E-bike tourers
05-15-17 | 03:56 PM
#101
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
I am not 100 percent certain on this but I think in my neck of the woods you would only be legal if you are not using any power if you are on a bike path. But I have had lots of people coast uphill past me when I was slowly pedaling uphill on a bike path that was posted no motorized vehicles allowed, and an electric motor is a motor. Coasting uphill, they were clearly using electric power only, thus illegal.
05-15-17 | 04:13 PM
#102
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 430
Likes: 15
From: Puyallup, WA
Bikes: Tout Terrain, Panamericana
Check your state and local laws. Every state has different laws. Some communities that maintain their own bike paths have ordinances that may vary from ordinances in other communities.
I am not 100 percent certain on this but I think in my neck of the woods you would only be legal if you are not using any power if you are on a bike path. But I have had lots of people coast uphill past me when I was slowly pedaling uphill on a bike path that was posted no motorized vehicles allowed, and an electric motor is a motor. Coasting uphill, they were clearly using electric power only, thus illegal.
I am not 100 percent certain on this but I think in my neck of the woods you would only be legal if you are not using any power if you are on a bike path. But I have had lots of people coast uphill past me when I was slowly pedaling uphill on a bike path that was posted no motorized vehicles allowed, and an electric motor is a motor. Coasting uphill, they were clearly using electric power only, thus illegal.
05-15-17 | 04:34 PM
#103
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,631
Likes: 1,061
From: Oregon
In many European countries, e-bikes, mopeds and small motorcycles share the bike paths with pedal powered cyclists. During our travels we have never had an issue with this arrangement.
If e-bikes get more people into biking, regardless of what you call it, it will be better for everyone. If there is more demand for better bike lanes, paths and laws, the more people riding "bikes" the more likely things will happen. I'm more than willing to share the road, path, or trail with any responsible rider. We are not enemies!
Happy Feet might like this one. While riding through BC a few years ago, we stopped in Agassiz for lunch. There was a motorcyclist also eating lunch at the cafe, and asked about what we were up to and we chatted with us for awhile. When we got up to pay for our meals, the server said it was not necessary, because the guy on the motorcycle had already paid for them
She knew the guy so we gave her one of our "Angle of the Road cards to give to him.
Dale, this might look familiar to you.
However, I did have to admit that I swallowed hard while reading a post the other day, when an old guy was bragging about how he blew by a bunch of teenagers riding up a hill while he was on his e-bike.
If e-bikes get more people into biking, regardless of what you call it, it will be better for everyone. If there is more demand for better bike lanes, paths and laws, the more people riding "bikes" the more likely things will happen. I'm more than willing to share the road, path, or trail with any responsible rider. We are not enemies!
Happy Feet might like this one. While riding through BC a few years ago, we stopped in Agassiz for lunch. There was a motorcyclist also eating lunch at the cafe, and asked about what we were up to and we chatted with us for awhile. When we got up to pay for our meals, the server said it was not necessary, because the guy on the motorcycle had already paid for them
She knew the guy so we gave her one of our "Angle of the Road cards to give to him.Dale, this might look familiar to you.
However, I did have to admit that I swallowed hard while reading a post the other day, when an old guy was bragging about how he blew by a bunch of teenagers riding up a hill while he was on his e-bike.
Last edited by Doug64; 05-15-17 at 06:15 PM.
05-15-17 | 04:36 PM
#104
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,839
Likes: 57
From: Canada, PG BC
Bikes: 27 speed ORYX with over 39,000Kms on it and another 14,000KMs with a BionX E-Assist on it
I still don't get it. If e-assist is the same as a 27 speed, why not just get a 27 speed bike; it is cheaper
IIRC from physics 201 that it takes X amount of work to get an object up an incline. If it takes X amount of watts, it really does not matter if you are on a single speed or have 27 gears, the amount of work is the same. How that work is accomplished is what varies between a geared bike and a SS. The geared bike requires many more revolutions for a given distance than a SS, and is usually slower; meaning that less work is applied for a longer period of time to cover the same distance.
I believe it would be analogous to moving 2 piles of flour, each pile containing 200 pounds of flour. One pile of flour is packaged in 20 lb. bags(27 gears) and the other is packaged in 50 pound bags (SS). One pile could be loaded into the truck with 10 trips; the other pile could be loaded using only 4 trips. The amount of work is the same.
In your example of the 30 km assist on a 100 km trip tells me that the e-assist reduced the amount of work by 30%. This is what I don't get about your statement.
I still don't care what folks ride. I have a friend who rides an e-bike, and I am happy to see him out there with a big smile on his face.
IIRC from physics 201 that it takes X amount of work to get an object up an incline. If it takes X amount of watts, it really does not matter if you are on a single speed or have 27 gears, the amount of work is the same. How that work is accomplished is what varies between a geared bike and a SS. The geared bike requires many more revolutions for a given distance than a SS, and is usually slower; meaning that less work is applied for a longer period of time to cover the same distance.
I believe it would be analogous to moving 2 piles of flour, each pile containing 200 pounds of flour. One pile of flour is packaged in 20 lb. bags(27 gears) and the other is packaged in 50 pound bags (SS). One pile could be loaded into the truck with 10 trips; the other pile could be loaded using only 4 trips. The amount of work is the same.
In your example of the 30 km assist on a 100 km trip tells me that the e-assist reduced the amount of work by 30%. This is what I don't get about your statement.
I still don't care what folks ride. I have a friend who rides an e-bike, and I am happy to see him out there with a big smile on his face.
My E-Assist using motor only will only go 30Km per charge, so the most it will assist me is 30Km out of every 100Km per day that I do... So I actually do 30% less work compared to riding my bike normally, that is a given.
What I am trying to say is that 27 gears are an assist for going up hills and my 350 watt E motor has about the same effect, allowing me to make the hill easier, just like the gearing. It doesn't have enough power to go like a motorbike, I Have to pedal and pedal hard. The actual distance the assist is able to assist me is much less in reality because that 30Km number is figured out on normal roads, on a long 1Km hill I could actually use 5Km of power, so six 1Km long hills could use up 30Km worth of normal roads worth of "assist"...
05-15-17 | 04:46 PM
#105
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,977
Likes: 191
From: Washington, DC
In many European countries, e-bikes, mopeds and small motorcycles share the bike paths with pedal powered cyclists. During our travels we have never had an issue with this arrangement.
If e-bikes get more people into biking, regardless of what you call it, it will be better for everyone. If there is more demand for better bike lanes, paths and laws, the more people riding "bikes" the more likely things will happen. I'm more than willing to share the road, path, or trail with any responsible rider.
However, I did have to swallow hard while reading a post the other day, when an old guy was bragging about how he blew by a bunch of teenagers riding up a hill while he was on his e-bike.
If e-bikes get more people into biking, regardless of what you call it, it will be better for everyone. If there is more demand for better bike lanes, paths and laws, the more people riding "bikes" the more likely things will happen. I'm more than willing to share the road, path, or trail with any responsible rider.
However, I did have to swallow hard while reading a post the other day, when an old guy was bragging about how he blew by a bunch of teenagers riding up a hill while he was on his e-bike.
05-15-17 | 05:02 PM
#106
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,140
Likes: 261
From: NH
I saw that Mont Ventoux video also that Alan refers to. That rider was pretty arrogant passing others on both right and left.
Last edited by BobG; 05-15-17 at 05:31 PM.
05-15-17 | 06:36 PM
#107
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 55
From: Chapin, SC
Bikes: all steel stable: surly world troller, paris sport fixed, fuji ss
Motors connected to batteries do add assistance.
Sheesh what is wrong with you guys? You don't seem to understand the most rudimentary physics of simple-machines vs powered-machines.
bicycle = simple-machine
eBike = electric-battery-powered-machine
05-15-17 | 07:31 PM
#108
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 34,331
Likes: 8,482
From: Hudson Valley, NY
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92
Too many arguments. Bye!
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