I don't know how to feel about electric bikes...

[Sac Arrow]

Electric bicycles. Let's go back to the 1970's. John Travolta. The Bee Gees. Olivia Newton John. Eddy Mercikx.

Okay drop the last one, he was a byproduct of the 1960's cycling scene but he remained active until the late '70's. Anyway...

So I see all these people tooling around on electric bicycles. People that don't seem to have a legitimate need for one except that they can get the 'cycling experience' without doing the cycling. I mean, I get the point of them. If you can't drive, and you need a commute vehicle, great!

I mean they look fun. A big part of me wishes my bicycle was like that. I could just sit there, effortlessly, and the thing just goes, and goes, and goes. But there are motorcycles for that. And scooters. Even electric scooters, that are actually road speed going, and you can use them on the streets, like a motorcycle and not like a bike. But the electric bikes, not so much.

We are a dummed down society. Like you buy this expensive toy, when you can spend about as much for something that isn't a toy and far more capable, and still having the same fun factor.

They are the new breed of Strava wankers. The ebike riders that post their rides to Strava, making Lance look like he's riding a toddler's tricycle.

Oh by the way, I'm barbecuing chicken. I may post up a follow up thread if I don't pass out from the wine first. I'm trying something new.

 

[Hang 4]

I like drafting e-bikes on my normal bike.. even more fun passing them.

 

[Bill]

Yeah, my bike is a commuter bike, about 28 pounds. Add lock, lights, and saddlebags to carry my work clothes and lunch, and she’s pushing 35 pounds easy.

And yeah, it does bother me when I’m humping along at 15-16 mph and some person of size breezes on by on an electric bike. Even so, I have no desire to get an ebike. It just seems like cheating to me.

 

[luvflyin]

 

[Bill]

Oh, and the ebike riders who post ridiculously low times on Strava, why even bother? It’s not like you earned it.

 

[asicer]

But there are motorcycles for that. And scooters. Even electric scooters, that are actually road speed going, and you can use them on the streets, like a motorcycle and not like a bike. But the electric bikes, not so much.

Depending on where you live, an e-bike can go on a bike path while a motorcycle or scooter cannot. Depending on your commute route, this can be an important factor.

But for the other situations, I'm with you.

 

[Cervieres]

Depending on where you live, an e-bike can go on a bike path while a motorcycle or scooter cannot. Depending on your commute route, this can be an important factor.

But for the other situations, I'm with you.

If E-bikes convince more people to get out and ride or commute to work via bicycle, they can have my Strava KOMs.

 

[FormerHangie]

An e-bike is good for utility purposes, and for people who aren't able to pedal, say from an infirmity or old age. For sport purposes, I don't see it.

 

[Everskyward]

I have a regular bike, but I think an ebike would be better for those who use them commute, especially in a city where there are hills, and there are plenty here, both hills and ebikes.

 

[drummer4468]

I think I fall somewhere in the middle of the two camps. I certainly wouldn't be one to brag about fast times when I'm doing none of the work. But I also think it's cool to use the motor for assistance, in order to get places you otherwise wouldn't be able to/wouldn't attempt. I.e. someone huffing it up a mountain while using the motor for a little boost is far more worthwhile than someone looking at the trailhead, saying "nooope" and humming over to the donut shop instead.

 

[asicer]

I have a regular bike, but I think an ebike would be better for those who use them commute, especially in a city where there are hills, and there are plenty here, both hills and ebikes.

That brings up an interesting question: is an e-bike more practical than a gas powered motorcycle/scooter in the city where you live? I can imagine that could be the case where the population is dense.

 

[Kritchlow]

The ones with the vibrating seats are truly orgasmic.

 

[Bill]

That brings up an interesting question: is an e-bike more practical than a gas powered motorcycle/scooter in the city where you live? I can imagine that could be the case where the population is dense.

When you consider one can park an ebike in a bike rack it can be attractive vs paying for a parking space.

We have free car parking at work, but the company has an indoor bike rack area for those who ride. That’s a small but nice perk.

 

[tspear]

Ebikes fit the bill for my wife and I.
We are shopping for them now, and have rented them multiple times.

I have an expensive mountain bike, I had a folding bike.
The reality is bikes suck for our mission. We like to hike, we like to explore a city, we want something we can put in a plane, we want something to get from the airport into town....
For those who do NOT like biking to begin with, think about your desire to bike after hiking or flying somewhere or daily commute.

In all of these cases, using a bike is a lot more work, and will.leave you exhausted, and not in a good way. The ebikes make it fun, not work.
Therefore we are much more likely to use it.

So take your griping to the new stay of my lawn section.

Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk

 

[luvflyin]

The ones with the vibrating seats are truly orgasmic.

I always thought you was a dude

 

[weilke]

One of my colleagues bikes to work on an E-bike. He is a bit older and there is a pretty good hill just before the hospital. Using the electric assist, he can show up to work without being drenched in sweat.
It can make sense for a commuter bike.


Just relaxing after my sunday morning ride on the local rail-trail. Always fun to watch the various flavors of 'bicyclists':
- the 14mph crowd on the $6000 carbon bikes
- the gaggles of middle aged housewives who slowly move down the path as more of a social event
- the fully kitted out 'racers' who only appear to race on sunday morning
- the ones who challenge the physical limits of how much weight a hub&spoke wheel can bear
- The full suspension fat-tire bikes on a paved railroad grade trail
.
.
.

 

[PPC1052]

I mean they look fun.

Isn't that enough of a reason right there?

 

[FastEddieB]

Just relaxing after my sunday morning ride on the local rail-trail. Always fun to watch the various flavors of 'bicyclists':

One other thing about those ‘bicyclists’ in scare quotes…

They’re out enjoying a fun and healthful hobby and don’t give a rat’s ass about your narrow and condescending views on them.

So there’s that.

 

[EdFred]

One other thing about those ‘bicyclists’ in scare quotes…

They’re out enjoying a fun and healthful hobby and don’t give a rat’s ass about your narrow and condescending views on them.

So there’s that.

Or a rat's ass about the people around them. "Let's go 4 wide and force everyone to dive off the trail or leave the road."

So there's that.

 

[schmookeeg]

Which road-speed electric scooters are here in the US? I have been wanting to get one like the Super Soco CPx but I can't find anyone importing them. For safety on the city streets, I want a top speed approaching 55mph. The "50cc" class e-scooters aren't interesting to me.

 

[Everskyward]

That brings up an interesting question: is an e-bike more practical than a gas powered motorcycle/scooter in the city where you live? I can imagine that could be the case where the population is dense.

I would guess ebikes are more practical here (San Francisco). For one thing, the city is pretty good at establishing dedicated bike lanes and paths. This is especially true recently since quite a few streets became "slow streets", where only local car and motorcycle traffic is permitted, but bikes and ebikes can use them without limitation. This was supposedly a temporary program, during COVID, but it still exists. You could also park your ebike in places you wouldn't park a scooter or motorcycle. You could even take it inside buildings and residences, not just the garage. If you don't want to buy an ebike, there are plenty of ebike rentals. There are two ebike stations (where they are docked) within a few blocks of where I live.

 

[FastEddieB]

About a month ago my newly discovered half-brother and his wife stopped by our E TN digs. Went for a short ride with me on his e-bike and him along on my non-electric Trek.

It was a custom conversion putting the motor in the bottom bracket. Very well implemented - you can dial in the assist you want, plus it recognizes your input and varies boost accordingly. Really flattens out the hills, and I can see the appeal.

Eventually.

The main reason I ride is fitness, and I think I can maximize that on my non-electric bikes. Though hardly the Alps or the Rockies,the hills around here can be pretty challenging for my 71-year-old legs. Right now, I’m up for the challenge without any boost. We’ll see what the future holds.

Finally, Karen tried the wife’s e-bike and is intrigued. We’ll see.

 

[Lachlan]

Riding an e-bike is like putting a treadmill in the back of a pickup truck and telling people that you ran 86 miles. You know, to commute to work easier. Justify an electric motor any way you want, but it has about as much to do with exercise as watching a NASCAR race on tv.

 

[PaulS]

Good rant, I could see myself on an e-bike one day, but for now I'd rather power myself. Strava should fix the unearned KOM problem, seems pretty rampant. Maybe add an e-bike KOM award if people really think that is an accomplishment. I see it on zwift too. Someone struggling up a hill, but as soon as you pass them they are putting out 600 watts for a mile or two, then you catch them again. What's the point?

 

[Deelee]

I'm barbecuing chicken

How was it??

 

[Everskyward]

Beyond commuting, I can see the appeal of an ebike for getting out in the fresh air without as much effort as riding a conventional bike. Exercise is not the aim of some people. Even though I have a conventional bike, I only ride for my own entertainment, not for setting exercise goals or commuting.

 

[luvflyin]

How was it??

Yeah. Yo, @Sac Arrow , reveille, wake up. Who won? The chicken or the wine? We got it figured out how you should feel bout electrobikes.

 

[A Martin]

The ones with the vibrating seats are truly orgasmic.

Partly true .... however the e-bike folks are just beginners .... similar to going through puberty .

And yes it "feels good" ..... after all we do live in a "feel good" society .

Once they emerge from puberty and graduate to electric cars they claim up to 10 orgasms per mile.

Can you imagine what it will be like once they get electric airplanes ??

Multiple O's at 800 feet.

..

 

[schmookeeg]

Partly true .... however the e-bike folks are just beginners .... similar to going through puberty .

And yes it "feels good" ..... after all we do live in a "feel good" society .

Once they emerge from puberty and graduate to electric cars they claim up to 10 orgasms per mile.

Can you imagine what it will be like once they get electric airplanes ??

Multiple O's at 800 feet.

..

Apparently my electric car needs service, as this feature has never worked for me.

On the other hand, I wonder how many calories you burned while attempting to throw shade on people who own EVs? I can almost feel the strain in every word.

 

[rtk11]

I have a few eBikes and normal bikes, and think the eBike has their purpose and place. My fat-tire eBike is nice as I can ride down to the beach and ride back, but if tired, I can use electric assist or full electric propulsion. The other eBike is a foldable eBike for the plane so I can get around. If I'm going to be riding locally and for exercise, and not go on the sand, I have a regular bicycle for those times.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Yeah. Yo, @Sac Arrow , reveille, wake up. Who won? The chicken or the wine? We got it figured out how you should feel bout electrobikes.

The chicken was pretty good! Unfortunately the photography decided to end at the dry rubbed half chickens. But the $9 Merlot was on par with a $25+ red wine.

 

[FastEddieB]

Partly true .... however the e-bike folks are just beginners .... similar to going through puberty .

That’s an idiotic statement, in addition to being wrong. Or at the least, a VERY hasty generalization.

My half-brother Dave, just a few years younger than me, is an experienced cyclist who now owns an e-bike:

Sure, some neophytes may be drawn to them, but I highly doubt they’re the typical buyer. But even if they were, so what?

 

[NJP_MAN]

Good rant, I could see myself on an e-bike one day, but for now I'd rather power myself. Strava should fix the unearned KOM problem, seems pretty rampant. Maybe add an e-bike KOM award if people really think that is an accomplishment. I see it on zwift too. Someone struggling up a hill, but as soon as you pass them they are putting out 600 watts for a mile or two, then you catch them again. What's the point?

Delete strava. Makes life better just like launching Facebook in the garbage where it belongs. Let's not live our lives online comparing ourselves to others and instead ride in real life with our friends and be happy.

 

[cowman]

I'd eyed them for a long time but never jumped, same reason what's the point? Then, after my son was born I went on a long bike ride with him in a trailer and discovered just how much drag that little trailer added when I tried to turn around and bike home into the wind. Ended up calling my wife to come pick us up.... so I finally made the purchase and had some fun with it. Having determined they'd fit in the Lance, I bought a second e-bike and we used them for our off-airport transportation on our last FL trip.

But yes if I ever find the combination of time, energy, weather, and will to bike again I'd like to go back to the old pedal only unit for a bit.

 

[PaulS]

Delete strava. Makes life better just like launching Facebook in the garbage where it belongs. Let's not live our lives online comparing ourselves to others and instead ride in real life with our friends and be happy.

Nah, I like Strava. I'm not into biking to beat the next guy, I couldn't care less. I like to hit my stride and stay there as long as I can. Strava is a great tool for tracking progress, and regression. It gives great data on my performance, the intensity of my workout, and my progress in improving on different segments. My goal is to be comfortable on rides of about 50 miles with 2000 to 4000 feet of climbing. Ironically, I'm not even close to that right now, but strava helps me get there, especially on days where I feel like I've taken three steps backward, get home, check strava, then see that actually I did pretty well.

The KOM stuff I don't worry about. I have a few bicycling friends who are avid cyclists and hold a bunch of those in the area. It's important to them, but they are not douchebags about it, they are actually really nice people.

It's a good training tool. It's funny, especially on organized rides, you can see the competitiveness come out in people. I've learned not to respond to it, I'm not a young one anymore. I just stick to the pace I've decided, if people pass me, fine, NBD. But every once in a while, I'll be gaining on someone for a while, catch up, then go to pass and they speed up, put a half mile between us, then I'm gaining on them again. I try to keep my pace consistent on long rides, usually between 16 and 17 mph avg. when I'm in shape. This process repeats, usually two more times until the person blows up and can't speed up again. It's hard sometimes not to get caught up in little "races" like that, but my goal isn't to race people, it's to make it through the whole ride, hopefully at a reasonable pace, while enjoying the ride along the way.

 

[Bill]

Delete strava. Makes life better just like launching Facebook in the garbage where it belongs. Let's not live our lives online comparing ourselves to others and instead ride in real life with our friends and be happy.

I like Strava just to measure myself against past performance and strive for new PRs on segments, etc. As for what I think of other's rides or what they thing of me? Well I don't give a sierra hotel india tango.

 

[FastEddieB]

Nah, I like Strava. I'm not into biking to beat the next guy, I couldn't care less.

Ditto. But I am proud to say on some local segments I rank #3 for men over 70.

Of course, there are only 3 in that class, but never mind that!

 

[Sac Arrow]

Nah, I like Strava. I'm not into biking to beat the next guy, I couldn't care less. I like to hit my stride and stay there as long as I can. Strava is a great tool for tracking progress, and regression. It gives great data on my performance, the intensity of my workout, and my progress in improving on different segments. My goal is to be comfortable on rides of about 50 miles with 2000 to 4000 feet of climbing. Ironically, I'm not even close to that right now, but strava helps me get there, especially on days where I feel like I've taken three steps backward, get home, check strava, then see that actually I did pretty well.

The KOM stuff I don't worry about. I have a few bicycling friends who are avid cyclists and hold a bunch of those in the area. It's important to them, but they are not douchebags about it, they are actually really nice people.

It's a good training tool. It's funny, especially on organized rides, you can see the competitiveness come out in people. I've learned not to respond to it, I'm not a young one anymore. I just stick to the pace I've decided, if people pass me, fine, NBD. But every once in a while, I'll be gaining on someone for a while, catch up, then go to pass and they speed up, put a half mile between us, then I'm gaining on them again. I try to keep my pace consistent on long rides, usually between 16 and 17 mph avg. when I'm in shape. This process repeats, usually two more times until the person blows up and can't speed up again. It's hard sometimes not to get caught up in little "races" like that, but my goal isn't to race people, it's to make it through the whole ride, hopefully at a reasonable pace, while enjoying the ride along the way.

I like Strava just to measure myself against past performance and strive for new PRs on segments, etc. As for what I think of other's rides or what they thing of me? Well I don't give a sierra hotel india tango.

Bingo. It's a great personal tracking tool, and it helps me plan and refine routes.

Note to self: Do NOT hold up a liquor store or a bank during the course of a bike ride.

 

[PaulS]

Bingo. It's a great personal tracking tool, and it helps me plan and refine routes.

Note to self: Do NOT hold up a liquor store or a bank during the course of a bike ride.

Yup, forgot to add the route planning which I download into my Garmin Edge.

 

[Hang 4]

Ditto. But I am proud to say on some local segments I rank #3 for men over 70.

Of course, there are only 3 in that class, but never mind that!

That's how I came in third in the Florida State Criterium for 65+. Don't give away our secret