Calibike recently shared a video of an electric bike that was rather impressive:
In addition to weighing only 33 pounds (as opposed to the over 60 pounds that many e-bikes do), it doesn’t lose performance in order to save weight. It still has a 1500 watt 48 volt 15 amp battery, which is the amount of power required to propel an e-bike past the 30-mph mark. With disc brakes in the front and back, they didn’t skimp on brakes either.
The film depicts the bike racing two dump trucks on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles to demonstrate its capabilities. They note that because they are both riding bikes, it can be a little unnerving when one of them passes, but being able to keep up makes it much less frightening. For the majority of the first portion of the ride, the bike wasn’t quite keeping up with traffic, but automobiles weren’t speeding by either as you may typically see in a cycling video without Lance Armstrong.
He does, however, occasionally keep up with traffic; a nice example of this can be seen around the two-minute mark, when he even passes a red Honda. The Honda eventually overtakes him once more, but when they soon encounter traffic, their lead is lost.
At 3:35, the scene with the dump trucks begins, and the truck initially passes him (but not blasting by). The cyclist was able to pass all of the automobiles on the right when they encountered traffic in this race, and she then passed the dump truck and trailer again on the right, which is how the Honda lost. Then another dump truck arrives, but he simply drives by it since it parks next to a building site.
He speeds past even more cars shortly after the six-minute mark, occupying the area between the curb and the roadway (but obviously not at 33 MPH). I don’t want to summarize the entire video, but this is essentially what is shown again. Automobiles are quicker than bikes when traffic is moving, but when it stops, bikes usually gain enough momentum to overtake cars as the faster vehicle.
The final scene of the video shows a commute across the LA metropolitan area. Instead of driving, he uses a combination of public transportation and bike, which is both quick and affordable while providing the desired level of exercise.
THE KEY CONCLUSION Despite being the second-largest metropolis in the country, Los Angeles is considerably different from the larger metro area of New York City. Los Angeles is well recognized for being built for cars, yet no city is ideal for cycling and other forms of micromobility. Because of the seemingly never-ending traffic congestion, the freeways, supposedly endless parking spaces, and all the roads wind up not being so fantastic for anyone (or, they seem endless from an outsider who isnt used to that when I visit).
The clear advantage the e-bike has in this situation is seen in this video. It is not only a practical but frequently even a better form of transportation due to its compact size, quick speed, and maneuverability.
The ride looked a little daunting, which is the only drawback I can imagine. A lot of individuals would feel like they would die on this journey due to the inconsistent bike lanes, the necessity to maneuver around traffic, and many other factors. The second key lesson is that e-bikes and other types of micromobility, like scooters, require better infrastructure. That would encourage a lot more individuals to switch from four to two wheels.
Screenshot from the video that Calibike has posted as the featured image.
Do you value the unique reporting and cleantech news coverage on CleanTechnica? Consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador.
