Shimano officialy steps up into e-bike business
 

This is so lame. Have you heard about it? Shimano Steps! They came up with a whole set which is identical to human powered sets. What a shame. We will see so many pranks who are trying to show off with their lazy batteries and lazy asses.

Tops out at 15.53mph.. that's slower then my average

Really? I was expecting more. Maybe they can show off on the hills then.

It's pretty much useless on the flats and down hills. Most people could pedal faster then 15mph on a roadbike or a flatbar hybrid bike. (I suppose if someone can't maintain 15mph on flats without assistance, the system would really come in handy up hills.. but then again, if they are that slow, they are definitely not in it for racing..so why not fit a wide range cassette in the rear and take it easy up hills instead. Seems like the more economical solution to me.
The only place it can really have any benefit is up hills.. the specialized turbo can reach speeds of 27mph before it cuts out.

If you're not buying it why do you care?

I'm sure there are lots of commuters who would think it's a great idea. I think we cyclists sometimes forget that lots of commuters aren't huge bike enthusiasts or purists, it's just a cheap way to get to work.

How can a battery be "lazy?"

Very well said. I was an avid cyclist from my early 20s until I was badly injured in my forties. I raced on the road in sanctioned events, trained heavily in the woods and trails and commuted to work. Heck, I even moved to Florida from Massachusetts and bought a bike shop in Sebring. Really into it, one might say. The worst thing I ever had to deal with was people who thought the way they ride is the only way to ride. The racers put down the commuters and path riders, the leisure riders scorned the racers for being arrogant, and on ad infinitum. I was riding in a group in Sebring once and several of the riders started yelling at golfers we passed by about not being "real athletes." Well, I was also an avid golfer!

I now cannot ride a bike without help. Does that mean I am a lesser cyclist? No. It means I can take advantage of the low back strain of a recumbent and the hill-topping assistance of a good electrical conversion and enjoy my commute or a nice ride in the countryside.

That, my fellow cyclists, is what it is all about; finding the "style" and comfort level that suits your wants and needs. Anyone who feels the need to belittle others for their choices is overcompensating, IMHO.

As for pranks and "fat asses;" over the many, many thousands of self-propelled hard-core riding the majority of the pranks and fakers I encountered were riding expensive equipment and dressed in team attire but knew nothing of technique, training and etiquette. Still see them everywhere.

BTW; the last serious ride I had before leaving Florida was the Cross Florida Ride in 1988. One of the folks who finished under 10 hours (170 miles) was on a single speed cruiser with a basket on the bars. He was wearing sandals.

Sorry for the newbie rant. I feel better now...

Stoney

No need to apologize--you said it all.

I will say this probably doesn't need to be in the 41, but I can't really bother getting worked up over Shimano offering it. Really, it's just like a much lighter, cleaner, better moped.

I'm more annoyed that the OP doesn't have any links or pictures.

http://bicycledesign.net/2010/06/shi...p-for-e-bikes/

I don't think any commuter would like to pay a fortune to this fake group set. It will look like a normal bike but it will be powered by an e-motor. This is why i am against it.

So it's a front hub motor and they have integrated its controller with the Alfine DI2. Seems like a natural progression to me.

:thumb:

1 thing that bothers me about ebikes is they are dead silent.
Seeing them speeding down the sidewalk, bike lanes without ring a bell when passing pisses me off.
Its bad enough when cyclist do it, but much worse for ebikes IMO.

I still don't get it - you'd prefer them to have some sort of clearly identifiable hardware solution so you can easily spot the 'lazy-a$$' and openly mock them?

Here's a few links that came to mind when reading through this thread.

[h=1]Cancellara: My body is my motor:[/h]
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/canc...dy-is-my-motor


[h=2]UCI checked for motors in bikes at cyclo-cross Worlds:[/h]
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-...o-cross-worlds

If these things existed then I would call people using them lazy/cheaters.

15mph is plenty fine for the target audience. The people who buy this bike aren't using it to go fast - they're using it to ease the difficulty of climbing hills.

They easily have the technology to make this a motorcycle-like bike that is fast enough to trounce Cavendish even in a sprint, but that's not the point. A lot of folks enjoy commuting, shopping, or puttering around on a bike, and are just intimidated by hills because theyr'e older, have medical issues, or just don't work out regularly.

That link is coming up on 4 years old. Is this really a thing or vaporware?

Haha...oh dear, I still don't know if he had a motor or not...

Looks pretty tidy, and 25kph is a good speed limit.

This is the fresh link:
http://road.cc/content/gallery/99547...-2014-launched

I think this thing is intented to turn any bike into an e-bike.

roadie arrogance rears its ugly head again. there are other cyclists who don't wear lycra, you know.

I guess you forgot where you are...
This is the 41 HTFU.
;)
*joking

I realised recently what an odd tiny minority we road cyclists are. Talk to anyone else about going for a ride and they have a totally different idea what I mean.

I find myself dressing more like a Fred while winter riding.
Shorts over my bib tights/thermal tights, anything to stay warm.
:lol: