cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/13118199
(Title shamelessly stolen from this comment in the crossposted !micromobility thread.)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/13118199
(Title shamelessly stolen from this comment in the crossposted !micromobility thread.)
When does an E-Bike become a motorcycle that someone is just riding down a sidewalk?
God forbid they formulate some laws/rules that would allow people to safely use something other than a car.
Most larger cities already have this kind of law in place anyway, limiting the power of the motors on e-bikes. For instance, mine is a Class-2 with a max speed of around 14mph and motor rated at 500w. It’s actually got a 1000w motor in it so it’s up to that speed really quickly, but it struggles to go faster because the bike is 70lbs with a 300lb rider (I bought it to lose weight and commute to work).
Makes perfect sense in my eyes to limit the speeds like this. Bike lanes are usually shit anyway, with crap all over ‘em from the road. No point in having an accident because some idiot had a blowout and nobody cleaned up the tire.
14mph? That’s like 20km/h. What’s the point unless you live somewhere really hilly?
It’s faster than walking, I don’t have to buy gas, it’s far cheaper to maintain, and it’s getting me active again.
Sorry, that may have come across wrong. I get mad that ebikes are hobbled to painfully low speeds while the actually dangerous cars run rampant at much higher speeds with no speed limiters. One of the great things about a fast ebike is that it can keep up with 30, or sometimes even 50km/h car traffic, making it usually the fastest way to get around a city. In some situations cycling slower is more dangerous as it encorages cars to make dangerous passes. 22.5km/h is slow for a pedal bike, hobbling many of the potential benefits of ebikes.
While I agree, with my bike it’s probably for the best. It’s a trike, and certainty doesn’t need any more help tipping over while turning.