Will e-bikes ever enjoy mainstream popularity in the UK?

[flecc]

In that case my apologies ,there is no excuse ! Up here cycle lanes are seperated from mainstream traffic by white lines and painted cycles.....you wouldn't believe how safe they are and how much protection that paint offers you.

We do have areas of those Mick, but the sections that occur on this route are no bother since they are in wide roads. In fact the tiny number who do cycle often ignore that part of the cycle route and take to a wide footpath that leads though extensive woodland and a park all away from the road and still leading into town. The only inconvenience that way is that the last bit has no cyclepath, but that's offset by being able to use some empty side roads to short-cut parts of that bit. The only way that route could be better would be by extensive bulldozing of properties.
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[Scimitar]

Latest bit of bad news for cycling popularity was on the midday London news today. The daily access charge for the London Cycle hire scheme bikes (Boris Bikes) is doubling to £2.

Forecasts are that many will stop using them now, given the short trips they usually make on them.

Doubling is crazy economics. Bloody Hell, did the prat who proposed that ever do anything with their life other than sit on their ass in a classroom then an office? No better way to pee customers off than an absurd rise in charges - it could have been done in increments and within a couple of years been doubled, but to increase it by 100% overnight is utterly, totally, supremely stupid.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Doubling is crazy economics. Bloody Hell, did the prat who proposed that ever do anything with their life other than sit on their ass in a classroom then an office? No better way to pee customers off than an absurd rise in charges - it could have been done in increments and within a couple of years been doubled, but to increase it by 100% overnight is utterly, totally, supremely stupid.

I am old enough to remember when they doubled the Dartford Tunnel charge to I think £1,they promised that we would only pay the charge for 10 years and then it would be free!!!!!! That was 35 years ago.

 

[flecc]

Doubling is crazy economics. Bloody Hell, did the prat who proposed that ever do anything with their life other than sit on their ass in a classroom then an office? No better way to pee customers off than an absurd rise in charges - it could have been done in increments and within a couple of years been doubled, but to increase it by 100% overnight is utterly, totally, supremely stupid.

They've said it's to help with funding for such as the Crossrail scheme which will at last give an East-West rail link across London. One green measure helping to fund another! I think the reality is that Barclays Bank who have funded the cycle hire scheme so far are digging in against increasing what they give.

 

[carpetbagger]

Actually there is one section near me where there is a cycle path that goes under the motorway and avoids two busy roundabouts where there is exit and entry to the motorway,but after that you are back on dual carriageway either side . Mind you three miles in the other direction and i am heading into countryside so i suppose you can't win all the time....

 

[flecc]

Actually there is one section near me where there is a cycle path that goes under the motorway and avoids two busy roundabouts where there is exit and entry to the motorway,but after that you are back on dual carriageway either side . Mind you three miles in the other direction and i am heading into countryside so i suppose you can't win all the time....

Yes, they are trying to improve cycling facilities in many areas, but ours is a small island and our towns and cities are old and closely built-up, so complete solutions are near to impossible. If we did everything everywhere like that photo I showed above, we'd start to look like the nightmare of Los Angeles which looks more like a vast road junction than a city.

 

[funkylyn]

I just think it needs guts and determination to get anything done, mixed with a little bit of 'harmless' civil disobedience

I think if we wait for MP's to help we will ALL be long gone.....

The older I get the more 'anti establishment/anti pathetic rules' I get.......I really fancy being a true revolutionary when I grow up

I still think my idea of mass demonstrations (yes, Dave good idea to spread it to cities around the country ) except.......would there be enough of us ??

Doubtful, but we could suck it and see.....

I dont mind standing up to be counted and pushing the limits.....after all, if I end up being jailed, it would solve the 'is my pension going to be enough' problem..... I could spend my later days living in luxury courtesy of H.M.P.S........just as long as I could take the dogs

Seriously though.....I really really dont think lobbying MP's would do any good ......good god, how long is it taking to just get a ruling on a blooming throttle !!!!!

We need to be heard en masse.....

At the end of the day it just depends how many people think strongly enough about the necessity to encourage more cycling by speeding up the creation, and joining up, as many traffic free routes as possible.......if anyone cares to start the ball rolling count me in for a mass demo wherever you like, I dont mind travelling.........and, although it is a personal decision as Dave says, I think the dealers on here could get together and organise it for us all to go to....seeing as they will all become millionaires on the back of all those extra e-bike sales in the future

But then again, if not enough people give a monkeys then we all deserve what we have ,and we will just have to 'put up or shut up '......

Lynda

 

[Woosh]

I think there are several aspects to the problem of getting the UK to take up e-biking en-masse.

1. Obesity. Sorry, but it's true. Despite the big success of the Olympics, we are as a nation very, very unfit.
In Holland, Germany, Spain , Italy and Portugal the average family is far more athletic than here.
I think that if day time TV were reduced or even cut out altogether a percentage of the stay at homes might revise their ideas. Fewer chips for school lunches would also help - and no, I am not trying to be patronising. I am not exactly skinny myself.
2. The density of traffic, especially in the south east, terrifies many people who if they lived in Europe would be out on their bike and riding. Can't see how to solve this one, save create motorway charges like in France and bump up road tax?
3. The lack of cycle paths and general facilities (eg e-bike charging points) because of council spending cuts,
4. The high cost of electric bikes. Your average Brit relates to things like vacuum cleaners, washing machines, kettles, PCs. You can buy a Chinese-made imported moped for less than £600 - so why should an electric bike cost more? After all, it only has a controller (costing what, £20?) a battery (should cost less than £100 in most peoples' eyes, after all, what does a car battery cost?) and a motor - some big metal chunk in the back of a wheel, value c £90. Add that to the value of a bike you can typically get at Halfords for £99 and you have the general perception that an E bike should cost less than £500.
Of course we all know that it isn't that simple. But unless you can get the total cost of e-biking down to a very reasonable level - eg less than £2 per day, for example - you are not going to win round the masses.

I would be very happy to support Dave (Kudos) and Lynda with a national demo day - in fact I' m getting my banner ready as we speak (takes me back to my student days). Maybe we also need to get the big guys (ie TV and radio) or some celebrities on board to really make an impact. A big name works wonders......anyone know anyone famous?
Hatti

 

[funkylyn]

I think there are several aspects to the problem of getting the UK to take up e-biking en-masse.

1. Obesity. Sorry, but it's true. Despite the big success of the Olympics, we are as a nation very, very unfit.
In Holland, Germany, Spain , Italy and Portugal the average family is far more athletic than here.
I think that if day time TV were reduced or even cut out altogether a percentage of the stay at homes might revise their ideas. Fewer chips for school lunches would also help - and no, I am not trying to be patronising. I am not exactly skinny myself.
2. The density of traffic, especially in the south east, terrifies many people who if they lived in Europe would be out on their bike and riding. Can't see how to solve this one, save create motorway charges like in France and bump up road tax?
3. The lack of cycle paths and general facilities (eg e-bike charging points) because of council spending cuts,
4. The high cost of electric bikes. Your average Brit relates to things like vacuum cleaners, washing machines, kettles, PCs. You can buy a Chinese-made imported moped for less than £600 - so why should an electric bike cost more? After all, it only has a controller (costing what, £20?) a battery (should cost less than £100 in most peoples' eyes, after all, what does a car battery cost?) and a motor - some big metal chunk in the back of a wheel, value c £90. Add that to the value of a bike you can typically get at Halfords for £99 and you have the general perception that an E bike should cost less than £500.
Of course we all know that it isn't that simple. But unless you can get the total cost of e-biking down to a very reasonable level - eg less than £2 per day, for example - you are not going to win round the masses.

I would be very happy to support Dave (Kudos) and Lynda with a national demo day - in fact I' m getting my banner ready as we speak (takes me back to my student days). Maybe we also need to get the big guys (ie TV and radio) or some celebrities on board to really make an impact. A big name works wonders......anyone know anyone famous?
Hatti

Ah...now your talking hatti....national demo day...banners....MUST get national tv.....lets have a serious think about celebrities.

But back to your points....obesity.....hold my hands up here HOWEVER the GREAT thing about e-bikes is that obesity or not....we can STILL ride e-bikes

Before I got my first one I would never have been able to ride further than the end of the very flat lane, now I can do up to 50 miles a day if I have the chance.....however I will admit that those days only really happen when Im on holiday and enjoying traffic free routes.

Ive managed to keep over 3 stone off since those first days and only my addiction to chocolate and comfort eating ( and a teeny bit of Rose' ) ( ok ok...and a teeny bit of laziness ) keeps me yo yo' ing over the last 2

Costs of bikes....well, I dont know....you have some bikes around £600.....can hardly buy a decent phone for that lol.....people will find the money for anything IF they want to...trick is to convince them they DO want it......so I dont know if price would stop people.....and you will be set to reap the benefits there hatti

As for your other points...traffic/lack of cycle paths....thats what we will be demonstrating for.

So.....we NEED a celebrity to come on board.......anyone ??

Lynda

 

[neptune]

Does anyone know anyone famous? Well, I once met Jimmy Saville...Seriously, one aspect of the problem is that "us and them" attitude between cyclists and ebikers. If we were united we would have more clout, and after all we all want much the same thing. Another problem is that many ebikers do not have the means to travel long distances to demonstrations and "ebike fairs" etc. The only answer to that is "Think globally and act locally." The lack of cycle paths in Boston has led to a sort of unofficial shared use of pavements on a grand scale, to which the police largely turn a blind eye. Not an ideal situation, but a case of people doing the best they can. The roads are so congested that they are almost impossible much of the time. I have phoned the Council a couple of times to ask about the progress of a couple of proposed local cycle paths. All i get is a promise of a call back that never materialises.

 

[flecc]

Ah...now your talking hatti....national demo day...banners....MUST get national tv.....lets have a serious think about celebrities

So.....we NEED a celebrity to come on board.......anyone ??

Lynda

I never understand what the appeal of large demonstrations is, they virtually never achieve anything.

Not sure about famous cyclists either. The Prime Minister cycles, the Mayor of London cycles, many MPs cycle daily, as do a number of members of the House of Lords. Sir George Young's All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group has 135 members, not bad out of some 650 MPs and a far larger proportion of cyclists than that of the country at large.

Short of getting The Queen on a bike, I'm not sure how much more can be done to influence change

 

[Blew it]

....I really fancy being a true revolutionary when I grow up...

You already are, or to be more precise...you're a CAVALIER

A little late-night reading for you.

Spiral of Silence

 

[funkylyn]

You already are, or to be more precise...you're a CAVALIER

A little late-night reading for you.

Spiral of Silence

Yes....you are right there Bob....I certainly dont, and never will, fear isolation

Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

I never understand what the appeal of large demonstrations is, they virtually never achieve anything.

Not sure about famous cyclists either. The Prime Minister cycles, the Mayor of London cycles, many MPs cycle daily, as do a number of members of the House of Lords. Sir George Young's All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group has 135 members, not bad out of some 650 MPs and a far larger proportion of cyclists than that of the country at large.

Short of getting The Queen on a bike, I'm not sure how much more can be done to influence change

I dont know Flecc....I believe a large demonstration achieves wider recognition and knowledge within the general public of the cause it supports......as has been demonstrated frequently in the past.

As for famous people....good god...we arent talking politicians here.......we want someone like Robbie Williams or David Beckham cycling around London with us......THAT is what would get us the publicity needed.

Anyone on first name terms ?..........come on....dont be shy.....

Lynda

 

[flecc]

I believe a large demonstration achieves wider recognition and knowledge within the general public of the cause it supports......as has been demonstrated frequently in the past.

I agree, but they don't actually do anything. The public sees, recognises and sometimes acknowledges, but to no avail.

The anti-nuclear marches of the 1960s and '70s didn't get rid of those weapons.

The miners protests against pit closures still saw the mines closed.

The Countryside Alliance marches against fox hunting restrictions failed.

The anti Iraq war marches didn't stop that war.

These were often immense protests, most involving millions and far larger than cycling could ever hope to muster. And all these with infinitely greater public support than cycling enjoys, yes, even fox hunting has more support.

If they didn't succeed, a lesser number of cyclists demonstrating are not going to get the car driving public to support measures that could rob them of car space and slow their progress.

 

[funkylyn]

Oh come on Flecc.....stop trying to spoil my fun....why dont you just admit that you dont know Robbie Williams

Lynda

 

[flecc]

why dont you just admit that you dont know Robbie Williams

Lynda

Surely you mean Robbie Williams doesn't know me.

 

[Old_Dave]

I've been on marches and just as flecc says.. nothing happened

The only way goverment can be infulenced is by lobbying, and the lobbyists that have the best chance of being taken notice of don't come cheap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scimitar]

I just think it needs guts and determination to get anything done, mixed with a little bit of 'harmless' civil disobedience

I'm reminded of the canal movement in the late 40s and 50s onwards. We could have squads of volunteers, not toting arms, but shovels, picks and mini-diggers and tar boilers, preparing and laying stretches of new cycle path here and there.
The difference and great obstacle is the damned land ownership laws - the canals were there and just needed rebuilding and clearing up.
I would think there are great stretches of land alongside publically-owned roads and railways that could be used as cycleways.
If such land is public already, it's ours, isn't it.
Viva la revolution!

 

[flash]

I dont know Flecc....I believe a large demonstration achieves wider recognition and knowledge within the general public of the cause it supports......as has been demonstrated frequently in the past.

As for famous people....good god...we arent talking politicians here.......we want someone like Robbie Williams or David Beckham cycling around London with us......THAT is what would get us the publicity needed.

Anyone on first name terms ?..........come on....dont be shy.....

Lynda

Surprisingly enough I have met David Beckham and I know Pete Conway, Robbie's dad, but perhaps we should ask Wiggo to help us. He knows how dangerous it is!

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