Messin' with E-Bike riders

[Too Tall]

Dear diary I am the lowest form of human life there is. I've sinned...again.

Today a possibly nice person on a very expensive Specialized E-bike tore by me on flat ground into a strong headwind. Bless his heart, with knees wide apart chest held high and proud into the breeze. Arms wide apart holding jacked up handlebars. You peddled clean out of sight.

Sir, I owe you a sincere apology. You must have been going really fast up that 5 mile climb 'cause when I passed you I'm not sure you heard me.

Beep Beep.

[Clyde]

The Swamp Rabbit trail is invaded with these things. Small fat tires whirring by with no riding skills or manners. I’m waiting for the handheld emp device that renders them powerless.

[Ras72]

Josh, don’t beat yourself up too much. Those dead batteries can be a drag. He’ll feel better after the recharge.

[holliscx]

Slightly OT but I rode 60 miles last week to see some labrador retrievers at a kennel out in the boondocks. I took the coastal road because it's easier to guesstimate my average speed. So, I'm on the shit box with knobby 35s on the road. I blow past this guy wearing bibs on a Brompton but I mean I'm riding tempo and drop him like an anchor. Next false flat who do I see on my wheel but Brompton bibs dude. I ride same tempo and dude sucks my wheel like it's his profession. He stayed so glued to my wheel at one point I swerved 10 feet to the right and gestured go ahead buddy let's see that work. Here I am riding out to see some dogs enjoying myself riding at pace — when I'm by myself I don't give free tows. In a group riding aggressively sure all bets are off but in lone wolf scenarios I'm not a fan of people jumping on your wheel unless in some extreme headwind scenario where you're basically riding the same speed as someone else going the same place then I might work with a stranger if and only if the opportunity presented itself.

[chasea]

Comparing yourself to e-bikers or other riders on Strava is a special kind of over-50 atmo

Just calling it like I see it.

[Scott G.]

I got my wife's e-bike from that Brailsford character, great deal on a x-team bike.
Only used for 3 weeks he claimed.
That is my story and I'm sticking too it.

[j44ke]

Slightly OT but I rode 60 miles last week to see some labrador retrievers at a kennel out in the boondocks. I took the coastal road because it's easier to guesstimate my average speed. So, I'm on the shit box with knobby 35s on the road. I blow past this guy wearing bibs on a Brompton but I mean I'm riding tempo and drop him like an anchor. Next false flat who do I see on my wheel but Brompton bibs dude. I ride same tempo and dude sucks my wheel like it's his profession. He stayed so glued to my wheel at one point I swerved 10 feet to the right and gestured go ahead buddy let's see that work. Here I am riding out to see some dogs enjoying myself riding at pace — when I'm by myself I don't give free tows. In a group riding aggressively sure all bets are off but in lone wolf scenarios I'm not a fan of people jumping on your wheel unless in some extreme headwind scenario where you're basically riding the same speed as someone else going the same place then I might work with a stranger if and only if the opportunity presented itself.

You tried to outrun him, and he got a free tow.

[davids]

I bought my wife a Specialized Creo. It's an impressive, well-thought-out piece of kit. Until we went shopping for an e-bike I didn't really understand what e-assist can do for a cyclists.

She loves the bike and is riding more and more. Soon we'll be able to ride together and I won't be freewheeling half the time so we can stay together (when we're not on the tandem!)

Someday I'll be older and weaker and I can see getting one of these myself.

Not a hater, and not feeling much need to compete with the folks riding these machines.

[Too Tall]

So (long dramatic drag on unfiltered Camel) it turns out that anti-social bicycle riding behavior(s) are only exacerbated when riding an e-bike. It's as if the unwashed have been given new license to harass the undeserving cretins (emphasis on the first syllable) who have owned the culture and sport since dirt was invented.

People, we have new entitlement on the rise.

Yeah baby

What's next? E-Bike world champs. blink blink

PS We love you DavidS and fer g-dsakes I'd never.

[e-RICHIE]

People, we have new entitlement on the rise.

hmm ya

[Saab2000]

I have recently changed my tune, at least in context, on E-Bikes.

For context, my sister and brother-in-law spend about half their time in the high Alps and the other half in what most of us would call rolling terrain but with fairly extreme slopes close by. When they mentioned they had bought E-Bikes I scoffed and said, "Never". Then I just had the opportunity to spend a few weeks overseas with family and friends and got to ride these assisted bikes. To be sure, they're regulated. The assist tapers off at 25 kph and is definitely finished by 27 or 28 kph. There is another category of motorized bikes but they're regulated differently and are considered 'road vehicles' like motorcycles or at least mopeds. These are assisted or powered to 40 or 45 kph and are in the same category as mopeds or other small displacement vehicles limited to similar speeds. They're not allowed on all paths, including the ones pictured. The two middle photos are limited to local residents, agricultural traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.

The difference is how they're regulated and how that's enforced. The US is the wild west, with few regulations and even less enforcement. That's the difference. I see near-motorcycles on the bike trails and roads. Zero regulation or enforcement. Not true in other places.

The bikes we were on are allowed on all roads, including a sidewalk if needed. There is assist and it's a huge assist if set up properly, but again, limited to 25 kph. We overtook other riders on unassisted bikes with ease. But you still have to pedal these. There is no throttle on the handlebars. We got up 20% gradients with a bit of huffing and puffing but without walking. They're relatively heavy. For context, the bikes in question are Cube brand bicycles with Bosch batteries and drivetrains. They had Shimano XT brakes and normal 1x11 drivetrains. The awesome brakes is how they were safe coming down those fairly extreme gradients. The pics here truly don't do justice to the steepness. Pictures rarely do justice to anything.

In the case of my sister and brother-in-law, the bikes are:

• One less car on the road
• A machine to explore paths and roads otherwise inaccessible because those roads aren't accessible with other motorcycles or cars. Or are too steep and arduous for people not named Pantani or Contador or Pogaçar.

They're both in their 50s and less mobile/active than perhaps they could be. But let's be honest. 20% gradients aren't for most people regardless of age or fitness. And these gradients were common where we were.

So in this context, they're not the enemy. They're quiet explorers and grocery getters (for real) and not a car. They're not instead of a traditional bike with no assist. They're in addition to that and for another purpose.

Included is my coupled Serotta, which served extremely well, albeit in the lower less extreme hills, but I still used the 34x28 every day, with no shame and no assist.

Shoutout to Boyd Wheels and frame pumps and S&S couplers. And Serotta Colorado III bikes, which never ever disappoint.

[BBB]

Nice scenery!

[slwrnu]

I have 2 e-bikes, one in the mountains in Austria (a Cube), and one(a Haibike) in the hilly south downs in Sussex, England. I also have 2 Kirks. For hilly terrain, and the terrain in Austria is very similar to that in the photos posted by Saab, they are game changers. We can cross terrain that I could never manage on a road bike. It is not densely populated and so you do not have the problem of poor riding manners that you might have in cities. I use my Kirks for riding up and down the Inn valley to Innsbruck. On the way back it is usually into the prevailing wind, and I do not mind if someone goes past me on an e-bike. The only problem I had was when a friend and I went down to watch the Under 23 riders race along the valley. We were on e-bikes. On the way back we went up a famous steep hill and overtook the senior GB team out on a training ride. They were just stretching their legs. I apologised as we went by and they were very rude to us.

[sk_tle]

So (long dramatic drag on unfiltered Camel) it turns out that anti-social bicycle riding behavior(s) are only exacerbated when riding an e-bike.

I don't think so. There have always been a whole bunch of anti-social cyclists. The only difference is they don't grow tired as fast and you can't just drop them at ease.

Saab mentionned the regulations difference between what we have in europe and what you have in the united states but that is also only part of it. In larger cities of europe we also have some bad behaviors from some e-bikers (as we do with non e-bikers) for various reasons, because they are seen as toy, because a city is seen as a kind of concrete jungle where everyone seems to be in either a dick contest or in a fight to lose less time a possible. That is a different context than riding around in the countryside.

And then there are the bikes. I mean e-assisted bikes with systems from Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha or Brose are well done and will assist based on cadence and/or power for the most well mades and encourage you to ride them like normal bikes, albeit with help. Then you have all bikes made out of the Bafang and other aliexpress and wholesale chinese systems who have like 5 level of fixed assists and come for the most part with a throttle. I were asked to ride one for 1 month. Those systems are so crude and enrefined that it justs motivate you to drive it with the most assistance possible at all time or use lower level but play with the throttle to pass "obstacles", some people will just even give up on pedaling and just use them like mopeds with the throttle. Add to that they are also very easy to unlock the speed limit by going into config mode with a combo of buttons you can easily find on the internet. So most of them are unrestricted like 50cc mopeds have always been modified and ran illegally at more than the legal 45kph speed in europe.

But again the issue is not about e-bikers vs normal bikers. I have always seen rude cyclists and it doesn't matter if they are wearing lycra or not, ride alone or in group rides you will always find some of them.

[Tom]

Years ago I read a piece that argued stocking trout into a stream with any native population was not effective because the stockies didn't know how to behave. Natives had figured out the quiet lies and hidey holes so they could eat fairly regularly and spawn and do all the stuff trout do when generally left alone. The stockies would bustle into occupied spots and attract predator attention and the natives would get put off their feed and the native population would suffer. It's a little like that around here. They completed the bike trail out west of town, you can avoid main roads for 10-15 miles and turn up the hill on side roads and little traffic whenever you want out there. I'm back on the main road with the quarry traffic at popular times now because I'd rather take my chances with the trucks than the people who haven't ridden bikes in forever so they'd be an issue going slow but at 20mph they are a real challenge especially when they come around the blind corner side by side and I'm in the bushes to avoid the head on. At 6am in the dark I have my headlight so they can see me and theoretically I can see them but any other time I'll be out there on the road enjoying the draft off the ten wheelers.

[Sascha Roszak]

I still don't understand why we have lazEbikes when we have these gears available now?


SRAM Eagle PG-1230 12 Speed Cassette - 11-50
Attachment 119610

[holliscx]

Years ago I read a piece that argued stocking trout into a stream with any native population was not effective because the stockies didn't know how to behave. Natives had figured out the quiet lies and hidey holes so they could eat fairly regularly and spawn and do all the stuff trout do when generally left alone. The stockies would bustle into occupied spots and attract predator attention and the natives would get put off their feed and the native population would suffer. It's a little like that around here. They completed the bike trail out west of town, you can avoid main roads for 10-15 miles and turn up the hill on side roads and little traffic whenever you want out there. I'm back on the main road with the quarry traffic at popular times now because I'd rather take my chances with the trucks than the people who haven't ridden bikes in forever so they'd be an issue going slow but at 20mph they are a real challenge especially when they come around the blind corner side by side and I'm in the bushes to avoid the head on. At 6am in the dark I have my headlight so they can see me and theoretically I can see them but any other time I'll be out there on the road enjoying the draft off the ten wheelers.

Nominate this post for wikipedia

[j44ke]

Tongue firmly in cheek in this thread, eh?

Everyone whining here about getting scared by an ebike go test ride a Specialized Turbo Creo and report back whether it is the ebike or you are just getting old.

[davids]

Tongue firmly in cheek in this thread, eh?

Everyone whining here about getting scared by an ebike go test ride a Specialized Turbo Creo and report back whether it is the ebike or you are just getting old.

Can't it be both?

IMG_1437.jpg

[marley]

So (long dramatic drag on unfiltered Camel) it turns out that anti-social bicycle riding behavior(s) are only exacerbated when riding an e-bike. It's as if the unwashed have been given new license to harass the undeserving cretins (emphasis on the first syllable) who have owned the culture and sport since dirt was invented.

People, we have new entitlement on the rise.

Yeah baby

how does this compare to the established entitlement

PS - everyone is entitled to be happy