I must be missing something. Are ebikes really that noisy? I can barely hear my Pedego hub drive even at full speed.
I think the writer is very proud of his athletic achievements that give him access to what used to be less traveled cycling routes... he resents that more cyclists are able to enjoy them because of ebikes. Maybe in 20 or 30 or 40 years he will feel differently, and be very grateful that an ebike enables him to continue enjoying cycling beyond his physical limitations.
Not sure what distance we’re talking about but I think you can hear a group of e,g. Bosch motors. One of the reasons I turned my eyes and ears to bikes with Brose motors was the difference in sound or noise.Europe is the land of mid-drives, which do make more noise than hub motors. But they are not so noisy that you can hear them at any distance.
I think the writer is very proud of his athletic achievements that give him access to what used to be less traveled cycling routes... he resents that more cyclists are able to enjoy them because of ebikes. Maybe in 20 or 30 or 40 years he will feel differently, and be very grateful that an ebike enables him to continue enjoying cycling beyond his physical limitations.
I found it interesting to read the comments that readers of The Travelling Lindfields blog posted.
Quite a few tut-tutted something akin to "Oh, that's dreadful!" but no one politely suggested that their host was being even a trifle too enthusiastically extravagant in her exaggeration.
Hyperbole wins again.
... David
While the writer no doubt embellished much of it, there is a valid point. This is another reason I am against higher speed eBikes. I have a class 3, but see no valid reason to go over 20 mph. If a motorized vehicle is capable of going over 20 mph, it should be licensed, insured, and the operator have a drivers license. And of course not be allowed on bike/hike trails.
I had a Honda Express back in the late 70’s I used to run errands. I had to have a drivers license, tags...etc.... to ride it. My eBike goes just as fast via throttle, and faster with assist. Why should my class 3 eBike be treated differently?
If you want to commute on an eBike at 30 mph great. License it, insure it and ride. But don’t take it on a bike bath with baby strollers, walkers, and dogs. Sure, you world only go 15 mph because you’re a good person, but a lot of people aren’t. A good person could ride a motorcycle on a bike path as well.
While the writer no doubt embellished much of it, there is a valid point. This is another reason I am against higher speed eBikes. I have a class 3, but see no valid reason to go over 20 mph. If a motorized vehicle is capable of going over 20 mph, it should be licensed, insured, and the operator have a drivers license. And of course not be allowed on bike/hike trails.
I think I've found the perfect response to the taunt "you're cheating!"... I've already been told I'm cheating numerous times.. My response from now on is going to be "who am I cheating?"
I read this and went WTF. I got the picture of a marauding gang of seniors racing down a bike path running oldbike riders off of the trail. Next we will be accused of killing the people we run off of the trails. I think the author needs to get a grip and learn about us before trying to throw us to the wolves.
Huh?
No valid reason to go over 20mph? Should we put speed limiters on analog bikes then? 20mph is a doddle on road bikes on anything but inclines.
Not a chance in H I'd own an ebike that goes slower than what I can pedal on my road bike. And I'm baffled by those who think 20mph is fast.
The real menace are those nimrods who insist on riding the middle of paths with earbuds, or doddling along 2-3 abreast blathering utter nonsense to each other, completely oblivious to their surroundings or those wanting to pass. I have one group I see regularly - same clueless yammering bs every time - tempted to buy an airzound and wake them up once and for all.
Perhaps the biggest menace are those using phones to text while riding. Speed doesn't kill. Stupidity does.
" by 2030 there will be 62 million electric bicycles in the EU. Cities are overrun by them and towns, villages and previously quiet country paths are blighted by them."
Should say: "by 2030 there will be 62 million HEALTHIER PEOPLE in the EU."