Why does it have to be regulated properly in order to achieve this?
Because some people want to ban them entirely.
That’s badly regulating them.
My unregulated ebike seems to work pretty well as a car replacement.
I’ve had a cargo bike for a year or so. I definitely prefer riding it to work than taking the car.
It’s not for everyone or perhaps even most people. The weather here can be tricky and I struggle to imagine most of the office dwellers I meet riding a bike.
I agree that the modded or “ungoverned” ebikes and scooters are incredibly dangerous, not just to themselves but to others. A 14 year old just isn’t equipped to evaluate risks. Honestly I’m kinda surprised there aren’t more catastrophic injuries.
The weather here can be tricky
I love riding, but can’t see how I could use it practically, and weather would be my number 1 issue.
It’s 30 degrees. I sweat walking down the stairs. I would be a puddle anywhere I arrived. No good unless I can take a shower and cool down for 30 minutes at my destination.
It’s 10 degrees. I can’t feel my fingers, toes or nose. And I’m still sweating.
It’s raining? Ugh. I can put on this rain gear and sweat like a sauna and still get wet or…
A thunderstorm is predicted today? I don’t wanna get zapped. I better cancel any plans.
Etc
And climate change suggests the extremes become more common.
Also, I guess there’s an element of not wanting to take something I love and turning it into a chore, or something I would hate.
As a daily bike commuter in Melbourne, these concerns exist, but they’re really not as bad as you make them seem. Most days in the year it’s very enjoyable to ride to work.
Yeah, I get it. It depends entirely on your environment and purpose, how far you need to ride and what you’re doing/who you are meeting once you arrive.
As much as I would like to, I’m angry/jealous that I can’t see it working for me :/
I guess this is a problem everyone needs to encounter and in some cases it may well be insurmountable.
I’m lucky I guess in that I don’t sweat heaps (although I do sweat). It does get a lot worse when I’m on anti-depressants - that’s awful.
Also with the e-bike doing most of the work I’m not over exerted on my way to work.
Proper bike gear wicks the sweat away from your skin. This includes bike shorts with a chamoise (?) This gear is expensive, but it does tend to last a long time.
I have work clothes and some wet wipes in my bag, so I wipe myself down and then get dressed. It’s a 10 minute chore.
Another, perhaps more controversial angle is… people can kinda deal with it? There’s a difference between not showering for several days and some perspiration resulting from moderate exercise on the way to work. I get that’s a personal issue and everyone’s ability to encounter that depending on preference and context, but it’s unreasonable for colleagues to expect everyone to arrive at work primped and pampered.
As an aside, I’m diabetic. Regular exercise is critically important to my management of this chronic illness and will extend my life expectancy considerably. To me, this is a priority over most other considerations.
Manufactured consent ass title