How many electric bikes do you see out on the roads?

[Gaynor]

Ive noticed more push bikes on the road, pushing their bikes up the steep hills, as I go past with ease on the Quando, they shout ' OI,I want one of those!'
Think I ought to print out some flyers on where they can get one! Talk about make you jump with the oi!
Car drivers are very rude too, the times when they just beep you for the hell of it, smiling as you give them the evil, or cut you up...dont know if its because im a female driver, but its realllly annoying!

 

[flecc]

No, we all get it at times Gaynor, living in tin boxes seems to do little for manners.

I have some ways of getting my own back on occasion.

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

Saw an what looks like a "Bright" bike in Long Eaton today.

http://www.foroutdoors.co.uk/acatalog/bright_bike_folde.jpg

Andrew

 

[Gaynor]

No, we all get it at times Gaynor, living in tin boxes seems to do little for manners.

I am very nervous on the roads, which will no dought get better in time, I think you have to think what others are going to do as much as what you are going to do on the road at all times, as we are the ones more at risk to injury.
Yesterday I was overtaken by a powerful motorbike around a bend, he skidded and came flying off! luckily he wasn't too badly hurt as he picked his bike back up and others came to his aid.

I have some ways of getting my own back on occasion.

Good to hear it

 

[rsscott]

Confidence will come in time Gaynor!

Something I've found highly irritating this week in the car and on the bike is other drivers who put their rear foglights on at the slightest hint of fog !!

Even in built up areas, where cars are nose to tail, they still keep them on.

/Rant off

 

[flecc]

I think one problem with the fog lights is that drivers forget they're on, since the warning light on the dash is usually not very prominent. I've made this mistake myself, putting on "fogs" for a dense stretch on a bit of open road, than later forgotten they were on with just one little square yellow warning among others for the lights etc being missed.

 

[Tim]

Westminster to charge for motorcycle parking

London Tonight report that use of motorcycles, mopeds and scooters has increased by 16 times over the last 15 years or so, with much of this increase following the introduction of the congestion charge. So, Westminster council have announced that they will start charging motorcyclists for parking spaces in London from this summer. Might this have some positive effect on the number of clean, green, exercise-encouraging and easily parked anywhere electric bicycles in London? Hope so.

 

[Flying Kiwi]

Might this have some positive effect on the number of clean, green, exercise-encouraging and easily parked anywhere electric bicycles in London? Hope so.

I certainly hope it encourages more people onto electric cycles but there must be a second Westminster I've never heard of if electric bikes are easily parked anywhere there. The one I know of has signs all over the place warning people not to chain their bikes to the railings or they'll be removed. The other option is the very limited number of bike racks in exposed areas (if you get to them early enough to find a space) or parking in less exposed places with the risk of finding only a cut lock on your return.

 

[flecc]

That would be good Tim, and it must be some help when someone is considering the options for avoiding the congestion charge, since they will already have costs on their mind.

I've heard of the problems that Flying Kiwi refers to, and I sometimes wonder at the injustice of so much of the income from congestion charging and other local authority funds being spent on a surfeit of parking facilities in the outer areas while ignoring the real needs of those inner areas. Around the South Croydon and adjacent areas that I ride into, the cycle parking facilities are at least adequate in standard and with a large surplus of places.

Some are positively luxurious, stainless steel locking rails, and translucent full roofing for example. In one shopping area there's a row of these shelters, each one for several bikes and I've never once seen another bike in one whenever I use a space. (There's something faintly amusing and eccentric about supplying a roof for cyclists while leaving drivers parking their cars exposed to the elements). In a private provision example, my newly built Sainsburys has the car parking inconveniently a long way round the rear of the building but has an architect designed very modern flying roof cycle shelter with tiled floor and stainless steel fittings placed right in front of the front doors of the supermarket. Poor drivers!

 

[Tim]

I certainly hope it encourages more people onto electric cycles but there must be a second Westminster I've never heard of if electric bikes are easily parked anywhere there. The one I know of has signs all over the place warning people not to chain their bikes to the railings or they'll be removed. The other option is the very limited number of bike racks in exposed areas (if you get to them early enough to find a space) or parking in less exposed places with the risk of finding only a cut lock on your return.

Can't say I've ever had a problem finding a spot and I live in Westminster and venture into the centre almost every day.

 

[Flying Kiwi]

Can't say I've ever had a problem finding a spot and I live in Westminster and venture into the centre almost every day.

You're very lucky to have never had a problem finding a spot. The times when I venture in there (maybe weekly on average) I see a couple of empty spots in the middle of bike racks but often its chokka. The same applies at the train station where there's usually an assortment of odd wheels or frames chained up. I rarely get there before about 9 am though so it may be a case of the early bird getting the worm.

 

[nigel]

parking

Hi everyone
i live in southampton and find parking not to bad if it is busy you can always double up. The 2 main places that are busy are the library and train station most other parking is ok my main gripe is with the supermarkets some of them have parking on top of main road next to a bus stop which makes loading up anyway enough of my winges Hoping for a dry spell so i can take out my new twistlite cant wait to hit the road. also southampton seems to be the home for powabykes as have seen many around one chap went wizzing by telling me how happy he was with his bike nigel

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

I passed another (wet) giant suede in Ripley/Derbyshire at 6:30 this morning

 

[nigel]

nigel

I
passed another (wet) giant suede in Ripley/Derbyshire at 6:30 this morning

Hi andrew
6.30 in the morning in the rain spoken like a true leccy bike owner keep spreading the word. Last summer i had finnished my night shift and it started to rain just as i got on the bike and i still had 18 miles to get home i dont think i could have got any more wet still it was a quick dry and of to bed good job i didnt have many days like that.

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

Rain isn`t too bad when you are on the cycle paths round here. Got a tumble dryer at work too, so that helps
Andrew

 

[flecc]

Doesn't that knock the bike about a bit Andrew?

 

[johnp]

how many electric bikes do you see on the roads

I drive a motorhome and carry ours and use all the time I see a few on other moterhomes but seldom see them being used.
I know of 4 bikes in my area but never come across one out on my local rides

 

[electric.mike]

honest ime not making this up, i have now seen 3 more in grimsby two of the small wheel folders and one of those moped looking bikes.
mike

 

[flecc]

honest ime not making this up, i have now seen 3 more in grimsby two of the small wheel folders and one of those moped looking bikes.
mike

That's amazing Mike, Grimsby must be the North's electric bike answer to cycling Cambridge. I've always said the answer for expansion of usage is critical mass. Where there's only the odd user in an area as with me, people lack the courage to follow regardless of how much they're encouraged. If there's a few around, they're more confident.
.

 

[coops]

an idea...

I've always said the answer for expansion of usage is critical mass. Where there's only the odd user in an area as with me, people lack the courage to follow regardless of how much they're encouraged. If there's a few around, they're more confident.
.

That makes perfect sense and gives me an idea... forgive me if its been said before but it bears repeating, that if institutions e.g. educational (universities etc.), businesses, even the post office were (encouraged) to institute electric bike usage among their members, then they (bikes) may become more popular (I'm not saying "replace all other transport" but at least be more common, it all makes a difference...).

I know there's a scheme to offer tax breaks to help employees who buy bikes for transport work, or something like that - I forget the name - but if the institutions took it upon themselves to offer the bikes, that would be different since it is being done on a collective, not an individual basis...

I say this here, in the hope that someone reading this can make a difference (which I guess we all can, collectively) - start the ball (wheel?! ) rolling - a bit faster

What do you all think?

P.S. Forum mod - I hope this is appropriate for this thread, seems relevant

P.P.S. I've not seen any electric bikes here in Manchester, but saw a non-electric bike the other day with a nice trailer

Stuart.