Originally Posted by
jefnvk
ebikes are most definitely allowed to be discussed on these forums, unlike those other things, and people on ebikes do go on tours, therefore there really shouldn't be any problem.
Then why do you think you are seeing such push-back whenever the subject of e-bikes comes up here? I suggest it is because many cyclists object at a visceral level to having motorized transport intrude into this space, and moreover being told by people like yourself that we should just get over it, because "it's all the same".
But, if we want to say motorhomes aren't allowed, why do we allow discussions on tents and sleeping bags?
Because any reasonable person would see in an instant that tents and sleeping bags are a valid part of the bicycle touring experience, and deserve to be discussed here.
That seems counterproductive to keeping the noise down, you should just go to a camping forum. After all, one can tour without a tent and cookware, they are not integral to the activity. Get them over to camping forums where those questions belong.
Conflating tents and stoves with e-bikes is specious at best. Nobody in the history of bicycle touring has ever argued that discussion of tents and camping is somehow off-topic. With e-bikes, on the other hand, the problem is pretty obvious - it's the motor, bicycles aren't supposed to have them. It's one of the basic characteristics of what makes a bicycle a bicycle. No motor.
Neil