Having 2nd Thoughts About E-bikes
Lately, I have been having second thoughts about e-bikes. A great idea that introduced many more people to the world of cycling. Unfortunately, it seems to have morphed into a bit of a disaster. The simplicity and efficiency of just riding a bike is gone!
I love when an experienced cyclist has me convert their bike. They are used to going relatively fast (12mph+). They understand that high performance bicycles require maintenance. Too many e-bikers don’t understand that they are going faster, farther and attacking tougher terrain than ever before. Brakes need adjusting. Chains, cassettes and such will wear out. They understand hundreds to prepare a boat to be used three times a year, but a chain, “after just one year” is robbery at $34. They forget they had never before ridden 100 miles in a year, much less 1500.
People that aren’t used to cycling are riding too fast, terrorizing pedestrians the way motorists terrorize us on the street. They never get out of high gear and wonder why they wear out just one cog on a cassette. Don’t get me wrong, we have more lycra lads going too fast even than us. Still, there are calls for us to be banned, regulated, licensed and insured. Yes, it IS their fault and we need to call them on it!
I get it, people are longing for simpler, safer, more affordable transportation. They want to enjoy it in the relative peace you can’t find on our out of control streets. That doesn’t mean we should overload quiet lanes with high speed alternatives and spoil them too!
The automobile has proven that we cannot be trusted to do the right thing. The moment regulation gets lax, we become a danger to ourselves and others (looking to you local law enforcement). That’s why these same people don’t feel safe on city streets. Without getting into morality, the fact is, the speed limit on trails, MUP’s and in bike lanes, is 15mph!
Every single day I have at least one person that wants me to build something illegal and dangerously inefficient because it, “looks cool” or “tough.” They want to ride it on our, “bike paths.” (BtW, The Quad Cities has no paved “bike paths”, we have pedestrian right of way Multi-Use Paths).
Guys, I have been cycling daily for 30 years (there really was a time when I had six pack abs) and I was first paid to work on bikes more than 50 years ago. You can trust me, Nobody is going to toss their panties at you because your bicycle looks “cool” or “tough.” You’re riding a bike!
Remember the spoiled kid in your neighborhood that had that, “cool” bike from Sears? It looked like a real motorcycle! Maybe it had a “drag brake,” crazy looking bars and, “a real motorcycle drum brake.” Of course, it was soo heavy and the chain ring soo huge that he couldn’t keep up with anyone on a single speed Schwinn. THAT’S what a, “cool” or “tough” e-bike is like.
When you actually want to go somewhere, or do something with others, your “cool” bike gets left behind, left with a dead battery or you’re fidgeting about trying to maneuver the thing at every stop.
You’ve read it here before, but it bears repeating. The bicycle took a hundred years to evolve. Any e-bike that does not look like the traditional bike you would choose for the same ride, is going to be inefficient and uncomfortable. Anything that makes a traditional bike less efficient, makes an e-bike slower or use more battery (you have a choice).
Let’s say you are a big guy. I am a bit portly myself. Huge tires, energy absorbing suspensions and heavy frames do not make your bike heavy duty. ALL that extra weight eventually rests on the same crank, hub bearings and drop outs (where the wheel is mounted) that are used on every bike made.
I love riding an e-bike. It makes meandering on my daily commute much more pleasurable. It has added many more miles to my life as a cyclist, but if they are ever able to fix my leg, my first purchase will be a simple single speed.