Hacker News Reader

Comment by astannard | Hacker News Reader

I have been comparing biking and driving to work in Derby (UK) for my 7 mile commute. Biking can be quicker for me depending on traffic. I have just ordered an ebike that should shift the odds more in favour of this bike.

I always feel better having commuted on bike though

View on HN

I wish you luck with the ebike, but personally i feel like they're problematic.

It could just be our roads here though; the issue I find is that they're too fast for bike lanes [risk to cyclists], but too slow for the road [cars frequently pass them at higher speeds and very close-by]. It seems like everyone is frustrated and the ebikers are just being pushed around by everyone.

What kind of e-bikes do people have in Canada? Electric-assist types, or ones with a throttle?

In Europe the assist-type is way more common, limited to 25 km/h and at least in Germany the stereotypical user is an elder person that now suddenly can go a bit faster and go comfortably up hills.

I've seen both, the Electric-assist seem less common [or maybe just harder to identify?]. The ones that I see as not really fitting in are the larger ones that look kind of like an electric Vespa.

Ah, yes, those really don't mix well with neither bike lanes nor cars.

They seem to be the worst of both worlds, I think there has been a lot of controversy about them using bike lanes in The Netherlands lately.

That's not a bike but an electric scooter. They shouldn't be on bike paths nor pedestrian sidewalks. They have more in common with a motor bike or dirt bike than they do with a bicycle.

EA bikes just can really only be identified by their battery packs. The motor can be embedded in the wheel hub or in the pedal crank.

In the UK you only get assistance up to 15.5mph on an eBike (legally) so they're generally no quicker than a normal bike

In the UK they are limited to 25km/h in the USA it's 32 km/h. Although a lot of grey market imports are much faster

I've had one for a few weeks now, my bike mileage has gone through the roof, they really are good especially if you are in a hilly area.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com