Ebikes and negative media

TheBeastie

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Melbourne Australia
I don't think there is a "Negative Media on ebikes" thread so I figured I should start one.
Today an ebiker rided his ebike through a major underground tunnel in Melbourne today, the Burnley Tunnel, it hit all the major state news sites/tv stations.
The Burnley tunnel is 3.4km long underground and you can't get out once you start it, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnley_Tunnel

Since there is so much road works in Melbourne and the rise of "UberEats" where people get their food delivered often by electric bikes, ebikes have become so popular its crazy. Walking around the CBD they are charging around on throttle only ebikes everywhere, sometimes during the day in the CBD you can see 3 ebikes for every regular bicycle.

I think vehicle motorists who just hate cyclists period have found new ammunition to attack bikers with ebike folks who misbehave.

Today one of the biggest talkback radio stations picked it up, asking why bikes with motors aren't registered like vehicles and why aren't they paying road tolls etc.

https://omny.fm/shows/mornings-with-neil-mitchell/tony-jones-tells-neil-he-spotted-a-man-riding-a-bi

".. then he noticed the traffic in the left lane slowing almost to a complete stop.

'And there was just no reason why until we got beyond the dip and then noticed this idiot on a bicycle, at least I thought it was a bicycle,' he told 3AW.

'He was holding up the left hand lane and there was a car behind him that might have been some well meaning citizen just trying to protect this fool with its hazard lights on.'

He said people were changing lanes to try and get around the man which was causing other lanes to slow down too.

'It was just absolutely ridiculous, but it does beg the question, when do these motorised bikes stop becoming bicycles and motorbikes,' he said. "


[youtube]GD_JP2h1N1g[/youtube]
https://www.3aw.com.au/electric-bike-cyclists-tries-his-luck-in-the-burnley-tunnel/
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/cyclist-brings-traffic-to-a-standstill-during-peak-hour-as-he-rides-through-melbournes-busiest-tunnel-on-an-electric-bicycle/ar-AAxrNUu
https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/997391522394861569

I have noticed some throttle based ebikes around Melbourne are easy 1000W instead of the 200W legal limit. I have seen the Dominoes pizza delivery ebikes fly up quite steep hills at around 40km/h with no peddling what so ever, no way in hell they are 200w.
http://jobs.dominos.com.au/position-descriptions/electric-bike-rider

I believe this kind of behavior is going to ruin it for everyone, and we end up with New York style ebike laws.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40537103/new-york-is-confiscating-delivery-bikes-hurting-immigrants-and-helping-no-one
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171019/upper-west-side/city-crack-down-businesses-enabling-e-bike-use/
http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/e-bike-crackdown-in-new-york-city-spurs-delivery-worker-concerns/article/510871
 
I believe this kind of behavior is going to ruin it for everyone, and we end up with New York style ebike laws.

That`s not what caused NYC to adopts these laws. It`s a kid who got killed riding a mini gaz-powered motorcycle.
 
I see a guy hugging the inside of the lane, leaving plenty of room for cars to get by him. People need to learn how big their cars are. And just generally learn how to drive. The guy with his hazards on should be pulled from his car and shot in the dick.

The guy on the bike has lights and is visible as can be. Regardless of the laws, he's not posing a real hazard, nor is he the one causing traffic to slow.
 
Well technically you have to ride your bicycle on the road.

Here in Calgary, Alberta Canada there is a bylaw stating bicycles are not allowed on certain roadways during rush hour. And an outright ban on Bicycles on the highways (Deerfoot and probably Stony Trail which are 100kph 60mph), but you can ride your bike on the road on roads with speed limits of 80kph (Crowchild Trail and the like)
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.998736,-114.0432835,12z
 
the type of drivetrain does not dictate how people use it in stupid ways. there have been probably millions of dumb shits that went with their bikes or gas mopeds onto highways or other places they dont belong. you dont see those on the news. its just that people try and blame the technology for doing dumb shit.
 
^^Well yeah you would in some ways. It would make the local radio perhaps. But overall you are right. When Justin did his Victoria, BC to Ottawa I think it was (or did he go further?) the fuzz stopped him on the 401 highway and told him bicycles arent allowed. Hows he to know, of course that interaction was minimal. Of course there wasnt no sign stating that, neither are there here in Calgary. Maybe an old faded one maybe two signs. But wouldnt make it on the news.
 
A lot of ngative media regarding ebikes stems from news reports of people riding like idiots and causing general mayhem. A quick search of cbc.ca revealed only a few short articles. These were mostly about single vehicle (the ebike) accidents and injuries. Nothing was reported regarding charges from over-powered ebikes. A similar search of the Canadian court registry came up with nothing regarding over-powered ebikes and most cases stemmed from accidents where there were injuries.

Here's a recent report of an E-bike rider who was charged with careless driving:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/opp-ebike-charges-1.4131048

I'm quite surprised how few articles have appeared in Canadian news regarding ebike riders and poor behavior. Keep up the good work everyone!
 
That article made me laugh. Hit a parked car. You'd get the same ticket in a car. I say that's fair.

Anyway, this happened near me yesterday. I was riding my ebike about a mile away when it happened. I'm pretty sure I see a hub motor on that fat bike. The article doesn't mention electric anything.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/surrey-crash-sends-cyclist-to-hospital-in-critical-condition-1.3937916

That's actually a pretty gnarly stretch of road. It goes from 2 lanes with wide bike lanes to 4 narrow lanes and no bike lanes, then around a 45 degree bend to underpass the freeway. There's better ways to traverse the area but they're not obvious.

I actually got pulled over and lectured about my headphones instead of a helmet setup about 3 miles away shortly after that. Now that I saw the article I realize it was probably because a cyclist had just been smushed. The cops that stopped me were on bikes themselves.
 
While this is about public rentable escooters rather than ebikes, the idea is the same... reports of people behaving badly riding e-vehicles and creating a public nuisance. The effects of negative publicity surrounding these will undoubtedly trickle down to ebikes and non-car alternative transportation on a whole.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/electric-scooters-california-disruption-1.4670956

According to California law, scooter riders must wear a helmet, have a driver's licence, stay off sidewalks, and ride solo. Too often, Gupta says, riders are breaking one or more of those laws. And at the end of their rides, many are leaving their scooters haphazardly, often blocking sidewalks.

This part gets me - I wasn't aware Californians needed a drivers licence to operate the lowly e-scooter, nor an ebike for that matter. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
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