Cowboy Proves That E-Bikes with Removable Batteries Can Be Beautiful

Re:Cowboy Proves That E-Bikes with Removable Batteries Can B... by wffurr on Sunday June 09, 2019 @09:43AM (#20139136)

I suppose it has a certain aesthetic but it's pretty far from what I consider a "beautiful" bicycle. This one is a lot closer: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsVu9Idn8AO/

Also I am not sure someone like the author with an "aggressive" riding style can be trusted with the extra power from an ebike. People like that are aggravating enough with a standard track bike.

Not sure I want that kind of smarts in a bike either. App enabled, GPS tracking? How long until a "my left shoe is bricked" firmware update, or the company goes out of business and no one can unlock their bikes?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cowboy Proves That E-Bikes with Removable Batteries Can B... by tachyonbeam on Sunday June 09, 2019 @10:58AM (#20139620)

> I am not sure someone like the author with an "aggressive" riding style can be trusted with the extra power from an ebike.

Agreed. I have an ebike that peaks around 1250W (technically not legal). It's a mountain bike with a mid-drive motor, and it can reach 35MPH on a flat road. It definitely feels nice to have that kind of acceleration, but I fully understand the reason for software speed limiting. Past about 20 MPH, it doesn't feel very safe. At those speeds, I intuitively know that if I fall, I'm in real trouble because I'm not adequately protected. The ebike is also fast enough that the bike lane feels very slow. I definitely wouldn't want to put this in the hands of annoying teenagers who will try to race each other through the city, they'd kill themselves.

[ Parent | on HN ]