2 ms·

I live in the US, mid-atlantic region. This moment its 44°F and a wind chill of 25°F. My commute was 39miles each way. Quite often I experience jams and slow

I live in the US, mid-atlantic region. This moment its 44°F and a wind chill of 25°F. My commute was 39miles each way. Quite often I experience jams and slowdowns such as 10mph on a 65mph highway, with headlights and heater on, or max AC in the summer when its mid 90°F. E-bike on some of these roads are illegal. If they weren't, they be death magnets. My town has many e-bikes and scooters, mostly rentals. They litter the sidewalks and streets, sometimes are left in the roads. More often than anyone admits, the local youths throw them into the harbor - Boston Tea Party-style. You might go directly to the store and back, but you aren't making multiple stops as the few-as-they-are miscreants would steal your store #1 goods while in store #2. Or just take your bike, leaving you to shop and then rent another bike, all before explaining to the e-bike vendor that it wasn't you who mysteriously lost the GPS signal when your bike vanished at waters edge. I'm a fan of EVs. But I'm not giving up my ICE vehicle. The 7 day electrical blackout at my home years ago convinced me of that. And people in dead EVs sitting in a blizzard in Texas a few years ago. With giant wind generators offline due to ice on the right, and oilfield pumps stopped for political reasons on the left.

allo37 3y ago
What's nifty about an e-bike is that they're cheap enough to co-exist with your car. I still have my trusty Honda, but I also do many trips by bike now. I fill up with gas way less often, don't have to deal with traffic and parking, and get a bit of exercise to boot.
marssaxman 3y ago
> explaining to the e-bike vendor that it wasn't you Perhaps things work differently where you live, but in my experience this is not really a problem, because the rental app asks you to take a picture after you've parked as evidence that you parked correctly. Whatever happens after that is not your responsibility. You don't leave the meter running while you're in the store, unless it's a very short visit; the bike will automatically end your rental and lock itself. You just unlock it again when you're done shopping, and whatever happens in between is, again, not your responsibility.

allo37 3y ago

What's nifty about an e-bike is that they're cheap enough to co-exist with your car. I still have my trusty Honda, but I also do many trips by bike now. I fill up with gas way less often, don't have to deal with traffic and parking, and get a bit of exercise to boot.

marssaxman 3y ago

> explaining to the e-bike vendor that it wasn't you Perhaps things work differently where you live, but in my experience this is not really a problem, because the rental app asks you to take a picture after you've parked as evidence that you parked correctly. Whatever happens after that is not your responsibility. You don't leave the meter running while you're in the store, unless it's a very short visit; the bike will automatically end your rental and lock itself. You just unlock it again when you're done shopping, and whatever happens in between is, again, not your responsibility.