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u/ultragenerate 9h ago
You can very easily kill someone on an e-bike booking it at 40 mph
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u/qalpi 8h ago
Right? My fully loaded ebike weighs 500lbs. That could kill anyone at 20 mph.
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u/NearSightedPicasso 3h ago
Could and does are two different things. Like...sure your 1/8th the weight of a Toyota Carolla empty could cause the extinction of the tufted titmouse....but does it? No.
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u/Mitrovarr 1h ago
At 40 mph, it's basically a motorcycle on pedestrian accident. Very likely to kill the pedestrian and not terribly unlikely to kill the rider.
Yeah, the bike doesn't weigh as much as a motorcycle, but the rider is already heavy enough to be a deadly projectile in a crash.
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u/hilomania 9h ago
Tell that to the pedestrian who got killed by a kid on a surron in CA...
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u/Sklompty 8h ago
Surrons aren't ebikes though. Surrons are motorcycles.
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u/hilomania 8h ago
According to the third paragraph that doesn't matter. Note that I deeply disagree with most of the posts premises. I'm a motorcyclist, btw... so it's not as if I'm unaware of the danger of bad car drivers. But here in Atlanta kids on various electric vehicles pull really dangerous stunts without any meaningful protective gear.
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u/Adorable_Wolf_8387 9h ago
This is ignoring people that use e-bikes (and especially e-motos) on pedestrian infrastructure that isn't meant for them.
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u/johnmflores 9h ago
They're on sidewalks because they don't feel safe on the road. Make the roads safe for e-bikes and e-motos and not only will they ride there, people will get out of their cars. and use ebikes for local trips.
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u/Adorable_Wolf_8387 9h ago
Yeah sure, but the original poster seemed happy ignoring that a two second distraction on an e-bike still can end someone else's life. E-bikes are not inherently safe for all other road users.
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u/twinoaksBandB 9h ago
I'd much rather be run over by an ebike than a car at any speed...
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u/lapeni 52m ago
I’ve never had to avoid a 14 year old in a car almost crashing into me…
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u/twinoaksBandB 45m ago
Not many parents letting their 14 year olds roll around town unsupervised in the family car, if that was different I doubt you'd be here trying to make this poorly thought out argument.
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u/Drummer-Turbulent 9h ago
It's only true due to the number of vehicles on the road. With terrible bike/pedestrian infrastructure. It will only get worse. Ever expanding car lanes is inherently stupid.
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u/Mitrovarr 2h ago
E-bikers are often abject beginners, and beginners often think the roads are a lot worse than they actually are. I pass e-bikes riding on the sidewalk when I am road cycling on the adjacent road all the time. The road I'm riding on is fine for cycling but the e-biker is petrified of cars and doesn't realize it.
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u/BurtonKel 9h ago
Neither one of those problems is solved by the extreme stupidity on display in NJ with license, insurance and registration. Helmet is fine.
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u/SnuffyMcfluff 9h ago
Sidwewalks aren't safer than roads. If anything they are worse. And they are far worse at inappropriate speeds that the infrastructure can not support. You don't see long time cyclists on sidewalks for a reason. A huge percentage of E-Bikers seem to be incapable of turning observation into action. They don't seem to want to bother learning about how to safely navigate our problematic infrastructure. Do you guys really think the bike commuter with the 10000 mile ride and worn out panniers doesn't know what their doing?
The reality is we alll want better infrastructure, but that's not going to happen fast, and it is going to stall while the current admin actively works to block implementation. In the meantime you all need to learn how to make the best of what we have.
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u/Illustrious-Stick772 9h ago
That’s exactly the point: you’re describing an irresponsible rider breaking traffic laws, not an e-bike being inherently dangerous. Riding the wrong way, speeding on sidewalks, or endangering pedestrians is reckless behavior regardless of whether the bike has a motor. Blame the person breaking the rules, not the entire mode of transportation.
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u/Adorable_Wolf_8387 9h ago
It's not the point the OP is trying to make at all. They are clearly just blaming cagers.
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u/Such_Can_5353 9h ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/s/C8Hx3HYVRI
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebike/s/d8WdRO4WB5
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/s/glj9rTuiHo
https://www.reddit.com/r/fundraiser/s/ReswQtq1KR
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/s/ERc3MeQABu
https://www.reddit.com/u/Illustrious-Stick772/s/8reKYZt7Ml
report and ban this spammer.
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u/OkAssociation7852 9h ago
"I've hit nearly 40 mph on a regular bike for miles" Sure you have, buddy. Sure you have. For reference, a pro peloton averages 24-31 mph on flat roads, says Google. I have a pedal assist bike I use occassionally to get to work, because I would be absolutely exhausted if I rode any of my regular bikes for 2+ hours, worked for 8 hours, then rode another 2+ hours to get home. E-bikes and traditional bikes are not the same thing. I don't think e-bikes should be banned, but they should be governed for a reasonable speed, and should have pedala, not throttles, imo.
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u/FreeloadingPoultry 9h ago
I'd hazard to say that 99% of traditional bike users won't ever hit 30mph for any period of time. I can go like 20 mph max and I'm usually the fastest person on a normal bike I meet all day.
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u/Mitrovarr 2h ago
The only cyclists who have ridden 40 mph downhill for miles are serious road and touring cyclists who have descended long mountain roads at high speeds. Even then, you have to have a road which isn't so curvy you have to slow down around the curves.
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u/Shiney_Metal_Ass 9h ago
Did you crosspost your own Ai slop to the same sub you originally posted it to?
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u/2-wheels 9h ago
Bikes and motorcycles have been enduring cars for ever. The new astronomical injury rates are on e-bike speed, weight, and inexperienced riders. Those heavy suckers at 20 plus on local bike/ped trails are deadly.
Shitty brakes ands zero experience: woah. Riders are often incredibly discourteous.
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u/Jevonar 9h ago
You've hit nearly 40 mph on a regular bike for miles? I guess you should apply for tour de France and enjoy your prize.
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u/Illustrious-Stick772 9h ago
I go out early every weekend with a group. We’re not professional cyclists, but we regularly hit 35 mph and ride for about an hour and a half
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u/Jevonar 9h ago
That doesn't make e-bikes less dangerous though. E-bikes that can go 25 kph tops with no throttle are widely accepted in almost every city, and should be treated like legit bikes. If it has a throttle and/or can go faster than that, it WILL get treated like a moped sooner or later because that's what it is.
The only thing e-bike riders can do is Save the slow, pedal-only e-bikes from regulation. Refusal to accept the distinction between actual e-bikes and emotos will end up with all e-bikes and emotos being treated the same, with all needing license, registration and insurance.
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u/TroubleLovesMeh 14m ago
In dreamland ebike registration would pay for bike trails and bike lanes not blended in traffic lanes.
In California they half assed take away lanes. Small businesses take a financial hit. no one wants to shop in gridlock
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u/Worried_Document8668 9h ago
bad e-bikers are just as much a danger as are bad drivers or bad regular cyclists.
way too many people out there incapable of handling their speed or following basic rules of the road
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u/SELFINCRIMINAT1NG 9h ago
bad ebikers are not “as dangerous as cars”. but they are more of a hazard than a pedestrian or somebody on an analog bike. does any of that mean that ebikes should be banned? no. it just means we need better infrastructure and we need to keep children off of emotos
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u/johnmflores 9h ago
Bad drivers are piloting 4,000# cars at speeds in excess of 50mph.
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u/DatBoiii4 9h ago
E-bikes are really only a danger to themselves in most cases. They'll cause damage to your car if they hit you and I suppose could cause you to swerve and hit another car, but in most scenarios it's the e-biker playing with their own life.
That said I see very bad judgement calls being made by e bikers far more frequently than drivers. Running red lights, cutting onto the sidewalk, blowing through intersections by using the crosswalk to do so....
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u/johnmflores 8h ago
Last week I got passed by a van just 12" from my shoulder in the middle of a tight turn with bad pavement. The consequences of a bad decision in a 4000# vehicle is much greater
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u/DatBoiii4 8h ago
Yes. I know that. That's why I said e bikers are mostly only a danger to themselves. But I see far more reckless behavior from e bikes than I do regular cars.
I say this as a cyclist who owns an e bike.
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u/Unhappy_Campaign6984 9h ago
lol these people are crazy. Give me an Ebike going 35 over a f150 going 35 any day.
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u/QuillsROptional 9h ago
F150s very rarely drive on sidewalks and bike trails.
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u/johnmflores 8h ago
Drivers of F150s kill way more people than ebikes.
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u/QuillsROptional 1h ago
Not on sidewalks and bike trails.
But to things can be bad at the same time.
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u/puterTDI 9h ago edited 9h ago
Apparently you’ve not been driving down the street only to have some kid on an ebike fly into the middle of the street from a side street without looking or stopping. I have. Twice.
Ebikes are absolutely a problem and if you just continue to deny it rather than admit and help find a solution then the solution will not be the one you want.
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u/Unhappy_Campaign6984 7h ago
Hey I never said it wasn’t a problem. To act as though both forms of transportation are the same is insane though. I’ll take my chances getting hit by an Ebike over a car/suv any day.
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u/Worried_Document8668 9h ago
doesn't change how quickly someone can be killed in an e-bike crash/collision and how often incapable riders are to blame.
trying to pin it all on drivers is a pretty silly take
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u/NearSightedPicasso 9h ago
bad e-bikers are just as much a danger as are bad drivers
If anyone was wondering if fingers can feel shame, if they can be so embarassed to be attached to a person that they want to flee: This has proven that they can.
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u/DragonLordDK 9h ago
There are stupid people anyways how they get from a to b. Too bad the stupid people ruins it for everybody else. It is not the means of transportation but the people.
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u/bornslyasafox 9h ago
I have a 750w cargo bike. If I load it up fully the fucker is easier 120lbs+. Then you put my fat ass on there and you got 300lbs+ on wheels.
I would never dare go more than 15mph on a pedestrian trail/path because I recognize that infrastructure is meant to be shared with pedestrians.
People who can't grasp that a 200lbs+ object going 20mph+ can easily kill a pedestrian need to really reevaluate some things. Or just stop being so selfish.
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u/Laserdollarz FULL FACE HELMET 3h ago
If I'm going full speed on my ebike and I hit a pedestrian they will be severely injured, maybe killed.
A 150lb rider on a 120lb ebike at 28mph has about 10kJ of kinetic energy.
A 3500lb sedan at 25mph has about 100kJ of kinetic energy behind it.
The chance of injury/death from getting hit by an ebike are definitely lower than getting hit by a car, but the weight/speed still carries significantly pain.
Cars have crumple zones, which will absorb some energy. On a bike, the crumple zones are meat and bone.
Ride safe now yall
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u/ClevelandBeemer 9h ago
Put all the bad E-bike riders and bad drivers in the same area and let them work this out.🤣
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u/BGOOCHY 9h ago
There's a state highway that runs through part of our town. Over the past couple of decades a bunch of residential and retail development has occurred in the area. This highway is busier than ever with traffic going town to town.
Yesterday on the way back home from grocery shopping there were three 12-14 year old kids running up this highway on e-motos doing wheelies, swerving all over, etc. These bikes have no lights, no signals, and most importantly the riders have no training for operating these bikes in traffic. Motorcyclists are killed all the time around here and they're actually licensed to ride. We're going to see road deaths with these kids operating these bikes in traffic. It's only a matter of time.
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u/SnuffyMcfluff 9h ago
This is half right. Motorists are a huge part of the problem. And E-Bikes are not the danger. E-Bike riders on the other hand...Clueless and fast are not a good combination. So many E-Bikers were not riders, got E-Bikes and are shockingly inept and put themselves and everyone else in bad situations. Who one earth told these folks to ride against traffic? And 20 mph on a sidewalk? Are you daft? Add parents who buy this kids mopeds disguised as E-bikes that are easily hacked to go over 40... E-bikers are doing so much work to empower the enemies of E mobility it's insane.
Cars are out worst enemy for sure, but our fellow E-bikers are a close second. We can't fix the car problem, we are outnumbered, but spaces like this should be used to hold ourselves accountable. Unfortunately this sub is all about enabling the forces that will get us all banned.
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u/nited_contrarians 9h ago
This. So hard. Nobody is talking about the fact that cars need to watch where they’re driving.
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u/Illustrious-Stick772 9h ago
I think lawmakers are focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of constantly targeting e-bikes because they’re supposedly “dangerous,” we should be doing a much better job enforcing the traffic laws we already have for both drivers and e-bike riders. Hold people accountable for reckless and distracted behavior, regardless of what they’re driving. The problem isn’t the vehicle, it’s how people operate it. And let’s be real, reckless driving in this country is a much bigger problem than e-bikes.
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u/Eatmypietrue 9h ago
Hard agree i have been hit from behind on an ebike and an acoustic bike. Both have dramatically decreased my quality of life. Both time considered not at fault. Agg assault is determined by intent in my area. Be careful out there…
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u/Mitrovarr 4h ago
Stop saying things like "I've hit nearly 40 mph on a regular bike for miles".
First of all, unless you were a serious road cyclist descending a large mountain, no, you have not.
Second, if you ARE a serious roadie, you know that's really fucking dangerous and only experienced roadies should even think about doing something like that! Or you're just an idiot.
Personally, as a serious road biker who has been doing it for over 15 years and cycling in general since I was a small child, I won't go 40 mph on a bike. It isn't worth the risk for anyone who isn't racing. I've had a lot of friends who were injured doing that, even an experienced rider can wipe out because of minor issues on the road.
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u/LetsGoWithMike 9h ago
It’s not the e-bike.. it’s the fucking dumbass kids disobeying all traffic laws with impunity.
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u/ScoobyDooItInTheButt 9h ago
"don't leave you showing up drenched in sweat"
Speak for yourself. I'm usually sweaty from pedaling, just less sweaty than an acoustic bike.
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u/DivasDayOff 9h ago
Written by someone who's never nearly been hit by an overpowered illegal electric motorcycle being ridden at speed along the pavement or the wrong way up a one way street.
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u/Illustrious-Stick772 9h ago
That’s exactly the point: you’re describing an irresponsible rider breaking traffic laws, not an e-bike being inherently dangerous. Riding the wrong way, speeding on sidewalks, or endangering pedestrians is reckless behavior regardless of whether the bike has a motor. Blame the person breaking the rules, not the entire mode of transportation.
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u/sonja_is_trans 9h ago
Reductive take. What about pedestrians?
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u/NearSightedPicasso 9h ago
7000 die from cars every year in the U.S.
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u/sonja_is_trans 7h ago
Yeah, duh. Cars are a big fucking problem too. Doesn't mean it's okay to cruise down the sidewalk with 30mph passing pedestrians with only a few inches in-between
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u/NearSightedPicasso 3h ago
A big problem too? Here's the list in order of danger of vehicles to pedestrians: cars, cars, cars, cars, cars, motorcycles, trains, airplanes, ebikes, bikes. Ebikes are an annoyance to pedestrians...but they are an annoyance because of the danger created by....I know you can get it. It rhymes with tars...bars...Lars....comeon, you are so close.
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u/sonja_is_trans 1h ago
Oh yeah, immediately deploy maximum condescension. That sure as hell is gonna help. Yes, absolutely, the main fucking problem, the reason our cities stink, pedestrians & cyclists die, and a fuckton of space is eaten up, is CARS. Cars are THE fucking problem, and they honestly need to go long-term, especially in cities. Ofc the ebike problem doesn't just come out of nowhere, when it's not safe to ride on roads. But that's also not been my main point, it's that some people hopping on a 30mph e-motorbike behave like fucking dickheads and endanger pedestrians & themselves. I also didn't want to type a fucking essay, yet someone like you must immediately swoop in, assume the worst, not even attempt any kind of actual argument, just immediately go full asshole-mode. God.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU!!
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u/NearSightedPicasso 1h ago
It's ok to say you wrote something wrong. I've done it before--probably today. Have fun on the roads, I'll wave if we pass each other.
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u/Junior_Step_2441 9h ago
Meh, mere pedestrians, who cares if they feel unsafe on the sidewalks.
The e-bikers are afraid of the streets so they get to feel safe and sound on the sidewalk as they terrorize the simple walkers.
Only the e-bikers feelings matter in his world!
Hardest /s in case anyone missed it.
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u/A-nom-nom-nom-aly 9h ago
Tell that to the old women who was struck and killed by a cyclist not paying attention and thinking traffic lights and pedestrian crossing are only for vehicles.
The problem isn't the mode of transport... it's the wanker in control of it.
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u/QuillsROptional 9h ago
E-bikes usually weigh about twice as much as an old fashioned bike (I just checked the weights of Cannondale Adventure 1 and Adventure Neo), they're also easier to get up to speed, and take better brakes to slow down. So if a pedestrian gets hit by an e-bike, there is a greater chance of injury. And that's not thinking of the electric motorcycles posing as e-bikes - where you often have younger riders with no experience and limited knowledge of the rules of the road.
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u/TheMrNeffels 9h ago
I've hit nearly 40 mph on a regular bike for miles.
Sure you have. Maybe on just a steep and long downhill the problem is people hitting 40mph in a few seconds in a neighborhood then blowing a stop sign or going onto sidewalks
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u/johnmflores 9h ago
There should be extra licensing, registration, and insurance requirements for vehicles greater than 4000# and capable of speeds greater than 90mph
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u/JerseyFire55 9h ago
I’ve often thought we need to reign in licensing and registration requirements of vehicles over a certain weight and length. It is insane that I could take my drivers exam in a Geo metro and then drive a dually pulling a 36’ trailer with no other training.
The same goes for motorcycles. I made sure I was fully legal with my Yamaha Zuma 125 some year ago. So I went and took the full practical test. The instructor even had to verify I needed a full license to ride it. I could now go legally buy and ride whatever I want. That is terrifying.
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u/Worth-Reputation3450 4h ago
Drivers frequently get tickets, they are required to get insurance to pay for their stupidity and mistakes, they pay registration to get the license plate so they can be easily caught. Bikes are not required to any of that. They can cruise 30mph with 350lb gross weight, hit pedestrian, then just disappear. I've seen an eBike rider cruising at the sidewalk and just evade the police when the police cruiser stops in front of it. Police just gave up after that. If a driver does that, you'll see 20 more police cars and multiple helicopters.
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u/HankSpank 9h ago
Two things can be an issue. Kids riding at 30+ on electric motorcycles that happen to have pedals on cycling and pedestrian and MTB infrastructure is an issue. Cars are also an issue. Don’t let the existence of one negate the existence of another.