3 ms·

As an avid city cyclist I don't get the appeal of e-bikes as a mode of transport. They're heavy and expensive and require more maintenance than regular bikes.

As an avid city cyclist I don't get the appeal of e-bikes as a mode of transport. They're heavy and expensive and require more maintenance than regular bikes. For many cities, riding at 35 km/h on average also sounds pretty dangerous. A range of 72 km seems excessive, too. That's a 2-hour ride, which sounds like something you'd do as a leisure activity rather than on an everyday basis. That said, I'm quite bullish on the future of bikes as a mode of transport in general.

rocketpastsix 6y ago
Cyclist here living in the southeast United States, where it gets incredibly hot during the summers. The E-bike gives me a better chance of going some place without being a sweaty mess.
karim 6y ago
One reason I think ebikes are great is because their main target isn't hardcore cyclists but everyday people who need to get from one point to another easily. Ebikes require a bit more maintenance than a regular bike for sure, but a lot less than a car. They also let you transport more cargo than a regular bike and very often get you there quicker than a car. I also know a couple people who own ebikes and use them exclusively for running errands (e.g because they don't want to break a sweat when getting groceries).
bjourne 6y ago
> As an avid city cyclist I don't get the appeal of e-bikes as a mode of transport. > They're heavy and expensive and require more maintenance than regular bikes. For many cities, riding at 35 km/h on average also sounds pretty dangerous. Most e-bikes with 250W engines are capped at 25 km/h so, essentially, for a fit cyclist they only help for uphill climbs and acceleration. But even 25 km/h is good because it means you can keep up with more traffic and thus ride on heaver trafficked roads. I agree that e-bikes aren't that amazing in good weather, but they are very practical in cold, snow, and rain. A 250W engine makes a huge difference when its snowing and you have a 12 km ride home.

rocketpastsix 6y ago

Cyclist here living in the southeast United States, where it gets incredibly hot during the summers. The E-bike gives me a better chance of going some place without being a sweaty mess.

karim 6y ago

One reason I think ebikes are great is because their main target isn't hardcore cyclists but everyday people who need to get from one point to another easily. Ebikes require a bit more maintenance than a regular bike for sure, but a lot less than a car. They also let you transport more cargo than a regular bike and very often get you there quicker than a car. I also know a couple people who own ebikes and use them exclusively for running errands (e.g because they don't want to break a sweat when getting groceries).

bjourne 6y ago

> As an avid city cyclist I don't get the appeal of e-bikes as a mode of transport. > They're heavy and expensive and require more maintenance than regular bikes. For many cities, riding at 35 km/h on average also sounds pretty dangerous. Most e-bikes with 250W engines are capped at 25 km/h so, essentially, for a fit cyclist they only help for uphill climbs and acceleration. But even 25 km/h is good because it means you can keep up with more traffic and thus ride on heaver trafficked roads. I agree that e-bikes aren't that amazing in good weather, but they are very practical in cold, snow, and rain. A 250W engine makes a huge difference when its snowing and you have a 12 km ride home.