The ebike class 1/2/3 concept is stupid puritan nonsense driven by cyclist jealousy and serves only to limit the usefulness of ebikes as car replacements.

  • uralsolo [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    The classes should be strictly based on top speed - pedal assist/throttle putting you in a different spot is dumb.

    But the classes themselves do serve an important purpose. The vehicles allowed on bike paths should have a limited top speed, the vehicles allowed on roads should have a minimum top speed, and the required safety gear/licensing for a rider should become more comprehensive as speed increases. I’ve seen people on unlocked eBikes zipping around at 30+MPH in just a regular bike helmet - brother there’s a reason motorcyclists wear more gear than that.

    • buckykat [none/use name]@hexbear.netOP
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      1 year ago

      I see more full on gas powered highway speed motorcyclists without helmets than with. That’s not an argument for limiting speed, some people are just dumb.

    • Mardoniush [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, that said even on an Ebike, once you get past 35kph or so things get a bit dicey. I think there’s an informal limit on most bike lanes here of 30kph anyway.