I don't get why some people don't get ebikes.

[greencat]

Ah but that's conveniently ignoring a huge part of the carbon footprint, I'll accept your premise that an electric motor is more efficient in it's use of energy than a human after all the human produces plenty of waste heat as they pedal their bike but once you add in the recharging of the ebike battery and the production of the battery/motor/controller etc to the total carbon footprint I suspect the balance will favour the pure human powered bike again.

I'm not against e-whatever's but I wish we would be told the true total impact on the planet of e-this verses old-fashioned-that.

I'm currently trying to get fit again following foot surgery to try and relive the pain following an industrial accident many years ago that stopped me riding bikes for the last couple of decades, as tempting as an ebike would be given I live in an area that nothing but up and down hills for miles around, I'm using a turbo trainer instead to slowly increase the workload as riding these hills is something I can't manage yet.

One of my neighbours posts his ebike rides on strada but doesn't state he's riding an ebike, all the locals must think he's the next Eddy Merckx.

If you watch the previous video, and read a few other studies, IIRC they do take the additional impact due to manufacturing of ebikes into account - and it still came out ahead - especially if you are a vegan riding an electric bike. Essentially, the major additional carbon impact of ebike manufacture is down to the battery, and that's equivalent to around 500 cups of tea or a large steak. That's not per mile/km, but in total. Apparently, it takes roughly 100kg of CO2 to manufacture a normal bike, and 165kg for an electric bike.



This stuff is very counter-intuitive - but I keep coming back to the notion that human powered replacements for things that can be driven by electricity aren't in widespread use because humans aren't very good at energy production. Even gyms don't find it worthwhile to harness all of the human energy generated to keep the lights on. Also electric motors/batteries on bike are tiny - basically not much more than an electric drill/screwdriver. I suspect most readers here have one of those.

Does this mean you shouldn't enjoy riding your non-electric bike? Of course not it's still one of the most carbon efficient forms of transport, just not the most efficient (under certain circumstances). But equally if you are riding an electric bike, especially instead of using a car (even an electric one) for say, commuting - you shouldn't worry either. Normal bikers and ebikers can share the road together content that they are both using some of the environmentally friendly forms of transport. The question we should be asking is why on earth does eating 3-5 large steaks have the same carbon impact as manufacturing a bicycle, regardless of type? (the average person in the UK eats around 36 steaks each year - enough to make 7ish ebikes).

Ten years ago, I'd have absolutely been in the camp as some of the posters here, ebikes aren't proper bikes, are hugely wasteful etc. In fact, I still take the piss out of my eMTB riding friends. But I've come to appreciate their utility as part of a transport mix, while still enjoying non-assisted riding for pleasure and fitness.

 

[riskllama]

because heavy, ugly & expensive. maybe 10 or so years down the road when all the bugs are ironed out & my body starts constantly reminding me that maybe they aren't so bad after all...

 

[synchronicity]

What does that last ebike weigh?

Whats not to like ? (not mine)
View attachment 839902

It looks very heavy. 24.5kg? No thanks.

EDIT: £7,899.99 POUND??!!!

Good lord I'd rather have a GSXR600! Sod your emissions!
Oh. I see those are not made anymore.
Strange times we live in.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Good lord I'd rather have a GSXR600! Sod your emissions!
Oh. I see those are not made anymore.
Strange times we live in.

I guess that is kind of the point. Maybe we're the strange ones...

 

[dyna-ti]

This will probably make you unwell

Why have one motor.... when you can have TWO!
Yamaha Y-01W all-wheel-drive

 

[greencat]

This will probably make you unwell

Why have one motor.... when you can have TWO!
Yamaha Y-01W all-wheel-drive
View attachment 839980

That is one strange looking beast. Like a gravel bike and motorcycle had a secret lovechild.

 

[synchronicity]

That! Is a monstrosity!
Wot the actual fark.
An industrial design wannabe with too much free time on his hands.
Is that what they think we want?

I shall resume building (or rather assembling) by own non-e-bikes, as the current market is not fit for consumption.

 

[highlandsflyer]

..electric motors/batteries on bike are tiny - basically not much more than an electric drill/screwdriver. I suspect most readers here have one of those.

No doubt some day they will be tiny at reasonable cost; but simpler, (read reliable/maintenance free), and more efficient will do me. After all, they need only fit within a bike frame; and even non e-bike frames can be pretty girthy these days. I hope no-one is off out to attempt jury-rigging e-bikes with their old cordless Bosch. (Other makes of non-professional DIY tools are available.) I am sure a quick check of YouTube shall dash those hopes!

 

[highlandsflyer]

That! Is a monstrosity!
Wot the actual fark.
An industrial design wannabe with too much free time on his hands.
Is that what they think we want?

I shall resume building (or rather assembling) by own non-e-bikes, as the current market is not fit for consumption.

I think it is pretty sweet looking! You only have to peruse the e-bike images on the webs to note how ungainly most look.
I definitely want two-wheel drive. Much more capable in the conditions we often encounter here.

 

[Aech]

I'm sorry but I simply don't believe some of those numbers.

the average person in the UK eats around 36 steaks each year

Who eats 36 steaks a year ? I consider myself a meat eater, I like a steak but I never eat anything like that many in a year which means someone else is eating more steaks to account for the steaks I'm not eating, then you have the vegetarians and the vegans share as well so someone somewhere must be eating steak everyday for the numbers to balance.

Why pick on the beef industry when the automotive industry is a much better target given bikes and cars are both forms of transport ?

Apparently, it takes roughly 100kg of CO2 to manufacture a normal bike, and 165kg for an electric bike.

Apparently the average CO2 emissions for manufacturing a petrol/diesel car are 5600kg or 8800kg for an electric car, that means you can make 56 normal bikes for every car or 53 electric bikes for every electric car.

Frankly I'm amazed the numbers aren't far worse for the cars.

If they are seriously pushing the "green values" of bicycles, I doubt they have accounted for the maintenance of said bike, when I was younger I was regularly covering 10,000 miles a year on my bike as it was my only form of transport. Ride to work and back 5 times a week, ride to the shops, ride to see mates, ride for pleasure at weekend etc etc, I regularly wore out tyres, brakes, etc

If I'd had a ebike back the I would have worn out the battery in a couple of years.

I'm not saying ebikes are bad, just I suspect they are cherry picking the numbers that best suit the narrative they wish to push.

because humans aren't very good at energy production.

I can totally believe that statement.

A quarter of all the CO2 emissions per year are down to food production for humans to consume, if we are serious about cutting CO2 emissions we need to reduce the population of the planet, this has the added benefit of reducing all the other CO2 polluting activities as there will be less demand for them as the population is now smaller. It's a simple win-win solution.