Upgrades could ruin it for everyone

[Goosecreek]

Lots of folks wanting to upgrade their bikes to make them faster.  Are these people planning on giving up their rights to National Parks and bike paths and relegate the use to motor vehicle roads only, or do they plan on getting electric bikes banned from everywhere but motor vehicle approved areas?
Just wondering banning electric bikes from multi use areas will kill the industry and leave a lot of customers disappointed all because of a small number who want to use them inappropriately.
I have motorcycles and don't see a problem with electric motorcycles but I do have problems with people using overpowered bikes on trails that small children are using to learn how to ride or families just out for a walk.
No one thinks that it will happen to them until it does. Keep in mind if you accidentally kill a child with a modified bike you could be charged for a serious crime on top of having to live with your actions.
Just a little food for thought.

[RojoNixon]

Why do you assume people who need faster than Eurosafe motors & controllers to keep pace with traffic would necessarily ride recklessly on trails? The average roadie or mountain biker on a trailer can?t tell the diff between a 250 watt & a 1 kw motor on aesthetics alone. Also, idk about where you?re at but in my area uppitty roadies and overzealous Karens grouse the second they see my hub, even if I am on PAS 1 or have my undersized motor off.

Finally, many of us are either not in great shape, live in mountainous areas, have injuries, or a combination thereof. We need more juice to get around our areas than Rad can /will provide in order to sell in the EU & Canada.

I still love my Rad. But I either have to sell it and get an Ariel / Juiced or do a series of upgrades I am not certain the frame can handle (hence why I joined & posted about 1kw upgrades here). I weigh 275 lbs at 6? and live in an area where almost every incline is over a quarter mile at a steep incline. For a commute ride to fluctuate 1200? in elevation several times is a normal, easy ride.

That?s why there?s so much talk of upgrades. Boomer.

I await your Karen complaint to the Mods while talking IRL to whomever will listen about why rap sucks or something.

Thanks,
Rojo

[Goosecreek]

🤣 guess I hit a nerve. I never pointed anyone out, just stated the direction that some folks are taking electric bikes and thought I would point out a potential problem with their plans.
Most of the spandex mafia stay on the road so they do not have to deal with slow moving bikes or pedestrian traffic. 
Sorry I hurt a feeling there snowflake.
Thanks Goose

[SemperVee]

I spend a lot of time on city trails and the majority of issues with hogging the f***ing road and speeding is the spandex mafia.  I play chicken with the Ahats on "real" bikes in spandex who think they own the F** road and won't move over riding 2-3 abreast at too fast speeds to be safe. 

[Goosecreek]

Wow, that isn't a problem around here, usually  they stick to the roads. Every once in a while I  will see one.
I live near the Blueridge Parkway and most of the hard-core riders are riding around in that area.
I am not bashing upgrading the  bikes just bringing it to everyones attention that it could cause problems if they are used in areas that they should not be. 
These bikes are around 5 times heavier than a race bike.and 3 times heavier than a mountain bike.
  It will only take a few severe accidents for it to hit the national news radar and when it does something will change. Personally I would rather see speed enforcement but in reality the government will most likely take the easy way out and ban eletric motorized equipment instead of addressing the real cause which will be reckless behavior.
  Even if little Suzy gets off her leash and steps out in front of someone and gets run over mom is going to blame the person on the big electric bike at that point the person on the illegal up bike will most likely be blamed regardless of  fault that's all.

[JimInPT]

So you're advocating for awareness of personal responsibility.  I agree and that's good; we have more laws than we need from people who could only get government jobs and often forget who they really work for.

[Goosecreek]

 Yes the responsibility is ours. Everyones action will affect the outcome and we all have invested in this activity, so we should try to preserve it.

[Altema]

I spend a lot of time on city trails and the majority of issues with hogging the f***ing road and speeding is the spandex mafia.  I play chicken with the Ahats on "real" bikes in spandex who think they own the F** road and won't move over riding 2-3 abreast at too fast speeds to be safe.

Same problem here when I ride in state parks. I'm the "responsible" one, riding safely and being polite, and people know it and are very friendly. Meanwhile, the spandex crowd is blowing past children at 30mph and running strollers off the road. An idiot rider is an idiot rider regardless of the vehicle.

[JTK77]

Rad Rhino (/Rover) running 60v 114A Peak.
Insured L1e-a electric bike.

[jfo]

I spend a lot of time on city trails and the majority of issues with hogging the f***ing road and speeding is the spandex mafia.  I play chicken with the Ahats on "real" bikes in spandex who think they own the F** road and won't move over riding 2-3 abreast at too fast speeds to be safe.

Love this. Same, on every point.

[jfo]

Super-loved all the comments here. Blisteringly accurate and most gave me the chuckles.

[BeachWagon]

The barn door has been open for a long time in the United States and the horse already left for greener pastures. Perhaps a majority of the ebikes sold these days are skirting regulations, not to mention the scofflaws riding electric motorcycles like the Surron around doing wheelies at 40mph on the public streets.

Rather than focusing on "upgrades," I think it is more important to be a good citizen on whatever you ride. Give pedestrians a wide berth. Mostly follow the laws, and be a good rider on the road. When you can, get over to allow cars to pass you. Don't cut people off. Don't ride the wrong way at high speed. If you're going to ride the sidewalks for safety give way to pedestrians. Always assume that people in cars don't see you. And lastly, just be friendly and helpful to others. The spandex crowd has gotten a bad reputation due to videos of some fighting with car drivers.

I'm lucky that I live in a beach town where all sorts of bicycles are heavily used. Most drivers are cool and I try to give them a thankful wave when they make room for me.

[Njaak]

Seems like everyone on here makes a good point of one sort or another.

Ride responsibly given the conditions, use your equipment (whatever you make it to be) safely, and things work out. 

Personally, I've got a brand new stock RadCity 5 plus that I'm loving.  32 km/h seems plenty for what I use it for, and at that limit I barely have to pedal on assist 5, except on really steep little inclines.  I intend to see how it performs in Canadian (Ottawa) winter, and if needed make some upgrades.  Big spiky ice tires, a couple of steep hills, and sub zero temperatures may convince me to make some upgrades, and if so I'm not likely to un-install them (except the tires) every spring   Need to keep up with traffic, more or less, as the side of the road becomes a snowbank along much of my commute. 

[handlebar]

Why do you assume people who need faster than Eurosafe motors & controllers to keep pace with traffic would necessarily ride recklessly on trails? The average roadie or mountain biker on a trailer can?t tell the diff between a 250 watt & a 1 kw motor on aesthetics alone. Also, idk about where you?re at but in my area uppitty roadies and overzealous Karens grouse the second they see my hub, even if I am on PAS 1 or have my undersized motor off.

I brings to mind an article in a drivers' magazine published about 1905, that advocated reckless driving. "Reckless" means not caring or thinking about consequences, but this author meant driving fast while recognizing the dangers. At a time when there were few cars but many pedestrians, bicycles, horses, ditches, and railroad crossings, a driver who assumed safety was just a matter  of staying below 15 mph, could be far more dangerous than a "reckless" one.

[jfo]

Seems like everyone on here makes a good point of one sort or another.

Ride responsibly given the conditions, use your equipment (whatever you make it to be) safely, and things work out. 

Personally, I've got a brand new stock RadCity 5 plus that I'm loving.  32 km/h seems plenty for what I use it for, and at that limit I barely have to pedal on assist 5, except on really steep little inclines.  I intend to see how it performs in Canadian (Ottawa) winter, and if needed make some upgrades.  Big spiky ice tires, a couple of steep hills, and sub zero temperatures may convince me to make some upgrades, and if so I'm not likely to un-install them (except the tires) every spring   Need to keep up with traffic, more or less, as the side of the road becomes a snowbank along much of my commute.

Ottawa winters and city streets just aren't safe in the winter. Fresh powder means no idea whatsoever of what's under it. Could be glare ice. Not enough separation between cars and cyclists. I did it one winter, will never do it again. Sidestreets are fine, but main roads like Carling, Baseline, Hunt Club, Bank Street... these are all death traps.