The Younger Generation and E-Bikes

[SRS]

I don't really know why but I have always had it in mind that 17, 18 year olds would have no interest in E-bikes.

Well, a trip into Halfords with my pedelec opened my eyes.

Popped in, taking my bike with me. No sooner had I got to the desk, several staff arrived. All youngsters and all expressed great interest. Most had a spin around the carpark and all were very interested without exception.

I take it all back, todays youngsters would take to these bikes like ducks to water. If someone could mass produce a trendy, cost effective bike targeted at this market, they'd surely make a killing.

PS: have now swapped browsers and can post any thread title I Like.

 

[jazper53]

Maybe with a built in ghetto blaster and cross-bar seat for the main squeeze

 

[funkylyn]

Funnily enough I have found over the years that that age group in the UK always seemed interested in seeing e-bikes and yet in Spain they definitely werent.

I put that down to the fact that in Spain the youngsters are all, almost without exception, used to having a scooter from around 14 years old,( and even much younger ) like a sort of 'right of passage ' lol

Whereas in the Uk they seem to all want a car, but are used to cycling more as younger teens and so that bit more speed until they can afford a car seems to appeal.
Just what I have found personally anyway, comparing here in Ilminster to the Alora area in southern spain.

Do you really think they need to be more 'trendy' looking ?

I would say more 'stealth' looking might be more appealing, certainly not step thru dutch style though , thats for sure lol

I bet it was great for you seeing them all interested in your bike....bit of street cred never does us any harm....you will have to go more often

Lynda

 

[SRS]

Do you really think they need to be more 'trendy' looking ?

I would say more 'stealth' looking might be more appealing, certainly not step thru dutch style though , thats for sure lol

I bet it was great for you seeing them all interested in your bike....bit of street cred never does us any harm....you will have to go more often

Lynda

Perhaps trendy is the wrong word but they are naturally more image conscience than someone like myself who is long past caring.

It was just so nice to see their enthusiasm.

 

[RobF]

I think mountain bikes could be a growth area for ebikes.

Mountain bikers tend to be younger, and young people generally feel less hidebound by convention and more willing to try something new.

Unethical Dave from Kopycat Kudos could be onto something with his new range.

 

[wissy]

I used to 'diss' electric bikes.. Well some of them still look stupid you have to admit and very heavy... never ever thought I would get one. This C2W scheme and price of petrol is my main reason as is health issue ie fat cow when I used to be sooo skinny. Is it a bad thing that youngsters find them appealing.. ? Should they not be on regular bikes ..? then again they are the XBox generation so anything that makes them get off their backside must be good.

Need more cycle lanes like in Europe.... I think Anglesey calling main road routes cycle path routes is a damned cheek!

 

[Kudoscycles]

I have posted this story before but it is so relevant to this thread.
We had a family come to test the bikes at our warehouse....the dad had some problems with power in his legs but loved cycling so wanted to buy an ebike,but he also wanted to have his family ride with him,they lived near Romney Marsh/Dungeness,which has some wonderful cycling routes.
They had 2 teenage daughters,the youngest was sort of interested but the older girl had that 'what am I doing here,this is so uncool,I am bored,I am here under sufferance' attitude.
Dad bought 4 Kudos Sport bikes.
Two weeks later he came back to buy a couple of accessories,the transformation with the 2 girls was dramatic,the 'bored' eldest daughter was so enthusiastic about her bike-it was her independence,no longer totally reliant on mum's taxi,she was fast on that bike,the confidence of youth. The family would go out on family rides on Sundays and the electric power allowed them to vary their pace such that all rode together.
If only we can get teenagers on these bikes like in Holland and Germany,our new Kudos Cobra bike was styled to appeal to younger users.
KudosDave

 

[flecc]

I've found exactly the same enthusiasm among 13 to 15 year olds and have allowed them many rides on my 3 e-bikes over time. But without exception they've gone on to buy mopeds at 16 years or in few cases, waited and got cars as soon as they could afford them. I even passed on one of my e-bikes free to the most enthusiastic lad after he'd had a period with a moped and crashed it, but he quickly wrecked it and went back to mopeds and trial motorbikes.

So I'm afraid the enthusiasm of British teenagers is very much a false dawn, only apparent when they do not have access to or are not old enough for a fully motorised vehicle. Mopeds, motorbikes and cars win out with them every time.
.

 

[funkylyn]

Mopeds, motorbikes and cars win out with them every time.

Yes flecc, its SPEED that wins out with them every time.....

Lynda

 

[jazper53]

I've found exactly the same enthusiasm among 13 to 15 year olds and gave allowed them many rides on my 3 e-bikes over time. But without exception they've gone on to buy mopeds at 16 years or in few cases, waited and got cars as soon as they could afford them. I even passed on one of my e-bikes free to the most enthusiastic lad after he's had a period with a moped and crashed it, but he quickly wrecked it and went back to mopeds and trial motorbikes.

So I'm afraid the enthusiasm of British teenagers is very much a false dawn, only apparent when they do not have access to or are not old enough for a fully motorised vehicle. Mopeds, motorbikes and cars win out with them every time.

With the Teen culture(s), fashion can be changed very quickly such as a Teen-Movie with the appropriate Idol of the day riding a E-bike, or some music video showing some popular band mucking about on E-bikes, its all about the way its marketed to create the cool, and IN image, rather than bore them with the Eco benefits, or get over involved with spec details.

 

[jackhandy]

I'm sure that, if they watched some of the clips on youtube of what yoof in the usa are doing, with ebikes, on singletrack & dirty great jumps, a lot of our teenage superheroes would be hooked:

They bring me out in a sweat, just watching.

 

[flecc]

It certainly is about image, as shown in the type of mopeds the teens buy. But what happens in others countries isn't relevant, since cycling in Britain simply doesn't have a cool image as it does in many other countries and e-bikes are just bicycles. Where cool is concerned I see no prospect of bicycles and cycle helmets winning out over hoodies or full-face moped helmets.

Another British problem is parental attitudes, cycling too often seen as being as dangerous as riding mopeds or motorbikes. Since parents will be financing the sort of e-bike that a youngster might just about like, their veto on either is final. Yet another problem is that the teen years are also the courting years, and bicycles have no pillion seat. That's a major contributory reason why I dropped out of cycling for quite a while and into motorbikes at 16 years old! You'd need to convince girls too that cycling is cool, and I wish anyone the best of luck with that and today's girls!

London, by far our largest urban centre, is essential to achieving any lasting national fashion change, but here there's a particular problem that keeps teens away from all personal transport. Quite simply it's that it's so well served with all forms of public transport, free to all youngsters to the age of 16, or 18 while still in education. And boy, do they use that advantage to the full, who wouldn't. They even go bus and tram riding when they've nothing else to do, just for the change of scene and visiting kids in other estates. What I've seen in the years of that being the case is that the public transport habit just sticks, lasting beyond their teens, and that's evidenced by the reported marked falls in youth driving and riding.

 

[andy slow coach]

In September last year my wife and I managed to get away on the motorbike for a quick weekend to Belgium.
The thing that struck me most was the amount of people using push-bikes to get about and the amount of e-bikes.
But there were proper cycle lanes everywhere even between towns.

PS. The other thing I liked was the Belgium beer!

 

[funkylyn]

Yes, I suppose you are right flecc, the initial interest the youth show when seeing of e-bikes for the first time doesnt seem to materialise into often actually getting one, though as kudos dave points out....there are always exceptions.

VERY good point about the lack of pillion seat lol

Talking about transport systems......I just cannot WAIT to be riding that Tyneside Metro system and being over 60 it will only cost me £25 for the year......bargain !!

You see, there are always advantages to getting older, you just have to discover them..... another good one I 'discovered' was not being able to get pregnant

Lynda

 

[flecc]

Talking about transport systems......I just cannot WAIT to be riding that Tyneside Metro system and being over 60 it will only cost me £25 for the year......bargain !!

So you can see the very great London tram/bus/tube/Docklands Light Railway benefits Lynda, all completely free to 16 years, for most to 18, and then completely free from 60 years of age upwards. It makes it so easy to have a London life without personal transport. These policies should be nationwide.

You see, there are always advantages to getting older, you just have to discover them..... another good one I 'discovered' was not being able to get pregnant

Being male is even better, I didn't have to wait for old age to have that benefit.

 

[funkylyn]

Being male is even better, I didn't have to wait for old age to have that benefit.

Ah....but men still have the hassle of trying not to father one.......so best be careful eh ! ........

Lynda

 

[flecc]

Ah....but men still have the hassle of trying not to father one.......so best be careful eh ! ........

Lynda

Amazingly to some, I've hardly had to try to avoid that risk Lynda. Avoided the risk for the initial girl friend, but later in my teens in the army I had a long intimate relationship with a much older woman who couldn't have children anyway. My next partner arrived when back in civvy street just after the pill arrived, and she was a diligent user. Ditto for later partners, so I've never had to use a condom in my life thankfully, and never caused any child to be conceived!

 

[funkylyn]

Amazingly to some, I've hardly had to try to avoid that risk Lynda. Avoided the risk for the initial girl friend, but later in my teens in the army I had a long intimate relationship with a much older woman who couldn't have children anyway. My next partner arrived when back in civvy street just after the pill arrived, and she was a diligent user. Ditto for later partners, so I've never had to use a condom in my life thankfully, and never caused any child to be conceived!

Theres still time flecc......still plenty time....you never know what, or who, is around the corner......just dont become too complacent....... thats all Im saying......

Lynda

 

[Cyclezee]

VERY good point about the lack of pillion seat lol

Lynda

What's not cool about this, teenage transport plus room for the inevitable offspring, plus the added bonus of the rider being able to ignore all that is going on around them and focus totally on their inevitable smartphone just like they do when driving or walking

 

[flecc]

Theres still time flecc......still plenty time....you never know what, or who, is around the corner......just dont become too complacent....... thats all Im saying......

Lynda

No longer possible Lynda, due to a side effect of my BPH, (benign prostatic hyperplasia), so no worries on that account at 77 years old.