

I disagree. how is using a more pedestrian/energy/ exercise friendly mode of transportation a bad example for our youth? its cheaper to own operate and maintain than a car with exercise benefits and will go further faster than a traditional bike. now instead of driving the 5 miles to work sitting on a caged recliner (car) a person might actual do some exercise to get to work I use mine for a 34 mile round trip commute with 1400 feet of climbing instead of sitting in my car I get to bike, get some exercise, and end my day doing my favorite hobby! and trust me you get exercise, maybe less per mile than an ordinary bike but you tend to ride more miles because you can.

KraneXL

Because nobody should be on an "assist" bike unless they're handicapped or very, very, old. Look around, how many youth are overweight or obese? That's because they've become conditioned to taking the easy way out. They need real exercise, not pretend exercise.Walking across your living room is exercise. But that technicality won't help your physical well-being. Because the bar is set so low in the first place, people actually believe these minor tasks are of value. Only if you're an octogenarian does something like that count as exercise.

For example, the other day I observed some twentysomthing working out. Most of the time they were texting, and the remainder was spent laughing while doing pull-downs. The weight was so light is was precious more than a counterbalance to the weight of their pudgy arms.

I could only imagine if they though that minuscule amount of effort was doing them any good? Net value: zero. As to the car analogy, read the above post, this example has already been answered.

indyfabz

Coming back from lunch I saw a guy locking up one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/GreenBike-USA.../dp/B0131H5TS6

What exactly about an electric bike, in and of itself, makes it "green?"

indyfabz

+1. His example of 5 mile bike commute speaks volumes.

ph0rk

I've ridden motocycles and I've ridden modern pedal assist bikes. You can absolutely turn the cranks with minimal force and climb hills at speed on those things at 15mph or faster without leaving heart rate zone 1. You likely wouldn't even need to enter zone 1.

You can commute on those things and get absolutely nothing out of it, in terms of exercise. Walking for a similar amount of time would be better.

Climbing hills with ease is nice, and it gets cars off streets. That's a good thing, but it isn't exercise.

There are plenty of 28mph ebikes (and they are fast). 20 mph ebikes in a place with any elevation will be hard as hell to keep up with because of how insanely fast they can manage to climb.

nasabiker

https://www.gov.uk/government/speech...fit-for-growth
"The average car trip is just 8.5 miles." just one statistic in US I think it was closer to 3 miles, I don't care what your level of expectation for exercise is pedaling with even the most pathetic amount of effort is more than sitting in a car causing traffic congestion. maybe that ebike commuter wont be doin a gran fondo anytime soon but its a far cry better than the automobile option.

Patriot1

Wildwood 

Bikes aren't just about racing, training, exercise, athleticism & fitness. It's not just about younger people practicing going faster. It's a big, diverse cycling world. We want it to get bigger. E-bikes are a growing segment, they appeal to a new group of people maybe not interested in a traditional bike. Seniors often want to enjoy the feeling of freedom and outdoors but find the effort on a traditional bike to be excessive and anything but fun. Couples of differing cycling ability may want to ride together. Bring 'em all into the fold.

I have no plans for an e-bike, i'm going more in the direction of getting vintage classics out on the road. Lots of people on this forum think that's crazy, too. Rescue an old steel bike?, get it straightened?, remove the rust?, assemble with period parts? ride it someplace special? = crazy. I think electronic shifting is a very non-athletic way of shifting, burns more calories to lift your hand move it to the downtube, shift and return to the handlebar - surely no one could disagree?!? Mirrors are a very non-athletic way of checking on cars behind you, much more energy used in moving your head & eyeballs, than just the eyeballs. For that matter, riding a lightweight bike is less athletic than a 40lb clunker over the same distance at the same speed.

Elvo

2:40 is when they let it rip on the bike path

Leebo

Not burning gas or replacing the e bike miles with that of driving a car.

Nightcap

"I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? We are getting soft. Come on, fellows. Let's say that the test was a fine demonstration--for our grandparents! As for me, give me a fixed gear!"
-- Henri Desgranges

KraneXL

Meanwhile, in the real world this segment. Why use your muscles when you can float?

Leebo

Hmmmm. You make all the rules? Hows that smog in CA? What if 5-10% of the cars trips were replaced by e bikes? Recharge with a re-gen set up or the bike shed at at work or home. The one with some solar panels. Some one going car light, someone in a big city, maybe they only uber or rent a car a few times a year. The e cargo bike ? Great for food/kids/dogs/carrying stuff. My commute was 17 miles one way. Just about too much. The person who has a 20 -30 mile commute? Open your eyes some to the end of fossil fuels. And you want more cars stuck in traffic on those awesome 8 lane parking lots in CA? When gas hits $ 4/6/8.00 a gallon? Or quart?

Wildwood 

That's a very dated opinion. Henri didn't commute miles to his place of work either. And he was referring to TdF riders.
Not everyone wants to be a hardman.

Nightcap

I would have thought M. Desgranges' opinion would be so extreme in modern times as to not require a smiley face or other cue that I was being facetious. Guess not. Sorry for the confusion.

indyfabz

But it runs on electricity. Round these parts, our power comes from burning fossil fuels.

Wildwood 

Your cartoon is hardly real world. Maybe the takeaway should be = e-bikes not people movers.

The more bicycles of all types, in the real world, will yield more infrastructure for all cyclists. That a BIG positive.

Wildwood 

No sunshine or wind in Indy? Write your Congress people, get them up to speed. Mike Pence doesn't currently have much to do, show him an e-bike.

wolfchild

Not extreme at all... I've been riding FG and SS bikes for the past 10 years and I don't even own a bike with derailleur.

Leebo

Natural gas, wind and solar have got to be better than 1,000's of car stuck on the freeway? Yes? MA guy here. The elec company has to buy your excess solar back. Could do your own solar recharge set up.

autonomy

This is my problem with e-bikes. Too often the users are blowing by/swerving around other MUP users at 20+ mph while ringing their "get out of my way" bell. But then again, I have the same problem with roadies who do that. If you must go that fast on a bike - get on the road or ride at 5am/9pm when the path is empty. Oh, and they look heavy so collision = much more damage than a regular bike.

Edit: but I totally see the usefulness of motor-assisted child or grocery haulers like those from Yuba or Xtracycles.

veganbikes

Not to derail anything further but since you already went there, how is soy milk not milk and how does it compare to e-bikes? Also how is a bike you must pedal, a pretend bike? You are making no sense. Also why are you artificially adding color and size to my text as if I was shouting it which I was not. I was making a distinction between throttled "bikes" and pedal bikes sure and did call those throttled things crap but not in any loud way.

Yes, a pedal assist bike does make it a bit easier to pedal depending on your settings but there is no setting to not pedal at all so the "already lethargic youth" who probably wouldn't ever ride a bike anyway aren't going to care one way or another about e-bikes and probably would rather ride a e-skateboard or one of those goofy monowheel suitcase doohickeys or just hop in a Über. The e-bike would actually get them out riding even if with assistance they will still be pedaling.

Clearly you are in the camp of never having ridden a good one (or maybe even one at all) so let's just hate and say things you haven't the foggiest idea about.

*

DrIsotope

This past Saturday, I struggled for about a mile to catch a lady on the Pacific Electric Trail. I mean sure, I was around mile 50, maybe I was getting low on pep-- but she was chugging along about 18-19mph on a big ol' MTB. Then I saw the Bosch mid-drive.

The problem she faces is that 18-19mph is as fast as she can go. Like a 32T chainring on there, and the pedal-assist will only go to that 18-19mph. If that behemoth of a bike could have just managed 4-5mph faster, it would have been of some decent use, because I would have drafted in that thing's wake as long as humanly possible.

dedhed

What are all those white things I see driving down I-65 on my way to Kentucky?

Indiana | Meadow Lake Wind Farm

KraneXL

Hardly real world? I don't know how things are in your town, but here in LA I assure you those drawing are no exaggeration. Super Big Gulp and all. You must be walking around with blinders on? What is more likely is that they will simply encroach upon the precious little space now designated for traditional cyclist.