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I think you’re missing his point. He wasn’t saying e-bikes were bad or pointless, he was saying that the design decisions made around this bike don’t make sense

I think you’re missing his point. He wasn’t saying e-bikes were bad or pointless, he was saying that the design decisions made around this bike don’t make sense for an e-bike commuter or a performance racer or basically anyone. I’m similarly confused.

tedivm 6y ago
I think you and op are missing the point though. This is a light weight ebike! Obviously it's not as light weight as a professional bike (or like any without a battery), but this cuts weight everywhere it can and still has a 45 mile range (plus an extended battery you can add on to extend the range). On top of that people are already spending thousands of dollars on ebikes- this really isn't that much more expensive than a much shittier version. The "best ebike" according to Wired last year is the exact same price as this one but weighs five pounds more.
- loeg 6y ago
  Look have a carbon ebike that's fairly close: E-765[1]. It looks more like a traditional road bike in geometry and handlebars. 29 lb, ~53 mile range. Removable battery. [1]: https://www.lookcycle.com/us-en/products/bikes/e-bike/road/e-765-optimum-black-glossy https://www.lookcycle.com/us-en/products/bikes/e-bike/road/e...
- dmurray 6y ago
  Yes, the point is to be a light weight e-bike, but still, why? Make it out of steel or aluminium, making the frame 1 kg heavier, perhaps that costs you another 200g in the battery and motor to drive the same power. Aluminium and steel are better materials than CF in every way except weight - or if not, I'd like to hear why! The 1-2 kg weight savings is useful if you need to carry your bike up the stairs to your top floor apartment. Or to ride it up hills in manual mode. Both of those seem like niche cases. Edit: other responses tell me that modern carbon fibre frames are not much more expensive than metal, not much more fragile, and may be more comfortable. That makes it a more reasonable choice than I thought.
  - interestica 6y ago
    Have you ever seen a car with a spoiler? Do you think any modern consumer-directed car needs a spoiler? I think there is certainly a market that is willing to pay for the 'costume' upgrades. And there needs to be certain credibility behind it - a show off factor ("hey, check how light this is.") These bikes can be status symbols. There's a value in 'potential utility'. Also....people will pay premiums for certain phone colours.
  - satvikpendem 6y ago
    The 1-2 kg weight savings is useful if you need to carry your bike up the stairs to your top floor apartment. Or to ride it up hills in manual mode. Both of those seem like niche cases. These don't really seem niche. The lighter the better, simply because F = ma, the lower the mass, the higher the acceleration from the same amount of force from the battery applied. Or, higher range.
  - portlander52232 6y ago
    Light weight and stiffness change how a bike feels, far more significantly than it improves objective performance. A light, stiff bike with a fast-engagement hub feels sporty and fun, it’s that simple. It makes you want to go harder and makes you smile as you do it.
  - gnopgnip 6y ago
    It isn't just 1kg difference overall. This bike weighs less than half of most electric bikes, comparable to an entry level road bike. ~8lbs less than a similarly priced lightweight electric bike with an aluminum frame(Specialized Turbo Vado SL), or a modern non electric commuter bike with fenders and a basket. There are some other carbon fiber ebikes, but they tend to be much more expensive and also are usually heavier(but with a longer battery range) It isn't just about carrying it up the stairs to your apartment, it is the stairs taking the subway and getting off, getting on and off buses, going up and down stairs for parking garages when you get where you are going, the battery lasting a little longer overall, taking hills and accelerating a little faster. Especially for someone who is not a typical fit cyclist, the weight difference can be a the difference between this and not cycling at all. For relatively short trips, mixing with public transit an electric kick scooter is a competitive option, cheaper, comparable weight or lighter. Slower and less utility though
davidw 6y ago
Yeah, I saw a bunch of eBikes in use last time I was in Italy. They're heavier clunkers where 5/10 miles is a good enough range.

tedivm 6y ago

I think you and op are missing the point though. This is a light weight ebike! Obviously it's not as light weight as a professional bike (or like any without a battery), but this cuts weight everywhere it can and still has a 45 mile range (plus an extended battery you can add on to extend the range). On top of that people are already spending thousands of dollars on ebikes- this really isn't that much more expensive than a much shittier version. The "best ebike" according to Wired last year is the exact same price as this one but weighs five pounds more.

loeg 6y ago
Look have a carbon ebike that's fairly close: E-765[1]. It looks more like a traditional road bike in geometry and handlebars. 29 lb, ~53 mile range. Removable battery. [1]: https://www.lookcycle.com/us-en/products/bikes/e-bike/road/e-765-optimum-black-glossy https://www.lookcycle.com/us-en/products/bikes/e-bike/road/e...
dmurray 6y ago
Yes, the point is to be a light weight e-bike, but still, why? Make it out of steel or aluminium, making the frame 1 kg heavier, perhaps that costs you another 200g in the battery and motor to drive the same power. Aluminium and steel are better materials than CF in every way except weight - or if not, I'd like to hear why! The 1-2 kg weight savings is useful if you need to carry your bike up the stairs to your top floor apartment. Or to ride it up hills in manual mode. Both of those seem like niche cases. Edit: other responses tell me that modern carbon fibre frames are not much more expensive than metal, not much more fragile, and may be more comfortable. That makes it a more reasonable choice than I thought.
- interestica 6y ago
  Have you ever seen a car with a spoiler? Do you think any modern consumer-directed car needs a spoiler? I think there is certainly a market that is willing to pay for the 'costume' upgrades. And there needs to be certain credibility behind it - a show off factor ("hey, check how light this is.") These bikes can be status symbols. There's a value in 'potential utility'. Also....people will pay premiums for certain phone colours.
- satvikpendem 6y ago
  The 1-2 kg weight savings is useful if you need to carry your bike up the stairs to your top floor apartment. Or to ride it up hills in manual mode. Both of those seem like niche cases. These don't really seem niche. The lighter the better, simply because F = ma, the lower the mass, the higher the acceleration from the same amount of force from the battery applied. Or, higher range.
- portlander52232 6y ago
  Light weight and stiffness change how a bike feels, far more significantly than it improves objective performance. A light, stiff bike with a fast-engagement hub feels sporty and fun, it’s that simple. It makes you want to go harder and makes you smile as you do it.
- gnopgnip 6y ago
  It isn't just 1kg difference overall. This bike weighs less than half of most electric bikes, comparable to an entry level road bike. ~8lbs less than a similarly priced lightweight electric bike with an aluminum frame(Specialized Turbo Vado SL), or a modern non electric commuter bike with fenders and a basket. There are some other carbon fiber ebikes, but they tend to be much more expensive and also are usually heavier(but with a longer battery range) It isn't just about carrying it up the stairs to your apartment, it is the stairs taking the subway and getting off, getting on and off buses, going up and down stairs for parking garages when you get where you are going, the battery lasting a little longer overall, taking hills and accelerating a little faster. Especially for someone who is not a typical fit cyclist, the weight difference can be a the difference between this and not cycling at all. For relatively short trips, mixing with public transit an electric kick scooter is a competitive option, cheaper, comparable weight or lighter. Slower and less utility though

davidw 6y ago

Yeah, I saw a bunch of eBikes in use last time I was in Italy. They're heavier clunkers where 5/10 miles is a good enough range.