Re: E-Biikes are not bicycles

On 9/26/2024 10:27 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

Am Tue, 24 Sep 2024 08:23:03 -0400 schrieb Zen Cycle
<funkmaster@hotmail.com>:
 

I'd suggest you go
out on an E-bike for an hour and ride some hills. You'll get a good
sense of why "with proper gearing there is usually no need for an
electric motor" is a rather myopic comment.

 This statement alone proves that e-bikes are not bicycles.   A bicycle
that gives a weak rider the power of a Tour de France athlete is not a
bicycle, but a motorcycle.  It does not have the essential
characteristics that distinguish a bicycle from a motorcycle.

I agree that classifying ebikes as "bicycles" is a sham. It was a deliberate move by the industry to make sure that these low power motorcycles would benefit from the laws applied to bicycles, and to make sure that the public would buy them and not be scared away by the idea that they are motorcycles.
But I don't believe that anyone can train so they have no need for a motor. It depends.
On today's club ride, one of my good friends was at the rear, as always. One somewhat ignorant newcomer to the club has offended her by "mansplaining" advice on how to climb hills at higher speed. He didn't realize his four years of riding experience are nothing next to her 40+ years, plus her touring Montana, the Skyline Drive, etc. etc. etc. Fact is, she has a cardiac problem that will always limit her power. BUT she has no interest in an ebike.
Another guy on the ride is ~80, will always be somewhat overweight, but wants to ride with the club for social reasons. When his ebike was recently out of commission, he was desperately tired trying to keep up on a very fancy, lightweight conventional bike. The motor and battery allow him to socialize with his friends.
OTOH, today a guy much younger than me showed up for the first time with an ebike. I rode with him decades ago, when he was quite strong. He's not plump and could probably train himself into decent shape if he tried. When I asked about the bike, he said "But it still gives me a good workout." I thought "No, not as good. And you're just pretending to be riding a real bicycle." Long term, he'd do himself more good by shutting the motor off.
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- Frank Krygowski