Dropped an e-bike today on a climb

[pdonk]

On a ride last year I saw a guy riding a cruiser about 300m ahead of me on a long climb. I chased and chased and finally caught him. As I passed I realized it was an ebike. Felt much better than if it had been a normal bike.

[daker13]

A young guy passed me on a bike path a couple days ago and I glanced at his bike and thought it looked like an old clunker, I must be really out of shape... then I saw him cruising along ahead of me at about 30 mph, not pedaling at all, and I realized it was an e-bike.

That's probably going to happen to me a few more times before it starts to register that I'm sharing the roads with a new kind of vehicle.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I've struggled to pass people on pedal-assist Citi Bikes who were barely pedaling and sitting bolt upright. I'm talking about 18 mph on city streets.

But I just heard that Citi Bike is pulling all their e-bikes off the road due to reports of people getting flipped over the handlebars when braking too hard.

https://www.citibikenyc.com/blog/ser...l-assist-bikes

I've been in more than one European city and just recently Baltimore, witnessing these new electric scooters buzzing around, and, man, there has to be a lot of injuries related to those things already, with many more to come if the popularity coninues to rise. Non users, too. They're quiet and using sidewalks.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

'Powered' bicycles..the same just different..

Yugo vs Aston Martin, the same just different? Sometimes the differences matter more than the similarities.

[benb]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

e-bikes are such a mixed bag. a friend with a physical limitation uses it as an assist (but still pedals as hard as he can). on the other hand, i got passed going up a slight uphill by a family (mom, dad & their teen kid) just sitting there doing nothing but holding the grip. not even pedaling. then they turned off into a state park. i had to wonder, what's the point? might as well have driven to the parking lot. i shouted to the dad, jokingly, as he rolled by, "aww come on man, you're cheating!" he laughed, said, "i know....i know..."

The fact they took their eBikes to the park instead of their car means better air quality for you on your ride.

Seriously.. every eBike trip that replaces a car trip is a great thing. It's not as great a thing if it replaces a regular bicycle ride but if it means someone isn't trundling around in the SUV that's fantastic.

[chrismoustache]

I can definitely see the benefit of the ebike if it means that someone who would not be riding is now riding. In talking to folks I know who ride, this can mean that a spouse or relative can join a bike tour that they may not have undertaken in the past.

Related to the OP, my buddy and I passed some guys on eMTBs on singletrack going downhill last week. I was on my Schwinn Peloton with 28s, and he was on and old hybrid.

I think the guys were super new to any sort of riding on dirt, but it still felt real good and they were super surprised that some skinny tires blew by them.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Originally Posted by smead

Certainly an ego boost, perhaps he just had a fading battery, but it sure felt good. Was on a stretch of 5-7% rollers, chugged up behind him riding fixed, he yelled out "you can't pass me!" as I rolled by, he pinned the "gas" and stayed behind me for about 200 yards while I buried it, he finally dropped back pedaling hard, but with waning juice. Good stuff.

Nice work. Riding e-bikes, I don’t have too strong an opinion on, but trash talking other riders? A fixie rider no less!