E-Bikes Offer Entry-Level Electric Transportation
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
One can't help but wonder if such oversight will disproportionately have a negative impact on those at the lower end of the economic scale.
Too often the perception seems to be the poor are as such because they don't try hard enough. The reality is, too often we force them to have to try harder than everyone else.
Our mayor has unfortunately listened to rich upper-west-siders who see e-bikes as a nuisance, so beginning in 2018 there will be increased enforcement against e-bikes. DeBlasio has suggested that e-bike users "use cars" instead. This is totally insane as it will only increase congestion and decrease safety overall.
Streetsblog NYC has good reporting on this: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2017/11/22/delivery-workers-conf...
I've seen the pedal-assist bikes called e-bikes, as well as ones that look more similar to mopeds. The moped-style e-bikes are generally what get called "DUI-bikes".
"Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize."
I'm describing the classism, not participating in it.
Part of the problem is that cycling has been a utilitarian thing in Japan until very recently. When I moved here 10 years ago I never once saw a road bike. Bicycles were treated as the thing children rode to school or old women rode to the store to pick up 1 or 2 items.
Scooters have a speed limit of 30km/h (though only a few people obey the rule) and you must have a helmet. Bicycles have no such rules because the law makers can't really fathom that a bicycle can get anywhere near that speed. When I was riding regularly, it was not at all uncommon for me to pass scooters on the highway.
Things are changing very quickly (cycling is hugely popular now), so I'm curious to see how the laws change as a result.
They aren't necessarily illegal if one fits them with the required lighting, gets insurance, registers them as a moped, and wears a DOT approved helmet. Nobody does this of course but it is possible to be legal in NY.
They do become illegal on bike paths, which is now prominently displayed on signs along West St. instead of installing the bollards that should have been there all along.
EDIT: Apparently insurance and helmet are optional for class C (sub 20mph) mopeds/scooters.
It doesn't. There are fast e-bikes out there. Recently I was out running on a country side road. I was passed by some guy testing an e-bike, going astonishingly fast. Knowing the exact distances along that road (it's exactly a mile long, and I know where the half mile split is), I clocked how fast it took him to get to from the half mile mark to the one mile point (crossroads) where he stopped and turned around. He was doing between 50-60km/h, taking some 30 seconds to go 800 meters.
Didn't catch the make of the e-bike.
I heard that there are supposed to be speed limits in these things, but if so, it seems people are able to circumvent them.
Some people will live with hardware throttled to 25 km/h that can inherently do double, some will find workarounds to tap into its true potential.
[Edit: that aforementioned rider wasn't pedaling, by the way.]
https://www.fietsenwinkel.nl/fietsen/-/elektrische_fietsen/s...
They're quick of the mark too, and with the limiter disabled they'll be a lot quicker than the stock 45 km/h.
However, it’s very easy to buy a wheel with a built-in motor that is more than that:
http://www.hi-powercycles.com/hpc-5000w-hub-motor-complete-k...
Get two of those and you’ve got a 10KW electric motorcycle that could probably hit 70+MPH easily.
There are also kits in the 2KW-4KW range that are much cheaper (~$500). If you ban these, you’d have to ban all electric motors, and “winding wire around spinning apparatus”...it’d be very untenable, and there are already laws in place governing max speed and power. We have the same thing for emissions in some states, and enforcement is slim to none. Basically, you have to just count on people using it responsible, just like with motorcycles / electric skateboards / electric wheelchairs / snowmobiles / dirt bikes / gopeds / mini bikes / pit bikes / go karts / pocket bikes / powered paragliders / RC cars etc etc.
How will EBikes be significantly different? All of these have legal uses and a small percentage of owners using them outside of their legally allowed scope.
I don’t think it’s a big enough problem to warrant more regulation. Also, more regulation != more enforcement. Will police carry portable dynos or ammeters and measure the output of your ebike? More likely is that idiots keeping up with traffic at 50MPH will get ticketed by police who notice. It’d actually be great IMO if you COULD have a light electric motorcycle that could go ~35-40, plate it like a motorcycle, and be allowed to ride on normal bike lanes and trails as long as you keep it under 15MPH or whatever the trail speed limit is.
Just like with “drones”, these have existed for decades, but now they’re a “problem” because any punter with a few hundred bucks can buy one ready to do stupid things with at a local shop or off Amazon.
A bit of an aside... Please dont default to “install more bollards!” thinking. Bollards are incredibly dangerous, where I live a cyclist is paralyzed/killed by bollards every few years. Theyre also completely ineffective against two wheeled (and small 3-4 wheel) power vehicles. As I recall the ADA compliant spacing is now 6’ between bollards. Not very effective against small cars even!
The FHWA says “bollards should never be a default treatment, and should not be used unless there is a documented history of intrusion by unauthorized cars.” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/gui...
Other landscaping features, such as medians or chicans, are both more effective and safer at restricting trail access.
The same reason that public-facing corporate websites often receive more security attention than the actually-important internal network.
(e. conclusion: the recent trend of weaponizing automobiles may be a huge win for pedestrian/cyclist safety... :-\)
I wanted an e-bike, then realized that I’d really just be getting a slow motorcycle, and bought a much more capable slow motorcycle (Honda Grom) instead for about the same price. Not electric, but Zeros will come down in price eventually.
For a two mile commute, you might want to also consider a pedal powered Brompton. I can easily call mine one of my best investments ever.
I would suggest either a standard folding bicycle for use with the train, or a full size ebike and just ride the full distance.
dont worry about new york, ebikes have been illegal there for a long time and that cities policies towards ebikes is not a reflection of the rest of the country, especially with the new and more unified regulations regarding ebike power levels. the reason ny is so weird about ebikes is because ny delivery people were the first group of people in the country to understand and utilize ebikes, way back in the day, and when they did they were complete ass holes about it. because they rode way too fast and inappropriately, ebikes have a very bad reputation in that neighborhood.
the new regulations, if i remember correctly, call for several tiers of ebike power levels. the lowest is 20mph top speed on level ground and no throttle. you can ride those anywhere. then there are two higher tiers, the higher one can have a throttle. those bikes are only supposed to ride in designated areas if i remember correctly. this is a federal regulation that leaves the details to its implementer. but if you go forward in time you will probably see a set of rules like those i described pretty much everywhere.
one exciting thing about ebikes is that their power is limited by law but their energy is not. as ebikes become more mainstream and higher prices more tolerated, you will see bikes with more and more battery capacity. you will see bikes that only go 20mph but can go for hundreds of miles at top speed up and down hills. eventually even that kind of ebike will be affordable.
another exciting thing is the new class of bike that will come out of all this. like the article says, it isnt crazy to think of these as alternatives to cars rather than bikes. and this will be reflected in new kind of bikes that are heavier duty, with very nice shocks and huge batteries. you will just see stuff that was never on bikes before, like windscreens and nice seats. on these bikes, pedals will basically become vestigial. you will simply use the pedals as a kind of accelerator (not being replaced by a traditional acc. pedal or throttle for legal reasons and to make the bike ride-able anywhere). youll have very fine tuned control over the speed and acceleration of the vehicle through these special pedals. i think we might also see total enclosure of the bike for all-weather operation. thats pretty difficult to do though.
i was considering starting some kind of business to catch this wave. if anybody is interested maybe hit me up
New York City delivery-men mostly use electric bikes, probably built from Chinese models used by hundreds of millions in China.
A (not-by-much-)sub-$1000 conventional bike will still tend to have low-end components.
I'd expect a sub-$1000 electric to be quite a piece of crap.
A, say, $850 conventional bike can at least take upgrades. Which is to say that as things go you can replace them with better versions.
Not so sure about upgrading a sub-$1000 e-bike over time with better parts. (How standardized and modular are the drive trains for those things, know what I mean?)
You'd be wrong. Hundreds of thousands of people in Beijing (including many thousands of couriers and food delivery folk) rely on sub-$1000 electric bikes. They work well, and don't often require repair. (When they do need repair, it's usually something cheap like re-adjusting brakes.)
The components used on a push bike are far more important than those used on an electric bike, because it affects the amount of effort required by the rider. 5% less effort is material. For an electric bike, though, it just means your range is 33km instead of 35km. No big deal if you're doing a daily commute in the city.
For reference: the last used electric bike I bought (in Beijing) cost me ~$160 including a nearly new lead-acid battery. I spent another $200 to replace that with a brand new 48V20Ah lithium battery, and another ~$50 to add a back box that can hold two full face helmets.
Not low-end, just not top-of-the-line. My $900 msrp aluminum frame road bike is a decade old, I ride it every day, and I haven't had to replace anything except brake pads and tires. And I'm not even a maintenance freak.
I could easily imagine a high-quality, sub-$1000 assisted bike. Especially because you don't need light components with an assist, which makes the quality/cost trade-offs easier.
There's a huge range of opinions about what constitutes an acceptable level of quality in a bike. Also, experiences with maintenance will vary due to local conditions. Road salt isn't particularly friendly to bikes, for instance.
I'd love to switch my car for electric, but that is still expensive.
I do take it with me in stores. Every time I go out somebody stops me because they have questions about it. If you ever come to Timisoara they do rent them.
A few days ago I tried a fat e-bike in store. That thing is crazy fun. The big pro is that you will not feel any bumps in the road. The downside is that you can not take it inside stores and it might get stolen.
The biggest advantage is that I don't have to find a parking space for it and it always drops me in front of the door.
PS. I have the 450W model.
If you want to be a reasonable road user you need to be able to keep up with cars, so cruise around 50 and go up to 70 kmh to overtake, maintain speed uphill etc.
Basically it’s more of a scooter in a bike format with low weight and manouvrability. Love it!
Edit: I assume downvotes are from people morally insulted of how illegal it is.
I wish my controller wasn't braindead, I'd gladly accept the 25kmh speed limit if it could actually ramp itself up to 1Kw while below that speed.
On my way home in the dark, I barely have the throttle engaged and its more than fast enough for my liking.
But I agree, my main concern is difference in speed with cars. Worst case I could use electric scooter just for "last mile" and use public transportation. That is something ebike will again have more problems with.
* under 250W, under 25km/h: no more approval than a pedal powered bicycle
* L1e-A: under 25km/h, under 1kW electric
* L1e-B: under 45km/h, under 4kW electric ("speed pedelec" class)
L1e-A and L1e-B ebikes need an extra type certification. Plus there are hurdles in terms of insurance, sometimes also helmet obligation, and more.
[0] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/m...
What is the extra certification required? I assume something about tyre size, brakes and perhaps frame strength?
The diference between 25 km/h electric and 25 km/h pedal only is the acceleration and the fact that electric motor never gets tired :)
To have a good acceleration they sell bikes with 500 W motors that are limited to 250 W. I guess in software.
The bikes that I tested, all have pedal assist but also a separate throtle.
European “Speed assist” bicycles that max out at 25km/hour don’t do 25 on their own; they decrease the amount of assistance to zero when your speed reaches 25. If you don’t do over 25 on a ‘normal’ bicycle, you won’t do it on one of these.
It's a MTB bike shape, so you always leaning forward. Normal city "omafiets" would be dangerous at those speeds - not enough pressure/grip on front tyre.
Also, I don't have to commute, only use it for fun (ok I did came to do some work to the university library right now).
I don't know if it makes much difference to top speed, but it's really nice at 25mph (40 km/h) in the rain! (I have a 1300W mid-drive.)
I'd like to add that having less gears would be nice, currently I have 8, only half are needed.
How about a nice e-Tricycle with a basket on the back?
I'd prefer not to go tumbling to to ground or into traffic if I make a mistake on my bike or someone else makes a mistake and I fall down for it.
That'd be truly entry-level.
For extra wierd, try the diesel Aixam Coupe (https://www.aixam.com/en/licence-free-car-coupe/gti). In the UK these are classified as quadbikes and can be driven by moped-only licensed drivers (aged 16+, normally you need to be 17 to drive).
Unfortunately, the issue with tricycles is the additional space they take up and their reduced maneuverability. They are hard to use on most extant cycle infrastructure, hard to transition to sidewalks or off street paths, hard to park, and quite heavy.
They do enable a people to ride who might not otherwise be able to, but without better infrastructure (protected bike lanes of sufficient width) or slower more forgiving car traffic, they just aren't practical.
Sure, the electric bikes in Beijing aren't as fancy as these ones, but there are 100,000s of them, and many people rely on them to get to work, go grocery shopping, or to allow them to work as a food delivery rider.