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I got my first e-bike in May, sold the second car, use the bike to get around.
But I’ve also used a regular bike for fun/travel/adventure/transportation for 12 years. I’ve learned (the hard way once, nice scar on my forehead as a conversation starter) that it is simply a fight to be able to ride, normally, on the streets and roads.
Some drivers are simply bad, and/or ignorant. But a lot of the problem is in infrastructure, and car bloat.
I could rant on this subject for hours, but what I wonder is: Are there newcomers to two wheels facing this issue for the first time? You just got this miracle machine that can get you around town, yet you’ve become too fearful to enjoy it? Or maybe you’ve just come to realize it’s a struggle, and cars be damned, you’re gonna ride?
The two biggest problems at the link are safety and theft. Theft sucks, but a good chain and good parking/locking habits can help. Getting creamed by an SUV with a driver fiddling with their phone is much worse than getting your bike stolen. If your town has multi-lane roads, high speeds and speeders, no bike lanes, no paths, even few sidewalks, then your risk of injury or death is pretty high.
So, welcome, fellow riders, to the struggle!
[https://electrek.co/2023/11/21/the-two-biggest-problems-with-electric-bikes-arent-even-about-e-bikes/](https://electrek.co/2023/11/21/the-two-biggest-problems-with-electric-bikes-arent-even-about-e-bikes/)
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View Reddit by MrReezenable – View Source
yes. i literally go 1/2 a mile out of the way to take the bike pathway instead of a shared road with painted bike gutter.
of course now they decided to close the only bridge on the bike pathway over a river and divert all the bikes and pedestrians into high speed traffic lol. at least its temporary for a few months and only for a 1/0th of a mile…
realistically i could do 90% of my trips with my bike instead of my car. instead its 80% car 20% bike just because of theft and no separated bike lanes.
OP: I agree with everything you are saying. I bought an eBike two years ago and quickly discovered it was my absolute favorite way to get around the compact city that I live in, so much more enjoyable than driving. Ideally in good weather I would use it most of the time rather than driving.
The safety factor is a huge problem. I’m not a daredevil, just a middle-age guy who loves riding his eBike for transportation. MANY major streets in my city are just not safe for cyclists. I’m continually trying to find side roads and routes to avoid the more dangerous main streets. For some destinations that is impossible. Then there is also the additional problem of potential bike theft once I reach my destination.
Because of the problems mentioned above I can’t use my bike as transportation anywhere near as much as I would like to. My city does have some bike lanes but it’s a very incomplete network and there is constant pushback from citizens who don’t want more bike lanes and are only concerned about car parking.
I find routes that avoid most traffic. Takes a bit longer.. but it’s so fun!!!
I agree with you OP. That said, I ride on the sidewalk. I know it’s not technically legal, but I slow down to very slow speeds around pedestrians (I live in the burbs so there aren’t many, I do not do that when downtown or in busy pedestrian areas) because I’d rather illegally ride my bike on the sidewalk than risk being splattered by a Yukon doing 65 down a main road.
I also often take the many trails and mixed-use roads near me, including about 10.5 miles of my 12 mile commute to minimize my contact with traffic. I only ride on the roads sparingly, and mostly out in the country. I don’t trust drivers. I also practice over the top safety, especially in the morning and at night. I have a bike with built in lights, I wear an e-bike-specific helmet with an AMAZING rear light, and if it’s truly dark I have a reflective vest with flashing built-in LEDs. I can literally be seen well 1/2 a mile away.
I have protected access (locked) and covered parking at work, which is AWESOME, otherwise when in my downtown area I use a cable lock and a U-Lock and try not to leave it for long periods of time. If I’m getting lunch or something, I park it in a place I can see it. I do leave it for longer (20-30 minutes) if I’m out in my sleepy suburb, but always lock it up, and always in a place with lots of foot traffic, e.g. on a rack at the front of a grocery store not the side or back so other people would see someone cutting a lock and intervene.
So long story short, I still ride but minimize danger from vehicles when I can, including avoiding high traffic areas, and also protect myself and my bike to the best of my ability. I think it’s all I can do, just be responsible, safe, and try to protect myself and my bike!
Come to the Netherlands. We have resolved all these problems. Bicycles rule the roads.
bicycles (or walking for that matter) on the road isn’t dangerous in itself. It’s the car drivers who have too much power over deciding whether we get to live or not because we bike/walk a certain way or the other.
Yeah I could rant for hours too. I decide to just keep ranting as a talking piece over at random subreddits or even real life, who knows it might raise awareness and/or save a life.
I keep building different types of e-bikes to balance out power, chance of theft, versatility, affordability, practicality, etc. So far I’m content with a lightweight folding e-bike, but the power is lacking for times when I have to share the road (more like fight) with speeding drivers. Unfortunately the opposite side of the coin is worse: enough power for questionable legality and handling, with a side of easily-spotted easily-stolen tech.
1. Safety jacket, helmet and strobe lights ON, front and back.
2. Horn in place; get one. Also acts as a motion sensor alarm; beep at anyone that does not make eye contact from their vehicle, has tinted blackout windows, or starts to pull in front of you. HONK LOUD at anyone that cuts you off, and ride in the middle of the road, and only let traffic pass you as necessary (from your rear view) so other drivers see you sooner making turns in front of you.
3. Defend your path, and let drivers know you expect them to honor it. Help educate drivers as you zoom up to them, then slow, and take your time crossing their path, as you look them in the eye, to show them it’s your turn.
4. Find routes to avoid traffic, and big trucks, all together.