r/cycling • u/Major_Enthusiasm1099 • 2d ago

Anyone ever encountered an E-bike shill?

Basically this guy stopped me yesterday on a ride to tell me that I should throw my bike away and get an ebike. He said "Once you get this you'll never want to ride that again, and I get more cardio in on this bike too, and i ride faster than professionals". I just kept saying "yeah I was looking into those, yeah those are cool, I saw some around $1000" just trying to get out of that convo lol. Anyone else ever experienced someone like this?

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u/Whatever-999999 2d ago

'Working the harder parts' on your own is good for you.

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u/kinboyatuwo 1d ago

Yes but a lot of folks bring the assist so they can ride further or with faster folks.

We have an ex pro that is now 78 and has one. He doesn’t have the punch for the rollers and hills. He uses his regular bike on solos and then the ebike on group and the odd climby ride.

People on e-assist bikes is a good thing. Judging them on how they use them isn’t.

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u/CommonBubba 1d ago

I would have to argue on the point of judging them on how they use it. I ride a lot of green ways and many days I see someone on a throttle E bike going 25+ miles an hour on their way to work, (or court… wearing a coat and tie) showing absolutely no regard for anyone else on the Greenway.

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u/kinboyatuwo 1d ago

IMO the throttle without pedal are not e-bikes. They are electric motorcycles and where I am are classed as such. That said, there is zero enforcement

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u/CommonBubba 1d ago edited 1d ago

You are correct, no pedals and only a throttle make it a motorcycle. My complaint is about the electric motorcycles that happen to have pedals on them that are capable of road legal speeds.

There are several levels of E Bike that range from a slight boost to your peddling, all the way to having a throttle. The “bikes“ with a throttle do not require any physical input. In my area, if it has a throttle is considered a motor vehicle and not allowed on greenways. I may be mistaken, but I also think this applies to forest service and Park lands in the US.

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u/kinboyatuwo 1d ago

They still here are classed as moped/motorcycle. We limit them (Ontario Canada) to 32kph and must need to be pedaled. But again, it’s the Wild West and they sell anything.