Its all in the name

[Drunkskunk]

I was out at a mountian bike park this week, having a blast with the Ebike. I found the Clyte at 20A and 55.5 volts is enough to help me keep up with the 18 year old kids running around out there. Its not a motorcycle, but it will pull me up 10% grades and get me over log crossings.

After my first morning, one of the older guys out there started talking to me about my bike. we talked for a good 10 minutes about my Kona, his Trek, our favorite jumps, climbs, life in general. Then he asked me why my rear hub was so large. I said its an electric motor.
And all friendlieness left him, and he turned and walked off without another word.

So I was out the next day, had a blast. Met a couple of people as I was packing up my bike, and got to talking. My DownHiller stands out like a sore thumb in Texas, so I'm used to questions. Eventualy, they asked about the large hub in the rear. Not wanting a repeat of the day before I had a wild Idea, So I explained it like this:
"Well, Downhillers are hard to peddle uphill, so DH parks have shuttles, like ski lifts to take the riders up. This is a self shuttling Downhiller."
They both seemed to think that was a pretty cool idea and the conversation moved on without any negative social stigma.


There realy is power in names.

 

[Miles]

http://shuttlebuddy.com/

 

[nomad85]

And all friendlieness left him, and he turned and walked off without another word.

What a douche.

 

[dogman dan]

Mabye it's my age, but nobody seems to give a shit on my local trails. I explain it's low power, still legally a bike, bla bla. They just think it's cool that it gets a grey hair back out on a bike. Even real racer types seem to think it's Ok. But then, it's a pretty laid back town here in a lot of ways.

 

[liveforphysics]

You should tell them the rear hub is a special arrangement of magnets and special wrapped inductive coils that is able to provide a useful torque at the rear wheel to assist pedaling when needed.

 

[DervAtl]

No doubt this was another self appointed referee that thinks you're cheating. As e-bikes gain popularity, they'll eventually figure out that not everyone shares their sentiments.

Competitive biking has been in the forefront of the bike world for the last 20 years, made popular by Lance Armstrong and others. Mountain biking came along as well and was eventually accepted as an alternative to road racing. As both gained popularity, networks began to televise events drawing even more interest in competitions. I think this is the psychology behind the attitude. Both road racing and mountain biking share a componet that is generally missing in e-bikes --- competitiveness. And, I believe competitiveness is a substantial driving factor for their interest in biking. If i'm right, this might logically explain their belief that you are cheating.

As for me, I'm more interested in electrons and alternative energy than I am in Lance Armstrong and lycra. In the mainstream bike world, they haven't met many people like me (us) yet. They'll come around eventually. It'll just take a while.

 

[blue badger]

I bet that person thought you were cheating, in the same way that knights thought muskets were cheating. The difference between you and him is that there's going to be more people like you, and less people like him in the future as the technology continues to push electric bikes into the mainstream.

 

[dequinox]

Sounds like a classic case of puritan prejudice to me... what a wanker.

 

[vanilla ice]

Electromagnetic drum brake..

 

[amberwolf]

Electromagnetic drum brake..

"operating in reverse". :lol:

 

[gtadmin]

Electromagnetic drum brake..

That's exactly what I'll be telling them if I ever get pulled over by the cops!

 

[Hyena]

What a douche.

+1
I've encountered many other people on bikes and most think it's cool. A few say it's cheating to which I reply "no sitting in my car flexing my big toe cheating" if I'm commuting or substitute car for xbox if I'm out for a recreational ride. I've yet to encounter a good comeback to that one, but I'm waiting one day for a slightly aggressive comment so I can say "well if it enables me to ride without dressing like a fag I'm happy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Incidently, do they actually make that gear for men too ?"

 

[AussieJester]

What a douche.

"well if it enables me to ride without dressing like a fag I'm happy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Incidently, do they actually make that gear for men too ?"

HAHAHA..i like it, damnit i need my bike working so i can go piss some lycras off...must remember Hyenas comeback ..."well it it enables me to ride without dressing like a fag I'm happy.........."

KiM

 

[spinningmagnets]

In WW-one, the British ambassador to Germany protested the use of poison gas in the trenches, to which the the German shrugged and replied that "this is war". Then, the allies began using buck-shot in shotguns in the trenches, to great effect. Then it was the Germans time to protest. I guess it depends on who's ox is being gored (as the saying goes).

I recall a police rookie wanted to carry a .45 and was denied, but it was accepted when he re-applied describing it as an 11-millimeter. I think if I'm questioned by someone who'd think I'm "cheating", I'll say its an electromagnetic anti-lock braking system to maximize braking ability while preventing skids...

 

[blue badger]

In WW-one, the British ambassador to Germany protested the use of poison gas in the trenches, to which the the German shrugged and replied that "this is war". Then, the allies began using buck-shot in shotguns in the trenches, to great effect. Then it was the Germans time to protest. I guess it depends on who's ox is being gored (as the saying goes).

I recall a police rookie wanted to carry a .45 and was denied, but it was accepted when he re-applied describing it as an 11-millimeter. I think if I'm questioned by someone who'd think I'm "cheating", I'll say its an electromagnetic anti-lock braking system to maximize braking ability while preventing skids...

Personally, I doubt lycras will ever adopt electric technology, since that would be an implicit admission of the inferiority of the "pure" human-driven method. I rather suspect they'll be more like the entertainment industry, dragged into the future kicking and screaming, hoping to legislate progress out of existence. I've already seen it happen with a certain cyclist's union I don't care to name that tried to push for sufficiently restrictive legislation to keep electric bikes from being useful. All in all, though, I think the whole debate is absurd, and resembles religious sects that ignore the fact that they are 95% similar, and quibble over the 5% where they differ.

 

[vanilla ice]

That's exactly what I'll be telling them if I ever get pulled over by the cops!

This is what I told my lycra neighbor.. "Why is that rear hub so big?"

 

[nicobie]

Every time I'm called a cheater I just laugh and say, "Your bike isn't a cast iron unicycle, so that makes you a cheater too. Myself, I just like to keep up with the times."

 

[ryan]

a special arrangement of magnets and wrapped inductive coils to provide useful torque to assist pedaling when needed.

Memorized. Pure genius.

 

[ryan]

a special arrangement of magnets and wrapped inductive coils to provide torque to assist pedaling when needed.

Memorized. Pure genius.

Though, LfP, if the above is in my hub, what are in my two giant panniers?

 

[amberwolf]

Ballast, to hold you down in high winds.