Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the US Next? (bloomberg.com) 271
Sales of electric-bike is growing in many parts of the world. Asia-Pacific region, for instance, is estimated to see 32.8M of them sell this year, and 1.6m of e-bikes are expected to be sold in Western Europe by the end of this year. In China, in particular, the ban on motorcyle has lead to massive e-bike adoption. Over the years we've seen many companies such as BG and Pedego dish out models after models, offering bikes ranging from elegant folding versions to flat-tire variants. Despite all the growth elsewhere in the world, North America and Latin America are estimated to see less than 250,000 inventories move this year. But going forward, the number is likely to see a major growth. From a Bloomberg article: Electrics "finally have legs to be able to take off in the U.S.," because cyclists are feeling safer on the roads, battery and motor technology is improving, and retail prices are dropping, says Todd Grant, president of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. However, e-bikes have been banned in some U.S. cities because of safety concerns. [...] The U.S. market could develop "way faster" than Europe's did, says Claus Fleischer, who heads Bosch's e-bike division. The German multinational began selling motors and batteries for electric bikes in 2011 and now supplies more than 60 brands, primarily in Europe. It opened a subsidiary in Irvine, Calif., in 2014 and is sponsoring e-bike expos across the U.S., including one in Portland, Ore., that ran for three days in late May.
"the ban on motorcyle (s?) " (Score:3, Insightful)
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Indeed. It's a real stretch to call it "Winning Over" when the other choice is banned.
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That's only true in some states. Many states allow higher or have no limit.
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Not only that. The laws limit the speed to 20 mph max for electric. Worthless on flat roads when you can easily reach 25 mph. It prevents them from being used on the roads properly.
Why is a 20mph bike worthless on a road with a 25mph speed limit? I ride my (non-electric) bike on 25 mph roads on my way to work... I rarely go over 20mph yet my bike is still quite useful (and faster than driving since i can take some bike-only shortcuts).
Re:"the ban on motorcyle (s?) " (Score:5, Funny)
Tell that to the stack of traffic behind you, ass-hat.
The only traffic behind me in the bike lane is other bikes. If a car chooses to drive in the bike lane, he should drive at bike speed.
Re:"the ban on motorcyle (s?) " (Score:5, Funny)
(The article below indicates that NYPD was not going to take action against a driver who did just that, mowed down a pedestrian, and drove away, however the driver has turned herself in.)
http://www.streetsblog.org/2016/06/03/driver-who-injured-woman-on-manhattan-sidewalk-pleads-to-two-felonies/ [streetsblog.org]
Re:"the ban on motorcyle (s?) " (Score:5, Informative)
Not only that. The laws limit the speed to 20 mph max for electric. Worthless on flat roads when you can easily reach 25 mph. It prevents them from being used on the roads properly.
No surprise, but cow-herd misrepresents the laws. In my State the cutoff is 15mph, not 20, but that isn't a speed limit of any sort.
That is merely the speed where it becomes a moped or scooter instead of a "bicycle." So if your device can go over that speed, then it is type of light motorcycle rather than a bicycle, and can't be used on bicycle-only paths. The funny part is that your complaint is that the rule interferes with being able to use electric bikes on roads; no, that is exactly the solution those rules explain to you: if you want it fast enough to be useful on most roads, then you'll have to drive it... on the road.
Also, it has nothing to do with electric; in most states it applies to any power-assisted bicycle, regardless of technology used. And before these laws were written, all power assisted bicycles were mopeds, a type of light motorcycle! These laws were added specifically to allow those devices which operate at a low (device-limited) speed to operate without licensing and on bike paths.
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it would be wise to say those speeds are in km/h. also, where are these belgian hills you speak of?
my only experience with cycling in Belgium was going from Bruges, BE to Sluis, NL. the guy who rented us bikes said it was just round the corner. i still have nightmares about that bicycle seat and the 2x 30km journey i spent on it. as Homer Simpson would say: "Stupid Flanders." (european joke)
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I wish they would. Most of the fuckers are on the footpath.
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Not quite correct. The law doesn't limit the speed of an electric bicycle; it limits the speed of an electric bicycle that doesn't have the same licensing, registration and insurance requirements as a motorcycle.
In the continuum between non-electric bike and electric motorcycle which happens to have pedals (like this one [gizmag.com]) there's no sharp dividing line. No matter what speed capability below which you decide not to regulate an e-bike as a motor vehicle, it will always be convenient sometimes to go a little
Re:"the ban on motorcyle (s?) " (Score:5, Informative)
If it's two stroke engine bikes then there are still gas options.
Motorcycles are NOT banned in China. They are only banned in the core areas of major cities, like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and even there they are allowed if you are a resident and you have the emissions checked. Motorcycles are common in smaller cities and rural areas.
A major reason e-bikes are popular in China is that you can ride them in the bicycle lanes, which is way safer than riding in traffic. They are not popular everywhere. They work well in flat cities like Shanghai or Beijing, but you rarely see them in hilly cities like Chongqing.
E-bikes will stall for one simple reason: (Score:5, Insightful)
John Forester's cult of Vehicular Cycling [copenhagenize.com]. Cycling in the US has been crippled for decades by a delusional group of ideologues who believe bicycles belong in the middle of regular motor vehicle lanes, even on 50mph state highways, and who will actively seek to prevent dedicated bicycle facilities from being built if it means people will ride in ways they disapprove of.
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However if you're saying that at the same time cyclists should be banned from roads that don't have a dedicated bicycle lane, then I have to vehemently disagree with you, that would completely ruin cycling for everyone, from the most minimal commuter, all the way up to pro-level road racers, and everyone in between.
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However if you're saying that at the same time cyclists should be banned from roads that don't have a dedicated bicycle lane, then I have to vehemently disagree with you,
Pretty sure nobody is saying anything of the sort. Well, no cyclists would, anyway.
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However if you're saying that at the same time cyclists should be banned from roads that don't have a dedicated bicycle lane, then I have to vehemently disagree with you,
Pretty sure nobody is saying anything of the sort. Well, no cyclists would, anyway.
They're certainly saying it, not cyclists but people involved in that debate. The reason it sounds like something nobody would say is because it isn't a popular idea. ;) Probably less than 1% of people supporting any sort of ban actually support replacing all of the access they would be removing. Pretty much all the people talking about it are intentionally misleading in how they present the issue, because if people understand what they actually mean they'll get laughed at. What they really mean is, bicycle
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cyclists are already banned from certain roads that don't have a dedicated bicycle lane, even in california.
Where? There are very few roads where this applies.
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The standard is that cyclists are permitted on the freeway if it is the only way to get through. This typically means rural interstates.
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In Florida, at least, unless you're a 5+bhp cyclist, you're banned from basically all limited access highways. That's just under 4KW, so it takes a LOT of electric motor to get legal on the freeway.
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Should there be more bicycle-oriented infrastructure? Yes.
However if you're saying that at the same time cyclists should be banned from roads that don't have a dedicated bicycle lane, then I have to vehemently disagree with you, that would completely ruin cycling for everyone, from the most minimal commuter, all the way up to pro-level road racers, and everyone in between.
I've been an active cycling advocate for over 20 years in several different states, regularly attending community meetings to promote cycling, and have never heard of an advocacy group that would reject dedicated cycling infrastructure because they think cyclists belong on the roads. (though I have seen some poor "dedicated" lanes rejected because they were more dangerous than shared lanes since the cyclists were exposed to cars at every intersection).
More commonly, safe cycling infrastructure is dismissed
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(though I have seen some poor "dedicated" lanes rejected because they were more dangerous than shared lanes since the cyclists were exposed to cars at every intersection)
So... the shared lanes don't expose cyclists to cars at every intersection (and all points in between as well)? How does that work?
Where I live we spend a million bucks a mile for bike lanes which are ignored by at least half the cyclists on the road who insist on "sharing" lanes with vehicles lawfully travelling at three times their speed
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You fell for the misleading claims, though. They're not talking about replacing anything, they're just phrasing their ban proposal in a way that would imply it. So that they sound reasonable.
When he says:
delusional group of ideologues... who will actively seek to prevent dedicated bicycle facilities from being built if it means people will ride in ways they disapprove of
What he means by "dedicated bicycle facilities" is a park. Where you're allowed to ride your toy. Of course, they blame "vehicular cyclists" but that isn't who is trying to popularize the idea; it is anti-bicyclists who are pointing at fringe nutcases to try to paint bicyclists in general as insane impedime
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Found the vehicular cyclist.
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cyclists should be banned from roads
You guys realise when you keep using the exact same red herring that nobody mentioned, down to the wording, it's a giveaway that you're actually just trying to dissemble in favor of your utterly failed ideology, right?
hat would completely ruin cycling for everyone, from the most minimal commuter, all the way up to pro-level road racers, and everyone in between.
What's ruined cycling for everyone in the US is the kamikaze cult that thinks bicycles belong only in ordinary motor vehicle roads and will lie, cheat, and protest to keep it that way. In every location where cycling has a significant modal share it's due to the construction of dedicated cycli
Re:E-bikes will stall for one simple reason: (Score:5, Insightful)
I've always wondered why we'd rather have cyclist hit by cement trucks than pedestrians hit by cyclists..
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Because cyclists are usually smug poseurs?
Re: E-bikes will stall for one simple reason: (Score:3, Insightful)
It's because they want the perks of being a vehicle and a pedestiran. Jerks.
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John Forester's cult of Vehicular Cycling [copenhagenize.com]. Cycling in the US has been crippled for decades by a delusional group of ideologues who believe bicycles belong in the middle of regular motor vehicle lanes, even on 50mph state highways, and who will actively seek to prevent dedicated bicycle facilities from being built if it means people will ride in ways they disapprove of.
I doubt if they've been influential enough to cripple cycling. They seem to be confined to online ranting in their own little echo chamber. Thankfully.
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Actually, what vehicular cyclists really believe is that bicyclists should act "as drivers of vehicles." Did you know that slow-moving vehicles are already required to be driven as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb [ca.gov]? A bicycle is (usually) a slow-moving vehicle, so why should it be treated differently under the law than other slow-moving vehicles?
Sometimes it's safer to ride in the middle of the lane, such
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Actually, what vehicular cyclists really believe in their own words is that cyclists should "take the lane". Start to finish that's their nigh-religious mantra, "take the lane" and all will be solved.
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Yep take the lane, because if you're kind enough to share it, you'll get killed by some entitled idiot like you who disapproves and would rather risk killing the cyclist by squeezing by than having a bit of patience and waiting.
Take the lane does solve most problems because the the chance of getting intentionally murdered is much, much, much lower than the chance of getting hit by someone being stupid. Taking the lane leaves (literally) less room for stupidity.
PS the road isn't yours, stop acting like it is
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Riding in the center of the lane makes the bicyclist more visible and forces motorists to change lanes to pass instead of passing unsafely close to the bicyclist.
In California, when you do that, you are now breaking the law. The law requires all drivers to pull over to permit passing for just one vehicle now, and you are required to pull over when it is safe. The standard used to be five vehicles stacked up behind you. A cyclist can pull over safely basically anywhere, so the short story is that you should pull over immediately rather than holding up faster traffic. That's the same standard for everyone, not just bicycles. The standard is not "when you come to a tur
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who will actively seek to prevent dedicated bicycle facilities from being built if it means people will ride in ways they disapprove of.
This is intentionally misleading. Nobody proposing to ban bicycles from traffic lanes is actually proposing to spend the money to replace that access with dedicated lanes. No, telling cyclists to stay in the park is not the same as building "dedicated facilities" in the context of traffic.
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From wikipedia:
A vehicular cyclist is a cyclist who generally travels within the roadway in accordance with the basic vehicular rules of the road that are shared by all drivers and adhering to traffic controls.[a] Vehicular cyclists, Forester advises, should feel and act like vehicle drivers, albeit the drivers of narrow and relatively low-powered vehicles
Vehicular cyclists would rather shut down and stonewall the construction of dedicated cycling facilities than see cycling go mainstream
Sounds like I'm a v
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I'm in a State where the rules are very friendly to electric bikes, and they worked with the manufacturers to make sure that most of the reasonable electric bikes are still considered bikes. Lots and lots of stores opened up trying to sell them. Most of them also already went out of business.
The reason is that they had the idea that they could sell really expensive ones to yuppies. But most of the market is working class commuters. So home-built ones are more common than the crazy-expensive ones.
Another pro
Given the excess energy stored in love handles (Score:5, Funny)
They shouldn't (Score:2)
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, people driving cars/trucks don't like cyclists
Generally false. We don't SEE them, and expect they are looking out for us, being the lighter, more nimble and better sighted vehicle. Even big motorcycles are hard to see, nevermind a skinny little bike.
Now it is true that a cyclist holding up traffic makes people angry, and angry people may not use best judgement. There are some roads where bicycles just shouldn't be, or else the rides should be widened so that bicycles can be without disrupting traffic.
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Even big motorcycles are hard to see, nevermind a skinny little bike.
You aren't looking around enough. If you're used to looking for bicycles, they're easy to see. If you're used to looking for motorcycles, they're easy to see. Lane sharing by motorcyclists is legal in California, so if you're driving you have to expect that motorcycles are going to come up the apparently non-existent lane between you and the next car. They're easy to see if you actually look.
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That's generally because they blow red lights and act like complete twats.
Another market they are making inroads (Score:5, Funny)
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You must be mistaken. That would be against the rules.
Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not. While there have been several accusations, so far only one confirmed case [competitor.com].
A few changes and the Chinese eBikes would be OK (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:A few changes and the Chinese eBikes would be O (Score:4, Insightful)
E-bikes that can exceed 20 mph need to be limited to cyclists who can pass a motorcycle license exam. At 35 mph an e-bike with its smaller tire-to-road surface area and poorer braking behavior is more dangerous than a motorcycle and requires more skill in the instantaneous risk assessment that is critical to safe driving of any vehicle. E-bikes in traffic lanes at faster than pedaling speeds are not only a threat to their riders, they are a hazard to all other drivers on the road.
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Throw yourself off of a bike at 35mph and tell me how safe it is.
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not so fast (Score:3)
I'm skeptical that electric-powered bikes will become very popular in the US. They're fairly similar in riding qualities (lightweight, easy to handle) and licensing requirements (pretty much none) to a 50cc motorscooter, and those have failed to take off, despite being widely available in the same price range for years. I've been a day-to-day scooterist for seven years, but I don't have a lot of company out there. Especially in the north, where they're a three-season vehicle (or one-season, for the less dedicated), they aren't seen as a viable substitute for a car. Even with 100mpg engines that cost almost nothing to fuel [genuinescooters.com], the ability to park them almost anywhere, and a lot of other appealing features, most consumers just don't seem interested (which is too bad for them, because unless the roads are wet or icy, I'd much rather ride than sit in a car).
An e-bike also suffers from being neither fish nor fowl. A 20mph bike is too slow to keep up with traffic in a motor-vehicle lane, but too fast to fit in with any human-powered traffic in a bicycle lane. I've ridden a 50cc scooter (mine was capable of 40mph) in 45mph zones, and believe me: motorists don't like you when you go under the speed limit in a motorized-vehicle lane. They'll eat a 20mph e-bike alive, even in a 25mph zone. But if that e-bike takes the bike lane (which isn't legal in many places), it will quickly overtake regular bicyclists, whom it won't be able to safely pass because bike lanes aren't designed for that. Dedicated lanes for motor-powered two-wheelers might help as an option for e-bikes and scooters (and motorcyclists who aren't in a hurry), but I don't see that happening until they become popular... ye olde Catch 22.
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failed to take off
They wee one of the defining status symbols of the 1980's.
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The key phrase there being "status symbol". There was a short-lived fad in which Puch mopeds and Honda Spree scooters were popular among upper-class 15-year-olds without proper driver licenses, but they never became a mainstream form of transportation. They started to make a comeback about eight years ago, thanks to skyrocketing gas prices, but as soon as Wall Street tanked the economy and drove gas prices down, the idea of investing a couple grand into another vehicle made people nervous.
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Just because an e-bike _can_ do 20mph is no reason that it _has_ to do 20mph. I'd value the 300W assist cruising at a normal 12-15mph, if it meant I could arrive without being drenched in sweat.
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The problem is you vastly overestimate how useful 100 MPG is. MPG isn't a measure of fuel economy, it's the inverse of fuel economy. This has huge implications for fuel consumption and cost. Imagine you need to travel 100 miles.
12.5 MPG full-size SUV = 8 gallons
25 MPG sedan = 4 gallons
50 MPG hybrid = 2 gallons
100 MPG scooter = 1 gallon
See how each time MPG doubles, the fuel saved (and thus money saved) is halved? It's counter-intuitive,
Actually been to China and seen it (Score:5, Informative)
1. Storefronts
2. A portion of the sidewalk taken up by space for bikes and electric scooters, with power strips provided by shopkeepers for their customers
3. Rest of the (wide) sidewalk
4. Dedicated bike+electric scooter lane, maybe 6-8 feet wide
5. Small median (~1-2 feet, bigger for bus stops)
6. Traffic lanes, 4 or more lanes total, sometimes in groups of two or three, sometimes with a set of reversible lanes, sometimes dedicated bus lanes.
5 downto 1 in reverse order on the other side.
At almost all intersections, the bike lanes have separate traffic signals (usually overlapping with pedestrian walk signals), and sometime the bike lanes have separate left turn signals which coincide with exclusive left turn signals for the car lanes. If I remember right, the car left and right turn lanes can be either on the interior or exterior of the road and there are signs to indicate which set of lanes allow you to turn which way at the upcoming intersection. This is to deconflict turning vehicles from bikes/pedestrians going straight at the outside of the road.
Overall, it was a pretty good system. But (especially in Shanghai) you could tell that half the people on the road didn't have an f'ing clue of how to operate a vehicle in traffic, and one time when I was riding a bus, a woman cut of the bus changing from one set of lanes to another (in a way that just wouldn't happen here) and got her rear tail light knocked out.
The other thing is that this all takes space. You couldn't do it unless you were building from scratch or were willing to knock down large numbers of existing buildings. But the Chinese had to do it this way because maybe only half of their people can afford to own cars, and even fewer back when this was built 20 years ago. So the streets were layed out to accomodate an equal number of people on bicycles and buses/motor vehicles. That's a ready market for electric scooters.
Re:Actually been to China and seen it (Score:5, Informative)
You couldn't do it unless you were building from scratch or were willing to knock down large numbers of existing buildings.
Or you take the Dutch approach. Reclaim a lane from the road traffic. Put in place restrictions on driving within the city centre. Prioritise traffic lights for the bicycle flow instead of main traffic flow, and make this ubiquitous across a city.
When a large portion of the population is doing normal trips on a bicycle you don't need all that space for cars.
I commute on an e-bike (Score:2)
I use my e-bike for daily commuting. It is a low powered unit with a 350W geared hub motor. No wind cruse, under power is about 17mph, pedaling lightly gets me to about 20mph (after all, I am on my way to work, I have no intention of working hard to get there). Where the motor comes in handy is in shopping runs. When I have the bike and trailer loaded down heavy.
The other place the motor makes a real difference is in a headwind. I am in South West Kansas, we have both wind and winter.
Overall, this lifestyl
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Parent post makes a good case for low powered e-bikes.
Another case: when I was recovering from back surgery for a fractured spine, I got a used e-bike with a 500W motor, lead-acid batteries, sprung front fork, beach tires. My total moving weight was around 325 lbs, 340 lbs with baskets of groceries. Top speed was around 18 mph with lots of pedaling, best cruising speed using the motor in pedal-assist mode was 10 - 12 mph. This was excellent therapy as my bones knit together and I got back in shape after th
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It isn't that it "can't work," it is that it is more expensive than a motorcycle. If you build it yourself, and don't count the time, that brings the cost down to what a used motorcycle costs, and that is including the title and registration. Insurance on a motorcycle isn't very much.
In my State you can ride power-assisted bicycles in bike lanes if they can't go over 15mph, and what sells are internal combustion kits with a small wheel that presses on the bike rim. (like a bottle generator) They're loud and
Theft problem (Score:2)
Bike theft is one of the fastest growing crimes here in Europe. It will definitely get worse still a few years from now when the average bike is a $1500 e-bike instead of a $150 regular bike. There is an inherent problem with a vehicle that is both expensive enough to be worth stealing and lightweight enough that a person can just pick it up and walk away with it.
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If you would buy Chinese made e-bikes instead of homegrown, they would cost $300 instead of $1500.
No, because E-bikes mostly replace bicycles (Score:2)
And not cars.
The day that E-bikes take over in the US is the day *after* the bicycle infrastructure get so good, the distances so short, and the attitudes so much improved that everyone would be riding bicycles. This is unlikely. And if, somehow it did happen, it would actually be kind of sad. All that work to overhaul transportation, and Americans would still rather sit on their ass and coast rather than pedal.
no showers (Score:3)
I have experimented with cycling to work (usually use a motorcycle). At no place I have ever worked have there been showers usable for the transition from cyclist to acceptable office occupant, and I really must have those facilities.
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Two words: Sponge bath.
The last place I worked didn't have shower facilities. I would bike in and be all sweaty. I'd come into the office, drop off my bike, and grab two sponges, a towel, and a bar of soap that I kept in my desk. I'd wet down both sponges and soap up one of them. I'd go into the stall, strip down, wash myself with the soapy sponge, rinse myself with the wet sponge, dry myself with the towel, and put on work clothes. I might add some body spray, just in case. I'd wash the bike shirt a
Re:no showers (Score:4, Informative)
Normal human beings do not maintain a racer's pace if they are not actually racing.
A 3 mph walk will burn ~60 watts, which will get you 9 mph on a bicycle without being any more sweaty than walking for the same amount of time. Do you need a shower after walking from your car into the building where you work?
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Cell phone use on electric bicycles (Score:2)
Seen it twice in the last month. No earpiece.
"cyclists are feeling safer on the roads"??? (Score:2)
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Turn off your tee-vee, it is polluting your elitist brain. Bicycling is very normal thing in the US. Maybe your anti-Americanisms are not a big deal, but it is still pretty pathetic. Maybe you once visited some redneck American city and presumed the whole country is the same. I'll remember to judge you by assuming you're a French waiter.
Several Issues (Score:2)
Electric scooters/"bicycles" in China (Score:2)
I actually first noticed this yeas ago when I was in Shenzhen: electric scooters/"bicycles" were everywhere. So much for thinking that China is unwilling to limit its pollution.
Further reading about the power charging infrastructure (or, lack thereof): http://designmind.frogdesign.com/2014/01/chinas-electric-bike-charging-cultures [frogdesign.com]
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It's not safe where I live either. You would be biking in well north of 100f, highly polluted air, and traffic that WANTS to kill you.
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Electric bikes are very risky and many people drive too fast with them. They are killing machines. You don't drive too fast with normal bikes because usually you don't have the power in your legs, but e-bikes give you the ability to drive in more life threatening speeds.
But I don't mind people using e-bikes. As long as its nobody I care about its just fine. e-bike riders only risk their own lives, not the ones of the others. Its something different with cars, where often the people who actually cause an acc
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"Electric bikes are very risky and many people drive too fast with them.'
This is also true of any car. The proper place for e-bikes is as a hybrid: you crank at a constant rate, storing battery power on the flat that can be given back to you on hills. You can arrive at work without needing a shower before you can sit at your desk.
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I and many people I know ride a couple hundred miles a week on public roads for years and years, and surprise, we're still alive, have all our original body parts, and aren't scared little rabbits while we're doing it.
You haven't met your "driver looking at their cell phone at facebook of fate" coming directly behind you yet. Like you, I have been riding along with traffic for 40 years. I've done it in bicycle hostile territory such as western Pennsylvania. 6 months ago I very narrowly missed getting rear ended by some ahole in a BMW and wound up with a broken rib / punctured lung. Don't ride during the work week anymore, just the weekend and in low traffic density areas.
I've talked to a person who trained for RAAM a
Re: It's not safe... (Score:2, Interesting)
Not a fallacy at all. Your chances of dying from lazy lifestyle, or car-caused polution, is much higher than dying in a bicycle accident. His advice is very accurate. Look at NYC and the bike renewal there.
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Not just car-caused pollution, it's also reduced fitness due to less exercise than if you cycled. I haven't checked for recent studies, but the slight increased risk from traffic on a bicycle is more than compensated by improved health and fitness.
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Combine that with traffic that isn't going to worry about you and it can be quite scary riding a bicycle.
Actual conversation between my wife and I one night:
Her: "Geeze! Did you pass that bicycle close enough?"
Me: "What bicycle???"
At least there's no excuse for these electric varieties to not have lights.
Making it electrical won't change things on a practical level in the least. Americans love their gas guzzlers
Americans don't give a crap about gas but we loathe wasting time and money. Make a cheap electr
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I'm driving a bicycle as well and it always fills me with joy when I ride past a lane of standing cars.
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If the e-bike riders were not so frakken dangerous, I'd support parent post's pov.
But the truth is that e-bikes enable Momma and Poppa Chubbs to get out on the bike paths at the same speeds that bikers with years of adult experience attain, and these super fast idiots who haven't been on a bike since their middle school years are a danger to everyone. They are all over the road. They don't know how to stop. They don't know how to assess potential risks before it is too late to avoid them. They go sliding o
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They think that roads are built for cars and not transport in general,
To be fair, that is why a huge number of them were built.
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False [theguardian.com].
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To be fair, a large number were actually made for bicycles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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Some reasons: Americans have a pathological hate for cyclists. They think that roads are built for cars and not transport in general, and all American drivers think they own the road they drive on.
Living in a college town there are reasons other than the ones you quote, like 'Murricans wannd burn gas and the other tripe you spewed.
Around my little city, most of the Car/bike accidents result in a citation against the bike rider, as many consider stop signs and traffic lights not for them. And in the downtown area, the typical accident is a bike blowing through a traffic light and hitting a car on the side. Riding 5 abreast to the middle of the road - even with a bike lane - is also popular.
Some
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My college town mixes scooters and pickup trucks on the road. It's pretty grisly when the trucks forget to stop (and it does happen.)
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I question this assumption. I work in a extremely typical small town in Kansas and I use my e-bike for all local transportation. If I need to go further I fly.
I get, almost universally, positive comments. Sure, there are a few jerks; but that is just the way they are, the e-bike really has nothing to do with it. The reality is that most people don't even notice that it is an e-bike. As a means of transportation it works quite well.
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Indeed.
The day I can go up to 30 miles one way daily on a bike in a timely manner, is the day I start getting in shape.
Otherwise, I'll have to keep using my car.
I think you got that backwards -- "The day you can go up to 30 miles one way daily on a bike in a timely manner is when you'll be in shape". Driving your car is not likely to get you into shape. But I think you mean 30 miles *each* way, or you have a very unusual commute.
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A halfway decent bike is already grossly overpriced, often costing well over $1000. Electric bikes are even worse.
You don't have to spend $1000+ for a halfway decent bike. I paid $600 for my commute bike -- 5 years and about 10,000 miles later, I've put new wheels, new tires, a couple chains, brake pads, and front chainring and rear gear cluster into it, so maintenance cost around $500.
So, the bike cost me less than $20/month so far, but I don't see why it won't last me another 5+ years without any major maintenance, so monthly cost will continue to decrease.
You can, of course, spend much more, my "fun" road bike co
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You don't have to spend $1000+ for a halfway decent bike. I paid $600 for my commute bike -- 5 years and about 10,000 miles later
Have you gone into a bicycle shop lately? A LOT LOT harder today to spend less than $1000 and not come out with the cheapest of cheap components or crappy frame.
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I spent 100 pounds on my bike, then rode it heavily in all weathers for over a decade. I think I spent far more on it in maintainance than it cost. Original parts are the frame, gear levers (though someone stole a screw from one ---weirdest theft ever), handlebars (slightly bent), front chainrings (worn asymmetric teeth now), pedal cranks and the seat post. The gear changes over the years actually wore a hole through the front derailleur.
Still, the overall price was low and it did many miles. It also looks
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Yeah bicycles are such great value. I've been riding a 1987 Trek that I bought in 1997 second hand for $125 from a guy who used to ride it up in to the mountains from Denver. It picked up some rust from all the winter road salt from almost 10 years in Toronto, and it's been carrying me 15-20km eachway in out of central London everyday for the last six years. Same wheels for 20 years, although straightened a few times, same bottom bracket, etc. Had to change the everything the chain touches once because
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You posted as AC, so that only narrows the search to Earth and near-Earth orbit. Probably not too many in orbit, since they're incredibly heavy, and Antarctica doesn't have much infrastructure, but that still leaves at least 20% of the planet.