I couldn’t have said it better. On May 14, 2010, the UK Environmental Transport Association said this:
Following a back-to-back test of electric cars, electric motorcycles and an electric bicycle this week, the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) concluded that the bicycle offered the best application of the technology.
See the full article here. And discuss it in our forums here.
Charlie
Momentum Magazine’s current issue has a “subculture” article entitled article: elusive-e-bikers. If you can get past the slightly dodgy headline, the fact that it’s there tells you something. More than the very brief stories of individual riders, it tells you that a fashion-forward urban bicycling magazine aimed at the young and hip thinks that electric cycling — and electric cyclists — are interesting.
I think that’s culturally significant in and of itself. And I’d think so even if they hadn’t asked me to write the article.
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The folks over at Endless Sphere forums are some of the hardest-core ebike enthusiasts you’ll find anywhere. (These are folks who not only assemble their own systems from individual parts – and argue about which ones are best – they often re-engineer those parts to work better. ) A recent discussion thread explores the “limiting factor for ebike explosion”. That site is really interesting for technical folks, and that thread is an interesting read.
Most of the early comments talk about infrastructure (roads and repair shops, for example) and lack of understanding (or intelligence) among the broader cycling community. My own comments spoke to the lack of understanding on the part of the folks in the business of selling bicycles in this country. Once retailers understand that there is more money in selling bikes with lithium batteries than with carbon fiber frames, I expect sales patterns will shift. The major bike manufacturers have clearly figured this out. (Trek and Giant, for example.)
But I see another perspective at http://DigitalTrends.com. (more…)