"E-bikes are for lazy people, seniors and smokers with early-stage emphysema"

[J.R.]

"But anyone who follows the development of cycling, especially in cities, will have noticed an ever-expanding chorus of people trumpeting e-bikes as machines of the future. Bikes with motors have been around for generations, but have largely remained on the fringes mostly because of technological limitations. As those limitations have fallen away, however, e-bikes are being seen as an easier way for suburbanites with long commutes to finally ride bikes to work. In Europe, the chorus in support of e-bikes has risen as cities look to get more people on bikes beyond those living in inner cities with short trips for their daily needs. And if European suburbanites see their advantages, there are millions more North Americans with long commutes waiting in the wings."

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/why-its-time-to-get-over-our-snobbery-toward-electric-bikes

Nice article, part promotion, part lifestyle and part tech. Nice Bosch city style commuter bike called the Cube is showcased.

 

[Mike Smith]

I agree with the title of this post, but hey, there are a lot of us in that exact situation, so why not let us ride too. Who are we hurting? The lycra lizard packs will be there some day as well. Nice post.

 

[Deleted member 803]

Lots of articles like this one popping up from time to time. I have said repeatedly to the industry that if someone is looking to buy a new bicycle, they are NOT an e-bike candidate. Anecdote: helped my local dealer support a booth at the Saturday farmers market. We had great interest in the products; I'd say we talked to about 50 folks. 95% of them were 60 and over and did not use a bicycle on a regular basis.

The other problem is that almost no dealer knows how to sell an e-bike (or regular bike for that matter) and do not ask the right questions to qualify the customers needs, and then explain the various types of e-bikes suitable for the task. Everytime I hear a sales rep say, "Now this one is really cool," I cringe. E-bikes need to be marketed in non-bicycle retailers. In San Francisco, we have ferry's that deliver thousands of folks from the east and north bay to the city each morning. Imagine a kiosk that allows those folks to e-bike the rest of the way to work. I frequently watch as folks depart the ferry in the morning and then either walk, cab, or bus to their work place. ......only one example, you get the idea. Bay Area Rapid Transit stations are another great venue. I could probably mention 50-100 retail spaces that are better suited to sell e-bikes than an IBD.

I've sold more e-bikes at Peet's (like a starbucks) where I park my bike each morning than my local dealer has in a year. Of course, I have a little sign on the bike that says, "Leave the car at home, ask me for a demo ride."