Here in Switzerland they have been ubiquitous for some time now. They have two different types, assist upto 25m/h or 45 km/h. Infrastructure is quite good so I havent seen too many hairy situations, but some when people not so used to handling bikes are able to ride their 30kg bike at 45km/h.

I am actually considering buying one myself, my daily commute will increase from 20 to 70km and I dont think I want to do it without assist all year around, so some help on shitty days would be good. Alternative is to use public transport, which will take about the same amount of time, maybe a bit longer, or a car, which will be a catastrophe time wise. Still cruising outside is more appealing than stuffing myself in trains and buses full of people.

Below links to some Swiss 45km/h bikes with about ~100km of full 500W assist available.

https://www.stromerbike.com/de_CH.html


http://www.stoeckli.ch/chde/bike/bike/ebike/et2-man-titan

Good point about an e-bike making easy riding more acceptable when appropriate.
I'd like to commute to work occasionally but I don't because I'd be sweaty when I got there and don't have convenient options for having a shower and getting changed.
An e-bike would make it feasible to take it very, very easy on the way in without crawling along at horrifically low speeds. i may even be able to wear my usual office attire. Then in the evening I could change into my cycling kit and do a proper training session on my way home. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with an e-bike. I consider suggestions to the contrary as simply ignorant and snobbish. There may be some obstacles to be overcome, especially with ensuring less experienced cyclists aren't putting themselves or others in danger due to being able to achieve higher speeds than their experience would typically allow, but that's down to regulation and public information, no different to any other vehicle. Should conventional bikes have been banned back in the day because they spook horses? (which they often do!)

For the most part, I agree with you however where I dissent is the bike path question. You basically have a bunch of people who aren't particularly good bike handlers going close to and above 20mph without that much effort. That makes it less safe for regular cyclists and runners/walkers/dogs on multi-use paths. I live in NYC right at the foot of the Queensboro bridge where many delivery riders use the multi-use path, bombing up the hill at speeds usually seen on downhills. Several injuries have happened (but no deaths so the city couldn't give two shits) and they will only grow worse as more e-bikers take to multi-use paths. The answer we would all want is more paths and more wheeled vs. pedestrian separation but that isn't going to happen in the US any time soon. There simply needs to be more enforcement (given that e-bikes are technically illegal in NYC and definitely illegal on bike paths) and regulation around these. I think I heard somewhere in Europe, e-bikes are manufactured with a 30kph speed limit?

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

It's funny you say that, because the only people I know who have eBikes are pretty strong cyclists. The woman who really turned me onto them only has an eBike; I'd see her riding to and from Masters swimming.

I'm in North Vancouver, and we get a shit ton of rain. Between the bike, an eBike, and a bike trailer, we did get rid of a car. My bike, our eBikes, and a bike trailer covers 95% of our transportation needs.

Many people seem surprised that bikes (both assist and non-assist) operate in the rain just fine. And if you're saving $5-11K per year operating a car it becomes very easy to justify some pretty nice rain gear (plus all sorts of triathlon toys).

Head over to the bike forums website and go through the commuting section. Those guys make me question my cycling dedication because I don't ride in the snow :)

Former pro cyclist Daniel Lloyd on GCN says that e-bikes will replace regular bikes as standard bikes. See, I'm not crazy. E-bikes are destroying the sport. It is very depressing.

And some bike company is selling one of their e-bikes for over 60,000 Euros in the video! This is the end of real cycling. Who will care about cycling or triathlons when everyone just uses a motor?

The best money I've spent on bikes was an e-bike, for my wife. She's not an avid bicyclist, is older then me and is starting to have a lot of problems with the hills in our area. Now we go riding together and she can keep up on almost any hill. Rides of 14-15 miles are now 25-30+ miles and I'm actually getting a pretty good workout and she's getting a decent one.

That being said I'm disgusted when I see anyone that could be considered a stronger rider on one. With a average or above rider these things become like the old mopeds. I can see too many people riding hard and fast with them on trails and getting all of them banned. My wife could have picked one with a throttle on it but just got the assist which cuts out at 20 mph. In my opinion that should be the max limit they can go until the assist device or motor shuts down.

e-bikes- a blessing and a curse.

I'm not sure what you're picturing when you said the above. All I can tell you is that I consider myself a strong rider, and if you saw me on my eBike and was disgusted, that's your hang-up. You don't know where I'm going, what I'm doing, or what other work outs I'm going to do that day.

I agree with you about people riding like D-Bags on MUPs - but eBikes are just like cars and regular bikes and motorcycles: D-Bags are going be D-Bags, regardless of their mode of transport.

The same people who care about it now. eBikes are not going to destroy anything. My hypothesis is that if anything they're going to be a gateway into traditional cycling for a lot of people.

You mean nobody? Cycling and triathlon are shrinking sports right now.

Last night, as I join up on the MidTown Greenway, an eBike starts to pass. I hop on the back wheel. I suck wheel for a few miles home. He keeps glancing back at me...dude, you're on an eBike, deal with my wheel sucking, and thanks for the pull.

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"The person on top of the mountain didn't fall there." - unkown

also rule 5

Two points:

1. Maybe he had reasons to object to your drafting other than wanting you to do a turn at the front. I don't like people I don't know drafting me either. If I'm riding solo, I may want to actually ride solo and enjoy the solitude. More critically, there are plenty people who I wouldn't trust on my wheel. Drafting is fine if it's agreed. It's poor form to just hop on someone's wheel.
2. Whether he's on an e-bike is pretty immaterial.

Meh. It's a crowded, well travelled path. People here are used to it. I enjoyed the ride

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"The person on top of the mountain didn't fall there." - unkown

also rule 5

The point remains, them being on an e-bike seems completely irrelevant.

In my area one of the only ways poor people can get around.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

You are thinking of bikes only as a fitness tool. Most people in the world who ride bikes are using them for transportation, not fitness. A little motor assist can greatly expand the usefulness of a transportation bike. E bikes will be a great thing if they can be made cheap enough for regular folks.