A blog Well worth the longer-than-usual for email length, about one of the transportation transitions happening around us and by us.
I had to read slowly and/or backtrack for the effect and humor. As Gary C posted, “Both amusing and informative.”
[JB – Yes, I do subscribe.)
Some of what he opined –
“… the reason I hate them is simple: They are an affront to my swollen and sensitive ego.”
[JB – don’t stop now…]
” When people first jump on an ebike, their face lights up. It’s exciting and joyful in a way that you don’t get from a regular bike.”
““Do all those idiots who look like idiots riding those idiot bikes actually get any health benefit from it?” And the heretical answer is yes, they do.”
“To sum up an article in Outside Magazine about e-MTB’s, e-bikes are new technology, they’re not going anywhere, so get used to it. People who use e-bikes to get from point A to point B, rather than those who cycle to make a social statement, show their superiority, improve their standing on Strava leaderboards, or to collect carbon, have bought into the e-bike not as an alternative to dinosaur bicycles, but as an alternative to cars.”
” Henry Grabar, in this fluff piece on Slate, accidentally nails it: “But it’s not the top speed that really differentiates the experience; it’s the speed with which you get there and the ease of maintaining it. It feels like you have superhuman strength, and that’s how people look at you, too (with a mixture of envy and anxiety).””
“But in ten years, tiny internal down tube motors with internal aero wiring will deliver huge watts, slim beauty, and a stake through the heart of traditional cyclist egos. Fortunately, I’ll be 64 and in the market for my first such bike. Hopefully they will also be made of carbon.”
“It took me a dang long time to write this. I hope you enjoyed it! And if you did, I hope you’ll subscribe! Click here and select the “subscribe” link in the upper right-hand corner. Thank you!”