We have very nice Specialized Road Bikes. Disk brakes etc. Love riding them and I actually enjoy climbing hills. But, I was in much better shape many years ago. For our honeymoon, ShawWife and I flew with our bikes (Treks touring bikes at the time) to San Francisco, stayed for a night with one of my college roommates, and then bicycled across the Golden Gate Bridge to I think San Rafael and Novato. From there to the Napa Valley for nice meals and wine tasting, then to the Sonoma Valley, then to the Anderson Valley and then to Mendocino and then down Highway 1 back to SF. We had panniers and carried our clothes. Lots of nice stays (Healdsburg, Fort Ross, etc.). But to get from valley to valley you crossed real mountains. We got up at 3 AM to cross to the Anderson Valley and my recollection is it was a five mile climb where the road never got flat. We were exhausted when we got to the top and had a breakfast of waffles and pancakes and maple syrup and other forms of sugar. We stayed at the New Boonville Cafe, a spectacular place run by one of Alice Waters proteges, for a couple of nights. Anyway, 30 or 35 years later, we spent 3 winters on a houseboat in Sausalito and found cycling to Rodeo Beach or into Napa Valley very very hard. If we moved there (nixed by ShawWife), we would definitely be buying E-bikes. But, living in New England, we wonāt.
Neither ShawWife nor I commute to work, so cycling is just for exercise/fun.
Also, we never assume that the walkers on bike paths know the rules or will do the right thing, even if we say passing on the left. We do the right thing but are very careful, especially when kids and dogs are involved (other peoplesā kids and dogs are always perfect and never do anything wrong so their transgressions at the last minute into our path would be our fault).
My husband rides an e-bike a lot with his buddy. We live close to the beach but there is a big hill both ways so some assist is nice.
But, e-bikes have become extremely popular with teens in our area and they can be extremely annoying (riding in the middle of the street or in the sidewalks, doing wheelies, etcā¦).
Just to be clear, I donāt assume walkers know the ārulesā or will follow them, but I do believe itās their responsibility, especially if they are regular users. And as you reminded me, agree being extra careful around pets is impt.
The only people who scare me on our trails are the more serious cyclists. They go way too fast and zoom past everyone. The pedestrians are respectful and the beach cruisers, like me, and the e-bikers are just out having a good time.
Ha! That is me. I canāt seem to remember my right from my left so I always get discombobulated when a biker calls out to me. I canāt think fast enough and I often jump as they pass instead of calmly moving aside. I am sure that I have that exact deer in the headlights expression on my face.
You would think it would all be super easy, but I donāt find it so for some reason. Iām enough of an uncoordinated klutz that I find sharing a trail with bikers difficult so I always prefer to go for walks locations where there is a completely separate lane for bikers and they donāt have to share the trail with pedestrians.
Due to a mishap with my bike in transit on the car rack, I ended up being a walker on the trail we usually ride while my husband rode yesterday. Different perspective. Other walkers, young kids on bikes and one man sweating profusely biking very slowly up a hill (he could have used an e-bike) gave friendly greetings. I did walk way over on the right the whole time.
My husband loves his e-bike with a 13 mile commute to work. The biggest problem is the theft risk and management hassles. Some building managers donāt want them inside the building due to supposed fire hazard. Also, the e-bike is so valuable that thieves are breaking into interior bike sheds. And donāt even try to lock it up outside!
The local bike thieves are breaking into locked apartment bike sheds. Then taking locked bikes. Thereās just a huge bazaar of stolen bikes in the city.
Alas, bike theft is awful. I know a case of a very nice bike (not ebike) stolen. It was at a subway station, in a locked cage (card swipe entry) - cameras inside, but footage not conclusive on identity of thief. Bike had a hefty lock on it, with associated theft insurance. Unfortunately the insurance requires police report within 3 days, and it turns out that report has to be with real police (not the public transit security force where the report was filed).
That seems like an unreasonably short window as well as a lame technicality to say the window expired because of that distinction. Seems like a company looks for a way to cheat its policy holders.
Well, I sold my SUV yesterday and Iām now going to be on the hunt for some ānew wheels.ā
Also, funny thing happened a few minutes ago as I was driving (another car ) to my favorite local coffee place. I saw two uniformed police officers on e-bikes pulling over a Tesla.
Iām moving to WA. The main hurdle for me is that my family thinks Iāll get run down/over by a car, even though, as I mentioned, bikes lanes are plentiful in our area.
) to my favorite local coffee place. I saw two uniformed police officers on e-bikes pulling over a Tesla. 