Do you ever feel like 2nd class citizens on your ebike?

[johnrobholmes]

I live in a college town where biking is encouraged. We actually got a 25m$ grant from the US to help develop our bike paths.


I feel very superior to people driving cars around town. There isn't a spot I need to go that I can't reach on my ebike, with plenty of juice to get back. I timed getting to campus in my car, in my car with ebike on top (park off campus and ride in), riding a normal bike, and ebike. Guess which was faster? Ebike alone was faster by 5 minutes of any other method, and mine tops out at 22mph on the flat.

You betcha I will be riding ebikes and Emotorcycles for the rest of my life. Screw cages unless I need to carry some big stuff, or if it is raining cats and dogs.

 

[Reid Welch]

I guess the engineer health nut thing is a local deal. You get near campus, and for some reason a lot of the bicycle riding adults work in the sciences. Chem,
Biology, Engineering. The look is the full on commuter with all the reflective safety gear, valve stem flashies, etc. Like the suit, it just says to people, I choose to do this, not I lost my driving licence in a DUI.

It was about eight years ago. I was still driving the 1922 Ford Model T coupe full time; it was all that I drove. Time, about nine PM. Red light. I was in front. Six lanes of walkway width. He hobbled on crutches so very slowly. I did not think he'd make the seventy feet or so of intersection before the light changed.
He was in green hospital scrubs, had a white band on his right wrist, was about sixty, black and looked homeless.

I stopped him and got out of the car and insisted to give him a lift. "Oh, it's only another mile to the motel where I live. I'm just discharged from the VA hospital recovery center. Lost toes. Diabetes." Cheerful. We had a nice ride. He invited me into his room, to share his life meanings. No other motorist was going to help him. It was the old Ford. I do not invoke "god", but he did. "God Bless you". We parted, friends of the night, one never to forget the other.
There is no god; there are only people who need people.That night I needed him.
For me and for you, gentle brother or sister, there have been many such nights.

:|

 

[Anonymous]

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[EVnewbie]

Try riding a recumbent bicycle around some time!,
I would get noticed less if I rode an ebike naked. As I gather some parts for a basic ebike, I know that it won't make me feel as "out there" as a short wheel base fully suspended recumbent with steering at the sides. I've been riding my recumbent for 10 years and people actually LIKE it although initially they think I'm odd. I consider the recumbent a good filter, if you avoid me because of the machine parked outside--I would not consider you a friend or someone to talk to.
Why would I want to impress people I never want to talk to in the first place? Next month, I roll out of Tampa, FL and head to a very, very small town in Kansas for a year or so. They are about to be invaded by three recumbent bikes, two mountain bikes, an electric bike and a pile of parts to eventually build an electric chopper.
When I lived in TX, I would ride my recumbent for 20 miles and stop at a bar. Not a "normal" bar mind you, a bar called "Handlebars" complete with a line of Harleys on the side. I'd park my recumbent next to them, lock it to the post and bring my helmet (complete with lights, rear flasher and rear view mirror mounted on it) Needless to say, I was noticed! Did they throw me out of the bar? No! Actually, they thought my bizarre choice of bike was missing a motor but they would test ride my recumbent on occasion. I would go there every weekend for an hour or two, drink red draws (1/3rd tomato, 2/3rd beer) talk bikes and shoot some pool.
What will I do when the electric chopper is complete? Go find a biker bar and show them that electrics can smoke the tires too! The second electric bike demands an X5 (I blame all of you!) a bunch of LiFePO4 (I blame Dr. Bass) and some custom fabrication. If I break the frame, I'll throw it all on a KMX recumbent trike for serious fun.
Most people initially react negatively with something they don't understand. After awhile, I find it rather amusing. As they say in the land of recumbents "Embrace the weirdness".

 

[Anonymous]

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[Link]

Only when I arrive at a destination and think, Where the hell do I lock this so nobody'll steal it? Having a removable battery can be a PITA, even if it's worth not worrying about most of the cost of the bike getting jacked.

I'd imagine I won't really have this problem with the watercooled iteration of the PackCycle, since the batteries will be in a vacuuformed ABS case made to fit the middle triangle.

 

[Cackalacka]

Dude, don't go to Taco Bell.

Problem solved.

 

[Link]

Dude, don't go to Taco Bell.

HEATHEN

 

[Reid Welch]

There is a trick to use for an ungrounded bike: electrify it. You've recently seen that wonderful video here elsewhere of the Tesla coil master?

In 1920 you could easily make your car touch-proof by wiring a buzz coil (Model T spark coil usually, they were very cheap), to run continuously and instead of the hot lead going to a spark plug, it goes to the car body.

Today, with miniature electronics and a multitude of cheap, toy Chinese shock-surprise "Toblerone" or "Cigar in tube", you could so easily make your bike a harmless shock.

Put a sign on the bike: "alarmed, high voltage shock. don't touch!".

Just the sign alone would deter most would-be taco takers.

The toy shockers are gentle and harmless, but because the guest does not know where it is,
or how to turn it off, what fun for him to wield his bolt cutter or hacksaw or pry bar. He will go away,
without even a packet of your mild Taco Bell sauce or napkin.

Besides, you have parked and locked your bike RIGHT OUTSIDE the huge picture windows.
Fast food joints are, some of them, the BEST, safest place to lock a bike securely as you eat,
chew, and hope for a miscreant to try your FRIES. Ha ha! And I carry a 12" crescent wrench
that I found in the road a few weeks ago. It is very handy for keeping wheel nuts tight, and for signaling turns,
and ensuring that a passing car keeps a wide berth, nor dare to throw a beer bottle at you.
Truth!

hth,
r

 

[morph999]

I'm addicted to their cheesy double beef burritos.

Now that I've been getting things on my bike at the grocery. I find that I'm usually only inside 10 -15 min and I have yet to have anyone even try to steal anything. Most people are in cars and could care less about a cheap mountain bike.

 

[morph999]

It's all about this macho bullshit.

Well, maybe you just need more volts
All things considered my bike is actually faster than most cars in the city.
And my bike is slow compared to many on the forum!

Yes, I think I do need a faster bike. I'm working on it. I should have my 5303 bike up and running in a few weeks hopefully. I'd like to at least be able to hit 40 mph and go with traffic.

The time that I was yelled at by traffic was at around 3pm and I find that in the morning, people seem to be more friendly even if they are on their way to work.

 

[Link]

I'm addicted to their cheesy double beef burritos.

Last time I went, I realized I, too, have a problem.

I was asked to make sure we got everything before we drove off, and I was able to open the bag, identify four separate items, and decide we had everything we (read: I) ordered in less than 1.5 seconds.

Typical order for me is a crunchwrap supreme w/o tomato, cheesy double beef burrito (or two if I'm hungry), and either a soft taco or a bean burrito depending on my mood.

 

[Cackalacka]

I have not eaten Taco Bell since July 10th, 1997.

You tend to remember the dates you nearly die.

Now, I love tacos. I love burritos. I love nachos. What I don't like is having wet stuff shooting out of multiple orafices in my body, simultaneously, while I'm shivering in cold sweat and praying to Jesus, through all hours of the night.

Shortly after the Bell nearly killed me was when they began that talking chihuahua promotion. Now, I am a huge dog-lover, but any franchise that uses a dog to promote their cuisine is not even trying to disguise the level of sanitation.

An acquantance of mine who worked in industrial food distribution passed on this anecdote:

Once, Tristar foods (Taco Bells parent company) and Purina (noted pet food manufacturer) got locked in a bidding war at an auction for a parcel of (very) low-grade beef.

Purina eventually won the bid.

There is a lesson (or two) in there somewhere.

(edit) I mis-recalled the story, Purina won the bid...

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, also scary that anywere you eat, the guy handling your food makes minimum wage. You connect the dots. I worked in restaraunts long enough to have no illusions about food safety. I served 2000 people coles slaw once that later I found out, a cook had pissed into.

 

[Lessss]

Red neck laughs.

I'm at an intersection red light on my little electric bicycle.

Up beside me comes a LARGE black pickup truck.

He starts revving his engine, puffing smoke out high tailpipe, even does a very brief wheel rubber burn.

Light Turns green I pedal and am beating him across the intersection without much effort, I reduce my pedaling as the bike is now at top speed (32kph) 2/3rds of the way across the intersection. He begins to come up to me and he misses his gear shift fall back for a second then pulls away as he floors his pedal. Of course he needs to slam his breaks on to stop in time for the next set of lights which turn red as he approaches and people step out off of the sidewalk. The pedestrians give him a dirty look.

I coast up to him and yell. "Hey your truck is almost as good at accelerating as my little electric bike, but you can't do this." I pop up onto the sidewalk and drive through the red light on the sidewalk then pop back onto the street a little further down.

It was such a RARE occurance of lights and timing I just HAD to rub it in.

Red necks!@$@#!

 

[jag]

I coast up to him and yell. "Hey your truck is almost as good at accelerating as my little electric bike, but you can't do this." I pop up onto the sidewalk and drive through the red light on the sidewalk then pop back onto the street a little further down.

Great story. I take it was a 3-way intersection. See if I can find one like that around here and try.

 

[velowatt]

I ride a recumbent most of the time, and find that people seem to notice the 'weird bike'. I get a lot of friendly honks, thumbs up, and 'where'd you get that FILTHY bike?!" comments from drivers and pedestrians. Most people don't notice the front hub motor, those who do think it is some kind of drum brake.

I was stopped at a red light the other day, and a bunch of guys in a nice convertible beamer pulled up next to me. The driver yelled over, 'Hey, does that thing have a motor?" Yes, I replied. He gave me a look- complete disdain: "Oh MAN, you supposed to get exercise on a bike."

I said "This is my commuter bike so I can get to work without needing a shower. I have a 'REAL' bike at home when I want a work- out."

Then he insisted on drag racing when the light changed. I am sure he let me win, but we were all cracking up.

The only bad experiance I have had on an ebike is a flat tire. Most people are interested and want to know where they can get one.

The only thing that scares me about leaving the battery on the bike (I can lock it to the rack) is that some ninny will see the wires, think its a bomb, and call the bomb squad to detonate my ride. I take the batt with me when I park it outside.

 

[Instant Karma]

The only thing that scares me about leaving the battery on the bike (I can lock it to the rack) is that some ninny will see the wires, think its a bomb, and call the bomb squad to detonate my ride. ***********************************************************************************

The thing about someone thinking there's a bomb reminds me of when me and a couple others played blitz chess at a Waffle House after midnight. When we left my friend had left his chess clock, a ticking analog chess clock, not the digital ones they have now, and the next day he went back to get his clock at Waffle House and the employees said the bomb squad was called (the waitresses, etc. had no idea of what a chess clock was) and it was exploded by remote control by the bomb squad in the morning. The bomb squad idiots apparently didn't know what a chess clock was either. So it's not out of the question in these days your expensive battery pack could be blown to bits by an over eager police too.

 

[lesspedal]

Yes.......

 

[mikefish]

I like to think I am superior to the car commuters, but then I start to feel like a self righteous prick thinking that way.

I cant lie, i do feel like I'm not as "good" as them. Even though I tell myself that I'm getting exercise, saving money, and doing my part to help save our planet.

An older woman walked by me the other day when i was unlocking my bike at the store, and said "Your just like my son, he packs everything he can on his bike too! He lost his license, and its his only way around, so he has to really load up his bike"

I have an E-Zip, so there is a big rear rack with a battery hanging on it, and a black rack bag on top. Its always this way, but i guess compared to a regular bike, it looks like i am packing a "ton of stuff".

Although the lady was nice, it bothered me...it felt like she was being nice to someone "less fortunate" than her.

i just smiled and said, yup.."we all gotta do what we gotta do!" i just did not want to get into much chit chat with her, and felt no need to tell her i have 2 cars and a drivers license.

she got into her big expensive looking car, and drove off.

she confirmed my belief that people look down there nose at us.

so, do I ever feel like a second class citizen? sure did that day.

 

[mrgarci1]

Last night, I pulled what may have been a first in the US - I rode my ebike to a nightclub. I was fully expecting and prepared to feel like a second-class citizen, but it actually worked out pretty well. I got some looks rolling up, but I just locked up to a fence in the parking structure next to the valet booth, gave the valet a couple bucks to "keep an eye on 'er", and was off to the dancefloor. Granted, if I had been trying to bring someone home, this would not have worked as well .

 

[spinningmagnets]

I try to do any errands on my bike that are possible to do on the bike. Normally I make my own coffee in the morning, but once I was out riding early and I pulled into a drivethrough at a local coffee shack. When I got up to the window, I was about to pay and the cashier said that the car in front of me had paid for my coffee...Huh?

Since it was a cold morning, and I dress in baggy cargo shorts (no spandex or lycra that would identify me as a "fun" bicyclist) and I was riding a cheap steel WalMart MTB instead of an expensive road bike, I can only assume the driver thought I had a DUI or was homeless.

After all ..."who would ride a bike if they had a choice?" The funny part was that, at that very moment, I had my paycheck and my wifes paycheck in my pocket, and I was on my way to the ATM to deposit them (over $1,000). I recently added a basket so I can carry a gallon of milk, a 12-pack of beer, or a loaf of bread. It seemed like a shame to drive a car to the store for something that small.

 

[jag]

Red neck laughs.

I'm at an intersection red light on my little electric bicycle.

Up beside me comes a LARGE black pickup truck.

He starts revving his engine, puffing smoke out high tailpipe, even does a very brief wheel rubber burn.

Light Turns green I pedal and am beating him across the intersection without much effort, I reduce my pedaling as the bike is now at top speed (32kph) 2/3rds of the way across the intersection. He begins to come up to me and he misses his gear shift fall back for a second then pulls away as he floors his pedal. Of course he needs to slam his breaks on to stop in time for the next set of lights which turn red as he approaches and people step out off of the sidewalk. The pedestrians give him a dirty look.

I coast up to him and yell. "Hey your truck is almost as good at accelerating as my little electric bike, but you can't do this." I pop up onto the sidewalk and drive through the red light on the sidewalk then pop back onto the street a little further down.

It was such a RARE occurance of lights and timing I just HAD to rub it in.

Red necks!@$@#!

Did it!

Beside me at the stop light pulls a bright pink muscle car from the era of tail fins.
Light turns green; my pedals spinning fast; switching through the gears; all 72V, 1.6kW to the little hub motor.

Halfway through the intersection I'm well ahead.

Now the guy in the pink muscle car notices what's going on. Pedal to the metal. Roar of the V8. 500hp to the wheels. Scream of the tires. He jumps ahead of me to the next stop light 500m away.

I make a point of doing a soft, slow start at the next green. We follow each other for a few more stop lights before parting ways.

It was fun, but maybe not something to try again. (at least not very often)

 

[swade]

I like to think I am superior to the car commuters, but then I start to feel like a self righteous prick thinking that way.

I cant lie, i do feel like I'm not as "good" as them. Even though I tell myself that I'm getting exercise, saving money, and doing my part to help save our planet.

I've been stuck driving the past few months while waiting to get my longer range ride going to my new job. E-biking is bad, once you go back to having to drive all the time it really really sucks. I really do feel like a peon driving 20km/hr in bumper to bumper traffic for long parts of the drive every day.

I look across at the bikers getting sun, interacting with everyone else on the path and at the lights, it is just more fun, more sense of a community and way more friendly. Driving the car and fighting with other commuters for lanes just gets me all riled up. On more than one occasion, I've come within inches of banging the rim off the curb while looking over at the bikes on the path beside the road.

 

[Zoot Katz]

. . . I look across at the bikers getting sun, interacting with everyone else on the path and at the lights, it is just more fun, more sense of a community and way more friendly. Driving the car and fighting with other commuters for lanes just gets me all riled up. . .

Bicycles are the superior vehicles on many planes.
I once punched out the windshied of my Jetta because I wanted to be on a bike and resented having to be caged just to make a buck so I could pay for the damn cage