Originally Posted by
Elvo
Us ebikers refer to everyone else as dino bikes, acoustic bikes, or people in clown suits
As an efficient means of transportation, E-bikes are great, especially to replace a car. But...
- You lose the fitness factor. We're an obese nation because people in the suburbs drive a car to the corner market. People in urban areas who walk more often are in better shape (and now that air quality is better in cities than 50 years ago).
- I live in a walkup apartment, no elevator. The weight of an E-bike is out of the question.
- I live in an urban area and bike theft is a major problem. You can't haul a fat enough chain to defend against the attack methods employed these days. Thus, I ride a folder, usually I can wheel the bike inside businesses, but those I can't, I fold the bike and carry it in, or if I cannot do that, patronize a competing business. E-bikes generally are left chained outside, where they are prime targets of thieves, and prized; They're worth thousands, and the resale market for them is huge.
If my health gets worse and I need an E-bike, it will be a 20" folder, with a battery that comes out super fast and easy, to toss in my backpack while going up and down stairs; My limitation is the weight that my hands can carry.