Electric bicycles - who buys them?

[Hoofy]

Cupramax said:

Talking of slipstreaming I noted that a had a rider on a road bike slipping me on my ride yesterday, I may have been a little naughty and very gradually increased my speed until he couldn’t keep up. cruel but very amusing.

While shouting, "YOU CHEAT!"

[Hoofy]

LeadFarmer said:

To those who think ebikes are cheating, by that standard then so is using a normal bike with gears. Shouldn’t you really be using a single speed bike?

Are lightweight frames cheating?

Are low resistance hubs and tyres cheating?

Is Lycra cheating?

Is slipstreaming cheating?

Edited by LeadFarmer on Thursday 24th May 23:36

Well, here's the problem for me. If they want to get fit, race in a shopper wearing baggy trousers.

[lukefreeman]

LeadFarmer said:

To those who think ebikes are cheating, by that standard then so is using a normal bike with gears. Shouldn’t you really be using a single speed bike?

Are lightweight frames cheating?

Are low resistance hubs and tyres cheating?

Is Lycra cheating?

Is slipstreaming cheating?

Edited by LeadFarmer on Thursday 24th May 23:36

You still have to pedal with a light frame, lycra, in slipstream etc.

You just press a button on an E-bike.

[stuckmojo]

lukefreeman said:

You still have to pedal with a light frame, lycra, in slipstream etc.

You just press a button on an E-bike.

even with buttons pressed, you still need to pedal on an e-bike. Agreed that it can take most of the effort off. Which is the whole point.

[funinhounslow]

stuckmojo said:

even with buttons pressed, you still need to pedal on an e-bike. Agreed that it can take most of the effort off. Which is the whole point.

Exactly. I have an ebike because it's convenient. It also happens to be great fun. Don't really care how much exercise I am or aren't getting when I'm popping to the shops or pub quiz. For short hops around town it beats my car and CX bike. It's also preferable to the scooter I used to have.

I would say road and mountain bikes are primarily items of sports equipment rather than means of transport.

For anyone struggling with the concept of ebikes the q&a with the designer of the Gocycle at the bottom of this page may be of interest https://gocycle.com/

And before anyone queries the price, I spent the best part of a grand on my SEAT Mii last month - not an extravagant car by any means...

[hyphen]

I would rather see electric bikes all around me and normal riders, than overweight MAMLs in skintight lycra

Bring on the electric bike revolution I say

[Zoon]

lukefreeman said:

You still have to pedal with a light frame, lycra, in slipstream etc.

You just press a button on an E-bike.

You really know nothing about them do you. You do not press a button, the system matches the effort you put in. No effort, no movement.

[lufbramatt]

I don't get the hate. What's the difference between an ebiker and a DH bro getting uplifts in a pickup. It's just a different niche.

Doesn't appeal to me but then I enjoy climbing too much. But then I'm just as happy lycra'd up (I'm not overweight or middle aged though ;-) ) on my road bike as my full suspension trail bike in baggies.

If it gets more people out of cars and on to two wheels, it's all good.

[RizzoTheRat]

lukefreeman said:

You still have to pedal with a light frame, lycra, in slipstream etc.

You just press a button on an E-bike.

In that case an e-bike will do about 3kph, if they're fitted with pushing assist button, not all of them are.

[Tampon]

lukefreeman said:

You still have to pedal with a light frame, lycra, in slipstream etc.

But not as much (same as an ebike)

I do hope in 4000 miles of riding you under inflated your tyres, left it in too high a gear, wore a baggy outfit, had fat tyres, never got out of the seat and used the heaviest bike you could possibly afford.

Otherwise you are just lazy Luke.

Plain lazy.

Cycling is about the effort, not just going far or fast.

Bet you turn up on your carbon fibred machine thinking you look double hard Tour de France to your mum, when secretly you just can't be bothered to pedal properly like all those people who commute on Boris bikes that you pass easily because you are a cheat and a fraud. Look at them rocking side to side Luke, knees up by their ears, they are making a real effort. Purist the lot of them.

I would rather you were carried by orphaned children on a stretcher than carried on this mascaraed

This is pedal power, not how easy can I make it.

Edited by Tampon on Friday 25th May 10:35

[Hoofy]

funinhounslow said:

It's also preferable to the scooter I used to have.

I would say road and mountain bikes are primarily items of sports equipment rather than means of transport.

They're very much means of transport. Just at the weekends, they're also used to go round in (very big) circles.

Why the ebike over the scooter? Less faff with helmet, insurance, size etc?

[Tampon]

Hoofy said:

They're very much means of transport. Just at the weekends, they're also used to go round in (very big) circles.

Why the ebike over the scooter? Less faff with helmet, insurance, size etc?

That is it for me. I have the motorbike that nips about but the simplicity of hopping on the bike, leaving right where I am, not faffing with MoT's, riding gear, petrol, servicing etc.

Also a lot safer, I will fall off just the same amount but the chance of me dying riding a motorbike are very high, mountain bike, pretty slim.

[Hoofy]

Tampon said:

Hoofy said:

They're very much means of transport. Just at the weekends, they're also used to go round in (very big) circles.

Why the ebike over the scooter? Less faff with helmet, insurance, size etc?

That is it for me. I have the motorbike that nips about but the simplicity of hopping on the bike, leaving right where I am, not faffing with MoT's, riding gear, petrol, servicing etc.

Also a lot safer, I will fall off just the same amount but the chance of me dying riding a motorbike are very high, mountain bike, pretty slim.

Re safety, isn't that about speed, though. I suppose it would be the a limiting factor imposed by the equipment and so ultimately the risk of death is much reduced however you cut it.

[funinhounslow]

Tampon said:

Hoofy said:

They're very much means of transport. Just at the weekends, they're also used to go round in (very big) circles.

Why the ebike over the scooter? Less faff with helmet, insurance, size etc?

That is it for me. I have the motorbike that nips about but the simplicity of hopping on the bike, leaving right where I am, not faffing with MoT's, riding gear, petrol, servicing etc.

Also a lot safer, I will fall off just the same amount but the chance of me dying riding a motorbike are very high, mountain bike, pretty slim.

Yes exactly. It was just a PITA getting kitted out like a spaceman to pop to the shops. I also found filtering tiresome. I think I would rather be sat in a car listening to the radio than filter through traffic.

It's also easier to hop off your bike and leave it somewhere than it is with a scooter.

[WinstonWolf]

Cupramax said:

Talking of slipstreaming I noted that a had a rider on a road bike slipping me on my ride yesterday, I may have been a little naughty and very gradually increased my speed until he couldn’t keep up. cruel but very amusing.

I commute about eighteen miles, around the last mile some bd on an e-MTB smoking a rollup drops me. I've clocked the sodding thing at 25MPH.

CHEAT

[Tampon]

Hoofy said:

Re safety, isn't that about speed, though. I suppose it would be the a limiting factor imposed by the equipment and so ultimately the risk of death is much reduced however you cut it.

You are right but I have crashed my motorbike a few times and sliding into a kerb or lamp post at 40-50mph is a life changing experience. Going over the handle bars of a bike is just bone breaking.

Now if a car hits you it is the same, defo.

I feel much safer on the bike at sub 20mph.

[funkyrobot]

Sorry if I have missed this, but has anyone seen the European commission's recommendation that electric bikes should be insured with vehicle insurance?

Edit - oh yes, last page.

[Hoofy]

Tampon said:

Hoofy said:

Re safety, isn't that about speed, though. I suppose it would be the a limiting factor imposed by the equipment and so ultimately the risk of death is much reduced however you cut it.

You are right but I have crashed my motorbike a few times and sliding into a kerb or lamp post at 40-50mph is a life changing experience. Going over the handle bars of a bike is just bone breaking.

Now if a car hits you it is the same, defo.

I feel much safer on the bike at sub 20mph.

Yeah, I can understand. I've gone over the handlebars before with no problems but a hurt ego as I'd braked sharply to avoid crashing into two hotties in an alleyway. I was 12 at the time before you ask.

[anonymous-user]

e cargo bikes might qualify for subsidies

https://www.bikebiz.com/news/ecargobike-grants

[lufbramatt]

I think Sainsbury’s have been trialling grocery deliveries by e-cargo bikes. Great idea, sprinter vans parked in stupid places while people have their shopping delivered can be a right pain.