Why an ebike?
Some sources claim it is actually the most environmentally friendly method of transportation, even when taking manufacturing into account.
I think we can stop right here. I don't doubt that using a low-powered electric motorcycle may be a more environmentally friendly method of transportation than using a high-powered ICE motorcycle, if it is suitable for the purpose. But that doesn't make it a muscle-powered bicycle, and it doesn't make it equivalent to and as environmentally friendly as a muscle-powered bicycle.
Riding this distance on an unpowered bike before and after work would fucking suck.
O RLY? I commuted 8 miles each way for decades. It was pretty tough at first. But the great thing about muscle-powered bikes is that the engine gets stronger over time with heavy use.
@whosepoopisonmybutt
One reason for my distaste is the scam of marketing mopeds as bicycles. Bicycles are two-wheeled vehicles that are propelled by muscle power. Mopeds that are propelled by a multiple of the power that non-athletes can provide are certainly not bicycles and should not be treated as such.
This may be true in California, but it is different in Germany and other European countries. In Germany, most people want to ride a bicycle, because it is convenient and because it keeps them healthy. Most still do. However, some people have been led to believe that ebikes are bicycles and therefore share their benefits, including the fitness benefits. Here too, obesity is on the rise.
Oh, that old canard. AFAIK, more than 60 % of the US population is overweight. "The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults 20 and over was 41.9% during 2017–March 2020" <cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-…>.
With the energy of the amount of surplus body fat that a very obese person carries around, I could do about 30,000 km (18,000 miles) by bike, even in hilly terrain. 😂
So much for theory. In practice, an obese person already needs more energy to move their weight around than a slim cyclist on a muscle-powered bike. And don't get me started on the time, money and energy people lose by driving to the gym to get what their “analog bike” would provide for free.
Funny term for something that people just call a bicycle, btw.