Search results

  1. Asher

    Burnt to a Crisp: Name and Fame for E-Bikes Aflame (Open Thread of E-Bike Fires)

    There are tons of stories of e-bike fires, but for whatever reason, fire departments and reporters can't be bothered to share the maker of the e-bike in question. I imagine most are nameless imports, but there are still some with recognizable brands. But there are exceptions - this thread is to...
  2. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    ABS is already on bikes. It's just costly and heavier. https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/products/abs
  3. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    My road bike has 105 Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. They are 'auto-adjusting' - after a hard braking, there's a little disc rub that quickly fades away as everything comes back into alignment. Compare with my old Juiced with cheap Tektros hydraulics, which got brake rub very easily and would...
  4. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    Your argument is a) we'd don't know how the girl who died and b) I haven't had problems, therefore there aren't problems. B) is nice for you but contrary to what many others are reporting. And a) is correct but ultimately not that relevant, compared to the experiences of others, as Flax has...
  5. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    Rad reps were probably told to shill the original specs as replacement parts, with no 'editorializing' allowed. Customer service can be extremely scripted and some of it is bound to be stupid (the official advice, that is).
  6. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    In the article, Flax says Rad specifically, and inexplicably, recommends against that. High maintenance parts might be understandable if you're Luna Cycles selling to enthusiasts, but Rad's whole pitch is to noobs wanting a carefree experience. That's a manufactured human disaster, as Flax...
  7. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    The author reports ubiquitous problems with Rad brakes rapidly going out of alignment. Plus bike shop(s) telling him the same thing. That's a much bigger sample than one person, i.e. you. "Roughly a month after my younger son got his RadRunner, he mentioned that the brakes weren’t working so...
  8. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    I'm imagining that world. It's one where Rad continues to pump out hundreds of thousands of bikes with dysfunctional underpowered brakes and marketing them to novices completely unequipped to maintain them safely. And other companies take note and adopt a similar tack.
  9. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    If you blame the parents, nothing will change. If you blame Rad, Rad will be pressured to make better bikes, and reduce the risk. So is blaming "a company that took in $300 million in institutional capital and put $40 brakes on a 65-pound bike" worse than losing a child?
  10. Asher

    Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

    (Not an argument with you:) We have a long standing convention of prosecuting makers of cribs that lead to babies dying - even if the death was caused by someone absentmindedly misusing the crib. Because ultimately we hold crib makers to a high standard or we get dead babies. And also why we...
  11. Asher

    Juiced Blog: "All Juiced Bikes are UL compliant and will include this new “stamp of approval” in 2023."

    Considering how it's worded, it sounds like they comply with all the rules/guidance of UL but weren't inspected and certified. Given how Juiced has long been a leader in batteries and there haven't been much confirmed reports of battery issues, Juiced is prob among the safest choices, outside...
  12. Asher

    Consumer Reports: Ebike Fires

    Toyota is a $200 billion dollar proof otherwise. Or antilock brakes or any number of other inventions. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poka-yoke It would be more honest to simply say you want to see people punished with death, injury or great misfortune for making dumb mistakes.
  13. Asher

    Consumer Reports: Ebike Fires

    Can someone ID that make and model? Looks like a scrambler type but not sure who the maker is. Everyone should be charging their devices on a timer that cuts power after X hours, eg 4-8 hours. You and I know that but most people don't. You need these devices to be idiotproofed or you get...
  14. Asher

    Smallest chainring / largest cassette installed on RipCurrent S?

    Yes but it's the wheel + tire diameter that matters, with tire width and height about equal. 622+ 47 +47 = 716mm = 28.2 inches. I get ~133 gear inches for the 11t x 52t
  15. Asher

    Smallest chainring / largest cassette installed on RipCurrent S?

    I am running the stock IA-2209 innova that came with the bike, 622-47 in the back. I am going to attempt a 622-55 schwalbe I bought, but only after I wear down the stock tire, in 1000+ miles. In the front I have a 584-60 schwalbe efficiency with a proterra light i25 wheel. But the front wheel...
  16. Asher

    Smallest chainring / largest cassette installed on RipCurrent S?

    Ah, edited to add that I have the 52t stock chainring.
  17. Asher

    Smallest chainring / largest cassette installed on RipCurrent S?

    Finally got my bike back from the shop and tested a hill near me. It's a hill with an incline that's just moderate enough you'd pedal on the way down. Bike is stock with a 52t chainring. Went to near safe max pedal effort, and still didn't use the two highest gears/smallest cogs, 11t and 12t...
  18. Asher

    Front page LA Times today regarding Ebikes

    The classic counter response would be to simply station enforcement officers to ticket riders, initially with a heavy presence, and then make enforcement more sporadic as people learn to follow the rules. Has that already been tried and found wanting?
Back