Additional disclaimer that ebikes are bourgeois decadence, but they are nevertheless the most optimal mode of transportation

  • Quimby [any, any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I don't think ebikes are bougie. I think they only seem bougie because we live in such a late stage of capitalism that even simple things are inaccessible to much of the proletariat. But that's a problem with capitalism, not ebikes.

    • BoxedFenders [any, comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Not to mention that ebikes are mostly bought out of necessity for commuting or delivery work. And most of them are under $1500. Compare that with recreational road cycling where weekend warriors spend over $10k for their high end bicycles and the various accessories required to cosplay as Lance Armstrong. Now that's bougie.

    • spectre [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      No they aren't even the nicer ones are like 10% of an equivalent car. Just ribbing at the regular bike proletarians who pedal manually

  • viva_la_juche [they/them, any]
    cake
    ·
    3 years ago

    First time I ever saw an e bike was in college. A very dirty, very out of place dude with a rat tail road one to and from class and looking back he was a champ Tbh

  • sharedburdens [she/her, comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Ebike are also not the worst to DIY, I've seen them made out of a beater bike with a motor mounted in direct contact with the wheel, using power tool batteries.

    • viva_la_juche [they/them, any]
      cake
      ·
      3 years ago

      The guy in my comment had one that was diy. He bought the motor and attached it to a bike that was absolutely beat to shit lol

    • Loggedoff [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      When I was a kid we had one that ran for all of like 2 minutes on car batteries and it was fucking awesome.

  • SoyViking [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Ebikes are based. They extend your range compared to a plain old bike and are less noisy, polluting and smelly than mopeds.

  • emizeko [they/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    mine has a governor that tops out at 20mph :sadness:

    • PapaEmeritusIII [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      You’re only allowed to have an ebike if you profit off the labor of others, duh

      • MemesAreTheory [he/him, any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Not relative to cars.

        If those are your only options (death to America) ebikes seem distinctly proletarian.

    • CommCat [none/use name]
      ·
      edit-2
      3 years ago

      they shouldn't be considered bourgie, almost all the food delivery are done on ebikes now. I own an ebike, but I don't own a car, it's my main transportation and I haul my grocery. Feels a bit bad when I'm going uphill behind someone hauling a few lbs of groceries and they are struggling and I just effortlessly pass them by with my 50lbs of groceries. Yeah I met a boomer with an ebike, and the conversation I had with him, it was obviously a variety piece for him.

    • spectre [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Just a lame joke about how they're 5x the cost of a regular bike, although much less than most any car of course

      • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        A decent bike is crazy ass expensive these days. Went down to a local bike shop and the cheap-ass ones clocked in at $500. You could very easily be in for $2k if you wanted anything particularly nice.

  • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    ebikes are bourgeois decadence

    glances at ten ton SUV

    glances at bike with a small battery operated motor

    Yeah, ok.

  • americandeathdrive [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Ima be real with you chief I think at least in the context of cars too extensive to really own in next 10-20years e bike in a america context with a shit ton of sprawl or uphill cities make a lot of sense as a spot gap measure before cities have to get dense, all this aside I know ebikes are expensive as shit

    • spectre [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah the American made ones from major bike manufacturers are top quality, but $2.5-4k. A midrange from a reseller is $1-2k which is fairly reasonable. You can get them direct on Alibaba for less, but then it gets a bit risky.

      ebikes are booming in the cities over there cause you get all the upsides of both a moped and a bicycle with very little tradeoff

  • Omega_Haxors [they/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    Ebikes are cheaper than cars. If you can afford the down payment of a car, you can afford an Ebike.