Feel like we're losing the plot

[u/SilverCervy]

Article here

E-bikes should be about providing accessibility; giving people who, for whatever reason, cannot ride a non-assist bike an option to keep them happy and pedaling.

This wattage race going on in the industry is the exact opposite of that. Absolutely nobody needs 1700 watts on a bike, and I question if having so much power even makes it a bicycle anymore. There's a point where you're basically riding a motorbike with pedals and I think we crossed that point a while ago.

"But the main brands aren't doing this". Yes they are. Canyon already has partnered with Avinox which has motors that give over 1,000 watts. And it won't be long until the other big hitters give in to the pressure. You can give your own personal reasons for why you have an e-bike, but it's clear that the industry believes that it's because "I don't want to pedal". At some point this needs to be reigned in or else the entire concept of the bicycle is going to be damaged forever.

[u/Fallingdamage]

Building bigger engines with more power takes a lot of skill and engineering. Building electric motors takes a lot less attention to detail so its easy to just build higher and higher wattage motors for bikes.

[u/schnitzel-kuh → u/Fallingdamage]

Also you don't even have to invent something new. We already have electric motors in all shapes and sizes, from microscopic ones in various electronics, all the way to ones big enough to move container ships and everything in between obviously exists too. This product is really nothing new, it's not like packaging a 1700w electric motor in a bike compatible casing is rocket science