As I was walking back to my cat-sitting apartment in Paris the other day I saw a kid of maybe 12 years old flying down the sidewalk on one of these contraptions.
I unconsciously called him a ‘little lazy git’ and tried to get on with my day. But since I was walking – and therefore full of thoughts – I ruminated a bit on what seems like an ‘e’ explosion in moving from a to b. Apart from those ridiculous unicycle things, I’ve been seeing more and more of these creatures in the city:
I have to admit, when I watched a guy cruise up the Boulevard St Michel hill on one of these, I briefly thought, ‘nifty’. I guess I shouldn’t have a problem with any of this anyway – I wouldn’t feel the same way if I saw someone on a motorbike, for example – I might get over it with time.
And then this came through the feed this morning:
This Pinarello is, yes, an e-bike. The new Nytro is a 13 kg road bike that is obviously not aimed at the traditional e-bike crowd, or maybe it is, I can’t figure it out to be honest. And I can’t help myself from asking ‘why’, but I suppose I’m being biased by something or other. I know one thing – I won’t like it very much when someone burns past me riding one of these next time I climb Mont Ventoux.
How will Strava deal with electric road bikes, I wonder? Will they have an ‘e-badge’, like they do for pro riders? Will there be two classes of segments?
I have many questions, but no answers. Help me out here.
The Vicious Cycle 
I had the same queries in my mind earlier this year. As I was putting in the effort on the first ramps of the Alpe (end of the Marmotte) a bike went flying past. Lifting my sweaty head (thinking who the heck has that much energy) I briefly saw a young girl on what I quickly realised was an e-bike, disappearing round the next bend.
She could not have been riding the Marmotte – but she’ll have a great Strave section time!
Something seems ‘off’ about the whole thing…
There certainly has been an explosion of e-transport apparatus. And they are not cheap. You may have seen the GCN video on E-bike v normal. Good and somewhat humorous.
I hadn’t, so thanks.
Older folk, fine.
long commute, fine.
folk with health problems, fine.
couples riding together, one with e support, fine
grinning folk overtaking, hate.
folk proud of crossing the alps with e support, piss of.
more and more e mountain bikes? BIG enviormental problem
Strava Coms. I don´t care. When there is competition, there is cheating
Amen
I am the world’s slowest bike rider and I haven’t gone to the e-bike yet, but am thinking about it. I see two different types – there are e-bikes that are simply electric scooters with pedals to help get up hills, and there are the bikes that simply provide a little assist when needed. The second category seems like a good idea to me if you are using your bike primarily as transportation, as I do.
Thanks for sharing.
I’d agree with that wholeheartedly, Bill.
If we want a lot of people to get out of cars then I think that e-bikes are the only hope. Stylish e-bikes won’t hurt even if they are a bit pointless. People spend fifty thousand pounds on a car than isn’t allowed to go faster than 70 mph.
If that’s the result of the e-bike craze, I’m all over it!
I’m in the same boat, Gerry. I have no idea how this is going to work itself out.