Motorcycles VS Electric Bicycles
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Joined
·
5,216 Posts
TMR, Chia, and a host of others here all ride bikes as well as motorcycles. I believe that TMR has a few electric bicycles and is a beast out there! The way I see it, there are so many bike lanes and greenway trails, that riding on the road, in traffic, is greatly reduced, at least in our area. But yeah, Vancouver drivers do not look out for bicycles or motorcycles enough.
Joined
·
8,809 Posts
i joined the e-bike crowd this past fall.. i would not commute on either a motorcycle nor a bicycle.
i purchased an E-MTB specifically with the intent of avoiding roadways
and blind as fvck cager drivers. Mind you there's plenty of example out there
showing just how dangerous the practice is that i'm surprised its still discussed.
bicycles are great fun, i instantly missed my side view mirrors.
i rode up to an intersection with all the gear on, green light with one oncoming traffic, i waited and signaled i was making a left. Once the intersection was clear i went for the left hander
knowing there was a car behind me.. As soon as he had a chance he complete ignored
i was there, didnt honk the horn, just went ahead and got on my lane, half poing to the middle
of the other lane with on-coming traffic and brushed me off like a rag doll as he crushed the
accelerator and took the 'lane'. I was a sitting duck.
There was fvck all i could do, couldnt swerve out of the way fast enough, couldn't scream
loud enough to get his attention, and definitely could not chase him down and beat him up.
fact is, cager didnt give a shit he was breaking the law, didnt give two rats arse he
came inches away from throwing me off to one side.. not one single bit of remorse
over his actions.. fvck it. i'm not taking this thing on the road.
i purchased an E-MTB specifically with the intent of avoiding roadways
and blind as fvck cager drivers. Mind you there's plenty of example out there
showing just how dangerous the practice is that i'm surprised its still discussed.
bicycles are great fun, i instantly missed my side view mirrors.
i rode up to an intersection with all the gear on, green light with one oncoming traffic, i waited and signaled i was making a left. Once the intersection was clear i went for the left hander
knowing there was a car behind me.. As soon as he had a chance he complete ignored
i was there, didnt honk the horn, just went ahead and got on my lane, half poing to the middle
of the other lane with on-coming traffic and brushed me off like a rag doll as he crushed the
accelerator and took the 'lane'. I was a sitting duck.
There was fvck all i could do, couldnt swerve out of the way fast enough, couldn't scream
loud enough to get his attention, and definitely could not chase him down and beat him up.
fact is, cager didnt give a shit he was breaking the law, didnt give two rats arse he
came inches away from throwing me off to one side.. not one single bit of remorse
over his actions.. fvck it. i'm not taking this thing on the road.
I know the feeling. Had a gravel truck swing into the bike lane on a sharp corner. If I had zigged the wrong way I would have been under his tires. I did get to scream at him at the next light. The near miss did leave me a little shakey I'll admit.i joined the e-bike crowd this past fall.. i would not commute on either a motorcycle nor a bicycle.
i purchased an E-MTB specifically with the intent of avoiding roadways
and blind as fvck cager drivers. Mind you there's plenty of example out there
ust how dangerous the practice is that i'm surprised its still discussed.
bicycles are great fun, i instantly missed my side view mirrors.
i rode up to an intersection with all the gear on, green light with one oncoming traffic, i waited and signaled i was making a left. Once the intersection was clear i went for the left hander
knowing there was a car behind me.. As soon as he had a chance he complete ignored
i was there, didnt honk the horn, just went ahead and got on my lane, half poing to the middle
of the other lane with on-coming traffic and brushed me off like a rag doll as he crushed the
accelerator and took the 'lane'. I was a sitting duck.
There was fvck all i could do, couldnt swerve out of the way fast enough, couldn't scream
loud enough to get his attention, and definitely could not chase him down and beat him up.
fact is, cager didnt give a shit he was breaking the law, didnt give two rats arse he
came inches away from throwing me off to one side.. not one single bit of remorse
over his actions.. fvck it. i'm not taking this thing on the road.
Nothing that close on a motorbike ever although the wife was lucky to survive a distracted driver on hers.
Joined
·
8,809 Posts
yeah its amazing how many examples there are out there. to be honest the 1st time I gave up
bicycle riding was precisely because of how dangerous it is on public roads. My friend got hit
by a mini-van, he had hip replacement n' a long nasty rod w/ bolts down the leg installed, he
gave up cycling for life. I hit a car years ago as well, flew over the hood and face-planted the
concrete. All because of impatient fvckers who refuse to wait for a go light when making
a right hand turn onto a busy roadway, one we just happened to be traveling on.
the scenario i described on post above has happened twice now, the 1st time I was riding
in Colorado enjoying the no-helmet law for all of 2 hours one evening. Truck driver figured
it was perfectly fine to cut me off in the same lane with gravel all around. I was riding my
R6.. so yeah.
not worth it. i ride out of town, or in the hills on my e-mtb..
bicycle riding was precisely because of how dangerous it is on public roads. My friend got hit
by a mini-van, he had hip replacement n' a long nasty rod w/ bolts down the leg installed, he
gave up cycling for life. I hit a car years ago as well, flew over the hood and face-planted the
concrete. All because of impatient fvckers who refuse to wait for a go light when making
a right hand turn onto a busy roadway, one we just happened to be traveling on.
the scenario i described on post above has happened twice now, the 1st time I was riding
in Colorado enjoying the no-helmet law for all of 2 hours one evening. Truck driver figured
it was perfectly fine to cut me off in the same lane with gravel all around. I was riding my
R6.. so yeah.
not worth it. i ride out of town, or in the hills on my e-mtb..
Joined
·
6,285 Posts
I do a lot of street bicycling. I will agree that it's dangerous, even if you follow the rules. I still love it though. Honestly my biggest worry is the "parked car left door swings open" scenario, which can very serious depending on type of impact.
I'm waiting for a particular type of electric assist to come to Canada, probably 2022, and I will buy one for sure. I'm into my 60's now, and those North Van hills are getting harder each year.
I'm waiting for a particular type of electric assist to come to Canada, probably 2022, and I will buy one for sure. I'm into my 60's now, and those North Van hills are getting harder each year.
Joined
·
8,809 Posts
Joined
·
8,809 Posts
yeah man, Nicky's passing crushed our little family. Uncle & Dad were both cyclists,
competitors when young. Of course Dad and I have been bikers since the 70s... i couldnt
do that to my family.
oh i see, yeah i've mentioned i've got their new motor, i havent really tried the smart assist
option, generally ride in level 3 support, but when it comes to the hills i bump it to level 5.
i dont even notice it, its very natural and rips up the hill with ease. Even with full suspenion
and long travel in the forks, there's minimal 'bobbing', engine doesnt even bat an eye. IT
is very quiet. I keep hearing i want a bigger battery, it would be nice to get the 625Kwhr
rather than the 500 that came with. I may upgrade in the future or purchase one for longer
weekends or just so i can use the current as as a spare thats already charged.
It will be interesting to see how Yamaha's line comes along, i've looked them up as well.
alas, i found the online Canadian Market survey regarding their new e-bikes ...
interesting questionnaire.. easy to fill out. i'm subscribed for info now!
Bicycles - Yamaha Motor Canada
Joined
·
6,285 Posts
Yup I filled it out as well.
Joined
·
5 Posts
Take a look at Ebikes made by actual mtn bike mfrs. My highly biased first suggestion would be our own Rocky Mtn Bicycles. They were all I ever raced (in the context of bicycles) Decades after I involuntarily stopped riding and racing, I still have a couple hanging in my garage.
If I were to buy an Ebike, I'd look to Rocky first. I might even wear an old team jersey for at least a few minutes before my wife starts laughing hysterically. I'd look like a multi-hued lycra sausage.
The idea of not having to grind the pedals all the way up the 9 mile steep logging road to start my favorite hike is intriguing to say the least.
Joined
·
5 Posts
I haven't ridden a bicycle off-dirt in a very long time. It was bad enough back then, I can't imagine my old reflexes and lack of decent speed being able to share the road again in Vancouver, and I used to ride everywhere all the time. For about 6 years I didn't even have a car (or motorcycle) but according to my wife, when she met me I had more bikes, frames, wheels, and parts than the local bike shop.
Lonnng ago, before I had a brain that told me not to do such things, I spent a summer (between years at UBC ) as a bicycle courier in Vancouver. It was one of the funnest jobs I've ever had. It was an like an endlessly repeating adrenaline blast, but dang it got your attention some days. Doors, mirrors, packages, bags, dogs, humans, cabs, buses, you name it, I encountered them. I even ran into a few obscure 'celebrities' . Remember Ocean Hellman? She was much shorter than I expected. Real cute though. and very gracious, apologizing for stepping out between cars.
You could make good money if you could keep up. Before the fax machine became a common thing, you could make $20 for running docs 4 blocks for a signature, $20 for returning it, and often a tip if you got it there in less than 10 minutes. That was good money for a broke-ass college kid.
Joined
·
8,809 Posts
this is why i decided on a Giant.. The Reign enduro has been manufactured for a few years now.
it was merely upgraded to fit requirements of an E-bike. Rather pointedly when they did the big
invite and got the writers to do a mass review, the head engineer admited there was nothing really
'new' on the bike just because its an E-bike. Every bit of technology, know-how and build quality
comes from tried and true efforts in the past. They've got a couple guys that have already been
on the podium, even on the model I purchased.
I also looked at Norco, but they're also in early stages of modernizing their motor so in terms
of E-motor technology I chose to go with Yamaha other than Specialized efforts, shimano, and
bosch's own motors. I already know I can trust Yamaha to build a great little motor.
for me it was 1st an established MTB brand, second, an e-MTB
Joined
·
4,218 Posts
Yup, getting ”doored” can really ruin your day. Riding a bicycle in traffic always feels more sketchy than being on a motorcycle. Quality bicycle infrastructure can tip that balance somewhat. Out in the valley it’s possible to link together some pretty good routes using assorted rec trails/*****. Great riding, and you don’t get your ride interrupted by traffic and intersections nearly as often.
The issue of experience was addressed in the video—many E-bike riders are newbs, or returning to two wheels after a long lay-off. So it’s much like the kid-on-a-litre-bike, or guy that buys a big Harley after not riding a motorcycle for 30 years. As you know, someone like you with motorcycle sense and bicycle sense is going to get a lot out of an E-bike without careening into the nearest parked car, lamp post or pedestrian—and will also be inclined to buy a quality bike and maintain it properly. I suspect some of the off-brand E-bikes out there might be rather lacking in things like brakes, and after a few years of neglect (provided they still run), would be a total hazard.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!