Hey Folks,
Just threw this video together from EuroBike ’08. It shows some of the environmentally friendly products and trends in the bicycle scene. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, just some stuff that caught my eye…
[youtube width="425" height="355"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxme6W-CvgQ[/youtube]
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I really wonder how good of a thing electric bikes are. To be honest I wonder how many people will start commuting simply because they have motorised assitance on their bikes. I think that people who buy electric bikes either get them for weekend touring without effort or because they already decided to commute and simply buy an electric bike to make it easier.
My point is that electric bikes might not drag people into cycling but will simply make it easier for those who would have made the switch nonetheless. The environmental impact of all those batteries is important and not to be neglected especially when looking into the future and at the disposal of all those batteries. Let’s be honest, most people won’t recycle them but will simply throw them away further damaging our planet. Maybe I’m being too pessimistic…
Great blog by the way!
You have a great point. I guess like most things there is the good with the bad. The negative would be the purchase of unnecessary ebikes by the rampant consumer that ‘just has to have one’ – and it just ends up in the garage. Like you hinted at, it’s a huge waste of raw battery material.
As I saw around Germany, many older cycle tourists are using electric bikes, which I think is great. If this technology helps encourage people to ride whether for fitness or transportation, then that’s fantastic. Helps the health care system, reduces emissions, and on and on.
Glad you’re enjoying the blog
To be positive about Electric bikes and battery waste hopefully products like these can help people cut back from 2 cars to 1 in their household (or even none). In which case you are not adding any more batteries in to production, simply using them for a more environmentally friendly application. Hopefully companies pushing these bikes can help by encouraging safe battery disposal.
I’m still a bit snobby about electric bikes myself and don’t know if I would ever ride one BUT I think the more options for alternative transport for people in cities the better.
That convertible stroller/ bike is pretty cool but I think if I got one my son would never let me stop riding it.