Originally Posted by
wolfchild
I like the concept of electric assist bikes but the battery range is way too short to justify buying one. These bikes need to be designed with some kind of integrated charger inside the hub that recharges the battery while riding, similar to a vehicle alternator.
That's the biggest thing dissuading me from ever getting one. After the battery goes, you're just pedaling a monstrous, heavy, mediocre bike with horrible gearing, dynamics, etc. An e-bike would make sense if I'm feeble and only need to go on trips of a few miles occasionally, but an e-bike limits my range as opposed to regular biking more than it increases my range from strictly walking and taking the bus.
I won't pooh-pooh the e-bike and I'd rather for my sake and the planet's sake have people on e-bikes as opposed to cars (really, SUVs and trucks), but it doesn't make sense for those who already can bike the old-fashioned way. The e-bike is good for the person who drives and would like to bike, but doesn't have the skills, and would consider ditching the car if e-bikes were affordable and practical. But it's not going to be good for most of us. The e-bike doesn't solve any problems for me. Conditions in winter bad? Then the town needs to plow more and have safe and segregated bike lanes. The e-bike won't change much. It can jump up in speed and help me more competently weave through cars, but if the conditions are such that I can't ride an old-fashioned bike, then it's too icy for anyone to safely do any high-speed weaving on a two-wheeled bike or e-bike.