tyrion

If I were to use a powered device I'd be no better than they are.

Doge

Baseball bat?

Doge

I have to go find someplace where people disagree with me now.

Maelochs

What is wrong with "easier"?

Do you hunt your own meat? harvest your own fuel with an axe or a shovel? Dig up ore and smelt it, then cast or forge the metal objects you need?

Did you make your own bike from scratch?

it's easier to use a gas or electric lawn mower, or even a push mower, than to cut grass with a scythe.

And the worst part about lawn care, is it is done on my one day off, the only time I can get in any daylight riding.

You come cut my lawn while I go riding, and I will let you use a scythe, or scissors, or your teeth.

After all, you wouldn't want to choose an "easier" option?

I hope you won't disrespect me if i don't always pick the hilliest route I can ride because I am sore from the long ride I did the day before and need something "easier" to recover.

bikecrate

I believe you are reacting a bit strongly with some examples that are a little farther from the case at hand. I still think there is a benefit to a regular bike over an Ebike from a exercise perspective, but if someone wants to ride an Ebike for any reason than go right ahead I really don't care that much.

indyfabz

****

tyrion

Maybe a sword.

Deos anybody know how to carry a sword on a bike?

Ogsarg

I'm currently in Tel Aviv and have been quite surprised at how many e-bikes there are. I would estimate 60-70% of the bikes I've seen are electric. Add to that some serious electric scooters and there are people whizzing past you everywhere. I was told there are a lot of accidents and they keep talking about regulating them but it never seems to happen.

I can understand the attraction. Traffic here is horrendous so something small and maneuverable for getting to work, school, etc. makes a lot of sense.

Have nothing against them personally. Not everyone rides a bike for pleasure or exercise.

draganm

that sounds really nice, and hopefully the bulk of new E-bikers will be respectful and safe, but you guys came from some kind of cycling background where you worked for what you achieved and learned ot respect the sport. Will that happen with people who just plop down $3K and can go 28mph on a MUP. Judging by thew Tel Aviv story, it sounds like NOT! Still, I would love to do what you do with your wife, err I mean with my wife, well you know what I mean.

fair enough, I'll admit the thread title could have been better. It really wasn't meant to be about just Roady Ego's however, and I don't think it has been.

I disagree, E-bikes have enabled more dangerous behavior that wasn't possible prior. Sure, they pull people out of cars, but cars have airbags. If I had a choice between getting hit in my car at 40mph or getting plowed by a 50 pound E-bike going 28mph on a MUP, I'll take the car thank you.
I think the Tel Aviv story is telling, and like everything else it is a human problem. Nevertheless the E-bike technology has created a new danger on paths and bike trails, that is just the reality.

Today I rode mostly roads and almost zero MUP, saw a few joggers and typical roadies and guys heading to dirt trails on the CX bikes, but not a single E-bike. So I think this will be an issue in big metropolitan area's log before it's an issue here. For me, the biggest issue by far is very large trucks and people on cell phones. I just thought this was an interesting topic since it's something new to ***** about

Doge

Some areas I ride, cars are not allowed, while eBikes are. So I went from less chance of getting hit to a greater chance as folks left cars and took up eBikes. I'd RATHER have them in cars and off my bike paths (lawn).

gregf83 

Why else would one have an e-bike? Of course it's easier. That's the whole point.

jitteringjr

I don't like them because they are just unnatural in the riding style. I caught up to one on the flats one time and passed him. He was some guy maybe 10 years older than me. Then we came to ongoing rolling hills. Every up hill I would get passed and every down hill I would pass him. This repeated annoyingly. Depending on whose perspective, we were essentially in each other's way all the time for a good 20 min.

This is just not a natural thing you normally run into with other cyclists. Usually they either pass you and are gone or you pass them and that is it. Every once in a while there will be a couple three passes between cyclists with similar abilities or training plans or maybe one is doing repeats or something, but it just doesn't go on for long.

So that is my only gripe, they annoy me on rolling hills.

Maelochs

I hope I can hang here long enough for my brain (which I have just learned cannot learn any more) can learn how to have problems with everything that happens to me throughout every minute of my life. I guess then I will be a 'Serious" cyclist.

There is an elderly couple who e-bikes around our neighborhood every evening ...well, most evenings. it get's them out of the house, and they can see more of the area that they could walking, and probably work about as hard.

Next time I see them I am going to knock them down. "How's That for easy, suckers!"
I could care about e-bikes, regular bikes, slow or fast bikes, cars, trucks .... I care about how the operators operate them ... which is what I guess the thread starter wanted to discuss.

The issue isn't e-bikes, it's a-holes.

(So ... show of hands. How many of you thought "You should know, buddy"?)

Doge

Does one work harder riding solo, or does one work harder riding in a group?
Yea - it depends, but I believe most ride harder in a group - where blocking the wind makes it "easier".

gregf83 

Riding in a group is quite different than riding solo. It’s ‘harder’, but average power is often lower than a solo ride. And blocking the wind doesn’t help when you’re on the front. Because the group is going faster whoever is on the front is working much harder than they would solo.

I don’t think anyone buys an ebike to ride harder. I have a Copenhagen electric wheel that I use for commuting a couple days a week. I pedal with about the same power when using the electric wheel but my commute time drops from around 2:00 to 1:40. It also ‘flattens’ the hills so there’s less variation in power output.

Racing Dan

Maybe a bit OT, but imagine how much noise and pollution could be saved if this was electric:


Or this:

Spiduhman

"The issue isn't e-bikes, it's a-holes."

aaah!

Same for cars, trucks, cologne and perfume (an' other smelly crap that makes me sick), booze, drugs, cigarettes, bikes, ...and, perhaps, guns.

Doge

That is the crux of the off-topic, now on topic discussion. I don't know if that is true. I tend to think some things are too hard for some to do and having an eBike allow people to do them. They are riding harder than not having an eBike.

BH Bikes has a huge eBike selection. Some of these are pretty high end. I can'f understand why someone would buy a nice eBike MTB if they were not going to ride hard. And if they were already fit enough to ride as they wanted, I think they would not buy such a bike.
https://www.bhbikes.com/en_INT/bikes/ebikes

jitteringjr

You do realize the power plant recharging those E bikes are still mostly fossil fuels too and in locations like those videos almost certainly coal which is the dirtiest fossil fuel out there.

kbarch

You are pretty lucky if 'natural' cyclists never annoy you on rolling hills the way you describe e-cyclists. I love rollers, but during sportives, if they occur when everyone is still close, they are annoying as all hell.

Racing Dan

Yes, but usually the plant is not located in the town square :-) and usually there is some smoke filtering.

nycphotography

Seems like you already won tha game. You've managed to take it to the meta where you have problems with people just for having opinions and gripes. I'd say you can call it a win and kick off whenever you're ready.

gregf83 

Perhaps you don’t have a lot of downhill MTB in your area but a lot of downhill riders view going up as a necessary evil and are primarily interested in going down (no pun intended) they’ll ride the chairlift up if available or shuttle up and down the mountain with vehicles.

I suppose it’s a bit of semantics. In my case because I have a fairly long commute I used to drive once in a while when I was tired. Now I pop on the ewheel instead and have an easier ride (but harder than driving).

kostyap

The real issue is that anyone pays attention to those KOM's Too many ways to cheat. No ebikes needed

Stratocaster

This happened about a year ago (not annoying, but funny):

While at the local park walking on the MUP, there were 2 "serious" cyclists getting a workout on the mile-long loop. They were kitted out, riding together.
Behind them was this overweight young guy, wearing an old-school motor cycle-looking helmet, reclining on his e-bike. It looked like he was trying ride with them, but it was such a ridiculous looking scene.