A wise man Once observed My bike ride near Seattle was like a two-way uphill. This is the absolute truth. My house? On the mountain. What business district I want to go to? On another mountain. Route to the coffee shop? Hill. Inevitably, as I grind on another steep climb, sworn under my breath, I would hear the whistling of the motor behind me.
People riding e-bikes – usually one of the few lime bikes in the city no Throwing into the middle of the sidewalk- will tear me off. No sweating or blushing. Don’t curse the existence of hills. They may not even trampled! this nerve,I think. I declare them all as my enemies – bikes, riding them, their whole trade. But because time makes us all stupid, I bought an e-bike last month but I can’t get enough.
I can’t even blame my 4-year-old completely, even though it was partly his fault. We inherited a pop-up bike trailer from some friends and hung it on my bike and rode the family in my mind. On trial, we walked through the park well, but the last hill back home let me in. I thought I was going to Barf or die, and then I walked away, feeling dizzy and seeing the stars. Not the relaxing family journey I hoped for.
The bike trailer also proved too much to my husband. He dragged it all the time to many hills on many hills we were back home from downtown and declared that it was enough. Our rides as crew members were limited to one destination, a very lovely corner shop we could reach and no one felt like they were about to pass out at the end of the trip. Very good, but we crave more freedom.
The key is to suffer and feel better later.
Meanwhile, during the solo trip around me, I seemed to be surrounded by e-bike people. And, not all of them in their 20s ride lemon bikes, recklessly through traffic. Many of them are people of my age, with one or two kids behind them stomping comfortably along the harbor trail. They watched with ease, happy to go out in the fresh air together. There are other things happening- they look like pleasure.
At least part of my bike hatred comes from being self-righteous. Believe that I step on my own hills under my own strength, so I deserve it more… well, I’m not sure. make out? cookie? It doesn’t matter. I’m working hard and others are shortcuts. Which one is not good? You won’t go to the gym because it’s fun. You don’t eat kale because it’s fun. It’s terrible to do these things; the key is to suffer and feel better afterwards.
When I rented an e-bike on vacation and confirmed where I doubted, I had to recheck my belief: it was fun to ride an e-bike. I want to borrow a regular bike, but the only bike with child seats (requested) for renting a house is an e-bike. We set out to walk through the multigeneration family bikes in rural Michigan, which was my kid in the back of my bike. A confirmed city kid who screams with joy whenever we see a cow or horse. He was also very comfortable and could fall asleep on the way back. Mom tests, child approved.
That’s what it suddenly sends out: maybe you can ride a regular bike, and still love to ride an electronic bike. Maybe they are not the forces of opposition. Maybe you can like two things at once. Buying an e-bike doesn’t mean I have to hand over my regular bike. why not? That was a $1,600 question that led me to a test drive in the Rad Power Bikes showroom in Ballard. We left two bikes: one Radrunner In a box, ready to assemble, there is also a miniature BMX bike toy given to my son by an employee. Rad knows the audience.
I have a lot of time to think about my e-bike bias, usually when riding a new e-bike, and do it almost every day. For beginners, the Puritan belief is that everyone on the bike must suffer bullshit like me. “Just because it’s fun, it’s OK to actually do something” is the concept that we sometimes struggle with culture. Not to mention the way people with different abilities can make bike access. I love riding on regular bikes for a long time, and of course, I love the feeling of conquering the hills. But some people just want to walk around, you know? Annoyed by the e-bike as if jogging on the sidewalk, annoyed by someone else’s walking.
The truth is, now I can choose the E-type bike. I see it as a no-zone for regular bikes. As one of my colleagues observed, it won’t replace bike trips. It replaces car travel. To do this, I provide a huge basket for the frontline, running from the farmer’s market to the bulky camera tripod. It’s rules.
E-bikes also greatly expand our family cycling options. One recent weekend we took the Bainbridge Island Ferry. While we were waiting for the ferry to go home at the Bainbridge terminal, a waiter stopped with our dozen or so bikes and hang out before boarding. This is about 50/50 minutes between the Ebikes and the regular bike. My kids are at least six, all wearing cute little dinosaurs and monster helmets. “Are you all the same group?” he asked. I shook my head. But to some extent, yes. Actually, we are here together.
Allison Johnson / Photography at the Edge
