E-Bikes on the trails

[DismalScientist]

@peterw_diy 121759 wrote:

Are you trolling or do you really not understand why the important thing here for safety is bicycle miles ridden within view of people driving autos?

Since you wish this inane conversation to continue, I think safety is enhanced by people on bikes riding responsibly on whatever bike-like contraption seems to motorists as a bike. Trail miles shouldn’t count. Furthermore, since most motorists can’t distinguish between pedal-assist and hub motor e-bikes, they should all count.

The problem is that there is no universal snugness scale when discussing bicycle and bicycle-like contraptions.

[peterw_diy]

@DismalScientist 121764 wrote:

Since you wish this inane conversation to continue, I think safety is enhanced by people on bikes riding responsibly on whatever bike-like contraption seems to motorists as a bike. Trail miles shouldn’t count. Furthermore, since most motorists can’t distinguish between pedal-assist and hub motor e-bikes, they should all count.

The problem is that there is no universal snugness scale when discussing bicycle and bicycle-like contraptions.

I think the real problem is that if you codify all those logical rules in an effort to only reward the most desirable behavior, you end up with something like a damned set of federal regulations and take all the fun out of the challenge.

[BTC_DC]

@dplasters 121753 wrote:

For those that have been through FS multiple times – is your speed effected more by:
Road/Trail Conditions
Wind
Cold air (in that cold, dry air is denser than warm humid air and thus provides more resistance)

I would say average speed actually increases on MUP once the cold weather clears all the “spring flowers” off the trail. MVT actually becomes enjoyable again.

[Steve O]

@run/bike 121746 wrote:

I had no idea that “E-Bike Ride” was one of the categories you could select on Strava.

Hmmph! There are like 20 different kinds of activities one can choose. But is there one for unicycles? Nope.

[cvcalhoun]

@dplasters 121753 wrote:

Well I’m a pansy and was no where near the tops in miles during FS this winter, but I tended to interpret the big mileage folks as ranking the amazing ability to punish yourself by spending inordinate amounts of time outside in terrible weather.

Certainly speed is a factor, but if you’re willing to spend that kind of time outside when its 28 degrees I’m not really judging how you’re propelling your two wheels.

For those that have been through FS multiple times – is your speed effected more by:
Road/Trail Conditions
Wind
Cold air (in that cold, dry air is denser than warm humid air and thus provides more resistance)

Personal feeling is that Road/Trail Conditions make riding hard dangerous and so top speeds come down out of caution.

As far as e-bikes go, just like normal cyclists if you ride courteously, I don’t’ really care. I have a silly fear that one day we will be menaced by e-bike hoodlums doing 35mph on MUPs but I’m pretty sure that is unfounded.

For me, it’s definitely road/trail conditions. I got a prize for snowiest ride last year. On the ride in question, I started out when it was snowing. It kept snowing to the point that I had to slow down to avoid potentially sliding out in front of cars. Then it snowed even more, to the point I had to walk the bike. Then it snowed even more, to the point that the front wheel became glued to the fender by ice, and I had to drag the bike the last half block. Let’s just say I did not break any speed records on that trip!

[hozn]

@Steve O 121769 wrote:

Hmmph! There are like 20 different kinds of activities one can choose. But is there one for unicycles? Nope.

Yeah, totally! I am getting close to the point where I could actually Strava a unicycle ride (and have it show up on a map outside my privacy zone).

We need to get more folks riding unicycles (and start a unicycle thread)! I am starting to plan my next unicycle, probably a 29″ for versatility (tire choice, including studded). My goal is to commute on it, at least one ~15mi leg. Need to get all the way around the hilly block with no UPDs, though first.

[dbb]

Dismal and I were discussing some of the periodically recurring threads that have been extensively litigated here on the forum by folks who largely have fairly well-calcified opinions and we thought it might be more efficient if we scheduled those discussions on an annual basis.

For example, we might want to discuss the merits of flashing headlights on the trail during December when it gets dark earlier, crazy ivans (and other runner behaviors) during the spring migrations in April. If you miss the month, you have to wait for it to come around again (or read the former threads).

While efficiency is not really a hallmark of the forum (as evidenced by the untold hours we all spend here), this might be worthy of consideration.

Others?

[GB]

@dbb 121783 wrote:

Dismal and I were discussing some of the periodically recurring threads that have been extensively litigated here on the forum by folks who largely have fairly well-calcified opinions and we thought it might be more efficient if we scheduled those discussions on an annual basis.

For example, we might want to discuss the merits of flashing headlights on the trail during December when it gets dark earlier, crazy ivans (and other runner behaviors) during the spring migrations in April. If you miss the month, you have to wait for it to come around again (or read the former threads).

While efficiency is not really a hallmark of the forum (as evidenced by the untold hours we all spend here), this might be worthy of consideration.

Others?

So you want to get rid of the forum? And shouldn’t this be on a different thread?

Seems to that if you dont want to discuss something it’s easy enough not to without forum rules. If you’re unhappy that other people are discussing something, propose an alternative topic (hint, we love bikes).

[notlost]

Next thing you know there’s going to be e-bike world championships or something silly like that!

Oh wait… http://drunkcyclist.com/2015/06/25/recharge-dumb/

“It is just as hard to ride an e-bike contest as a pure MTB event. On the flat sections we ride these bikes exceeding the limit of 25 km/h where the motor is no longer allowed to assist. So we have to push the approx. 20kg e-bikes permanently with pure muscle power. The routes also provide steep climbs that you would barely accomplish with normal MTBs – that ís where we and the bikes are riding close to the limit.”

Yeah, I dunno about that. Maybe such things are best left to pavement…or relegated to mixed use trails where dirt bikes (internal combustion engine types) roam.

[TwoWheelsDC]

This same debate happened 100 years ago between the traditional horse-and-buggyists and the boundary-pushing automobiliers. And we all know how that worked out for the traditionalists. NEVER AGAIN.

[mstone]

@rcannon100 121741 wrote:

You know what really gets me! Those tandem strollers on the trail that hog the entire passage.

Point of order: tandem and side by side strollers are different things

[Author]

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