this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
16 points (86.4% liked)

micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

2315 readers
22 users here now

Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

Feel free to also check out

!utilitycycling@slrpnk.net

!bikewrench@lemmy.world

!bikecommuting@lemmy.world

!bikepacking@lemmy.world

!electricbikes@lemmy.world

!bicycle_touring@lemmy.world

!notjustbikes@feddit.nl

!longboard@lemmy.world

It's a little sad that we need to actually say this, but:

Don't be an asshole or you will be permanently banned.

Respectful debate is totally OK, criticizing a product is fine, but being verbally abusive will not be tolerated.

Focus on discussing the idea, not attacking the person.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I live in the USA and if I want to get rid of my car I would need to be able to cover 70 miles round trip with moderate exercise in a reasonable amount of time. I think if I could cruise at 35MPH (56 KMH) that would be enough to make the switch.

It may be stupid, but I'd like to try to avoid an electric motorcycle - those need insurance, registration fees, real parking spaces, and a special license. Also, I enjoy getting some activity while riding. FWIW I'm not worried about legality, but I do plan to stay off bike paths/sidewalks to avoid endangering pedestrians and other cyclists.

My idea so far is to start with a gravel bike frame for aerodynamics, efficiency, and sturdiness in case of a pothole or rogue curb. From there I'm thinking about a 1500w hub motor, dual batteries, higher gears, bigger brakes, and permanent lights for visibility. Also a good helmet of course, crashing at that speed can be pretty bad.

Has anyone done something like this and had it go well/poorly? Anything I'm clearly missing in my plan? Also feel free to tell me if I'm an idiot, but I already know that bit.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I think the problem is that you're looking for an e-bike with the specs of a motorcycle/vespa/moped, and those require a licence, registration, and insurance.

I remember seeing similar questions on e-scooter subreddits, where people would be asking about e-scooters to go 65mph with over 5000W of power, not realizing that most places restrict them to 500w or less, and a max speed of 15mph. LOL

I get that laws haven't really caught up to all micromobility options, but this is something to keep in mind.