this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2023
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I'd love to be able to bike to work, or the grocery store or anything else, really, but the infrastructure here really doesn't permit that. There are a few shops within walking distance and I make a point to buy things there, even if they're a little more expensive and while I may be able to speed up those trips with an e-bike, it's probably far less environmental impact for me to just use my two legs.
Even if I COULD bike for these trips... I'd just get a dang bicycle. No need to make further waste and use rare earth minerals by getting an e-bike. Plus, far cheaper to buy and maintain.
The thing about eBikes is that their slightly higher speed sharply increases the number of people for whom they are an option as compared with pedal-it-yourself. That's why people are recommending them.
I'd be willing to bet that for most Americans the main barrier to commuting by bike is the threat of cars and lack of bicycle infrastructure as a whole.
I ride my bike to class often, and when I do it's great. Well-maintained trails and frequent bike racks make it very convenient. My college is good with bicycle infrastructure, and I happen to be lucky that there are good trails between my apartment and campus. A faster ride would be nice, but I don't see it making me bike more often. It wouldn't affect the things that prevent me from biking on the days that I don't: weather, time of day, or how I feel physically.
Despite how much I bike to class, I've never biked to the grocery store, restaurants, or any other place that's not on campus. This is because I'd have to ride on busy roads without bike lanes. Once you get closer to the center of the city, there are bike lanes, but they're just painted. Actual separated bike lanes basically don't exist in the US, which means that cyclists are still at risk of getting hit by cars even when bike lanes are present. A faster bike wouldn't fix this. Investment in infrastructure would.
I do understand the appeal of eBikes and I recognize them as a viable alternative to cars. But I only think people will make the switch if they live somewhere that's already got the necessary infrastructure to make their commute safe and efficient. This is not even close to the majority of Americans. If we want people to move away from cars and toward bikes, we need to think of infrastructure first and the bikes themselves second.
The perception of threat is a big deal. Actual risk while riding is shockingly low, even in places with limited dedicated infrastructure. I've lived in several of them.