How the Pathetically Cheap Cost of Driving Makes Our Cities Worse
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What is the real autonomy of an e-bike?
When you surf the net looking for electric bicycles information, bike manufacturers and shops offer it as X kilometers for a complete full battery. They say 50, 80, 100 or 120 kilometers that the e-bike can run with the battery. However, the lack of an international standard makes it impossible to compare e-bikes models. There is a clear, famous statement: the more Wh a battery has, the more kilometers can ride a biker.
Moreover, several factors come into play. For instance, take the same e-bike and the same cyclist, but different wind direction or speed, how many her saddlebags weight, aerodynamics of garment and accessories, wheels pressure, slope of a road, what gear she uses the most or whether she pedals in a cold or warm day (lithium batteries are more affected by low temperatures, thus they perform up to 20% less).
The traditional flux of questions-answers starts by the client, arrives to the shop owner, then the distributor and finally reaches the e-bicycle manufacturer. It would be so easy to make it simpler if there was an international standard. For example, every e-bike on a standardized bicycle roller with a dynamometer would allow to calculate the power and the exact battery consumption. Taking these numbers, manufacturers could apply a -+10 or a +-20 to give bicyclers real data about their products. In the meantime, bikers look for personal experiences about e-bikes in internet forums and specialized webs.
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Recumbent bicycles
Bicycles can be adapted to whoever, no matter his physical condition. In some cases cyclists can suffer if they use a bad saddle which can cause back and ass pain. Such was the reason why at least one bike manufacturer was created. In reality, the bike store is dedicated mainly to recumbent bicycles and by smaller amount cargo bikes. The recumbent bicycle allows biker to pedal more comfortable since she can lean also her back. However, one has to pay attention not to experience an exaggerated curve in the backbone between back and neck.
Positive points (more than allowing disable people use them) are:
– Extra stability thanks to the third wheel
– Good maneuverability after you learn movements and brakes since they are located differently as in a traditional bicycle
– High visibility at ground level
– Pedestrians look at them because the are few recumbent bicycles. The more recumbent bicycles, the more unnoticed will go.
Designing Urban Places that Don’t Suck
It’s time to stop with the bicycle highways
Andy Singer
Andy Singer was born in New York and moved in Berkeley (California) and Saint Paul (Minnesota). He has not car even in living in the USA and thinking highways are too wide, buildings are too separated and there is too much space for motorways and car parking. This is something that town planners call “sprawl”. As a result, it is a waste of time, space and gas. He also reckons that people who drive cars on a regular basis see the world through their windscreen and do not stop to talk to citizens, neither appreciate their surroundings. He goes a step further and as a ecologist he affirms cars pollute waterway when it rains on highways, as well as negative impacts of gas leaks and petrol industry. Moreover, in his opinion electric cars will not solve these problems since the environmental impacts in the raw material extraction, transformation and end of life will continue. In contrast, a bike uses much less resources than a car and has a longer life expectancy. He finally concludes that as a cyclist and does not pay for gas, tolls, insurances and other expenses for having a car.
Riding in Saint Paul is pleasant thanks to the efforts in building bike lines, is an almost flat location and has large parks close to the Mississippi river. But the worst is pedaling in winter when the temperature diminishes to -30 degrees Celsius. In this case he uses fat bikes (bikes with fat wheels) and a tricycle to go shopping.
Moreover, he makes cartoons about bikes (among others) and does it because he communicates with the world through them and are based on his experiences and interests. He drew for The New Yorker and The New York Times, but most of his clients are independent media.
