Wall Street Journal weighs in on ebikes blurring the lines with cars

[Chicagoland Ebikes]

Here is an ebike article from the wall street journal today.

 

[DashRiprock]

(re: Fuji's new Denny)"...The company may have to modify the design to ensure it meets industry requirements for world-wide sale..."
Somebody was asking recently as to where the next 'Model T' is (ebike comparison) and why it isn't necessarily here already.

I would offer that the people who love ebikes the most in our 'government please hold my hand' free societies?...would rather that the Henry Fords of the world be as hamstrung as possible in bringing their products to market.

Just give us the bike.


'

 

[R Henry]

having the opportunity to have ridden the ST1, I reached 32mph without either pushing myself to my limits, or the ST1. having said that, the ST1 also has regen braking. however, not the touch screen or the price.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

And now they address the electric mountain bike access issue. This is for Dash.

 

[Brambor]

Larry Pizzi: "They make mountain biking accessible to people who don't want to work hard or can't work hard," says Mr. Pizzi, who also sells e-bikes through his company, Currie Technologies.

Larry you still have to work hard to make it to the top of the mountain. Granted not as hard as without an e-bike but if you bike is electric assisted and does not have a throttle then you still have to pedal and it is harder to pedal uphill than on even groun when riding an electric bike. Even with a throttle, it can only take you up certain slopes... when it gets too steep the power of regular Bosh powered bicycle or commercial hub motor will not take you up on that hill without work.

 

[Paul E.]

There are already laws and regulations governing what is street legal as a bicycle and what isn't: what's the difficulty, why don't the same rules simply apply off the road? Sounds mostly like some MTB "rad hard core dudes" are just being pretentious a-holes much like some rad hard core surfers, rad hard core snowboarders etc. etc.

 

[DashRiprock]

And now they address the electric mountain bike access issue. This is for Dash.

Thanks, Shea.
Perhaps this thread starts to make more sense to ebike owners in retrospect:
http://electricbikereview.com/commu...id-both-sides-commit-to-or-not.778/#post-8085
I've never seen the leadership of any organization get away with ping-ponging back and forth than this Mike VanAble with the IMTB. I suppose that he sees ebike enthusiasts not even able to have an adult conversation on the topic and figures why not?...kiss my ring:
You need us to fight the BLM (and everybody else) and you ebikers darn well all better join(pay) the IMTB in the meantime! ...then this:
".. Association representatives recently said the group wouldn't lobby land managers on behalf of e-mountain bike manufacturers or riders..."

What makes thing even more sickening/sad in regards to ebike owner laziness/apathy is the following:
"...Steve Hall, a BLM spokesman, says the agency views e-bikes as motorized vehicles, so they are prohibited from trails designated for foot traffic, horses or mountain bikes.
If there is significant public interest, the BLM could consider changing the designation"

Forget it Steve, we're PATHETIC.

 

[Paul E.]

".. Association representatives recently said the group wouldn't lobby land managers on behalf of e-mountain bike manufacturers or riders..."
...
"...Steve Hall, a BLM spokesman, says the agency views e-bikes as motorized vehicles,

I wonder who first lobbied BLM to view all e-bikes as motorized vehicles, unlike the agencies whose job it actually is to classify vehicles.

 

[DashRiprock]

I wonder who first lobbied BLM to view all e-bikes as motorized vehicles, unlike the agencies whose job it actually is to classify vehicles.

Great point and one not without precedence.

Manufacturers and their associated (cough) "non-profits" have been deliberately pulling this crap on consumers purchasing groundbreaking technology for decades in the wheeled community (see motorcycles vs atvs and now side-by-sides). As we witnessed above, the strategy is simple...extend an olive branch under false pretenses...LIE in regards to your intentions (while at the same time extorting just as much money as possible out of your 'frenemy')...then back-stabbingly using our employees (government) to keep just as many enthusiasts off of 'their' (public/mult-use designated) land.

The three of them will string out navel-gazing 'impact evaluations' for decades on end for very simple selfish reasoning:

Government...conflict breeds indecision...indecision breeds 'studies'...studying 'conflict' and 'impact' IS A LIFELONG CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE IN GOVERNMENT.

Manufacturers...Fact: The more (and longer) conflict drags out...the less likely their already profitable markets are susceptible to rapid technological change in an 'unmanageable' manner.

"...Giant Bicycles, one of the world's largest bike manufacturers, sells an e-mountain bike in Europe but hasn't brought the product to the U.S. Andrew Juskaitis, senior product marketing manager for Giant, says he will do whatever he can to keep the bike away from U.S. riders..."

Non-profits...what more is there to say? You either agree 110% with exactly what the MikeVanAble's of the world have to say ("MTBing is human powered...period!") and brainwash your kids in to mouthing the same..or nether of you is welcome at manufacturer/non-profit events such as InterBike where all (cough) 'discussion' resembles the ridiculousness we just witnessed in 2014.

These guys aren't stupid...they're simply not the kind of 'leaders' that you want your kids emulating/building legacies around...or with.

 

[Larry Pizzi]

Have you seen this poll? Time to have your voice heard...

http://www.adventure-journal.com/20...ric-mountain-bikes-be-allowed-on-bike-trails/