4 ms·

Yeah excellent question. Hot and humid climates make this appealing if you don't need to pedal; perhaps you can get to work without needing a shower. But consi

Yeah excellent question. Hot and humid climates make this appealing if you don't need to pedal; perhaps you can get to work without needing a shower. But considering the likely cost due to name, weight and components it feels very niche nonetheless. It's difficult to justify a bike that's thousands when an annual bus pass might be a few hundred.

masklinn 6y ago
> It's difficult to justify a bike that's thousands when an annual bus pass might be a few hundred. 2000 is table stakes for quality ebikes.
- reportingsjr 6y ago
  This is not true, radpower has a pretty dang nice ebike for ~$1100.
kazinator 6y ago
> It's difficult to justify a bike that's thousands when an annual bus pass might be a few hundred. - A bike is not annually thousands. A good quality bike will last you a decade or more. Not with $0 maintenance, but not hundreds per year. - Commute times on a bike are shorter than the bus. I'm not even talking e-bike now. Due to traffic congestion effects (that hardly affect bicycles at all), you can beat even automobile commuting on a plain human-powered bike. With the e-bike in the equation, it can be no contest. You can go 40-50 km/h for most of the commute, and zip around bumper-to-bumper traffic like it's not there. - Convenience: hop on it and go anywhere you want, at any time. No waiting. E.g. go out for lunch in the middle of the workday. - Transit is a good place to catch viruses from people. Complete non-starter in this pandemic. - Transit is a good place to be assaulted, robbed and exposed to cigarette smoke. - The bike offers freedom from irritating and depressing exposure to people from socially incompatible classes. (Well almost; there are some drivers out there: but you're not sitting next to them for 30 minutes.)
- johnwatson11218 6y ago
  Also you can ride up on sidewalks or bike paths. If you come to a long red light but there is no traffic coming it is easy to just run the red light. When you get to the store you can ride right up to the entrance and lock up 10 feet away from the door, no driving in circles looking for a parking space.

masklinn 6y ago

> It's difficult to justify a bike that's thousands when an annual bus pass might be a few hundred. 2000 is table stakes for quality ebikes.

reportingsjr 6y ago
This is not true, radpower has a pretty dang nice ebike for ~$1100.

kazinator 6y ago

> It's difficult to justify a bike that's thousands when an annual bus pass might be a few hundred. - A bike is not annually thousands. A good quality bike will last you a decade or more. Not with $0 maintenance, but not hundreds per year. - Commute times on a bike are shorter than the bus. I'm not even talking e-bike now. Due to traffic congestion effects (that hardly affect bicycles at all), you can beat even automobile commuting on a plain human-powered bike. With the e-bike in the equation, it can be no contest. You can go 40-50 km/h for most of the commute, and zip around bumper-to-bumper traffic like it's not there. - Convenience: hop on it and go anywhere you want, at any time. No waiting. E.g. go out for lunch in the middle of the workday. - Transit is a good place to catch viruses from people. Complete non-starter in this pandemic. - Transit is a good place to be assaulted, robbed and exposed to cigarette smoke. - The bike offers freedom from irritating and depressing exposure to people from socially incompatible classes. (Well almost; there are some drivers out there: but you're not sitting next to them for 30 minutes.)

johnwatson11218 6y ago
Also you can ride up on sidewalks or bike paths. If you come to a long red light but there is no traffic coming it is easy to just run the red light. When you get to the store you can ride right up to the entrance and lock up 10 feet away from the door, no driving in circles looking for a parking space.