Ethics of slipstreaming an electric bike

thescouselander

Today I was feeling a bit lazy on the way home from work - I thought I'd just kick back and enjoy the weather. Anyway some bloke came past on his electric bike and since there was a bit of a headwind I though I'd just tuck in behind to reduce the effort - I have to say this worked pretty well and I have a nice easy ride for about 5 miles.

Now normally I might think this kind of behaviour is pretty unethical but I didn't feel guilty as this guy has electrical assistance. What do you think?

notsoblue

Aren't electrical bikes capped at 15mph? At that speed I doubt you were getting much benefit!

meanredspider

notsoblue wrote:

Aren't electrical bikes capped at 15mph? At that speed I doubt you were getting much benefit!

+1 My immediate thought as I saw the title of the thread!

corshamjim

So long as he didn't mind they why not? At 15mph against a headwind of course you would have been getting some benefit. I normally commute at about 12mph myself. Why go any faster? It's only more work shifting air about if you do.

SimonAH

Why you no take scalp? You are now banished to commuting general. Get thee hence.

il_principe

Shame on you. Electrics must be scalped, always.

thescouselander

notsoblue wrote:

Aren't electrical bikes capped at 15mph? At that speed I doubt you were getting much benefit!

Indeed. I think we were going slightly faster than that, my computer was indicating 17mph which, into a headwind, isn't too bad.


Given the earlier comments looks like I might have to take the scalp if I see the same guy tomorrow :P
As I said was feeling lazy today.

graham.

When you sar "Slipstreaming", do you mean "Holding on to his seatpost"?
Graham.

thescouselander

Graham. wrote:

When you sar "Slipstreaming", do you mean "Holding on to his seatpost"?
Graham.

No, but that's not a bad idea!

cyclingprop

You must have missed the whole point of SCR?

Koncordski

Oh the shame of it!

kelsen

Get 5 other cyclists to also tuck in behind then you can all partake in an impromptu Keirin

shouldbeinbed

Go on, admit it, you've drafted a mobility scooter haven't you ;-)

Kieran_Burns

Aren't electric bikes at the bottom of the food chain? You may as well be eating poo.

Go post some pictures of chicks wearing scanty clothing in Cake Stop for a month.

corshamjim

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

mudcow007

notsoblue wrote:

Aren't electrical bikes capped at 15mph? At that speed I doubt you were getting much benefit!

theres a bloke that literally flies past me most morning whilst i'm doing 20mph+

he said its de-restricted :shock:

reformedfatty

None of the electric bikes I've encountered have been capped at 15.. seen them doing 25. Didn't stop me scalping him though

jds_1981

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

No-one on here has anything against electric bikes. Many of us think they're a good thing for the reason you've stated. We just think when seen they should be overtaken....

Wrath Rob

jds_1981 wrote:

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

No-one on here has anything against electric bikes. Many of us think they're a good thing for the reason you've stated. We just think when seen they should be overtaken....

This seems to sum up Commuting Chat vs. Commuting General to me

Kieran_Burns

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

So when did you have a senseofhumourectomy?

Greg T

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

They should be sectioned...

Anyone who wants to be fit enough to not ride an electric bike - shouldn't ride an electric bike.

It's like someone who wants to skateboard shouldn't buy a washing machine and expect it to help.

As for derision - snort - if riding a hybrid is cause enough for leper status and schoolboy pranks (and it is) then riding one with an electric motor on it qualifies for round abuse.

UndercoverElephant

Meh, if they're good enough for Cancellara...

roger_merriman

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

i rather dough any of the folks I see with electric bikes do so because they can't ride normal bikes. if they couldn't they would most likely use a mobility scooter.

as others i'd suggest your taking this too seriously it is or was a light silly thread.

rick_chasey

Greg T wrote:

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

They should be sectioned...

Anyone who wants to be fit enough to not ride an electric bike - shouldn't ride an electric bike.

It's like someone who wants to skateboard shouldn't buy a washing machine and expect it to help.

As for derision - snort - if riding a hybrid is cause enough for leper status and schoolboy pranks (and it is) then riding one with an electric motor on it qualifies for round abuse.

Without wanting to sound like a massive bore and party pooper, (but I obviously will), my 90yr old grand-father uses his electric-assisted bike to visit my Alzheimer suffering grandmother in her home. Not a chance he could do that on a normal bike.

Then again, if you're slipstreaming him, you don't just need to MTFU, you need to sort your life out.

Kieran_Burns

roger merriman wrote:

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

i rather dough any of the folks I see with electric bikes do so because they can't ride normal bikes. if they couldn't they would most likely use a mobility scooter.

as others i'd suggest your taking this too seriously it is or was a light silly thread.

Well - don't get a cob on about it, these people may be poorly bread....

Mr Sworld

Kieran_Burns wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

corshamjim wrote:

Oh good grief! Will you lot listen to yourselves? I would bet most of the people who ride electric bicycles regularly would far rather be fit enough not to have to; they should be encouraged, not derided.

i rather dough any of the folks I see with electric bikes do so because they can't ride normal bikes. if they couldn't they would most likely use a mobility scooter.

as others i'd suggest your taking this too seriously it is or was a light silly thread.

Well - don't get a cob on about it, these people may be poorly bread....

mudcow007

Rick Chasey wrote:

Without wanting to sound like a massive bore and party pooper, (but I obviously will), my 90yr old grand-father uses his electric-assisted bike to visit my Alzheimer suffering grandmother in her home. Not a chance he could do that on a normal bike.

Then again, if you're slipstreaming him, you don't just need to MTFU, you need to sort your life out.

surely there is a difference in an OAP using a mo-bility scooter an some young rapscallion riding about a billion mph with only a gentle hum of an electric motor

the bloke that i see in the morning, it accelerates from a stand still to full pelt in about 30ft. In fact the cheeky swine even remarked last week "oh look at you guys on there nice shiny bikes..." an with that he disappeared in a cloud of electric motor hum noise similar to a milk float

rick_chasey

It's not a mobility scooter. It's a bike with one of those electric motors inside. Y'know, the one Cancellara uses .

But yeah - if they're obviously on a proper scooter going at a good rate, then surely it's just (electric) motorpacing?

kelsen

I used to regularly encounter some Polish/Russian guy on a MTB with a petrol engine fitted to the frame. It could hit 25 along the flat and high teens up a hill. I would draft him along Brixton Rd/Brixton Hill then go for the scalp along Streatham High Road.

The reason I know he's Polish/Russian is because one time I slingshotted past him, stopped at the red lights at the end of Streatham High Road. A few seconds later he pulled up alongside and I asked him how fast it could go. He gave a disgruntled [eastern bloc accent]twenty...twenty five...[/eastern bloc accent]

gtvlusso

There is a guy that I sometimes see on the local 'shared' cyclepath who is bombing along at about 25mph on an electic MTB......there are peds/kids on the path (path leads to a skate park) and people walking dogs!!!!

Must admit that I have been thinking about shouting 'slow down' as that is a nuts speed with people, dogs and kids about.

jodypress

You lot want to watch out for the DIY electric MTB that frequents Hackney rd area. I came up against him the other week and thought no probs, I'll leave him in my wake. Cruising along at 20mph I had a sneaky feelign he was in my rear 3/4. Took a peak and he was, so I put some serious effort in. Got up to just over 30mph to see him still there and then just smoothly accelerate away. Chapeau.

Finally saw him again a few days later and had a quick chat. He has a top speed of 40+ mph and range of 30miles....impressive for home made.