micromobility - Bikes, scooters, boards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles, heelies, or an office chair: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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It's a little sad that we need to actually say this, but:
Don't be an asshole or you will be permanently banned.
Respectful debate is totally OK, criticizing a product is fine, but being verbally abusive will not be tolerated.
Focus on discussing the idea, not attacking the person.
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This reeks of elitism.
Buy the e-bike that you want to buy for the price you want to buy it. If you find out after the fact that there are issues, you're on your own.
But it's not like the $2,000 e-bikes are any cheaper or less difficult to work on than the $250 one.
Worst case, your $250 or $600 spend will be the kickstart of a new passion that gets you excited about being outdoors and riding bicycles and you can resell your $250 bike to someone else for $100 and give them an opportunity to experience the same passion.
Even one of the “problems” he cites - that many bike shops will refuse to work on the cheap one - is evidence of the elitism.
If I want my Walmart wheel trued, and a shop refuses to do it, that’s not a problem with the bike.
I went to a bike shop once who ridiculed me for wanting to buy (from them) a nice seat for my "cheap" bike (it was the most expensive bike I had ever bought). I just wanted to be able to ride more than 50 km without butt pain. I never returned to them but I wonder what their response would have been if they saw it after I added a rack and milk crate so I could go touring.
Right? In some areas of the country literally what is the alternative? Not to mention shouldn't we be trying to include people rather than immediately judge them?
To me it screams hipster who is upset his thing is going mainstream and the poors aren't doing it right.
Most families can't drop 3 grand on an ebike like he suggests, or at least they can't justify it. What they can do is get a cheap one, see if they like it and use it, and then get a good one later once the value is proven.
I live in a small town, Walmart is my only option to buy a bike (unsure if this one sells e-bikes), unless I drive to the city over an hour away. But if I was in the market for one, and I was looking at one for $1500 from Walmart or $2000 for very similar from a bike shop or the manufacturer, I would probably make the drive or order online.
But I have a vehicle and the means to make the drive.