Originally Posted by
Danhedonia
3. I have seen what I perceive to be a disproportionately high number of e-Bike riders on our local MUP (where they're not permitted, and yes we have bike lanes all over town where they ARE permitted). Many of these riders don't observe basic posted rules, for example they ride two-abreast, forcing others to the side of the path, while going 22-25 mph or faster. Do e-Bikes attract a 'different' type of rider? (I think this is about inexperience?)
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What do you like about e-Bikes? What are some of their great uses? How are they fun in ways that you can't achieve on a muffin-powered (traditional) bike?
I'm a self-proclaimed hardcore road cyclist of 4-9k miles per year, who ALSO owns a ~300watt Class 2 ebike (the motor wheel has a top speed of 20 mph, so it's legal on all multi-use paths in the Denver metro area). My specific reasons for riding the ebike are to make my 28 mile round-trip commute to work a little less strenuous on my knees, since I really just use the motor to go up the steepest hills I encounter, without having to gear down and add more time to my already 60 minute one-way trip. And because the ebike is easier on my knees, using it allows me to commute more often.
I've witnessed bad etiquette (be it intentional or because of not knowing the unwritten rules) from all forms of users on the multi use paths, I don't think it's just the ebikers, though currently they may very well account for the majority because they are the newest users, and haven't learned the nuances yet.