There is a wave spreading across the land.
It's a wave of Ebikes.
Call 'em Ebikes or eBikes or whatever you want. They are here to stay and I'm OK with that.
Initially I didn't like the idea. Then I thought about it and got used to it.
Now I'm a fan.
In my simplest of minds ... anything that gets people outside and enjoying nature is a good thing.
Things I've noticed about Ebikers
As I posted on Twitter in Dec 2020 Link
They must be doing something right!
Observations from the trails:
How can you tell when someone is riding an eBike?
I’ve noticed three things:
1. They are sitting bolt upright
2. They are barely peddling, and
3. They have a huge smile on their face.
As noted ... They must be doing something right!
These are the Pros of Ebikes.
There are also some cons to Ebikes.
Cons of Ebikes
These don't apply to everyone, but there is a growing number of riders that either never learned the rules of the road and trails ... or they forgot. I'd like to think they aren't willfully disregarding them.
My recommendations
- Slow Down! too many people go WAY too fast.
- Shout It Out! Along with going fast ... far too many eBikers don't alert people that they are coming up on them. Given they are also going too fast they usually startle the hikers and/or bikers and worse ... horseback riders (on the trails, obviously). Pro Tip: Get a Bell ... and use it.
- Say Hello. It won't actually hurt to acknowledge other riders and trail users. Who knows ... you might even get a hello back and you might make a friend too.
- 15 mph limit - This one is a bit controversial. Trails at 15 miles an hour is plenty fast. Controversial Thought: There should be a governor on the bikes to limit the top speed. If, Ebikes were smart like drones they could put a GPS chip on-board that would know where the bike is and allow for reasonable speeds for the given trail or roadway. My thinking ... Let them go fast when needed (on streets?), but keep 'em at a reasonable speed on trails.
Why do I suggest this? It's simple physics. Ebikes weigh 50-60 pounds. They usually have large smooth tires. Even with powerful disc brakes that weight and those tires are NOT CONDUCIVE to stopping or avoiding collisions. - ALWAYS wear a helmet and gloves. Is it the law? Who Cares! If you crash ... your hands and brain will appreciate the fact that you spent a few bucks to protect them.
- What do you think?
- What are your Pros of Ebikes?
- What are your Cons of Ebikes?
Tags: #SVT #Gravel #GravelGrinding #Bikes #Ebikes #Adventure #Safety
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Jeff is business advisor, mentor and community engagement expert. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2. He is currently at Oracle where he works with partners, including Microsoft and Microsoft partners, to create Hybrid Cloud solutions on a global scale.the Personal Branding Blog with over 250 articles published.
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