Comment by TaylorAlexander | Hacker News Reader

Comment by TaylorAlexander | Hacker News Reader

TaylorAlexander

I converted my mountain bike to an ebike and I’m having a blast with it! I just moved to Oakland and there’s pretty good bike infrastructure here, so I can use the bike for transportation even for relatively large distances. I’ve been using it to get groceries, run to the bike shop, and see friends. For the nerds, I added a Bafang BBSHD mid drive motor and EM3EV 52v 20.5AH pack to my Norco Fluid HT bike. I added a rear rack with Ortlieb panniers. It’s a rock solid bike and thanks to the high power of the BBSHD the bike accelerates quickly and easily reaches 30MPH/50KPH. This means I can keep up with the flow of traffic on most surface streets and don’t have to worry about cars zipping past me - I’m usually tracking behind the car in front of me so there’s nowhere for an approaching car to go. I have a full face downhill mountain biking helmet and a smart helmet brake light from my good friends company called Brakefree that lights up when I slow down. The gear and the speed of the bike leave me feeling safe enough. And it’s a blast! Earlier this week I rode the bike 8 miles through the city to a park up in the hills. It’s fast to get there and feels very different than sitting in a big energy guzzling car. And once I got to the park I just kept rolling right on to some trails. What a wonderful feeling! I’m more convinced than ever of the power of micro mobility in cities. We need more protected bike infrastructure. When we think of cities we often imagine roads as a given. But we’re deciding which infrastructure to lay down and maintain - and we don’t have to make it all so focused on automobiles.

EDIT: I want to emphasize one point which might interest people. As I said the speed helps me feel safe as I move with the flow of traffic. I run my bike at 1500 watts. This is twice the legal limit of 750 watts, but this isn’t well enforced. In the UK, the legal limit is just 250 watts. I think policy makers assume that a smaller number is safer, but I’m not convinced this is true. While higher speed means more risk of high speed collisions, lower speed means more risk of being hit from behind. It’s worth looking at raising the legal power limits, and whether this would increase safety for bike riders. I think it might.

My passion is also bicycling. Started mostly as the typical lycra-cled bicyclist on a semi-expensive bike doing long Sunday rides. Bike to work here in Norway year-around, no matter the conditions.

Then lately I've started to think: Why don't more people use bikes? Cars in my city are noisy, the big and fast roads makes it more miserable to walk around etc. At the same time StrongTowns, NotJustBikes, r/fuckcars etc have grown big, and it has become more of a movement. Make the cities for the people, not cars.

I'm now spending lots of time as a bicycle advocate. Going to public meetings, making sure bicyclists' points of view are included in new infrastructure plans, reporting cars parked in the bicycle lane, videotaping and putting things on Twitter to now quite a big following, talking to media etc.

So my goal would rather be that you don't need what's basically an electric motorbike to cycle safely as you do, instead more dedicated infrastructure and lower speeds on the roads in the city. But end goal is the same, make it safer to bike.

Oh yes I’m 100% in support of better bike infrastructure! I still love how fast the bike is, because it means I can go long distance trips quickly, so even when I don’t have an afternoon for a ride I can go somewhere 10 miles / 16 kilometers away and back in a relativity short amount of time, even with big hills!

Powered assistance has a lot of value, and using electric power on a bicycle is orders of magnitude more energy efficient than anything in a car. I think there’s a lot more people interested in cycling now that e-bikes are more popular, and this means more support for that improved bike infrastructure and more people willing to travel by ultra low emissions means.

So yes, better safety is absolutely important. But I still think e-bikes and in particular 1500 watt e-bikes have a lot of value.

My brother recently bought an e-bike and has been enjoying it as well. He hasn't taken it on errands yet, though. How do you handle preventing theft, since that's super common here in the bay? I know there are some relatively higher rated locks but I still don't think I'd personally feel comfortable leaving an expensive bike or scooter out of sight more than maybe just a minute or two.

I'd use a large chain and the beefiest lock you can manage. The sort of thing you'd use to lock up a motorcycle.

37/80 + 14KS. It's a tight fit, heavy, and expensive but they work.

Same suggestion but also multiple locks - I always use 3 (D, chain, metal bar) in London and I've never had a problem, even with occasional overnight leavings. If the bike next to yours only has one, you're already ahead in the risk calculation.

I use the lock recommended by the Lockpicking Lawyer [1]. You can buy them at Tip Top Bike Shop in Temescal (no affiliation but support your local bike shop!).

The guys at that bike shop said that for example if I want to ride to Lake Merritt and walk around for a while, I could lock it near the boat house and leave it for a couple hours as long as it’s daytime. They said don’t leave it overnight which I would never do. If I’m going to the grocery store, there’s so many people coming in and out, it’s just not the kind of environment where a bike thief is super likely to come in with an angle grinder and start attacking my chain lock. It’s interesting because we imagine this place to be high theft and I guess on some level it is, but having a lot of people around does feel like a decent deterrent, along with a good lock. I’m more worried about my panniers, which aren’t locked to my bike and lift right off with no tools. I wouldn’t use those if I was leaving my bike for a while, but again at the grocery store people are coming and going so often it would be pretty risky for a thief to come and mess with bikes.

Or if I'm going to a coffee shop, I'm always within 20 feet of it and I can see it, and it’s locked. That’s fine. If I’m riding to a friends house, I leave the bike inside their house when we go do stuff. At the bike shop, I just bring the bike inside the shop with me.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start with a cheap bike, and use the cheaper BBS02 motor and a cheaper battery. Then if it gets stolen, as much as that sucks, it’s easier to recover. Though cheap batteries present a fire risk. A lot of people on Reddit stand by the the UPP batteries, but Louis Rossmann had his catch fire so opted for the EM3EV battery at twice the price. I also got a big battery which isn’t strictly necessary, though it’s nice.

[1] https://youtu.be/SpVOTEOMRuE

A friend of mine got his $5k bike stolen in the middle of downtown Mountain View in plain sight.

If you don't use something like an ABUS 37/80 + 14KS, your shit is going to get jacked in Oakland because of zillions of thieves with portable angle grinders in backpacks and teams riding around in vans looking for easy marks.

Don't leave anything valuable outside in Oakland unless you want it to disappear because people on drugs are always looking for property to convert into their next fix.

Thanks it’s good to know.

Get bike insurance, for this exact reason! Your renter's insurance might also cover bike theft.

I recommend using multiple locks. What is important is their usability: try to make sure that the lock can be attached to the frame and that it doesn‘t rattle, also needs to leave enough space for lock up your bike to things that are not the typical bike rack, like lamp posts. I still recommend U-Locks but they‘re so bulky and can seldomly be attached securely to the frame without rattling, so I ended up putting it into my panniers all the time. If you know that you will always commute to a bike rack that allows you to use one of the smaller, hand-sized U-locks, go for it. A folding lock is less secure but very flexible for locking up and often comes with a great, hassle-free frame mount. A cafe lock is not so secure either but is super quick to lock up. Having a complicated lock routine for a bike you can’t afford to have stolen makes you hesitant to stop for short errands or exploration trips by foot. So try to look out for quick, fun to use ways to add security barriers for thieves, because you essentially want to make it slow to break through those barriers and that it requires multiple different tools. Also, you can hide an AirTag or dedicated trackers in non-obvious places.

My wife's ebike has two ABUS locks D locks that share the same key, very convenient.

My primary form of transport is an e-bike, and I'm happy to lock it up in public, because I kind of overdo it: I have a >6kg chain lock [1] and >2kg D lock, there's a built-in frame lock through the back wheel (nothing major, just another obstacle), and the bike won't start without its key. I lock to a bike stand with two locks if possible.

[1] https://www.kryptonitelock.com/en/products/product-informati..., note the big final ring that the whole chain fits through to get more reach.

Damn, robots one day, electric bikes the next. You are enviably handy. And TIL about full face downhill mountain biking helmets.

Aww thanks! I’ve got lots of fun hobbies for sure!

I knew I’d find you here! Really enjoy following you on Twitter!

Aww thank you! I’m often on here correcting people who think intellectual property restrictions encourage innovation, heh.

Take it on East Bay Bike Party

Oh yeah good call! Thanks for the reminder. I had stuff like that in mind before I moved but things have been a blur with moving and unpacking so I forgot!

Good luck, naïve foreigner: I don't think you realize or appreciate how violent and unsafe most of Oakland is. You're likely to be robbed at gun- or knife-point by multiple assailants. At least in some other states you're allowed to defend your own life, but not in California.

#12 https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-most-dangerous-cities-i...

I have a 4kW standing scooter that I use in another city that goes 50 mph easily. The concept of a power limit is nanny state government control: to hell with that. Scooters have no power restrictions and no limits. I wouldn't take one out on a highway, but anything short of that is fine.

Statistically, helmet wearing in the US encourages drivers to pass wearers at an unsafe distance (too close). They also provide a false sense of security and look stupid. If they were useful, the Dutch would be all over them. Experienced riders with coordination in good urban planning areas don't need them.

You could have worded this with kind concern but you chose to open by insulting me instead. I only moved here from the other side of the bay. I’ve lived in this area my whole life. Somehow all my friends in Oakland do just fine. If I get robbed, so be it, but I’m not going to hide in my car.

I’ve been a cyclist my whole life and I would never ride without a helmet. This isn’t the Netherlands. My bike goes 30 MPH and as experienced as I am, accidents still happen.

Your comment was particularly condescending and I don’t think it fits the tone of this discussion. You didn’t have to comment, and you didn’t have to be rude if you wanted to participate.

Hey, they were trying to help. ;-) Clearly just a culture clash.

> culture clash

You'll probably experience less of these if you stop calling people "naive foreigners".

I am not parent but I agree with you. Thanks for sharing your e-bike conversion experience. It made me look into the same!

Millennial... zzz...

Don't bother with a bike helmet! The only safety you need on your bike is the safety of your open carry firearm. When a careless driver pulls out of a side road and takes you out, you can both make them regret their decision and pay for your neurosurgery with a gun.

/s (sadly needed)

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