What can the E-assist option bring for bicycle touring.
#326
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I've seen plenty of electric motor bikes here, but only one that appeared to be touring. The rest seemed like people just out for a ride, some with a pannier or two, and others just blasting along. I have no problem with anyone using them for whatever reason they desire. Thankfully they are not present at any of the campgrounds I've stayed at. Maybe hotels are their thing. If you can't get up the energy to push pedals, sleeping in a tent is probably also not something you are willing to suffer through.
Can't see what the issue would be with e-bike tourists on campgrounds...
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I've seen plenty of electric motor bikes here, but only one that appeared to be touring. The rest seemed like people just out for a ride, some with a pannier or two, and others just blasting along. I have no problem with anyone using them for whatever reason they desire. Thankfully they are not present at any of the campgrounds I've stayed at. Maybe hotels are their thing. If you can't get up the energy to push pedals, sleeping in a tent is probably also not something you are willing to suffer through.
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#332
Last edited by BigAura; 07-24-16 at 04:07 PM.
#334
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Neil
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I don't know.
We slugged it out pretty good but I at least thought you were putting some thought into what you were saying and introducing points of discussion. Though it may not have seemed so it the heat of things, I actually considered what you were saying or at least your perspective as someone invested in operating a bike tour site.
I don't get why someone who is just touring on a bike would care whether some other stranger is lazy or not or whether they camped in the same campground. That just smacks of some dark weirdness I can't relate to. That they post inflammatory stuff into a thread doesn't necessarily make the thread wrong. The same bias could extend to other threads and I recall one (with one of the people here) that revolved around how much money one spent on a bike and whether that made one a cheap or discerning rider. Same negativity.
I harken back to your last post where it was suggested if topics revolved around touring there would be some leeway for discussion, which would not automatically exclude those who might want to talk/participate in touring, while discussions strictly about the e bike itself would be moved to that sub forum. A reasonable compromise that I think most mature people could respect and navigate sensibly. If the day ever came when there was some sort of avalanche of e bike touring threads then perhaps, at that time, the point would be reached for an e bike specific touring sub forum.
That people basically spam a discussion to try to shut it down says more about them than the subject matter. Perhaps that is what needs to be addressed.
Cue BA in 3.. 2.. 1..
We slugged it out pretty good but I at least thought you were putting some thought into what you were saying and introducing points of discussion. Though it may not have seemed so it the heat of things, I actually considered what you were saying or at least your perspective as someone invested in operating a bike tour site.
I don't get why someone who is just touring on a bike would care whether some other stranger is lazy or not or whether they camped in the same campground. That just smacks of some dark weirdness I can't relate to. That they post inflammatory stuff into a thread doesn't necessarily make the thread wrong. The same bias could extend to other threads and I recall one (with one of the people here) that revolved around how much money one spent on a bike and whether that made one a cheap or discerning rider. Same negativity.
I harken back to your last post where it was suggested if topics revolved around touring there would be some leeway for discussion, which would not automatically exclude those who might want to talk/participate in touring, while discussions strictly about the e bike itself would be moved to that sub forum. A reasonable compromise that I think most mature people could respect and navigate sensibly. If the day ever came when there was some sort of avalanche of e bike touring threads then perhaps, at that time, the point would be reached for an e bike specific touring sub forum.
That people basically spam a discussion to try to shut it down says more about them than the subject matter. Perhaps that is what needs to be addressed.
Cue BA in 3.. 2.. 1..
Last edited by Happy Feet; 07-24-16 at 04:38 PM.
#337
Last edited by BigAura; 07-24-16 at 04:46 PM.
#338
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Some people have a very narrow view of how thing should be and get totally bent out of shape when other people are saying thing that don't fit their view... Thus instead of talking with some reasoning they post totally unrelated crap to put down the ideas that contravenes their views, probably in the hopes of getting the tread closed and to stop any real discussion... JMO Just because "technically they are correct" that a motor is used, they totally ignore everything else and say stuff like E-Bikes take away from real bike touring, E-Bikes aren't bicycle touring, again technically correct, but as soon as one uses the term, "Touring on an E-Bike" it no longer is associated/or in any way competes with only human powered bicycle touring in most peoples minds, it's associated with E-Bike touring... Similar but different...
#339
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I think the only thing that's been "sorted out" here is that the whole topic of e-bikes is controversial, at least here on the "bicycle touring" forum. It's become obvious that any attempted discussion of bikes with motors will always end up getting derailed by people who feel that they don't belong here. There is a push by some who think that they should just be accepted by everybody, but there is an equal push back from others who just don't want it here. There will always be people who see a motor on a bicycle and conclude that the rider is just being lazy. And there will always be others who see e-bike technology as enabling those with disabilities. The only thing that has been established beyond a doubt is that this is a topic that is as polarizing as bicycle helmets. I'm sure this thread will eventually get locked, same as the previous ones, so that (to me at least) is evidence enough for the view that perhaps e-bike discussions would be best conducted over on the e-bike forum. Even if you think that e-bikes are just fine for touring, is it really worth all the hassle of fighting and bickering every time it's brought up here?
Neil
Neil
But that still leave the E-Bike touring discussions out in the cold, nobody there does touring per say, so... Just because there are people that will come to threads like this like BigAura , alan s , and are willing to diss everything abut E-Bikes, does that mean E-Bike touring isn't a real thing???
#340
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*hangs closed for cleaning sign*...
Okay, just removed 5 out of the last 6 posts. Man, I haven't seen some of y'all this frothy since the camp stove dust up a while back.
Face it, there are going to be those that will want to go touring using e-bikes. And while e-bikes do have their own forum here, there are still things touring specific that those people will need help with.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that touring with e-assist or without is going to be akin to panniers vs trailer or hammock vs pad discussions- there is no one solution for everyone.
*taking the sign down*
Okay, just removed 5 out of the last 6 posts. Man, I haven't seen some of y'all this frothy since the camp stove dust up a while back.
Face it, there are going to be those that will want to go touring using e-bikes. And while e-bikes do have their own forum here, there are still things touring specific that those people will need help with.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that touring with e-assist or without is going to be akin to panniers vs trailer or hammock vs pad discussions- there is no one solution for everyone.
*taking the sign down*
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Last edited by no1mad; 07-24-16 at 06:52 PM.
#341
Every day a winding road
Time for this thread to close. It is going nowhere.
#342
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Take the following with a grain of salt .
I've never toured, doubtful if I ever will (due to medical and familial priorities), and my experience with an e-assisted bike was a brief test ride of some Giant model my LBS tried to sell me back in the day.
I personally would not be too keen on e-bike touring myself- just more parts that could fail while out in the middle of nowhere- and my mechanical aptitude is limited to flat repairs and anything that can be done using a Park MT-1
I've never toured, doubtful if I ever will (due to medical and familial priorities), and my experience with an e-assisted bike was a brief test ride of some Giant model my LBS tried to sell me back in the day.
I personally would not be too keen on e-bike touring myself- just more parts that could fail while out in the middle of nowhere- and my mechanical aptitude is limited to flat repairs and anything that can be done using a Park MT-1
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#343
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And the reason why it is going nowhere is because there are a few that don't want it to go anywhere.
Perhaps of those people should leave the thread and observe from a distance- the topic will either flourish on its own or die on the vine naturally.
Perhaps of those people should leave the thread and observe from a distance- the topic will either flourish on its own or die on the vine naturally.
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#344
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+1
Some of the best discussions come out of hotly contested issues.
For myself, I still don't ride an e bike but I've learned a bit more about them in this thread.
I've also given what the forum means to others some thought.
I've realized there is a sub set of people who use them because of medical issues who like onbike, have interesting stories.
I've looked into how they fit into adaptive cycling in my local region and found some related websites as a result.
I've learned there may be an alternate reason than the one I'm thinking as to why Doug may have a sports bra hanging off his panniers.
Some of the best discussions come out of hotly contested issues.
For myself, I still don't ride an e bike but I've learned a bit more about them in this thread.
I've also given what the forum means to others some thought.
I've realized there is a sub set of people who use them because of medical issues who like onbike, have interesting stories.
I've looked into how they fit into adaptive cycling in my local region and found some related websites as a result.
I've learned there may be an alternate reason than the one I'm thinking as to why Doug may have a sports bra hanging off his panniers.
#345
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The only thing that fanned the flames is when you started equating a motor to a mechanical "assist" (gears). These guys don't care if anyone rides an e-bike or not.
#346
Senior Member
Really? They sure seemed to care as far as I could tell. Anyways, I just retorted that assist is assist, mechanical advantage is an assist too... I likened it to a fixie, how many people tour with a fixie? Not many I suspect. Why? Because they can't make it up most hills without the assistance of the gearing... Thus, maybe anyone who can't tour on a fixie should get off their fat butts and train more, is what I basically said... Because that is what they said I should do, if I couldn't tour without the E-Assist.... That is the way I remember it...
Last edited by 350htrr; 07-24-16 at 08:36 PM.
#347
Senior Member
if you're not riding a no-pedal wooden balance bike, you're not
on a REAL bicycle at all! you're cheating and must be banned
from all REAL bicycle forums.
back to reality....there's some good reading on e-bikes here:
https://ebike.research.pdx.edu/sites/..._America_2.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws
Pedal-assisted bicycles and the Law ? Electric Bike Action
check out the first link, top of page 7: organic transit ELF encapsulated pedal-assisted recumbent trike.
legally classified as a low-speed electric bicycle.
#348
Senior Member
agree 100%! cogs and chains and pedals.......all are forms of assist!
if you're not riding a no-pedal wooden balance bike, you're not
on a REAL bicycle at all! you're cheating and must be banned
from all REAL bicycle forums.
back to reality....there's some good reading on e-bikes here:
https://ebike.research.pdx.edu/sites/..._America_2.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws
Pedal-assisted bicycles and the Law ? Electric Bike Action
check out the first link, top of page 7: organic transit ELF encapsulated pedal-assisted recumbent trike.
legally classified as a low-speed electric bicycle.
if you're not riding a no-pedal wooden balance bike, you're not
on a REAL bicycle at all! you're cheating and must be banned
from all REAL bicycle forums.
back to reality....there's some good reading on e-bikes here:
https://ebike.research.pdx.edu/sites/..._America_2.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws
Pedal-assisted bicycles and the Law ? Electric Bike Action
check out the first link, top of page 7: organic transit ELF encapsulated pedal-assisted recumbent trike.
legally classified as a low-speed electric bicycle.
#349
Senior Member
A few days ago I was camped next to a guy from Germany who was touring on a motorcycle. He didn't try to convince me he was bicycle touring. We talked briefly about his bike and panniers, because it was an interesting set up. We each recognized that we were engaged in different activities. For example, the day before, he rode 400 km from Italy mostly on highways. At the same time, I had taken a train under the Alps and ridden 50 miles or so mostly on quiet roads and bike paths. Point is, the electric motor bike tourers will hopefully recognize they are engaged in a different activity than bike touring. Sure, there are some similarities, but fundamentally, they are not the same thing.
#350
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Thread Starter
A few days ago I was camped next to a guy from Germany who was touring on a motorcycle. He didn't try to convince me he was bicycle touring. We talked briefly about his bike and panniers, because it was an interesting set up. We each recognized that we were engaged in different activities. For example, the day before, he rode 400 km from Italy mostly on highways. At the same time, I had taken a train under the Alps and ridden 50 miles or so mostly on quiet roads and bike paths. Point is, the electric motor bike tourers will hopefully recognize they are engaged in a different activity than bike touring. Sure, there are some similarities, but fundamentally, they are not the same thing.
You took a train? Why are you posting on a bicycle touring forum instead of interrail or similiar. By many definitions presented here (including yours) you're not bicycle touring at all.