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This is such a myopic take from The Atlantic. The ebike is a monstrosity IN AMERICA where there is little infrastructure for bikes. In Europe, it is changing th
by timst4 4y ago
This is such a myopic take from The Atlantic. The ebike is a monstrosity IN AMERICA where there is little infrastructure for bikes. In Europe, it is changing the face of mobility for many for whom car ownership is out of reach.
Americans live in a world of subsidized petrol - a world that will come crashing down sooner or later. If gas is $10/gal maybe you won’t be so concerned about how cool you look with a battery on your bike frame.
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- orangepurple 4y agoMy homemade e-bike is so fast I can keep up in traffic with cars and enjoy the huge wide roads in the US. It looks like something out of mad max though. The author of the article would have a stroke if they saw it. It can out accelerate a Ferrari to 30 mph. I'm running a 52 volt pack with Panasonic cells. It's crazy.
- pjmlp 4y agoI still don't see a value over a electric scooter, it reminds me of the old bycicles with a 50cc motor that were everywhere during the 70's and then faded away.
- googlryas 4y agoScooters are annoying to go more than a few miles on. Bikes can carry more cargo. Bikes can ride on surfaces that would toss a scooter rider off.
- pjmlp 4y agoSince when bikes carry more cargo than a scooter? All have a box under the seat and then boxes are usually bigger than what most bycicles have available. I wonder which surfaces are we talking about when taking into consideration proper driving regulations.
- vladvasiliu 4y agoHa, there's probably a terminology misunderstanding. I think GP was talking about "kick scooters", the ones on which you stand, whereas you're talking about "motorcycle scooters", the ones on which you sit. I agree, the latter kind usually have much space, and can maybe even be modified to add a top case, etc. The first ones, though, are an atrocity as far as I'm concerned. Very unstable, the small wheels need perfect pavement (I live in Paris, our streets haven't seen any maintenance since Roman times).
- googlryas 4y agoOk, I thought you were talking about the kind of scooters where you stand on them. If you google "electric scooter", you'll see what I mean. I don't think there is really much difference between an electric sit-down scooter and an e-bike except for ergonomics, except where you might get some weird looks - riding an ebike on a 35+mph road, vs riding a scooter on a dirt trail. But still, google "radwagon 4" as an example of an e-cargo bike(this is what I have). It has way more capacity than a sit-down scooter. I put two (small) kids on it, and about 50 lbs of groceries, which I don't think one could do with a sit-down scooter.
- pjmlp 4y agoNope, I was talking about classical scooters, https://www.piaggio.com/en_EN/piaggio-world/news-piaggio/piaggio-1/ https://www.piaggio.com/en_EN/piaggio-world/news-piaggio/pia... From my point of view cargo bikes are the two wheel version of trucks/bus, and only suitable for transport inside of city traffic, whereas with the other ones they are as usable as any motorbike.
- Uehreka 4y agoIMO The biggest value add is that if the battery dies you can still get where you're going. That alone is pretty nice.
- dominotw 4y ago> where there is little infrastructure for bikes. I've seen people ride these in bike lanes here in chicago even though law explicitly prohibits class 2 -3 bikes ( assist without pedaling). I've developed a real dislike for e-bikes based on how people have been riding those here.
- Gibbon1 4y agoI can't help by think of someones description of people in rural Africa using bicycles for transporting goods. By hanging 100-200lbs of goods off it and then walking it. An e-bike seems like it'd be a big step up for them.