Why don't Americans use electric bicycles?

[lectureral]

I saw this on a blog I follow - might be of interest to some

Biking, With A Boost - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast

 

[eddieo]

Same reason that they hardly use buses and trains?

 

[flecc]

They buy a few more than we do in the UK, but with five times the population. Their laws don't help though, as I drew attention to in this thread.

 

[aseb]

An American forum- Endless-sphere.com • Index page seems to indicate a fair level of popularity.

 

[danfoto]

They probably don't use electric bicycles for the same reason they talk so loud.

 

[flecc]

The major difference is that most e-bikes there are used as fun bikes off-road, often overpowered, rather than for any utilitarian purpose.

 

[rog_london]

Just my opinion of course, but I've always thought that the main 'gap' in the US cycle market in general is that they don't commute by bike. Distances tend to preclude it, and while there are exceptions, they ride for recreation and/or exercise but don't see a bike as 'transport' at all. They have their bike couriers (who I understand have a lower life expectancy even than here) so again you can always find local reasons to disagree with what I'm saying.

Sticking a motor on a bike means it's no longer a bike as far as they're concerned.

This is a highly general opinion, and there's a risk in this 'one size fits all' approach. One notable exception if I remember correctly is Philadelphia, which has a huge love of cycling and you'd think you were in Holland rather than in the US. Other than that, it's traditional to ride a bicycle until you're 16 and can get into your first car - and that's it.

I'll avoid getting into any snipery (see above). Oh, alright then. Anyone over 30 is generally too fat to cycle, and you couldn't afford to buy an ebike any earlier than that.

Rog.

 

[flecc]

All largely true Rog, just some odd exceptions, one you mention being Philadelphia, and the really outstanding one, Boston.

Otherwise often as you say, viewing anything with a motor as a motor vehicle, and e-bikes rarely for transport.

 

[timidtom]

I saw this on a blog I follow - might be of interest to some

Biking, With A Boost - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast

For years that was my dream bike! I'd just passed the 11+ and bombarded my dad with pleas for that beautiful machine! I got a sit-up-and-beg SA 3 speed Hercules instead ... motorised in later life with a Trojan (?) Mini-motor.

 

[rog_london]

Hopefully by now you might concede that your dad had the right idea!

Still, you were only 11-ish. It's much better to be an Old Git, because then you can get to be as childish as you wish.

Rog.