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Comment by JSR_FDED | Hacker News Reader

It’s all relative I guess. In the Netherlands which has a strong cycling culture, the e-bikes are seen by many as a negative - reducing the amount of exercise kids would otherwise get. It also emphasizes a rich/poor divide (which the Dutch are extra allergic to) where well-off kids have e-bikes and the others regular bikes.

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From what I can tell looking at teenagers in the Netherlands: healthy kids have normal bicycles; kids who actually have to cycle 20km from some village to get to school often get e-bikes (somewhat sensible); those with upper middle class parents living in the suburbs get regular e-bikes too (pointless); lower socio-economic classes get their kid a Chinese fatbike.

Mopeds are becoming increasingly rare.

> Mopeds are becoming increasingly rare.

How will we demonstrate the Doppler effect to kids now?!

I haven't lived in NL for about ten years, but I still have PTST from these 100dB mopeds at 4am. Whatever else can be said about e-bikes: mopeds will not be missed.

Ebikes are mopeds with less regulation so there is no real reason to get a moped.

In the US this allows kids who are not of age to drive to be able to use their bike like someone would use a moped. But since these kids don't have licenses or any oversight they're flying at 25+ mpg down sidewalks and other areas they shouldn't be.

Saw a hilarious exchange of some cops vs teens on ebikes in a relatively affluent restaurant area a few months ago. The teens were taunting the cops as they had their normal vehicle and obviously couldn't go where the teens were. The teens just ignored the cops as they feverishly got nowhere.

I moved to the black forest, germany. Rather hilly - but you see as many e-bikes as bio-bikes when being in the woods. Teens use their bikes to drive to school and e-bikes are definitely slowly taking over. When kids live 20-30km away from school I can relate, but not for a short commute. On the other side, they want to use their e-bike as a sport utility in their free time, so they don’t have 2 separate bikes.

The Netherlands is a rather dense, flat country. Generally not too hot, either. All of which reduce the downsides of pedal-pumping on a regular bike.

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