Just a rant to ebike haters

W

woodie

Active Member
Not people ride bikes for exercise. Like me. My bike riding is for pure pleasure and relaxation and a ebike is sure a lot more fun to ride than a non ebike.I’ve exercised all my life and still do and at 51 years old I’m still at my high school weight of 170lbs and low body fat.

For all the people that say it cheating?Why is that?I’m not out here racing you,I’m out here for myself enjoying my time to myself. So don’t get mad at me because I pass you going up a hill and say I’m cheating. I could care less why you think.If I really wanted to trust me I could still easily pass you on a non ebike. So don’t go there. I just love going out for rides on my Lectric xp. It is my time away from day to day work and life related stress.
 
woodie said:
Not people ride bikes for exercise. Like me. My bike riding is for pure pleasure and relaxation and a ebike is sure a lot more fun to ride than a non ebike.I’ve exercised all my life and still do and at 51 years old I’m still at my high school weight of 170lbs and low body fat.

For all the people that say it cheating?Why is that?I’m not out here racing you,I’m out here for myself enjoying my time to myself. So don’t get mad at me because I pass you going up a hill and say I’m cheating. I could care less why you think.If I really wanted to trust me I could still easily pass you on a non ebike. So don’t go there. I just love going out for rides on my Lectric xp. It is my time away from day to day work and life related stress.
Click to expand...
I was riding in the city with my girlfriend one day and a guy on his fancy road bike kept cutting me off when I was trying to pass him. He did it about four times..I should have just driven in to him. I wasn't doing anything other than going slightly faster than his crawl up a little hill...
 
It occurs to me that more and more of these Wout Van Aert wanna be types are sporting Di2 shifting now on their super high end bikes. What’s that? Electronic shifting?? Well, you’re riding an ebike there, Bucko! Cheater.

I coudn’t care less, and in fact damn near all my roadie contacts and chats out and about are overwhelmingly positive. Most guys are genuinely curious. But it’s a good argument for that one who pipes up with the “it doesn’t count” shot.
 
Ebikes are the future and has kept my urge from wanting another motorcycle thus has kept me safe.So maybe an ebike has saved my life.All I research now are ebikes.You have to ride at highway speeds to enjoy the ride and scenery.
 
Darceman said:
I was riding in the city with my girlfriend one day and a guy on his fancy road bike kept cutting me off when I was trying to pass him. He did it about four times..I should have just driven in to him. I wasn't doing anything other than going slightly faster than his crawl up a little hill...
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I would have point blank asked him why he is blocking other traffic from passing and how he'd feed if a car kept cutting him off and that what he was doing is no different. You have every right to be on the path as much as he does. And you have every right to go around slower traffic by giving them notice (on your left/right, and leaving a safe distance). I bet the entitled jerk who kept cutting you off would whine like a baby if a car tried to cut him off from passing.

Having said that, the first modification I'll do when I get my bike is to cover the LECTRIC lettering with white 3M wrap. I know it is the company name but most people are just going to read it as "electric" and I'd rather they figure out the bike that just passed them is electric AFTER I have passed them :)
 
If that rider cut me off once and tried it the second time he'd get a kick into the weeds. A third of my bike riding is on my light, carbon road bike and I would never cut off another cyclist, no matter what he/she was riding.
 
Could everyone share your preferred considerate way of passing pedestrians and slower traffic?

Do you also speak out "on your left?" Ring the bell once, etc.,?
 
rich c said:
The weekly rant about cheater comments, wait, maybe just a monthly rant now. We're making headway!!!!!
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Same here Rich C. In fact I haven't received any negative comments all season (so far!). Lots of comments and questions.
Probably because I'm always seeing more ebikes on our trails. It's really cool to see all the different makes and models. I kinda recognize various ones due to reading this forum.
 
I ride regularly with a buddy who had 2 bikes, an MTB and a road bike. Before I got my ebike, I only had an MTB.

He's smaller and lighter than me so he already has an advantage but he likes to ride the road bike because it's faster and lighter than his MTB. He's always ahead of me on our rides and hills don't bother him... but the ride is harsh... and he like the occasional riding off the paved path so he got the gravel bike. Still faster and lighter than my MTB and still easier for him on our rides.

Then I got an ebike which I only ride when there are hills (and I only use power when on the hills) and he thinks I'm "cheating". I tell him that's not any more unfair than him using his road or gravel bike when I'm riding my heavy MTB. He thinks I should get a road bike... but I'm a big guy... why should I give up the comfort of a more upright ride, wider tires and sturdy frame just to still be beat by him anyways.

TLDR;

Ebikes level the field for us older, bigger people who don't want to ride on super narrow tires. :)
 
At the end of the day, It’s just evolution. Once upon a time we used to run in bare feet, now we have spring loaded running shoes to propel us at greater than ever speeds. Is that cheating? Of course not.
 
EVBiker said:
Could everyone share your preferred considerate way of passing pedestrians and slower traffic?

Do you also speak out "on your left?" Ring the bell once, etc.,?
Click to expand...

I ring my bell a couple of times. Often when I said, "Coming up on your left", the pedestrian would move to the left. :rolleyes: Now I only use my bell.
 
I ride in top gear & mode everywhere I go , after re-coding it I see 28.5-29.5 mph frequently . And the bike will blast past 21-speed racers like they are parked , it really surprises alot of people .
Its hard to go back to "just" 20 mph after tasting the forbidden fruit....
 
Maybe we could have an electronic horn with the following two phrases recorded :)

"On your left"

"No. No. The OTHER left"
 
Marci jo said:
In fact I haven't received any negative comments all season (so far!). Lots of comments and questions.
Click to expand...
I've been getting less negative comments recently. When my Vado is temporarily parked somewhere (for example, in the front of a liquor store), people approach me, and the typical dialogue starts with:

-- Is that an e-bike? What is the maximum speed?
-- Forty-five... (km/h, of course)
-- Derestricted?
-- Nay, the native speed... Can't you see the license plate?

And so it goes. Not only Vado looks very special and decidedly not like a traditional bike but also that dreaded Euro license plate... :)
 
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