A throwback kick scooter of the style I still
have a scar on my chin from a wipeout.
Posted on 02/15/2023 3:11:24 PM PST by DallasBiff
(Reuters Health) - E-bikes and electric scooters are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, but the powered bikes carry a higher risk of severe injuries than traditional bicycles and a different pattern of injury risks compared with scooters, a recent study finds.
The authors analyzed emergency department data collected from 2000 to 2017 by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), on injuries involving all three types of vehicles.
While people riding e-bikes were more likely to suffer internal injuries and be hospitalized compared to the other riders, powered scooter users had higher rates of concussion. E-bike injuries were also more than three times as likely to involve a collision with a pedestrian than either scooter or traditional bike injuries, the researchers report in the journal Injury Prevention.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Don’t park your e-bike near or in your house. YouTube has video of one sending wisps of smoke a minute before it erupts (big-time) with fire.
A news story covers a dozen suffocated from fire fumes among parked e-bikes in India.
Sometimes people have trouble learning a new type of bicycle, too. I recall my dad, who had never ridden a bicycle that didn’t have a coaster brake, trying out my brother’s new 10-speed that had hand brakes. He was still pedaling backward when he hit the fence. Much hilarity.
Some ebike batteries are removable.
We live in a fairly hilly area. My wife has had knee surgery and, while she loves to cycle, couldn’t make the uphill climbs. Her ebike has let her cycle again.
Yes, you can go without pedaling. Yes, you can go too fast. You can go too fast in your car, too. It does take a little getting used to, but it is fun and it lets you get exercise without overdoing it.
Our family owns five e-bikes that we ride around the San Francisco area - I bought mine b/c it is impossible to park anywhere and it is easier to get around on my bike, there is plenty of bike parking everywhere and the city is bike friendly, unlike the town I live in.
We know they are being banned on some bikeways - I believe b/c of speed - and my son told me they are banned on some group rides such as the great CicLAvia in Los Angeles - we took them anyway and no one said a thing.
The bikes are pedal assist - meaning if you don’t pedal, the bike stops. I cannot convince my neighbor that my bike does not have a throttle on it.
Anyway, they are massively fun and we have had many family excursions on them - my Son-in-law has an e-bike with a bucket in the front so the dogs can come along.
The batteries are removable - they go so many miles before they are replaced - my e bike is two years old and has gotten heavy usage (our family owns five) - and not one of us has had to change out the battery yet.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear this. Bikes are NOT allowed on sidewalks in my town, or skateboard or anything else with wheels.
My friend’s son had to go to court when he was caught riding a skateboard on the sidewalk - judge chewed him out good.
Doesn’t stop idiots from riding bikes FAST on sidewalks, my elderly mother almost got mowed down by one. I’ve been known to scream at them if I see them - embarrassed my husband to death, even though he was in a wheelchair and was vulnerable to being run down.
Bikes, ebikes and scooters aren’t allowed on the sidewalk here either.
But some ignore the law.
Motorcycles on the other hand do in fact stay off the sidewalks, to their credit.
Ebikes are more dangerous than regular bikes obviously. I am not a fan but if we must have them then the laws need to be enforced. Keep the bicycle rules. Which, hardly anyone here is doing either.
They put these stupid e scooters in Wroclaw when I lived there. Idiot tourists kept crashing in to people. Within a few weeks the locals had thrown them all in to the canal.
A throwback kick scooter of the style I still
have a scar on my chin from a wipeout.
A bicycle provides the exercise of a stationary bike. A powered bike provides the exercise of a couch.
Yep. Get a real bike and keep in shape.
Bell Bottoms
“What happens when the battery runs out?”
You pedal, just like you did before the battery runs out. The battery is an assist, mostly for climbing hills and such.
“Some scooters and ebikes do.” (Ride on sidewalks)
I know that where I am it is strictly illegal to ride e bikes on the sidewalk, and in most areas of this town it is illegal to ride ANY bike on a sidewalk.
” A powered bike provides the exercise of a couch.”
You have no idea what you are talking about.
But don’t worry, going on about things which one knows nothing about is becoming quite the tradition here on FR, so you aren’t alone.
I admit that I overstated. It depends how they are used. I have seen young people zipping along a level trail with no exertion. They are missing out IMO. And then there are bicyclists who ride as though they intend to compete in the Tour de France.
My 74 year old knees vigorously dispute your assertion. My days of riding conventional bikes are over, because of those knees. Behind only cordless power tools, e-bikes are one of the best inventions of my lifetime.
Ebikes are (generally) much less power than a moped. The Lemond bike mentioned above has 250 Watts output where an old Puch Moped was 3hp, roughly 2300 Watts.
I am researching an ebike buy for myself. It appears places that allow ebikes on multi-use trails/sidewalks limit the bikes to class 2. That is 750W max with a power dropout @ 20mph (no power assist >20mph), and pedal assist only (no separate throttle).
Class 3 ebikes are for off-road only and have 1000W motors, a max speed of 28mph + with motor-only driving (throttle).
There are a few bikes (I think these are Class X) that have AWD dual motors and are pushing the +2000W threshold. Fat tires and a large cargo rack made specifically for hauling you in to your deer-stand (no scent trail) and back out with a deer on the rack.
Most of the controllers can be "jail-broken" and programmed to allow the motors to run at their max - and you can also buy professional looking Class 2 decals to put on a bike that might be something other than a legal class 2.
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