RKP (Padraig) approves ebikes

[bluesea]

So do I, but who cares what I think.


http://redkiteprayer.com/2014/12/an-open-letter-to-american-cycling/


P.S. It was a hard decision not to buy a Specialized Turbo S. Now if it came stock with a battery with twice the Ah....

[carpediemracing]

I think e-bikes are great, as long as they're charged. I got to ride one, in street clothes, to help recon a cycling route. The battery died at the bottom of a couple miles of hills (it was interbike outdoor demo so the bike had been ridden all day). My friend, trying out a Campy carbon bike, was impressed until the battery died, then he asked me seriously if I was pretending to struggle so much. I was literally going 2-3-4 mph at times and I was probably pushing 400-800+w as I was going way anaerobic getting over little bridges and such (I had to stop frequently as I literally couldn't get the bike moving in its lowest gear without going anaerobic).

Around here, in suburban/backwoods CT, the hills are such that it's pretty hard to justify going out on a bike to do any kind of significant errands. In Holland, where I grew up, not so much, especially with the cycling-friendly infrastructure there (no hills although there's wind, bike lanes, bike lights, etc). Here I'd want to be able to get places without being drenched in sweat, get up hills without going 100% anaerobic, and carry stuff and go fast enough that things don't spoil before I get home. I'd do my grocery shopping on the bike if I had an e-bike. It's close to zero effort if so desired, so you can show up at the store not drenched in sweat, for example, or work, or whatever.

[biker72]

Approve or not they just don't sell very well.
We have 3 heavily discounted and they still don't sell....even at Christmas time.
Apparently they do very well in Europe.

[thirdgenbird]

I approve of them as long as they are viewed through the moped lens.

I think a Copenhagen wheel in my rigid stumpjumer sounds like a riot.

[bluesea]

I'd imagine attention to route profiles are probably more important to e bikes than regular bikes.

I'm planning my second year without an auto, and so far am looking at a new moto and hopefully a new commuter bike next year. In the small mostly flat Honolulu area, adding the Spesh Turbo S would have been another nice option.

[Charles M]

"ebikes" versus Emountain bikes tearing up trails and being used as a bit of a hooligan tool...

There's a difference.

[thirdgenbird]

When I referenced my stumpjumper, I was referring to using it as a commuter.

I was thinking about a motorcyce, but the town I live in is small enough that a Copenhagen wheel in my stumpjumer migh be perfect. Use the current wheelset for trail riding amd use an e-bike wheelset with a road cassette and slick tires for commuting. A 35lb moped sounds like I riot around town.

[bluesea]

Charles might be talking about the Stealth Bomber--weighing over 100lb, does over 50mph, and they were doing wheelies in the video review without pedaling. Not pedal assist, and over $10k.

[Charles M]

It goes deeper (less powerful) than that...

I followed a guy who was spinning the rear wheel on climbs as the suspension loaded and unloaded. Simply tearing 5h!t up. Worse still, he went all out to pass me and then just stayed close enough in front to ruin my ride and he was laughing...

And others have done similar where I live.

In my case, when it got technical, I passed him back and stopped in a very narrow section and we had a conversation about the differences between being an a55hole and enjoying a ride and the fact that medical support was a long walk back...

In a year, the trail closest to me went through more visible change than the last 5 years combined. And it happened once people started noting Ebikes.

The complaints to rangers also increased by factor as these same goofs didnt play well around hikers and horses...

They seem to attract cheater-mentality people on the trail versus people who need and properly use the extra power on the road.

[velomonkey]

I was at interbike this year and went out to the demo track - the same thing padraig writes about - I was giddy when I tried one, just like padraig.

If there is anyone I would Not listen to - it's padraig.

Ebikes rock, they are awesome, don't knock 'em till you try them. There is almost zero chance they will sell here in America. None. You want to get behind more bikes, embrace shared bikes within any given city.

[oldpotatoe]

[QUOTE=thirdgenbird;1675711]I approve of them as long as they are viewed through the moped lens.

What he said..Ibikes aren't really 'bikes', they are 'scooters'.