“It feels like the wins bicycle advocates have made here over the years are now benefiting a different group and leaving some of us behind.“
Welcome to the Comment of the Week, where we highlight good comments in order to inspire more of them. You can help us choose our next one by replying with “comment of the week” to any comment you think deserves recognition.
Our article last week, E-bikes have changed the game. Is it time to change the rules? ended with a call for reader thoughts—and boy did you respond. The subject was clearly something people had on their mind.
Out of a long thread of excellent comments, only Maria’s received a “comment of the week” nomination. We liked it too. It was personal, respectful and in plain language described the feeling of vulnerability that many riders are feeling in what were once safe spaces.
But there were many other comments and discussions which also merit mention. First off, what are we supposed to call those things with two wheels that don’t have a motor? “Acoustic” bike really did not go over well with a lot of people, like “nails on a chalkboard” wrote maxD.
E-bike riders said their piece too. SDR, who is 68 and has been riding for 60 years, described their e-bike as a “game-changer,” especially in the southwest hills. And Brent pointed out that their e-bike is a “work vehicle” and “car replacement.”
Overall, it was an informative thread that did a good job hashing out the issues. But Maria’s comment stood out.
Here it is:
I’m so glad folks can be on two wheels instead of in cars. I want all bodies to be able to access the outdoor transportation and fun that bikes and ebikes have to offer.
But…here’s my “kids off my lawn” rant. I’m sure people will hate me for saying so, but I’m also sure I am not alone in this sentiment. As a solely acoustic bicycle user, and a car-free person, I’ve increasingly struggled on what used to feel like safe spaces for me (ie the bike path, the bike lane). Now, in addition to the danger of cars, I have to contend with other bike lane or bike path users on machines that are much faster and much heavier than me & my bicycle. It’s not much fun riding 12mph and getting passed by ebikers going 30mph. I know that’s not allowed but it’s happening, and it’s happening a lot. The last time I rode to Boring, the majority of path users were on ebikes, steamrolling me and passing dangerously close.
As the ebike revolution (which I thought would not be motorized heh heh) progresses, it’s likely more and more of those riders will have had little or no acoustic bike experience. As I get older and slower and more vulnerable to injury, and more of my encounters in the bike lane or bike path are with motorized users who may not have awareness of what it’s like to be passed at twice your speed and may not have bike handling skills created from riding acoustic bikes, it’s leading to a scarier world than I’d hoped I’d been working to help build here in Portland. Le sigh.
It feels like the wins bicycle advocates have made here over the years are now benefiting a different group and leaving some of us behind. There’s likely no way to address this without building an entire second set of infrastructure for human powered vehicles only. Of course that sounds ridiculous – probably just as ridiculous as it sounded to car drivers when bicycles demanded safe infrastructure in the past.
I guess all I can do is to ask ebikers to please slow down when passing and/or please give a wide wake to those of us still on acoustic bikes. And, oh yeah, please don’t pass on the right when a rider is turning right and signaling right (this is oddly common!). Thanks for reading, hope I haven’t ticked anyone off too much.
Two wheels, one love.
Thank you Maria. You can read her comment, and the entire thread, under the original article.
Note: This story originally including a reference to a comment on the original story that was inappropriate and has since been deleted.