Are ebikes (finally) mainstream?

[SkipdiverJohn]

Modern e-bikes are a godsend for older or infirm cyclists, and if they encourage younger people who might not otherwise cycle, then so much the better.

Not so good though if they result in able-bodied people switching from human power to electrical assistance and getting substantially less excercise as a result.
Delivery riders they make a lot of sense for, because of reduced fatigue, but the average person is not getting so much daily excercise that they need any effort saving.
Ultimately the saturation point in urban use will be due to the cost and risk of theft or vandalism. Anyone buying these things for commuting needs somewhere secure to park it at both ends of their journey. I don't foresee a rank of them sitting outside the front of 'spoons, the £20 human powered pub bike has a bit of life left in it yet.

 

[Mr Celine]

On a side point, I don't hear much these days about tidal power.

At one time there were some teardrop shaped floats off our coast bobbing up and down.

Tides must be attractive at least in one respect because they ebb and flow predictably all the time.

World's largest tidal turbine currently being installed in the Pentland Firth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-56818538

 

[ColinJ]

At one time there were some teardrop shaped floats off our coast bobbing up and down.

Tides must be attractive at least in one respect because they ebb and flow predictably all the time.

I remember work being done on Salter's ducks in the late 1970s. They were a very interesting idea but the project was scuppered. IIRC trial and development costs were overestimated by the overseeing body, the Atomic Energy Authority (!!), which had an obvious vested interest in the project not going ahead.

They were wave power rather than tidal power.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can't say I agree with that, sure the fella's you see trudging to work covered in s**t at stupid o'clock in the morning may be, but all the so called lycra clad hero speed demon type I see out there giving it some are surely doing it for fitness, I know I do.

The lycra clad speed demon types form a minority of cyclists. Most people who ride a bike don't talk about it or post on internet forums, they just cycle to get about just as most drivers have zero interest in cars.

 

[Pale Rider]

I remember work being done on Salter's ducks in the late 1970s. They were a very interesting idea but the project was scuppered. IIRC trial and development costs were overestimated by the overseeing body, the Atomic Energy Authority (!!), which had an obvious vested interest in the project not going ahead.

They were wave power rather than tidal power.

Ah, I might be getting my wave power and tidal powers mixed up, although presumably they are linked when trying to extract renewable energy from the sea.

 

[ColinJ]

Ah, I might be getting my wave power and tidal powers mixed up, although presumably they are linked when trying to extract renewable energy from the sea.

Wave power is linked to waves generated by wind so similar problem to wind turbines - no power on calm days.

You were right about tidal power though - the tides are going to keep on happening as long as we have the moon. If we ever no longer have the moon, then I suspect we wouldn't be around to worry about the tidal generators shutting down!

I wonder how Salter's ducks would have coped with stormy seas?

 

[CXRAndy]

Not so good though if they result in able-bodied people switching from human power to electrical assistance and getting substantially less excercise as a result.

There is a difference for health benefits and top cycling fitness.

Being super fit rider has little benefit over being healthy through riding regularly at a lower level of intensity.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I met a extremely cycle fit young lady in Tenerife a few years ago. We were doing a cycling tour with the same company. She was a bloody good rider. As you do, you chat after rides and such, she used an ebike to cycle to and from work in Geneva. She and her firm were sorted regarding cycling. She would go out for an hour at lunchtime on her normal road bike (stored at work) , showered on return then cycle home on her ebike.
She worked for one of the many banks in Switzerland. Cyclists dream-wouldnt you agree.

This is something I noticed in Europe. Loads of cyclists everywhere but they are not in cycle gear like the UK. It's commuting, environment and health. I once sat outside a cafe on a Saturday morning and did not see a single person with a hint of lycra even though I saw road bikes all over the place. The infrastructure is there anyway and cycling, I suspect is second nature rather than a fitness motive.

 

[DRM]

E or non e?

Both E Bikes basically saying how they help people ride who for one reason or another wouldn’t do so without the assistance from the motor

 

[DRM]

This is something I noticed in Europe. Loads of cyclists everywhere but they are not in cycle gear like the UK. It's commuting, environment and health. I once sat outside a cafe on a Saturday morning and did not see a single person with a hint of lycra even though I saw road bikes all over the place. The infrastructure is there anyway and cycling, I suspect is second nature rather than a fitness motive.

I noted around Poitou-Charantes a couple of years ago that there were a lot of elderly Decathlon steel MTB’s being used as shopping hacks, yet come Sunday morning it was club run time on some really nice road bikes, but it was nice to see that the old bikes weren’t just getting dumped but were still a useful item

 

[Deleted User]

The lycra clad speed demon types form a minority of cyclists. Most people who ride a bike don't talk about it or post on internet forums, they just cycle to get about just as most drivers have zero interest in cars.

How do we know what proportion of people who regularly ride bikes fit into what category? If the number of car drivers were similar to bike riders I would agree but there are clearly, to me anyway, a distinct majority of cyclists out there that see cycling as a hobby, interest or fitness aid.

Having said that I don't live in a City where cyclists are everywhere or a Uni full of cycling students so you may well be right.

 

[Smokin Joe]

We also mustn't equate an aversion to cycling as a lack of interest in keeping fit. I know quite a few people who are very fit through walking, running, gym membership or taking part in other sports who have all ridden a bike at some point in there adult lives but simply don't like it all that much.

 

[Pale Rider]

Wave power is linked to waves generated by wind so similar problem to wind turbines - no power on calm days.

Something else I hadn't grasped.

It's a good thing I'm not in charge of the net zero project because we'd still be stuck with coal.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Going back to battery replacement - on my old ebike the battery started getting old - reduced range and all that. I bought the bike second hand and I don;t think it had been stored very well
I got a new battery which was much better and cost about £300 and something. After several years that started dropping range as well. As I still had the original that had somewhat recovered (dunno how!) I sent the newer one off and got it recelled. This gave me the opportunity to get more capacity installed and to use good quality cells - cost just under £300 - cheaper than the cost about 5 years beforehand!

When the current ebikes start having range problems I will investigate recelling first. The Carrera will probably be OK - but I have doubts about the Bosch. Rumour has it that they can;t be recelled without bricking the electronics.
Hopefully either people will find a way round this before I need it - or Bosch will be forced to produce a solution.
In my opinion all batteries should be able to be recelled by a proper professional.

For anyone with an ebike - when the time comes this route is worth looking at!

 

[boydj]

Not so good though if they result in able-bodied people switching from human power to electrical assistance and getting substantially less excercise as a result.
Delivery riders they make a lot of sense for, because of reduced fatigue, but the average person is not getting so much daily excercise that they need any effort saving.
Ultimately the saturation point in urban use will be due to the cost and risk of theft or vandalism. Anyone buying these things for commuting needs somewhere secure to park it at both ends of their journey. I don't foresee a rank of them sitting outside the front of 'spoons, the £20 human powered pub bike has a bit of life left in it yet.

You still misunderstand how e-bikes work. You don't go anywhere if you don't pedal and put some effort in. At the end of a ride you will have achieved a work-out. If people who cycle for exercise use an e-bike then they'll still achieve the exercise. If people who don't cycle because it's too much like hard work then e-bikes may change their minds.

e-Bikes are much more likely to get non-cyclists cycling than they are to get regular cyclists backing off. Regular cyclists may well use them, but some, like myself, will use them to get over temporary difficulties and others will use them to go farther and faster. For example, I'll soon be cycling to my golf club, which sits at the top of a 20% hill, which is the last 1/2 mile of a 2 mile trip which is almost all climbing. Even when fit I couldn't do that climb without taking a turn round the car park half-way up.