The article makes some sense.

I have mixed feelings about e-bikes. They make a lot of sense for commuting and for those who are not able-bodied. They also allow those who are less fit to ride with those who are fit, which is an awesome idea in many ways.. I do question using an e-bike on no-motorized-vehicles, multi-use singletrack. On singletrack, the balance of hard-fought MTB access and consideration for other trail users is very easy to upset. I can just see a bunch of unskilled douches on e-bikes braaaap-ing it up and annoying everyone. I also reserve the right to subtly roll my eyes at an apparently fit person in lycra on an e-bike: no, you're not really getting a workout despite the fact that they "only provide pedal assist" and that the "don't have a throttle". If you can pile on an extra 500 watts whenever you see fit, you're not really getting exercise.

A couple of weeks ago I was riding my (non-e) bike to a friend's for dinner. I was carrying a six pack of beer and some other food items. As I was slowing making my way up a hill, a hefty lady passes me on an e-bike. However, it ran out of "juice" half way up the hill and she came to a complete stop. She couldn't pedal the bike and had to get off. I pass her and she is just completely stopped. I don't think she could even push the bike up the rest of the hill. After cresting the hill and about a 1/4 mile away, I look back and she still had not crested the hill.

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Chris
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“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson,

Would have been nice of you to help her.

The common thing that I see in this thread is "So and So obese person was going faster than me".

Here's the thing: It's not taking away from you. It's not taking away from your accomplishments.

It is not "Us vs. Them". It's just another person riding a bike, which is something we all say that we want.

Facts:
1. It's getting more people on bikes. Many people cannot physically pedal at required intensities for long enough to exhibit aerobic benefits.

2. It's helping those people become fitter
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27299435 < -- From CU, with "real" cyclists as authors
https://link.springer.com/...07/s00421-012-2382-0
https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/...86/s12966-017-0513-z
https://journals.lww.com/...n_Alternative.3.aspx

3. Regarding bike path speed limits
a. A significant number of people have the capacity to exceed bike path speeds.
b. Just as those cyclists often rider slower than 25mph, An eBike does not need to be pedaled at high speeds. It is a choice.
c. Perhaps we should ban people with certain FTPs from bike paths?

4. Regarding Riding eBikes
a. I have a Specialized Turbo. It makes my commute fun. It makes pulling my kids easier (Not everything needs to be a workout or proof of how strong you are). It lets my wife pull the kids to town or the store, when she otherwise couldn't. It's part of our daily life.
b. It is almost impossible to ride faster than it's speed limit. Uphill, downhill, flats. Once the assist turns off it like hitting a wall.
c. The assist is adjustable. I find that ~65% assist balances the weight and rolling resistance and tends to feel like my road bike.

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I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com

Do those things charge when descending?

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_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

You like building things out of straw?

Also, again......Nobody is after outright bans or stupid rules. Just some common sense stuff. I'm going to keep this short:

-You need a doctor and an indoor setup to break the point of making it outdoors if you're that bad off, period. Let's say your e-bike malfunctions and you're a heart patient now 15 miles out. Yeah, that works out great.

-Someone with a 4.0w/kg couldn't give two shits about a cycle path, and someone who can ride 20mph on avg couldn't either.

-There is no race/challenge or ego problem if e-bikes didn't try to race people........in other words, they started the problem and now the onus is on the other person.

You make very good points, but I certainly don't think cyclists are unified in wanting more people riding bikes. We may want more people who behave just like us riding bikes, but the cycling community doesn't agree on much other than that motor vehicles can maim or kill us.

I pass people all the time on my regular bike. That doesn't mean I'm racing them. What makes you think an e-bike passing a non-motorized cyclist is racing? I think the author was spot-on with his observation of the overly sensitive egos of many roadies.

Hello greg83 and All,

I agree with your thoughts ....

Wanky has second thoughts and 'evolves':

https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/...u-get-offa-my-cloud/

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

I know a buy that bought one for his wife. She is a good cyclist, but cannot keep up with him during his hard training rides. Now mind you we have no bike paths, so no issue with that. All the riding is road riding that they bought it for. It is a trek, and the one they bought will actually go up to 28mph. In this circumstance I think it is nice, that way they can bike together and he can still get a proper workout, and if she is keeping up with him, she is actually getting a good workout too (even with the bike helping her get up to his speed).

We said - I completely agree with your point and appreciate you backing it up with good information.

I am personally torn on eBikes. I am curious to hear your thoughts on point B.

A. In one respect it is a great form of exercise and transportation for people who would not otherwise be on a bike -- Hell if it gets my mom to so something active I am all for it.

B. Because eBikes enable people who don't usually ride bikes to get out on the roads (at high speeds at that) they have the potential to create an unsafe environments for themselves and others. For example - living in San Francisco there are a number of companies that rent out bikes/eBikes to tourists who want to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. It is common to see large packs of riders riding on the wrong side of the road/path, people attempting to take selfies while riding, people stopping abruptly in the middle of traffic (and the list goes on)... I think one solution to this would be to make people complete a bike safety course prior to buying or renting. Technically a bike is a vehicle and should be treated as such. I understand that this may put hardship on the shops selling the bikes but they also have the benefit of removing any legal risk by having the customer sign a contract removing them from any liability for their actions while on the bike.