Could someone please explain 4?

[Grizzly Bear]

Could someone please explain, why fair weather weekend cyclists, who drive their 4 x 4s to the cycle paths, can call me a cheat? When I've sold my car 2 years ago and travel everywhere on my ebike!

Griz

 

[tillson]

Could someone please explain, why fair weather weekend cyclists, who drive their 4 x 4s to the cycle paths, can call me a cheat? When I've sold my car 2 years ago and travel everywhere on my ebike!

Griz

This one is simple. It is cheating to ride an ebike. Everyone knows it.

The motor contributes to your pedal effort, so it is cheating by definition!

 

[Grizzly Bear]

This one is simple. It is cheating to ride an ebike. Everyone knows it.

The motor contributes to your pedal effort, so it is cheating by definition!

So who's cheating the most then? and who's poluting the most? And to cheat it must be a race or something!

And, if it's a race, I win every time anyway, because they will be stuck in traffic jam on their way home, spewing out fumes, and thinking that they've done their bit for the environment by cycling a couple of miles along the sea front!

Hi by the way

 

[Bob_about]

This one is simple. It is cheating to ride an ebike. Everyone knows it.

The motor contributes to your pedal effort, so it is cheating by definition!

Yep - the use of the motor definitely constitutes cheating - well known fact beyond reproach.

4x4s arriving at a car park adorned with mountain bikes and then parking at a "jaunty" angle on the earth bund is nothing more than what nature intended however - definitely no cheating there!!

I`ll get my coat

 

[CeeGee]

God created the car for transport and the bike for transport with honest hard toil. The Devil later on created the ebike for cheats. Ebike riders have sold their souls to the Devil: which is why battery prices are so high - profits for Satan!

If you read the small print of the Bible it is there: Commandment 3, Clause666, Paragraph 69, Line 173 "Thou shalt not ride Electric powered machines when invented, or forever be called a cheat".

Colin

 

[Grizzly Bear]

God created the car for transport and the bike for transport with honest hard toil. The Devil later on created the ebike for cheats. Ebike riders have sold their souls to the Devil: which is why battery prices are so high - profits for Satan!

If you read the small print of the Bible it is there: Commandment 3, Clause666, Paragraph 69, Line 173 "Thou shalt not ride Electric powered machines when invented, or forever be called a cheat".

Colin

It seems that way, doesn't it?

Griz

 

[overlander]

I think it goes back to my previous post about being embarrassed riding an electric bike. They really have very poor public opinion as they are not mainstream yet so they are a novelty. Th general opinion is they are for the elderly and people who are too lazy to cycle. But in general the people who say something will be standing their with a 44 inch belly saying whats the point

 

[Grizzly Bear]

One woman went right up face to face with my wife, and shouted CHEAT. My wife also rides her ebike 365 days a year, in all weathers.

Griz

 

[Patrick]

I wish one of these cyclists that has suddenly appeared on my commute would call me a cheat. I've been fighting the urge to shout "Where were you in February!" for weeks and it would be good to have an excuse to get it out my system.

 

[timidtom]

Come on, Grizzly! You know you're cheating, the world knows you're cheating and very soon the Government will know you're cheating! Expect a health tax - you're trying to a)enjoy life and b) stay healthy so you must be tax-worthy! I suggest that we close this forum down before anyone of importance notices and hide all our ebikes behind a hedge and for goodness sake STOP GRINNING as we ride along! Don't say I didn't warn you ...
Tom.

 

[Grizzly Bear]

Come on, Grizzly! You know you're cheating, the world knows you're cheating and very soon the Government will know you're cheating! Expect a health tax - you're trying to a)enjoy life and b) stay healthy so you must be tax-worthy! QUOTE]

Don't joke, I wouldn't be suprised if that happened!

Griz

 

[flecc]

The element of pretence is what constitutes the cheat in many minds.

The 4 x 4 driver is not pretending anything, he drives openly, then cycles with the bike that was on the back openly for all to see.

e-bikers are on pedal bicycles but not providing all the effort, that's the cheat.

Since this Twike has the optional auxilliary pedals, that added pedal power is also cheating, the car performing better than on it's normal car power, so a cheat in the opposite direction:

 

[tillson]

The element of pretence is what constitutes the cheat in many minds.

The 4 x 4 driver is not pretending anything, he drives openly, then cycles with the bike that was on the back openly for all to see.

e-bikers are on pedal bicycles but not providing all the effort, that's the cheat.

Thats it! I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but as you say, in some peoples mind the ebike purports to be an ordinary bicycle. The observer may then be impressed by the riders apparent physical stamina, only to discover on closer inspection that he or she is, "cheating."

When that gallant knight, Sir Clive of Sinclair, mounted his trusty steed he was probably called many things, but I suspect not a cheat. The C5 looked like nothing that had gone before it, so it wasn't pretending to be something else.

Does this mean that the more closely an ebike resembles an ordinary bike, the bigger the cheat? Are those that ride the Cytronex bike therefore complete bounders?

 

[CeeGee]

Are those that ride the Cytronex bike therefore complete bounders?

They are cads sir, cads; the spawn of the devil. They would never be allowed to grace the hallowed halls of Eton or Harrow. They are obviously totally immoral and probably originate from schools such as Fenn Street or Bash Street.

Colin

 

[Bandit]

It's a cultural polarisation. Many (but not all) e-bikers treat their bikes as a mode of transport - a means to an end. Many (but not all) leisure cyclists regard biking as an activity to be conducted for its own sake. Those cyclists regard use of auxiliary power as degrading their activity, just as a dinghy sailor would look down on someone who used an outboard. Environmentally, I have no doubt that functional e-bikers (as a group) have lower impact than leisure cyclists (as a group).

Mind you, this forum represents a pretty broad spectrum of e-bikers, some of whom would no doubt regard an electric scooter as "cheating".

 

[flecc]

Thats it! I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but as you say, in some peoples mind the ebike purports to be an ordinary bicycle.

Yes, it was a couple of young kids, who I know don't cycle, calling out "cheat" to me who showed me this truth. Unlike the sport cyclists who have additional reasons for the accusation, it was just the perception of me pretending to be what I wasn't that prompted those kids.
.

 

[overlander]

Thats it, the nail on the head. The e-bike is deceitful in a way, it pretends to be something its not. Simple really, but unfortunately this will never change unless more appear on the streets, but i think their popularity has peaked. Money is tight now so the last thing on peoples mind will be an e-bike.

 

[Mussels]

Aren't most cyclists cheats then?
Why buy a £3000 racing bike if it isn't to get an advantage over someone else with the same ability on a cheaper bike.

Everyone who rides could do it on a £100 BSO but they prefer to spend money so the ride isn't as much effort.

 

[Richard Eis]

As long as bikes are seen as little amusements for recreation and 'sport' we will be called cheats by people who have little knowledge of vehicles beyond the 4x4's they use for nipping to the shops.

When called a cheat, fun retorts to try :

"I know, isn't it great!!".
"Why should I sweat getting to work?"
"electricity is cheaper than food"

I'm sure readers can come up with more. I intend to use the "Where were you in February" line. Consider it stolen...

 

[Mussels]

As long as bikes are seen as little amusements for recreation and 'sport' we will be called cheats by people who have little knowledge of vehicles beyond the 4x4's they use for nipping to the shops.

When called a cheat, fun retorts to try :

"I know, isn't it great!!".
"Why should I sweat getting to work?"
"electricity is cheaper than food"

I'm sure readers can come up with more. I intend to use the "Where were you in February" line. Consider it stolen...

I don't get this not sweating when you get to work business, I'm drenched this time of year.