I honestly never considered powered bikes as anything but a motorcycle alternative. they got nothing to do with bicycles and I don’t care about their potential demise (which is kinda overdramatic, that is nowhere on the horizon).
I know I have nothing but disdain and resentment when they hug bike paths, sidewalks, etc. and in my view those things should be in regular traffic lanes, same as mopeds and motorcycles.
as to the combustion part, no idea how prevalent that is but I wouldn’t keep this thing in my home or near it.
Yeah you’re a dick.
E-bikes make the hobby accessible. Distance cycling or touring on a manual bike takes a large amount of regular intense conditioning, not to mention youth and health. Someone with an old injury or a disability or just a partner of a cyclist who wants to share the hobby with them and can’t dedicate the time to training can get real enjoyment from the help an e-bike brings them.
The fact that people enjoying themselves is in your way is you being a dick, not the bike being a nuisance.
Part of me gets where they’re coming from, I think it’s definitely a thing where some inexperienced cyclists on e-bikes ride dangerously at high speeds without having the cycling experience and technique to ride that fast.
However, just like I’ve had bad interactions with people on e-bikes, I’ve had bad interactions with roadies, people on BMX, cycle commuters, mountain bikers… I’ve also had super positive interactions with all of these groups. Generalizing e-bike riders as a whole based on the acts of a small number of people is silly and counter-productive. The more people ride bikes, the more cities have no choice but to accommodate them, which makes things better for everyone.
