What's holding back the e-bike boom? Research, safety, and bias (article)

[Kayakguy]

We need more people on bikes to get safe infrastructure built. We need more safe infrastructure to get more people to ride bikes. That's the trouble. I also think that some people get a bike and ride it until they have a close call with a car, then they quit. I almost did.

My neighbors drive a half mile to work. That's how it is here in the west.

I used to live across the street from a woman who climbed into her van to drive across the street (mailboxes were on my side) to get her mail. She claimed some sort of disability, but I never saw any signs of that.

 

[kevinmccune]

Less than 1 mile from my house there is an elementary school and none of the children walk or ride a bicycle to the school. 100% arrive in their parents cars or in a school bus. The reason is that it is not safe with roads having no shoulders or sidewalks and motorists driving faster than the speed limit and often paying more attention to their phone texts than to the road in front of them. The same applies to the high schools that depend on autos and buses to take students from home to school and back again.

Most housing project developers are allowed to have streets with no sidewalks due to corrupt or incompetent city officials. Public roads are used to provide parking of cars for hours and even for days or weeks and this eliminates safe places for bicyclists to travel. More than 50% of American cities are devoted 100% to owners of automobiles and this is a taxpayer subsidy.

In Europe and China there is the notion that government exists to serve the people. In the USA there is the firm belief (going back to the founding fathers) that government is meant to support the wealthy people and protect them from those in the working class or people who oppose the theft of their lands.

There is the concept of the public commons that belong to everyone equally. Privatization results in the commons being taken over by the rich and this is the same for public streets as it is with public airwaves and with public lands. A bicyclist is considered a parasite compared to someone who supports industry with the purchase of an automobile and the realization that the motorist is taking up public space and polluting the common air that others must breathe does not considered.

In Paris the mayor has been closing streets to auto and truck traffic and is creating living spaces for the working class people with grass and trees and benches and other amenities that have historically been accessible only to the wealthiest individuals and their families. In this case it is a belief in democracy that is the driving force which would never fly in the USA.

well said.

 

[kevinmccune]

'Blimps' seems right as far as the shape we're in, but real blimps would be a huge improvement over jet aircraft, cars, and pickups from a health and environmental perspective. The fast food nation isn't doing any of us much good.

love airships

 

[teskow]

not sure where your getting motor breaks in a few months. I guess its what level you by. I commute daily about 17 miles a day rain and shine and cold and my last motor got 14k miles before it rusted and was replaced on warrantly.

14,000 miles ridden within the warranty period.
The motor was replaced under warranty.
Tell us what brand of bike this was and the brand of the motor please.
I must say this sounds like a fairy tale to me.

 

[fooferdoggie]

14,000 miles ridden within the warranty period.
The motor was replaced under warranty.
Tell us what brand of bike this was and the brand of the motor please.
I must say this sounds like a fairy tale to me.

no maybe 12,000 miles ridden on warranty. the bike was 2 months out of warranty and at 14,000 miles and bosch replaced the motor for free. At that time i was riding about 9000 miles a year. it was a bulls bike with a bosch performance speed motor. this is right before the motor was found rusted. in a little less then 4 years I had 14k on this bike 13,000 on our e tandem and 9000 on this bikes replacement.

 

[chunk]

I don't care what the vast majority of people do, I know I dig e-bikes and am ready to upgrade. My cheap entry level e-bike is still going good after 3 years of owning it, but I've identified likes and dislikes and want a new one. Between the e-bike and my motorcycles I hardly ever need to get in the cage. Being in SoCal doesn't hurt either with such good riding weather most days, 84 F forecast for today. Ride on.

 

[Chargeride]

I went two years without a car, motorbiking everywhere.
Eventually the weather turned and I bought a pile of crap off a friend, boy was it nice being warm on freezing mornings, but I have long lost any interest in cars, I drive an old van and always will.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

year over year i continue to see more ebikes on the bike paths and in the bike lanes, it will be fun to see this year as the weather turns nice in illinois how many new ebikes are out there on the paths. i know i'm excited to get mine out more frequently now that the weather is turning even for short little errands to get more fresh air. as i ride more and more, i do wonder if bike lanes aren't the right move but rather larger and wider sidewalks so you are away from the cars. i've seen and ridden a few of those lately and they feel so much safer than having a car brush my left arm.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

year over year i continue to see more ebikes on the bike paths and in the bike lanes, it will be fun to see this year as the weather turns nice in illinois how many new ebikes are out there on the paths. i know i'm excited to get mine out more frequently now that the weather is turning even for short little errands to get more fresh air. as i ride more and more, i do wonder if bike lanes aren't the right move but rather larger and wider sidewalks so you are away from the cars. i've seen and ridden a few of those lately and they feel so much safer than having a car brush my left arm.

Everyone's safety counts. In Caifornia, it's generally illegal to ride on sidewalks that aren't designated MUPs. And I agree with that.

Here in coastal SoCal, the pedestrians generally scare me more than the cars. I want both of them out of my bike lanes, just as the law requires.

But it's hard to expect pedestrians and drivers to honor my safe haven when they see cyclists invading theirs.