- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
- worldnews@lemmygrad.ml
- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
- worldnews@lemmygrad.ml
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Noticing this doesn’t [yet] apply to America
Rationing the fuel so there is enough to go aroun hurts profits, having a panicked stampede of people shooting each other at the fuel pump so they can get the last drops of precious black gold means big $$$
Under capitalism, fuel rationing was commonplace:screm-cool: Your Mandatory Intrusive Thought that it’s a good time to get an ebike. When the long war coincides with the normal summer fuel cost spikes, it’s only going to compound panic hoarding of fuel and probably spark a COVID-type run on bike inventories. 1973 is the model to anticipate this year.
I wish my commute would allow for an ebike.
The thing that scares me about a 1973 scenario is that you’ll be driving further to find fuel you can’t afford anyway, waiting in line during a heatwave with everyone else who didn’t or couldn’t make the transition before the crisis. A car commute beyond ebike distances is going to become really impractical from that input alone. The same crisis is also going to impact car components and all the other costs of ownership. It seems like it will be disruptive enough that it forces change because we can’t live like we did before.
That’s a very fair point, especially because I’m already in a rural area and my commute is such because I drive back to the suburbs for work.
In a 1973 scenario, my life is probably being upheaved and I’ll be ebiking locally for my gig job…
After COVID I’m not willing to trust that my current lifestyle is secure. It’s built on too many complex supply chains under too much chaotic stress. All the crises since COVID have only compounded those stressors. My car commute had to be the first thing to go because they didn’t pay me enough to afford the repairs I couldn’t get parts for in 2020. If I crashed on that commute they’d fire me and I wouldn’t have a replacement for my most expensive possession. That’s too much vulnerability when the only certainty is that things will get worse. I can’t get 550km out of a battery charge like I can with my car, but I can at least get to a neighbouring city more comfortably than walking and quicker than public transit. The degrowth lifestyle it forced me into is much more collapse-proof since everyone will eventually get forced into something resembling it.
I would but I’m liable to die from getting hit by a car, also my trip goes through country roads, people are very aggressive to cyclists on those.
it will be a lot safer once driving a car becomes completely unaffordable
critical support to comrade trump in his battle against car-centric yankkkee urban planning
i test rode a Specialized Globe Haul ST and a Tern Quick Haul this weekend. both were good but neither was exactly what i’m looking for. gotta have a mid-drive! currently eyeing a used riese & muller roadster posted locally for $1600
What do you recommend?
A step-through cargo bike with small tyres and a long rack will give you the most utility for your money. I replaced 99% of my car trips with an Aventon Abound LR ($2000 new, $1500~ dealer overstock from Upway). It can fit 63kg of weight on the back with enough space for one adult, two small children, or six grocery bags. I get about 80km of range out of mine and will pay $20 or so in electricity costs this year, riding it 3000km over the past year. At a Class 2 32kmh, my urban commute is about the same as driving times if not faster and much more pleasant.
For safety reasons I recommend a bike with hydraulic brakes. Much more reliable when you have the extra weight with you.
I have had two utiliity bikes like u/happybadger suggested, but I plan to get a relatively lightweight standard-style ebike for my next purchase (in a couple years). My current bike is like 70 lbs and I want to be able to put it on a bus bike rack. The mechanical advantage is piss poor with the small fat tires. good for going over bumps, but if my battery dies I’m going at walking speed the rest of the way instead if a somewhat heavy regular bike.
My primary recommendation is to shop at a local store, especially if you will be making it a primary mode of transportation. You can always save money fixing things yourself, but if it gets out of hand you’ll want to be able to bring it to a shop and have them bail you out.
I like my Aventon ebike. It’s also as easy to work on as a regular bike; i.e., you can do basic repairs without being an electrician.
What’s your opinion on ebike conversion kits? I’ve got a hybrid bike with a busted rear derailleur that I’ve been meaning to donate or get rid of, but now that you mention it, I feel like it could be both practical and rad to fix it up and convert it instead.
Conversions can be problematic for a number of reasons. E-bikes put a lot more torque on the wheels, both when accelerating and braking. For this reason, most E-bikes use thru-axles and disc brakes. Older bikes with rim brakes and ordinary drop-outs on the fork are much more likely to have the front wheel break free from repeated torque.
That said, if you actually maintain your bike, it will still likely be safer than many E-bikes on the road. Just keep the speed / power reasonable for the type of hardware on your bike. A 90s mountain bike shouldn’t be going above 20mph. A DIY E-bike on an old frame is not going to replace a moped, let alone a car - but it will get you around a lot faster than walking.
If you already know how to work on a bike and you are certain that the frame’s geometry can handle the specific components you picked out, it’s worth doing for modularity’s sake. You won’t save much money like you would have a few years ago, but you can upgrade the battery five years from now when they’re much better and yours is starting to go out. Apart from fitting the components you really need to consider if that frame is strong enough. Ebikes experience a lot more stress from weight, speed, and vibration. Cheap components and ones made for manual bikes will be much more likely to fail, and at ebike speeds that’s potentially fatal.
Like the others said it’s rad (if you have the skills and the motivation), but not practical.
