Originally Posted by
RShantz
Would have to say I agree with that. But I also feel that way about those who do these charity rides and stop at every rest stop and chat for quite a while. I try to motivate those folks by telling them they are improving.
I guess I just don't like folks criticizing the e-bike folks so much. Everyone is different and has different goals in their riding. While the ebike doesn't provide the same level of exercise as a regular bike, it does provide more than sitting on the sofa. I really try to be positive to cyclists and encourage them to ride more no matter what type of bike they are on.
Who knows, the ebike guy who gets continual support from family/friends may increase his riding and he may decide to ride a regular bike. If criticized, he may just go back to the sofa?
Lastly, the ebike guys are crossing the finish line using their chosen level of difficulty.
Well, so are people in cars. But at least people in cars don't try to pretend they're athletes by disguising their cars as bicycles when they're not, and then having the gall to demand the same access rights and breaks provided under the law, as someone who actually supplies his own power to get around. Rights we as cyclists fought to get, which are now being usurped by legions of selfish fat slobs on electric motorcycles, pretending to be US, who don't know the first thing about handling a two-wheeled vehicle at speed, yet ride around on vehicles faster than any human can ever hope go under his own power.
I'm not saying ebikes should be banned or confiscated, or whatever I'm being accused of. I'm asking for one thing and only one thing. Let's keep the line that exists between human powered vehicles, and externally-powered vehicles,
as it is and not try to blur it with all the various hysterics we've seen in this thread, which I don't need to rehash.