Electronic bikes deprive students of exercise, cash

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Electronic bikes deprive students of exercise, cash

By CHERYL GAMACHI
Published February 2, 2012 at 12:35am

For some students, riding their bike to classes is the only form of exercise they get. Sometimes the Student Recreation Center is either too far from students’ dorms or they don’t have time to hit the gym. So why would students want to invest in a bike that does all the work for them? Spending about $2,250 on a personally customized, electronic bike rather than peddling a $200 bike with their own energy is not better for students’ bodies or their wallets.

Taylor Hedberg, a senior studying entrepreneurship, management information systems and operation management, along with alumnus John-Mark Bantock and Eller College graduates Lindsey Erlick and Sam Ellis hatched a plan to start a bike-share program in 2010. But in September of that year in Las Vegas they thought of a different idea: the e-bike. The team attended the Interbike International Trade Expo, where they realized their original idea wasn’t what they wanted to sell at all. Thus, Velocis Bikes was born.

The company’s website says the e-bike is “powered by lithium ion manganese battery which is better than lead acid batteries.” This may be a greener form of battery, but it’s still a battery that needs to be disposed of. Nothing is more eco-friendly than peddling a bike with your own energy.

Around campus, the response was a definite yes when asked if they would prefer a manual bike as opposed to an e-bike.

“If I biked to classes, then at the end of the day my legs would be sore,” said Dario Foroutan, a business marketing freshman. “It definitely helped when I didn’t have time to go to the Rec Center.”

Marianella Meza, a family studies freshman, went even further by stating, “The electric bike completely changes the definition of a bike. Nothing is greener than physically moving the bike (yourself).”

With the obesity epidemic in mind, pedaling a bike for a mile or two every day wouldn’t hurt students at all. Every student worries about the freshman 15 at one point or another during their time in college. It may not seem much to bike to classes and around campus, when in fact, that little amount of exercise could be securing a longer life in the future. There are many students who actually do enjoy biking to classes and around campus, taking in the scenery and the breeze. It’s a stress reliever. It’s also satisfying to know that your legs are taking you where you want to go, and not the battery. Besides, if you knew you could go electric, wouldn’t you be tempted to use it instead?

Riding (or should I say sitting) on an electric bike defeats the purpose of owning a bike. With the retail price more than $2,000, the e-bike doesn’t make sense. Tuition and other associated costs are already burning a hole in students’ wallets — do they really want to spend more just so they don’t have to use their legs? A manual bike is the most eco-friendly, healthy and economical transportation.

— Cheryl Gamachi is a pre-journalism freshman. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatOpinions.
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Earlier mention on ES about Velocis:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=34235
 
I use my regular bike most of the time. It is simple, light weight, low cost, and easy to deal with. I don't need very much exercise, and that is why I keep working on e-bike designs. Ebikes are also good for hilly areas and when it's hot outside. There are times when getting there faster is good, too.
 
Oh that's just one group of people wanting to control the lives of another group of people
and using "the obesity epidemic" as an excuse since their pea sized brains can"t think of anything else.

I say these people should F off.

Its the food people eat that makes them fat not the lack of exercise.

Rant over.
 
Hehe... this pre-journalism student is probably only dimly aware of what is going on around her:
The Cost of Parking

University of Arizona
Parking & Transportation Services
The Cost of Parking and Alternative Transportation Programs
Major Budget Details for 2011-12

•Revenues from all sources - $14.7 Million
•Wages, Salaries & Benefits - $5.5 Million
•Operations expense - $2.1 Million
•Capital/equipment - $290,000
•University of Arizona’s Administrative Service Charge - $1.4 Million
•Annual Debt Service payment on all parking structures/building - $4.4 Million
•Parking lot development and improvements - $200,000
•Contribution to garage/building maintenance reserves- $275,000
•Contribution for new garage construction - $725,000
•PTS subsidy for Alternative Transportation Programs (including off-campus park-n-ride lots) from surface lot permits, metered spaces, special events and citations - $2.6 Million.
Click to expand...

Not 100% sure, but I don't think these numbers refer to bicycle parking... :roll:
 
1 or 2 Miles a day? That's 35-70 Calories they could be burning riding a regular bike. Yep. That would pretty much solve the obesity crisis. The future of journalism looks bright.
 
Lock said:
Hehe... this pre-journalism student is probably only dimly aware of what is going on around her:
Click to expand...
In addition to her inability to use the correct term or to spell.
... about $2,250 on a personally customized, electronic bike rather than peddling a $200 bike with their own ...
Click to expand...
 
Plus, we have proven here on the forum that e-bikes are far greener and more efficient than pedal bikes.
Electricity costs less carbon (and money) to produce than the food calories we consume to fuel a pedal bike. See http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34643

Who wants to show up to class sweaty and tired anyway? I personally chose to walk to class for that reason alone. Had I had an e-bike back then, I could have saved hundreds of hours of my time.

And if you are too lazy to e-bike to the gym sometimes, then I'm sorry, but you don't deserve the exercise.
 
I ride my e-bike to my college. To take the bus (actually have to take two busses) it takes 50 minutes. My bike gets me there in less than 20 minutes. I do take that extra time in the open gym that is free if you are enrolled. To me it feels like she could not afford one, maby she is two heavy for an ebike (sits on her ass to much writing rediculous papers) or just is one of the haters to the e-bike revelution.
 
I wonder how many automobiles there are on campus? How many parking spaces? If anything costs students money, it's owning a car (according to AAA, cars cost people on average $9000/year). If anythink contributes to making people obese, it's automobiles (obesity rates by year and location correlate very strongly with motor vehicle miles traveled). She's fighting the wrong enemy.

E-bikes can be pedaled - on the flats if one wants to work up a sweat, or up & down hills if one runs their battery flat. Riding an e-bike is very similar to riding a standard bike, and thus grows a biker's skills and perhaps interest in the non-powered alternative. It's a gateway drug for some to get them spinning under their own power. Last I checked, I can't pedal my pickup truck even if I wanted to.

The author might want to reconsider her future in journalism.
 
SamTexas said:
about $2,250 on a personally customized, electronic bike rather than peddling a $200 bike with their own ...
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RE: Peddling. Maybe she's referring to the "Items for sale" section of this forum? :D
 
This not so worldly but very recent ex high school student, got the right answer for the wrong reason.

College bike THEFT is a bigger problem than any thing she mentioned.

she has A long way to go in getting worldly, being a student, understanding transportation, and journalism.

But keep at it, at least you are making a statement.... better than lots of the "whatever" crowd.

d
 
Electric bikes are not meant for the same use as classic bikes. I would NEVER go to work on a bike without a motor,the range is too much, in my case i do much more exercise pedaling a little than going with my car. Maybe there's a purpose behind that article.
 
Any bike, powered or not, will give you a work out. Core muscle's are used for balance and control, more than you think.

I remember how sore my abs were, after a few weeks on my first motorcycle.
 
Keep in mind, this is Arizona we're talking about. It is devilishly hot there, and even someone in decent shape would be hard pressed to ride many miles a day in 90+ degree weather.
I am a student in Florida (Where it is not only devilishly hot, but sticky too), and I definitely see ebikes catching on (Even the university president has one!).
Haven't encountered any anti-ebike people yet (save for haters catchin' me ride white n' nerdy).
Edit: As for the quality of journalism, that is about on-par with the garbage we have in our student paper. Typical rubbish.
 
Surprisingly, no attacks on cars, which most people drive. Those will cost a young person over $50 a month to insure, or up to $100-$300/mo if you have full coverage. There is also the car payment ( if it's not paid off ), gasoline, maintenance ( more so if it's older ), and registration to take care of.

I commented on this. Thanks for the heads up.
 
What a load of crap.

Cars easily cost over 2k.

Many people pedal their e-bikes. I know pedaling the top gear on my trike is a lot more physical work than driving my truck, even when the 9C in the rear is running @ WOT.

The idea that people HAVE to attend a gym to get their exercise is silly.

A $200 bicycle isn't a very expensive bicycle. When I was in college many people had 2K plus into their pedal bikes.
 
Strangely, for an image search "University Arizona student", none of the pics show any over-weight people and none of the women appear as if they would benefit from any more exercise in the least... :D
 
Electronic bikes deprive students of exercise, cash

By CHERYL GAMACHI
Published February 2, 2012 at 12:35am

...rather than peddling a $200 bike with their own energy...
Click to expand...

My guess is that she is using daddy's car, and think that student who travel with a bike should be forced to pedal. :roll:
 
Typical "your'e cheating" argument you hear from lycras. Lycras that is, not real bike racers.

Under 4 miles, perhaps they should be pedaling, and to park it at the U, it should only be worth $40 because two new tires cost at least $30.

Not enough distance to get that sweaty even in Tucscon during regular semester months, 10 times faster than finding parking, no real money at risk of theft. Summer school parking is easy for the car, most of the rest of the year Tuscon is bike heaven.

I wouldn't be so happy parking a $1000 valued e-commuter at the U. They'll take nice stuff in broad daylight. But losing a commuter once in a while might still be cheaper than driving a car a 30 mile round trip for an entire year. So if the distance is over 10 miles one way, then the ebike still remains quicker, greener, cheaper, even if you lost one from time to time.

Not getting it stolen is fairly easy though. Ride a dayglow avenger. Ugly enough barely even needs a lock. Wrap the whole bike in too much duct tape or bumper stickers to bother with removing it to sell the thing.
 
Aw quit picking on AW's ride Dogman that is the coolest group of colors ever! But, you forgot to mention that most of the public would be afraid to touch anything on the bike for fear it was rigged up to a lipo bomb or something.....? :D
 
Wow the level of stupidity in the article is wildly overwhelming. Author has obviously never been on an ebike, which is probably for the best, since she would probably just wipe it out in the first few feet anyway. My best guess is this is written out of jealousy.
 
This kind of article makes me wish I was rich enough to fund a study with a proper control group..and let the chips fall where they may.

A skewed counter-article would have twenty students that drive a car everywhere participate in a study where they used an E-cargobike for three months with no car use, and then rate if they got more exercise and had more money after the three months was over.

The truth...most of the time for most bicycle owners is that...if you have E-power you can use the bike more often, and as a result you actually end up getting more exercise over the course of a month, especially when SOME of that use displaces some car use.
 
What she means? I exercise on my E+ a lot, it is ultimately ME who decides how fast my ebike goes.
It is result which makes people excited about ebike = more speed with less effort, faster commute times, less cars passing by=more safety.
No way after hard work in shop I can pedal regular bike for 7km, no way.
Obviously she cannot comprehend what is ebike about.
 
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