electric bike

I'd like to think that e-bikes are a gateway bike for many to graduate to real bikes. I've bicycled as a primary recreation and sometimes commute for most of my adult life and consider it a great pleasure. I only ride short distances on streets these days, but have a huge network of bike trails I can access from my house and can get me into some decent scenery or pick up a few groceries.

I just picked up a new bike from REI to replace a 25 year old that I've had trouble getting parts for due to it being a bit obsolete. Here in the temperate zone this is a good time to shop bike pervious year inventories and sales and the fact that no one is out bike shopping in sub freezing weather. My pick was discounted 40% (and hundreds less than the e-bike). The salesman said the good deals will be sold out by March. I'm a fan of buying through a good local bike store. REI offers free returns for one year if the bike isn't working out and free adjustments for a year. Probably other bikes shops have something like that. I spent much of an afternoon with the bike salesman going over choices, reviewing the bike mechanics, taking a test ride and having adjustments to fit.

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Originally Posted by Alan

Thanks JP! I showed your post to my wife and she's already looking it over online, as well as searching for reviews.

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Awesome! If she has even half as much fun with hers as I am with mine it will be money well spent. Back in my youth I bought a nice racing bike when I was in high school (I spent around $300 in 1984 money, a lot for a kid that had only ever worked as a restaurant busboy) that i had until I was around 30 when the frame finally developed cracks due to age and the fact that I had probably ridden it roughly 40,000 miles. I'm just starting to get the detailed intimate knowledge of our current city that I got of four of the five boroughs of NYC in the 13 years I lived there*. Much of that time I was riding about 100 miles/week all over town. Other than cab drivers and others that drive around NYC as their job I probably have (had since I haven't lived there in 20 years) a more intimate knowledge of that city than just about anyone.

* I rarely went to Staten Island. Although the ferry was cheap ($.50 round trip and eventually free) it was a half hour each way and staten island just wasn't as interesting as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx in that order.

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Originally Posted by Rogar

I'd like to think that e-bikes are a gateway bike for many to graduate to real bikes.

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I could see that happening for me. As aggressively as I'm riding the e-bike, and the fact that it doesn't have a throttle so if I don't pedal I don't go, I'm definitely getting a decent amount of exercise out of it. But I won't knock anyone, including myself, for enjoying ebikes. They are certainly better than using cars to get everywhere. And more fun than cars. Micah on the Wheel-E podcast calls real bikes "acoustic bikes" in a quirky nod to the difference between electric and acoustic guitars. It's silly but I kind of like that while it makes clear the difference it doesn't stigmatize e-bike riders as being somehow "less than".

Not to dis anyone or anything. E bikes have a place for people who are casual riders and/or a fitness level that doesn't get them as fast or far as they would like. I'm retired and not in any hurry to get places most of the time and it's legacy bikes are a good work out. My analogy would be more like slow cooking vs. fast food.

okay----weeniEBikes are a gateway to laziness in doing everything. I mean--if you use the elevator, are you eventually going to use the stairs? I doubt it. gotcha. weeniEBikers wanna look trendy by biking, without putting forth the effort to do it. Checkbook poseurs. Yup. Hope that helps you some. Now, here's a recent photo of a non-weeeniEBiker's bike belonging to a lady in her mid-fifties. How do you like that? Hauls all her camping gear on-board. Yup. Make that your immediate goal, kids. Thankk mee.(see photo)Attachment 6200

I know a couple of guys with e-bikes who have physical disabilities, so for them it would probably be a choice between e-bike or no bike.

It's certainly a good choice for people with disabilities.

I see a few e-bike commuters with panniers like they are going to work. I imagine time and distance could have prevented this with a legacy bike for some people. Also a lot of overweight people who probably need some exercise and are unable to go very far on a regular bike. And some millenials who are just out for a weekend spree.

I predict a lot of e-bikes will end up as e-waste in a landfill or recycle or hang in a garage unused after a few outings.

okay----here's a testimonial from a couple people who are heavy, but are going the distance on non-weeniEBikes. (see photo). Bottom line: don't NEED no weeniEBike to bike! Nope. If you think it hurts too much to pedal it yourself, you'll think it hurts your butt to sit, and hurts your hands to steer, and hurts when you hit a curb and fall over, as well, because you will; it is inevitable. See?Attachment 6203Attachment 6204Attachment 6205

okay----if i hear any more comments about weeniEBikes-for-people-with-disabilities, I'm going to go into business making ice skates for people with disabilities---born without legs? No problem. Yup. Maybe open a shooting range for blind people. Can't see? We'll figure out the technology. Maybe a University for people who have intellectual disabilities, so I can award them a doctorate in Medicine: the world's first Brain Surgeon with an IQ of 65. How's that sound? There are some things you should not be enabled to do, and one of them is ride a "bicycle" 28 mph, if you're not physically fit enough. It requires more than just strong legs to accomplish it. Yup. Hope that helps you kids some.

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Originally Posted by littlebittybobby

okay----if i hear any more comments about weeniEBikes-for-people-with-disabilities, I'm going to go into business making ice skates for people with disabilities---born without legs? No problem. Yup. Maybe open a shooting range for blind people. Can't see? We'll figure out the technology. Maybe a University for people who have intellectual disabilities, so I can award them a doctorate in Medicine: the world's first Brain Surgeon with an IQ of 65. How's that sound? There are some things you should not be enabled to do, and one of them is ride a "bicycle" 28 mph, if you're not physically fit enough. It requires more than just strong legs to accomplish it. Yup. Hope that helps you kids some.

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Dear littlebutthurtbobbie...you really need to stop. Breaking news: Not everyone is going to agree with you all the time.