E Bikes are becoming very popular. Cheap easy transportation, they are good for a lot of people. With risk, though, much from stupidity.
I hope he made it home.
The local subreddit had a thread yesterday about a guy who rides around on a onewheel and seems to have a death wish. So far there haven't been any city ordinances but as e-bikes and e-scooters proliferate it's a matter of time. I think the Forest Service has banned them and they are now added to the prohibited signs at trailheads. The icon is a bicycle with an electric cord with a red slash.
When I go home at night most of the trip is on rural roads with no street lights. I've found even a very visible red blinker attracts my attention in all the darkness and I tend to aim at it. Target fixation.
It's worse in the city with bicycles being the preferred mode of transportation for the homeless. They aren't too big on safety equipment or common sense. The homeless pedestrians are no better but they don't move as fast.
Florida is going to update regulations, mostly based on speed ability, to determine if must be registered and allowed on the streets.
I see people zipping around on scooters too. Not against them, just have to operate sanely. Not all do. My son has treated a few in the hospital ER he works at.
Unsupported browser (the photo or video). Both with Firefox and Chrome.
It worked for me - copy and paste into old FireFox version. John T.
The inline two wheelers that you stand up on? No thanks. Pavement or sidewalk irregularities can ruin your day fast.
Years ago I was heavily into bicycling going more than 100 miles a week. Downhill once I clocked 45 mph.
Trying to shift into high gear once the chain got wrapped up tossing me off the bike to hit the road at maybe 20 mph. Helmet saved head but my collarbone snapped in half. Should have had surgery right away as it would not heal in months so had surgery and was out of commission for nearly 9 months total.
I have been in three head on or near head on collisions that totaled the cars but I only got bruised.
Today I will not zip around on anything that goes over 15 mph.
One of my favorite rides has a small hill, maybe a 200' elevation gain. At the bottom there's one of those radar speed signs that flashes if you exceed 35 mph. I would try to trigger it but didn't have the gearing. iirc my best was 32. They moved it further out on the flat and that took care of my effort.
My balls hav shrunk with age and I no longer ride that road. It's a narrow two lane and the fog line is the edge of the pavement with no shoulder. People are good about bikes but getting passed by a F350 pulling a horse trailer is a bit intimidating.
Been there, done that. The only time I wore a helmet was on a trail where one was required. It looks like they changed that to recommended for adults. I bought a cheap headlight to meet that requirement. That proved completely inadequate for most of the tunnels and I walked them. I started at the bottom in Pearson ID, rode up to the 1.6 mile tunnel, decided against doing that, and rode back down. It's a nice ride and being an old railroad the grade is pretty easy.
I wore the helmet and have always worn glasses and had a small rear view mirror on the glasses.
Never rode at night so had no lights.
Lot more traffic on roads today and DE is about 6th highest density populated state. Years ago I once rode about 25 miles before being passed by a car. There are drivers that do not notice you and you must avoid and then there are real assholes that throw cigarettes and the like at you.
It was great exercise as you could go for hours without tiring. Summer Sunday mornings I had a 60 mile ride that took 4 hours. I would get home and after lunch take wife and kids to the swim club after noon. I took up running after the accident.
I tried that sort of mirror and never got the hang of it. I've got a bar end mounted one.
I have no problem with e-bikes properly used but in Virginia Beach they've been banned from the Boardwalk area and the bike trails. All bikes are banned from the boardwalk anyway except at really odd hours like 2-5am or somesuch.
The problem is the e-bikes can hit over 30mph and kids aren't using them safely around regular foot traffic or of slower normal bikes.
Yeah but ... .. e-bikes don't hurt people - careless e-bike _riders_ _do_ ! So don't put _any_ restrictions on the e-bikes - and let the overcrowded courts deal with the careless riders. Problem solved. John T.
I like your sensible thinking. We should eliminate speed limits on the streets too! How do you feel about stop signs and the lines down the road?
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