Using electrically-assisted bikes: lazy cheaters or healthy travellers?

BEBA chaired a meeting at Birmingham Cycle City and heard all about this project, very enlightening:

 

Using electrically-assisted bikes: lazy cheaters or healthy travellers? | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk

Blimey, I think it was all positive! That's rare, the media always like to throw in a 'dry fish' in their pronouncements.

Best article i have read on ebikes.

Nice one.

...but I'm not an e-cyclist, I'm an e-biker...

Blimey, I think it was all positive! That's rare, the media always like to throw in a 'dry fish' in their pronouncements.

Best article i have read on ebikes.

Nice one.

 

Hi Ettica,

 

In some countries dried fish is considered to be finger licking good.

 

Mountainsport

Probably only in the UK could any idiot think that e-biking is cheating.

That is because we have

1 Lycras (mainly older men)who are health obsessed to the point of it becoming an obsessive/ compulsive disorder.

2 Genuine sporting riders who enjoy cycling.

3 People who just use bikes as transport, oh, no we don't, it is othere countries that have transport riders

Probably only in the UK could any idiot think that e-biking is cheating.

That is because we have

1 Lycras (mainly older men)who are health obsessed to the point of it becoming an obsessive/ compulsive disorder.

2 Genuine sporting riders who enjoy cycling.

3 People who just use bikes as transport, oh, no we don't, it is othere countries that have transport riders

 

Mike- you have to wear lycra now, or risk being pulled by the Police.... No Lycra? You're nicked, son | Bicycle Business | BikeBiz

They should have consulted with Pedelecs. For £442,845 I am sure we could have provided them with all the data required for the project:rolleyes:.

 

Sandpit: Smart e-bikes - understanding how commuters and communities engage with electrically-assisted cycling

Edited May 23, 201312 yr by shemozzle999

Probably only in the UK could any idiot think that e-biking is cheating.

That is because we have

1 Lycras (mainly older men)who are health obsessed to the point of it becoming an obsessive/ compulsive disorder.

2 Genuine sporting riders who enjoy cycling.

3 People who just use bikes as transport, oh, no we don't, it is othere countries that have transport riders

 

Thumbs up to that mike killay.

 

Mountainsport

They should have consulted with Pedelecs. For £442,845 I am sure we could have provided them with all the data required for the project:rolleyes:.

 

Sandpit: Smart e-bikes - understanding how commuters and communities engage with electrically-assisted cycling

 

Blimey; money for old rope, isn't it?

"Do you like leccy bikes?"

"Yes."

"Ok, thanks."

Well since I got my pedelec I've only missed one day's commute, because it was pouring down; we've had a run of windy days here in Blackpool where I simply wouldn't have cycled at all, or might have managed one trip and got knackered. I'm a total convert; getting far more exercise than I did before, more freedom to choose my route (the shortest route goes up the only hill in Blackpool), much easier to be assertive in traffic, and it's damn good fun! I'd been cycling to work for three years, but often gave it a miss because of the wind.

 

Reaction at work has been 100% positive, even amongst the dedicated cyclists. I doubt whether it's ever going to be possible to persuade the ones who drive two miles to work that they don't need a car, unless there's another fuel crisis, but these bikes I think are one of the keys.

Mike- you have to wear lycra now, or risk being pulled by the Police.... No Lycra? You're nicked, son | Bicycle Business | BikeBiz

 

That's hilarious - British boys in blue logic at its most truly ridiculous. So the lesson is - if you want to get away with it in Bath, always nick a fancy bike in lycra ?

That's hilarious - British boys in blue logic at its most truly ridiculous. So the lesson is - if you want to get away with it in Bath, always nick a fancy bike in lycra ?

 

In all fairness though, isn't this what we want?

Bike thefts are a serious problem, and to find that the Police are checking people on bikes is to me rather re-assuring. Sure, a bit of a worry when it happens to you, but a lot less hassle than coming back to find your bike gone.

In all fairness though, isn't this what we want?

Bike thefts are a serious problem, and to find that the Police are checking people on bikes is to me rather re-assuring. Sure, a bit of a worry when it happens to you, but a lot less hassle than coming back to find your bike gone.

 

Not really - I'd liken this to stopping a man for a search because he is black.

Not really - I'd liken this to stopping a man for a search because he is black.

I agree with your sentiments; however, if local statistics show that the majority of crimes are committed by black people, logic would suggest that it would be appropriate that the majority of people stopped should be black. Some neighbourhoods are almost entirely black, so I wouldn't expect an equal number of non-black people to be stopped there.

 

The main point is that when things don't look right, it makes sense to check.

I agree with your sentiments; however, if local statistics show that the majority of crimes are committed by black people, logic would suggest that it would be appropriate that the majority of people stopped should be black. Some neighbourhoods are almost entirely black, so I wouldn't expect an equal number of non-black people to be stopped there.

 

The main point is that when things don't look right, it makes sense to check.

 

I get what you're saying but I deliberately used an inflammatory analogy to make the point that the PC's reasoning suggests (in fact reiterates) his view that it doesn't look right or normal for someone not to be wearing sport cycling clothing on a bicycle. The guy was wearing normal clothes and for that to be a reason to stop him as it doesn't look "normal" is just ridiculous. As ridiculous as some other prejudiced viewpoints which have sparked debate.

 

Stereotype pigeon-holing policing. If you don't slot in to what everyone else does or wears you must be guilty of something.

 

The concern is that the PC thinks it's odd in the first place and seriously expects people to take his viewpoint as credible grounds for suspicion. It surely calls his judgement into serious question. It's no surprise the crims run rings round them.

Edited May 23, 201312 yr by 103Alex1

Stereotype pigeon-holing policing. If you don't slot in to what everyone else does or wears you must be guilty of something.

Erm... 'may' be guilty of something.

 

Instinct isn't always spot on and needs to be developed. But it shouldn't be ignored just for the sake of political correctness.

One of our customers recently came into the shop in a highly indignant state. He rides an electric bike, and said he had just been stopped by the police and warned that smoking a fag as he rode could cause an accident. He was not impressed. I would say he is in his sixties. As for the 'cheating' part, as I was locking-up at the front of the shop, on about the second day of my electric bike ownership, an old boy waved his stick at my bike and said 'Hey, that's cheating!' I have had cars, vans, cycles, motorcycles and a campervan in my lifetime. I can see a whole lot of new prejudices looming that I will have to cope with!

on about the second day of my electric bike ownership, an old boy waved his stick at my bike and said 'Hey, that's cheating!

Surely if that's how he thinks then his walking stick is also cheating!

Dave.

Hope all this fuss isn't going to ruin my image - I've managed fairly well for the last 77 years by pretending to be bone idle. Seems to irritate some people!

May the e-wind be ever at your back.

;-)

Tom

Totally disagree,

Either the Police never check anyone 'Just to be on the safe side'

OR they make reasonable checks, and to me this WAS a reasonable check.

Who knows, next time he does this, he may well catch a bike thief, after all, if as you say thieves run rings about the Police, logically, a would be bike thief would have to walk around in lycra whilst looking for a bike to steal, but of course, they don't, they wear ordinary clothes.

One of our customers recently came into the shop in a highly indignant state. He rides an electric bike, and said he had just been stopped by the police and warned that smoking a fag as he rode could cause an accident. He was not impressed. I would say he is in his sixties.

Too true. A friend of mine was killed when a motorist chucked his lit cigarette end out the window . My friend was riding with his visor up and the cigarette end went straight in, burnt his face and caused him to crash into a lamp-post. They didn't find the driver, but the cigarette end was still wedged in the helmet.

I agree with your sentiments; however, if local statistics show that the majority of crimes are committed by black people, logic would suggest that it would be appropriate that the majority of people stopped should be black. Some neighbourhoods are almost entirely black, so I wouldn't expect an equal number of non-black people to be stopped there.

 

The main point is that when things don't look right, it makes sense to check.

 

Agreed! I had to type more letters here.

Not really - I'd liken this to stopping a man for a search because he is black.

 

Sorry Alex, don't agree. Being black is not an unusual condition, riding an out-and-out drop handlebar road bike in normal street clothes is.

 

After all, reversing that last state, wouldn't it be very unusual to see this chap riding this bicycle dressed as he is? But that police officer wouldn't stop him if he did since it would not be an indicator of a possible offence, he'd probably think of it as eccentric.

 

I see nothing wrong in a police officer acting in response to the highly unusual when there is a clear possible connection to an offence being committed.

Sorry Alex, don't agree. Being black is not an unusual condition

 

Perhaps not in the SE, flecc but I think you'll find that it's perceived as an inherently unusual "condition" in certain parts of the country still. I am sure those of advancing years know exactly what I'm driving at by drawing that analogy to a copper's reasoning for stopping someone. But let's drop this one as it's clear the whole thing is far too loaded to be sensibly discussed.

 

riding an out-and-out drop handlebar road bike in normal street clothes is.

 

... given that the majority of regular commuters ride road bikes (or that's my perception anyway) is seeing someone in jeans and a t-shirt on one really that unusual ? I see drop handlebar road bikes outside the supermarkets every time I go and none of those getting on them after shopping for their backpack full of .. a sandwich and a bar of something .. are in cycling shorts / jerseys. Especially the younger generation .. and especially in provincial towns. There's a big difference between a TT bike and a regular road bike.

 

After all, reversing that last state, wouldn't it be very unusual to see this chap riding this bicycle dressed as he is? *But that police officer wouldn't stop him if he did since it would not be an indicator of a possible offence, he'd probably think of it as eccentric. I see nothing wrong in a police officer acting in response to the highly unusual when there is a clear possible connection to an offence being committed.

 

... why one way round and not the other then ? I agree with the last sentence, but still disagree with the officer's reasoning for drawing his conclusion that there might be a possible connection to an offence in this instance.

still disagree with the officer's reasoning for drawing his conclusion that there might be a possible connection to an offence in this instance.

 

I see an analogy with detection here, which is part of a police officer's job. An officer sees a clue to a possible offence in a street clothed man riding a sport bike of a type that a lycra or at least partially cycling clad person would most often be seen riding. In the absence of a number plate, the only way he can discover if the possibility might become a probability or certainty is to ask the rider.

 

In my experience those riding out-and-out sport bikes usually make at least some concession to wearing cycling apparel. The difference between us amounts to whether the street clothed sports bike rider is unusual or not, but I don't think either of us can really judge any incongruity without seeing the bike and the clothing of the rider.

 

So ultimately I'm giving the officer the benefit of the doubt due to my not having the fullest information to make a personal judgement.