E-bikes as transportation

[Anonymous]

I’m so utterly disappointed in this trash article from the Atlantic.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/08/ebike-electric-bikes-climate-change-exercise/671305/

“Currently, e-bikes are trapped in the weird smear between pathetic, loser bicycles and pitiable, low-end motorbikes. Especially in America, where bike infrastructure is far less developed than in the small, flat nations of Northern Europe that cycling advocates like to exalt as a model, e-bikes have become kind of a nuisance. Walking the streets of New York City, it now feels just as likely that you might get mowed down by an e-bike as a taxicab. “

Jeez.

It’s such a mischaracterization and I’m surprised at the uneducated stance that was allowed to be published. I’ve been enjoying my e-cargo-bike for 3 years as my primary mode of transportation. I love my bike, and love carrying my kids and all my errand loads in it. It’s all-weather, except the most hottest and humid and most rainy of days.

It’s a perfect solution for when you have children and live in a hilly area. The electric assist is a game changer in a country where the infrastructure is not there yet. And it is only in America where cycling is only seen as a recreation sport and not a mode of transportation.

I have never in all my years living in my area even heard of someone getting mowed over by a bike, but I have heard about many serious and fatal injuries where a car mowed down a pedestrian in our local area. Way too many.

[Anonymous]

Obnoxious article. I love my e-cargo bike. In a hilly area, it is definitely the difference between biking and driving for me. Using the throttle to get across busy streets from a dead stop is a literal lifesaver and the assist means I’m not totally wrecked mess after a ride. But I can (and do) turn off the assist when I’m somewhere flatter.

As for being mowed down by an ebike, I cannot imagine why that would be any more likely than being mowed down by any bike or scooter – electric or otherwise.

Bleh.

Ugh.

[Anonymous]

No one has ever been “mowed down” by a bike. E-bike or otherwise. The entire article is trash.

[Anonymous]

Pedestestrians are struck by cyclists. Usually the injuries are not serious enough to be reported. On rare occasions it proves to be fatal. A tragedy not to be dismissed out hand.

https://medium.com/vision-zero-cities-journal/the-myth-of-the-demon-biker-64cb24939cd6

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pedestestrians are struck by cyclists. Usually the injuries are not serious enough to be reported. On rare occasions it proves to be fatal. A tragedy not to be dismissed out hand.

https://medium.com/vision-zero-cities-journal/the-myth-of-the-demon-biker-64cb24939cd6

I’ve never heard of any such thing. Sounds made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pedestestrians are struck by cyclists. Usually the injuries are not serious enough to be reported. On rare occasions it proves to be fatal. A tragedy not to be dismissed out hand.

https://medium.com/vision-zero-cities-journal/the-myth-of-the-demon-biker-64cb24939cd6

I’ve never heard of any such thing. Sounds made up.

I knew a woman who was killed by a bicyclist at Farragut Square 3-4 years ago. He knocked her over and she hit her head. Three days later she died of a massive hemorrhage.

I’m totally pro-bike. But bicyclists have to be careful just like other vehicles.

[Anonymous]

As a letter carrier, I've had a few near misses with speeding bikes on sidewalks-once a guy flew down a hill, narrowly missing me and clipping the teenager ahead of me! Thankfully the kid was more mad than hurt.

But yeah, you can absolutely get hit, and hurt, by a cyclist.