Why more teenagers should ride electric bikes
Why more teenagers should ride electric bikes
The debate around whether teenagers should be riding electric bikes is hotly contested, but there are some undeniable truths.
You're viewing a single thread.
E-bikes give teenagers personal agency. In cities without good public transportation (i.e. most of the country), a teen can ride an e-bike several miles to get to school, visit friends, get to work or just enjoy some fresh air.
Lol. Whereas on a regular bike, you're limited to 1 mile or less.
So many people miss the amazing potential of an e-bike: This is a fully-functional transportation device that can increase the resources in a city that are available to teens while simultaneously teaching them responsibility and freeing up their parents. And it even comes at such a low cost compared to nearly every other form of transportation other than walking.
Lol. Other than walking and regular bikes.
American kids are lazy.
Ah, context!
Laziness is real. But I think the author maybe doesn’t quite appreciate how busy teens these days can be. E-bikes can save a lot of time over a traditional bicycle. Especially in the US where your destination may be an hour ride away if you live in suburban sprawl. This can make regular bikes less practical even for physically active people.
Yeah, I had a summer internship and bought a real cheapo ebike. Hour bike ride each way through suburban sprawl and with a fair number of hills. I simply wouldn't have done it on an non-electric bike. The electric made it 1000x more practical to go the distance and over the hills, especially in the heat.
It's reductive for people to pretend ebikes are purely about laziness, and it certainly doesn't help to look down on ebikes when they're actively bringing in a whole new segment of the population to advocate for better bike infrastructure.
Yeah, I see the point. I'm from Copenhagen where everything is flat and close and regular bikes are everywhere, so I guess I read it from a privileged position.
Laziness.
Where is all this hostility coming from?