Why do you ride an electric bicycle?

My MAIN reason for riding an ebike is:

  • Economy (driving a car is too expensive)

    Votes: 10 22.7%
  • Pleasure (it's just another toy)

    Votes: 13 29.5%
  • Time (less traffic for bicycles in a city)

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Exercise (some anyway)

    Votes: 6 13.6%
  • Curiosity (what's an EV?)

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Green (save the planet)

    Votes: 2 4.5%
  • Legal (no driver license)

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Other (so what is it? explain yourself, but make it short please)

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • I don't do poll (so why are you here, why are you clicking this choice?)

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .
People who are really concerned about the state of the planet or the welfare of others ride real bikes. Just sayin'.

It's like polling folks about their choice or TVs based on their perception of energy efficiency. Conscious people simply don't have TVs.

E-bikes are chiefly a nerd fascination-- in this regard I count myself. Where it's not a nerd thing, it's only an expression of being too chicken-hearted to ride a real bike. That's an awesomely huge market, being the same people who drive cars. But it's a sorry bunch of folks to ask about their principles.
 
Bit embarassing really...i had to ride one.. :oops: but I got my driving licence back now..but Harley still in the workshop in bits and have not re insured the car either..Living in an island 6 miles x 12 I can get by without either car o m/cycle..and I save a few thousand per year on insurance and fuel
 
Chalo said:
People who are really concerned about the state of the planet or the welfare of others ride real bikes. Just sayin'.

It's like polling folks about their choice or TVs based on their perception of energy efficiency. Conscious people simply don't have TVs.

E-bikes are chiefly a nerd fascination-- in this regard I count myself. Where it's not a nerd thing, it's only an expression of being too chicken-hearted to ride a real bike. That's an awesomely huge market, being the same people who drive cars. But it's a sorry bunch of folks to ask about their principles.
You're making assumptions that aren't necessarily true, though.

For one, I can't ride a regular bike far enough to be useful anymore--so it is either ebike or car. (or motorcycle or whatever; public transit doesnt' always go where I have to go).

I suppose being afraid of further injuring myself or experiencing massive pain would qualify me as being too "chicken-hearted" to ride a "real bike". :roll:


I have no wish to pollute (noise or gases or whatever) with a car or other ICE vehicle, so the ebike is the best and greenest alternative.


Even so, given my needs, and having experienced the power of ebikes, I would probably ride an ebike even if I could pedal, because I have never been strong enough or had enough endurance to haul the heavy loads I want (need) to be able to haul around on hills and such, or really long hauls, on just a pedal bike, regardless of gearing--especially since I need to be able to do it at some speed (much faster than walking).

If I was physically capable of it, I would certainly pedal a lot more than I do now, preferably as much as I used to when I biked everywhere.

But one needn't only ride a "real bike" (presuming you mean "pedal only" by that) to be "green". If one wanted to be "green" as far as using no (or less) technology goes, you'd need to walk around naked everywhere, to really be "green". ;)

So given that we're really talking about degrees (shades?) of green, the ebikes are almost certainly more green than the most common alternative of cars or trucks to do the same work we can do with the ebikes. Pedal bikes might be greener than ebikes (depending on sources of the rider's food and calories you burn vs energy and sources of it used to charge the ebike, probably not). Ive never researched it myself, just read of other's research, such as that done by JustinLE.
 
charlo, you are a good soul but you are so opinionated.

Riding an Ebike is really f*in green .

DID you read Justin's paper on Ebikes using less energy than traditional biking. especially if ones diet contains meat and non local produce? (does anyone have a link to that paper ?)

I ride my ebike and my regular bike to work every day. 90 percent of my coworkers drive cars or SUV'S to work, 4000 lb vehicles .
some of them live closer than I do to work .

HoW much energy to get a single person ten miles? For me max 200 watt hours=15 cents?
Compared to my coworkers in their SUV.
 
BikeFanatic said:
charlo, you are a good soul but you are so opinionated.

Riding an Ebike is really f*in green .

Yes, I've seen the analyses. I think they are way too narrowly constructed to give the whole picture-- but yes, e-bikes are very green vehicles by any objective standards.

My point is that they are the choice of people other than hardcore greenies. Nerds/hobbyists/anoraks and feckless weenies go for e-bikes, as I said. Hippies who wash and reuse their own buttwipes push pedals, or walk. That's just the way they roll.

I have a friend, former bandmate, and occasional shop customer who spends his days playing music and doing yoga. He had two bikes, but he rode one into Mexico and gave it to a villager. When I see his other bike, it is always a disaster, and all the modifications and field repairs he's done since the last time I saw it have been executed with baling wire and kite string. Cycle repair as basketry, if you will. Anyway, that guy has a seriously low environmental footprint. He rarely even wears shoes. But he'll not be e-biking any time soon, though cycling is his transportation of first resort. The e-version just doesn't suit him.

Likewise, e-biking isn't righteous enough for most serious eco-buffs. It's not trying hard enough. And then then are those large, suspicious batteries made out of rare minerals from exploited Third World nations. You have to plug it in and let it charge for hours, next to the lamp you turn off the second you no longer need the light. You get my point. If they drive, they'll use a Prius (in which the batteries are hidden), or an old Benz that runs on biodiesel and racks up $1000 in repairs every couple of months-- neither of which is nearly as green as an e-bike. But if they bike, they bike. With their feet.
 
So true.

Now this is not a generalisation of all eco-buffs/ greenies as I know there are many very intelligent ones out there, and also many dumb ones..that are eco friendly (veggie too) for 'cuddly' reasons if you know what I mean. There is no logic or reason or facts to their choices, they are the ones the advertisers love..they'll believe what ever they are told as long as they are being told it is good for the planet / the cuddly animals/ the poor and dying / starving ..whatever..they believe what ever they are told in the media without question.

I have a friend like that..says she is vegetarian, but will eat things 'without a face" ( her words not mine)..so she will eat clams, oysters, eggs, milk, cheese etc, wears leather ( because they are being killed anyway for food..shame to waste the skin!! )Her words again)..but she won't eat lamb, chicken etc..because they are cute.

Her environmental reasonings are almost identical in lacking in logic and any common sense.

And well, fair play to her, she is happy, barkign mad bu happy, and we can't do more than that.

As with Justins survey as mentioned earlier, or any survey/ set of facts/ statistics, you have to treat them all with suspicion.
Unless you have Deep Thought at your disposal, the chances of really working out ACCURATELY what is more environmentally friendly than something else is very slim.
Yes there are obvious extremes, but as soon as you get down to wether e-biking is more or less efficient on world resources than normal cycling..well good luck to you
No survey ever takes every single thing in to account..it is down to what you want to do at the end of it.
 
amberwolf said:
Chalo said:
E-bikes are chiefly a nerd fascination-- in this regard I count myself. Where it's not a nerd thing, it's only an expression of being too chicken-hearted to ride a real bike.
You're making assumptions that aren't necessarily true, though.

For one, I can't ride a regular bike far enough to be useful anymore--so it is either ebike or car. (or motorcycle or whatever; public transit doesnt' always go where I have to go).

I suppose being afraid of further injuring myself or experiencing massive pain would qualify me as being too "chicken-hearted" to ride a "real bike". :roll:

You might have physical challenges, but you address them with e-bikes because you are an über-nerd. We know this.
 
because i can and choose to.i also ride a tadpole trike that i power with my legs.also because i choose to.
 
Good point Charlo now that I think about it,we do invest excessively in batteries
then all the little hobby king gadgets to monitor them. Charger and watt meters, then you are correct not so green after all.
I see your point . Compare to my high consumptive A American friends I am still somewhat ahead, in my footprint .
 
Too late to vote, but I do it for 'Green', 'Pleasure', and 'Economy'. I ride a regular road bike for exercise and sport and work on them at my local shop for a living. I just love what the bicycle is in general.
 
tdiggs said:
Too late to vote, but I do it for 'Green', 'Pleasure', and 'Economy'. I ride a regular road bike for exercise and sport and work on them at my local shop for a living. I just love what the bicycle is in general.
You can only choose one. So which one is MOST important for you?
 
Geez! Where have you guys been. The poll ran for 7 days!!!

Anyway, better late than never. So anyone who did not vote and wants to cast their vote now, please do so manually. Remember only ONE choice, the one that's most important to you. I will manually count and update the results at the end of this week.

BTW, there is another poll going on now. It will be closed in 2 days. Don't be late again.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48823
 
I started my venture with a evg global and I'm pilling on the miles. My reason was I can no longer afford a car the insurance registration inspection gas was killing me. I'm saving 340$ a month from not using my car. And also my car was constantly getting pulled over I hate the cops around there to gun ho and give out to many tickets
 
Chalo said:
But here are a few more possible reasons to use an e-bike:

Can be faster point-to-point than a normal bike

Much quieter and more peaceful than other motor vehicles

Compensates for physical weakness or disability

Allows easier towing or load carrying than pedal power alone

Resource-efficient/low carbon footprint

Too lazy to ride a regular bike

Enjoy the idea of an unregistered, untaxed vehicle

Low power demand works with off-grid systems

Allows slow, unfit riders to accompany fast, fit riders

No annoying/hazardous heat, vibration, or fumes

Allows rider to wear impractical clothes

All of the above apply to me.
 
SamTexas said:
biohazardman said:
It's near the only exercise I gets and my main mode of transportation. People on the streets are safer when I am on a bike than in a car cuz some days I am not well/with it and could run them over. Hep-C and brain/inner ear damage makes me a dangerous dude although the driving thing is coming back two years after the assault so things are looking up. I can only choose one reason so things are not to accurate as there are several reasons I ride.
Wow! Is that the reason behind your screen name?

Just found this and see that I never got back to you with an answer. Don't want to be rude so better late than never? Yes, it is one of the reasons why I have this screen name. I was trying to get a screen name somewhere many years back and everything came up as taken again and again so I thought to myself I am a biohazard, got stuck by a syringe hidden in a cheeseburger wrapper, and tried it. The name was not taken so I am what I am. :shock: A shocking life to some but normal to me. At least it gives me something to whine about in my old age. ;^) Oh did I say Poor me?
 
My post from http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/whats-behind-your-motivation-get-high-mpg-33226-7.html#post506669
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Frank Lee;502324 said:
Reduce petroleum consumption, leave a smaller carbon footprint, save money, feel superior to slobs. The whys and hows and the science and techniques are fascinating to me; an odd combination of gearhead and environmentalist. :thumbup:

Sums up my thoughts nicely. The science is in. We are mucking up the planet and running out of time. Fossil fuel supplies are finite. Spread the word. We need to use the current energy wealth to make a transition to sustainable energy sources. It will take a century. And lots of energy to build the new infrastructure. Instead of wasting it on selfishly over speced personal transportation. The're going to need a mighty long extension cord on their electric tractor to grow enough food for 15 Billion people in 2200 after peak oil is long gone.
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