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Comment by henvic | Hacker News Reader

That's excellent news.

I've just learned to bike (I've been living in the Netherlands for over 3 years and just months ago started biking), and I deeply regret not getting an e-bike.

I also bought a car last year (EV / Tesla). Coming from a culture where biking isn't that popular, I was in doubt about whether to get an e-bike or a regular bike. I decided to go with the cheaper option (because I also have a car), and thanks to the fact the Netherlands is flat, I can do most day chores now by riding my bike... but... if I had opted to get the e-bike, I'd actually only be using the car when the weather is pretty bad and when I want to travel to someplace really far away.

People underestimate how useful a bike (and, especially, an e-bike) is. With the right infrastructure, at least!

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>>With the right infrastructure, at least!

That —the right infrastructure— is the key!

I live in the northeast US, and used to road bike very heavily both as off-season training for ski racing and also road bicycle racing. I had a few close calls at the time, but now, the traffic is so much heavier and more aggressive that I don't bike on the roads at all, only mtn biking (small exception for short road segments of a longer mtn bike ride in a very rural area).

I have a 5mi commute to work which would be perfect for an e-bike or e-scooter, but the way the cars behave, I feel like it is just playing Russian Roulette.

It's really sad, as either better infrastructure or a better trained/more considerate driver population would fix it, but neither is likely soon.

So, I'm stuck hauling two tons of steel to and fro every day just to get me and my laptop to work and to home...

Hey, if you ride enough, the fitness would render an e-bike mostly superfluous.

I'm a big fan of either though, or really any non-car transit. The experience of the Netherlands show how possible, practical, and economical a combination of cycling, walking, and public transit can be. It used to be car-focused like most other countries, but a concerted effort changed that.

So many people balk at the cost of non-car infrastructure while ignoring the enormous cost of car infrastructure, as well as the attendant environmental, health, and social effects.

> Hey, if you ride enough, the fitness would render an e-bike mostly superfluous.

Nice!

I love this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/notjustbikes If you don't know it, take a look!

I just wish public transport here was more reliable and available during more hours. Yeah, it might be one of the best in the world, but it's not without problems... For example, after midnight don't trust you'll be able to get back home until 7a.m. if you're far away.

> I decided to go with the cheaper option.

Check this out, they're NL based. No relationship with them. One of my bike forum colleagues bought one after using several non electric bikes and is very happy with it. It's not overly expensive, it's slick, light, fast, has lights, belt drive, you can mount a rack, fenders, kickstand. The only downside is that the battery is not removable to charge indoors.

https://www.tenways.com/products/cgo600

The best part of NL is that it's so flat, you don't actually need an e-bike (unless you're over 60) and you get to exercise more as a bonus.

Thanks for the tip. The bike I purchased was a Trek District 1. I love it. When I was looking for what to buy, my other options were the Trek District+ 1/2.

Yeah, The Netherlands is flat, which helps a lot, but I live in Scheveningen, really close to some hills! Still, at least I'm getting plenty of exercise, no matter how lazy I am sometimes :)

You can sell your bike and get an e-bike. If you bought a cheap bike, then just buy the e-bike.

However, make sure it's a reputable one that won't burst into flame whilst charging!

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