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#31
Yesterday, 11:29 PM
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The riding, good if you know where to go. The community, ok (except ucsb) The government, well they care a lot more about tourists than residents. 
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#32
Today, 06:30 AM
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#33
Today, 06:48 AM
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I get ads for 2500w+ e-bikes from time to time that ship limited to meet the letter of the law but then have an app that unlocks the full power for “private property use only” and they advertise 40+ mph if I recall correctly.
The whole thing is a blurry Wild West and as a former motorcycle enthusiast there’s no way they’re solving it without a huge regulatory package, inspections, dealer requirements, and tons of money spent. The line between e-bikes and motorcycles is too blurry and it’s too enticing to modify them to enhance performance and all that. The fact you can build your own and/or swap major components easily and/or order whatever bike you want in the mail makes it all unworkable. If I really still cared about going that fast I’d get a motorcycle. But I totally get how fun it would be to mod an e-bike. I suspect a bunch of my old motorcycle friends are probably doing this stuff. Especially for pit bikes at the race track, but they’d be legal there. There’s lots of dumb people riding motorcycles who don’t seem to understand how dangerous they can be but it amazes me how many people don’t realize just how similar bikes can be in their risks and then don’t realize e-bikes can push that risk a lot closer to motorcycle territory. You don’t have to travel highway speeds to get really badly hurt. I saw this personally. Maybe nobody realized I could do 30mph on my bike but they would think 30mph on my motorcycle was insanity despite me always being head to toe covered in protective gear and think going for a bike ride was totally safe. Last edited by benb; Today at 06:54 AM.
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#34
Today, 07:01 AM
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Sounds like there are a few problems...
1. Too many (e)bikes on sidewalks. 2. People doing dumb **** on (e)bikes. Here's a crazy thought... the solution to #1 is not to restrict (e)biking but to ensure there is adequate public infrastructure for getting around by (e)bike. The reason people ride counter-traffic, cut intersections, etc isn't that they're malicious scofflaws. Instead, it's because the existing car-based infrastructure is not fit for purpose (in the context of cycling). #2 likely doesn't need any new legislation beyond what already exists. Reckless driving on streets is already a thing - the law is there. IE, all of the noise the council is making is ripe for abuse by the police and I wouldn't be surprised if that's the intent of at least a portion of council members.
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#35
Today, 08:53 AM
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#36
Today, 09:13 AM
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The 3 tier classing doesn't work... Class 3 typically overlaps mopeds/scooters in many states (those that have 50cc rules in place). Class 1/2 are too fast for many users. And there are a whole bunch of "legal" e-bikes that are clearly meant to be cheap motorcycles (instructions on unlocking the full power, crank and seating designs you'd never pedal, etc).
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#37
Today, 09:21 AM
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I see lots of bikes like this on the local bike paths, haven't seen this one, it seems ultra insane. 100Nm torque is somewhere between a 600cc and 1000cc sport bike I would imagine with that motor you could make it do 100mph if you rework the drivetrain. I can't remember the name of the popular one I see a lot. It kind of looks vaguely 70-dirt bike styled with dual rear shocks and a vintage moto style saddle. Last year I was driving my car and I saw a guy doing 35-40mph on a bike like this out in the street while he was towing a trailer. There is no way that should be legal without a license and you should be subject to motorcycle laws. IIRC mopeds could never do 40mph. Like I said heck yes I would ride that, but I have a motorycle license and I'd want to ride it in motorcycle gear. Making the pedals even more pointless. They are compliance pedals. I think it would do some good if they required eBikes to have the following to qualify: - Cap the power and somehow figure out a way to allow a cargo bike to have more power I guess - Motor cannot have enough power to exceed the speeds allowed for an eBike to eliminate the ability to "unlock" high speed - Must come in multiple frame sizes - Must have an adjustable saddle height - Must have full size cranks/pedals Non-adjustable seat, vestigial cranks, one size fits all are all things that make a bike smell very motorcycle-ish. And it has to be enforced at point of sale, none of this buy anything you want and then expect the police to figure it out. Bringing vendors like Amazon to heel will probably be hard though. Last edited by benb; Today at 09:29 AM.
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#38
Today, 09:24 AM
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My town is full of the "dirt only" ebikes usually ridden by early teen kids.
Was very pleased to see one kid get it placed on the flatbed tow truck after a police officer pulled him over. Hope his buddies witnessed it.
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#39
Today, 09:36 AM
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Every time I see a teenager riding around recklessly on an overpowered ebike, I consider myself lucky that he's not driving a car.
As for the specific question of Santa Barbara, I agree with Alistair that improved bike infrastructure could help a lot. I've done a fair amount of riding in Santa Barbara, and while some parts of the city have good bike lanes/paths, other parts really do not. And often times, the areas don't connect so getting from A to B often requires traversing some roads that are treacherous to bikes. Personally, I'll still traverse through the road but I understand why others might prefer the sidewalk.
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