Comments from strangers about your bike

[hydro-one]

the kids are always blown away and many say "cool bike!".....and i always whip out a wheelie up to 50kmh or so , so that thier next dream will be of ridin a cool ebike like mike

 

[John in CR]

Oh, I just remembered about stupid comments too. I get this occassionally: "If you pedal does it charge the battery?"

I say "no, when you pedal, it goes forward like a normal bike" (I don't get into the regen thing. I'm not a glutton for that type of punishment)

I just say, yeah it can, but it's not easy. The most frequent was "Is it solar powered?" That question was common right up to the time when I started charging mostly by solar, and now they rarely ask. I love the look now when they ask how fast, and I can tell them I've had it up to 166kph on the highway. Their brains go into spasms trying to soak that tidbit in. 8)

 

[Bike Xing]

The first question I always get asked is "When you pedal, does it charge up the battery?"

Even smart people ask me this, it blows me away how stupid this is, every time.

Yeah, every time.

 

[footloose]

Another funny thing is, that people are bit afraid. I"ve tried to offer test rides for them, like "please try it, and you"ll understand", and they go "noo, noo, no, no, no"
Many ask about the price too.

Offered a guy I met on my 'Tahoe test' a ride after he asked some sensible questions. He was gone long enough that I began to worry he had cracked up... But then he came zooming back into view. His coment: "coolest bike I've ever ridden!" (very vanilla Trek / Mac / 48V setup).

Best comment, after a friend tried my Commuter Booster setup from Adrian (and apologies if this isnt a s.n.a.g. kind of comment and is offensive to any E.S. members, but he was pretty excited): "It's the tits!!!"

 

[e-biker]

I have had a lot of the same questions as listed in most of the post on this thread, But my favorite one was just last week when I started off from a red light and ran out front of a line of cages and at the next red light a guy pulls up and rolls down his window with a grin from ear to ear and asked me how did you do that? and I replied strong legs then he asked if that big sprocket thing (my M/P 2 motor) was how I was going 50 mph, all I could do was laugh and then told him about my hobby. him and his wife agreed it was the fastest bicycle they ever seen. lyen 18 fet and a M/P 2 @ 24s has been the fastest setup that I have came up with yet.

 

[LSBW]

One time this chick wanted to trade bikes with me after 5 miles of pedaling :lol: .

Never mind bikes My coworker, after finishing brief test drive, just threw me keys from his brand new Hyundai santa fe.
Obviously I didn't bother to pick them up

 

[migueralliart]

The funniest comment I heard was ;

SO what do you do when you run out of battery?


To which I replied - you pedal you @ss home!

 

[Drunkskunk]

"Does it recharge when you pedal?"
I used to try to answer that honestly, but I gave that up. Now I give more fun answers.

"Yes, but I'm a lazy phuq."
"No, that was a $39 doller option, and I was too broke."
"Dude, thats a genious idea! I should look into that!"
"Yes, but you have to pedal backwards."
"I tried that once, but I kept shocking my self on every door knob for a week after, so I quit."


I've learned that calling an electric bike an "electric bike" gets people's eyes rolling quickly. But somehow the terms "motorized" and "Self shuttling mountian bike" seem to grab people's intrest.


The Kona gets some attention, usualy from people who know what a DH is. Lots of "Cool Bike". few people spot it as an electric. When I explain it's a self shuttling Downhiller, and I'd never have to pay a lift fee (not that I live anywhere near a mountian) I get almost universal praise for that idea.



The Monster bike gets lots of attention just for being monsterous, with or without anyone asking about it being electric. I get lots of "Where did you get it?" "How much?" from random strangers. I also get fathers bring there small kids over to look at the bike if I park someplace public. I have had one guy at the auto parts store ask how much gas it uses whel I told him it was motorized.

 

[Supertux1]

I don't get any comments from strangers... and that's the way I like it! j/k

I haven't been riding very long but I imagine most people think I am some kind of touring / commuter person hauling groceries or something. (It is not uncommon here to see people with cargo bags strapped to every conceivable space on a bike.) There are even weirder recumbent and hand-pedal contraptions in our bike lanes so I think everyone is just like 'meh' ... a bike with bags.

Actually, my 1200 Lumen CREE LED light with the horizontal beaming lens is the thing that gets the most attention.

I once had a car try to pass me and then tapped his brakes as he realized that passing this 'bicycle' meant doing 40mph in a 25mph zone.

 

[izeman]

'would you make a burnout for me'
a question often asked by boys at my oldest daughter's (10y) school
most ppl think the controller is the MOTOR!? no idea why they think that!

 

[The fingers]

They like to call the controller the "computer". :lol:

 

[izeman]

They like to call the controller the "computer". :lol:

hmm. computer is a better fit, than motor. how can this be the motor? how should the power be transmitted to the wheel??? don't ppl think?

 

[RLD70]

They like to call the controller the "computer". :lol:

hmm. computer is a better fit, than motor. how can this be the motor? how should the power be transmitted to the wheel??? don't ppl think?

sheeple (most of the worlds pop.) dont know how to think :lol:

 

[ddk]

preteen: "sweet setup!"
80+ oldster: "sweet setup!" (that person made me giggle - wut generation gap? we haz none)

 

[Cresh]

The comment I hate to hear while riding on the bike (mup) trail is "you do realize that's not allowed" or "is that legal?" It's always a loaded question made by someone who is usually also breaking a trail rule, but seems to feel obligated to call me on it. Other than that, I also get the question about if it recharges while pedaling. Lol.

 

[4REEE]

I have a BionX on a verrrry cheap Schwinn. The questions that I get are:

a.) What is that thing on the back wheel?
b.) How much does it cost?
c.) Can it recharge the battery while you ride?
d.) How far can you go on a full charge?
e.) How fast can you go?
f.) Is that a drum brake?
g.) Is that really a motor?! It's so quiet!
h.) How heavy is it?

 

[50yearoldebiker]

just yesterday guy was jogging gave me the yo yo yo when I passed { weird when that happens thought it was maybe an enemy from the old days :lol: }
First 2 questions- Did you build it yourself ? Then- Does the battery recharge when you pedal ?

 

[cwah]

Oh, I just remembered about stupid comments too. I get this occassionally: "If you pedal does it charge the battery?"

I say "no, when you pedal, it goes forward like a normal bike" (I don't get into the regen thing. I'm not a glutton for that type of punishment)

I just say, yeah it can, but it's not easy. The most frequent was "Is it solar powered?" That question was common right up to the time when I started charging mostly by solar, and now they rarely ask. I love the look now when they ask how fast, and I can tell them I've had it up to 166kph on the highway. Their brains go into spasms trying to soak that tidbit in. 8)

Which bike goes 166kph?

 

[izeman]

Which bike goes 166kph?

john in cr's does. afair he even does that speed with sandals only - but a full face helmet

 

[cal3thousand]

Which bike goes 166kph?

john in cr's does. afair he even does that speed with sandals only - but a full face helmet

This is true.

 

[e-biker]

Riding home today on a 3 mile stretch of two lane I was running hard trying to beat a rain storm the ca said 54 mph, when I came to a stop light a black chick pulled up and said ( man you riding the hell out of that bike!) the I rode the rest of the way home at the same speed and a couple followed me to my house and wanted to know how I was doing that, When I told them they wanted my number so I would build them a couple.

 

[John in CR]

Which bike goes 166kph?

john in cr's does. afair he even does that speed with sandals only - but a full face helmet

This is true.

I only wear the helmet when I go on the highway, ride on roads with which I'm not intimately familiar, or the roads are wet. That means 90% of the time my helmet is a baseball cap turned backward. The 166kph was a one time shot for you guys. The advanced timing wiring was creating too much controller heat, so I fixed the wiring and now it only goes 150kph+. Imagine if I didn't weigh 120kg and addressed aero, so the voltage didn't sag over 15 volts down to 101V.

Keep in mind that run was after 5 miles of riding including a 142kph run, so the motor was heated up pretty good, and the voltage was already down to 119V from 124V. On top of that the darn EB2xx Infineon controllers running the motor weren't playing well together and I couldn't get to WOT throttle.

All that said, my next speed run will surpass the Brammo Empulse's top speed of 169kph. I found a new rim I'll be able to mod to run a 16" moto wheel instead of the 13" scooter tire I've been running. That will take me to about a 21.5" diameter wheel instead of the 19.2" I've been running, so a run on a fresh charge should do it. For insurance I'll boost voltage a bit, and use a lower more aerodynamic cargo bike that will double as a highway rocket.

Just to bring things back to topic, when I take my bike out on the highway I've yet to get a single comment from a stranger, even those who chase me down after I slow down. I guess it leaves them speechless and reaching for their cell phone cameras. 8)

John

PS- Why is everyone so worried about my footwear? It's not a Flintstones bike, and I'm careful enough that my feet only touch the ground when I stop. Sure if I was riding on a racetrack or offroad where going down is just part of the sport, then I'd have to get riding boots and fully armor up, but in regular street riding the more exposed you are, the more careful you ride. At least that's the way it is for normal people. I love the free feeling of riding feeling the wind, and I don't see a whole lot of difference between riding around in a cage or wearing one.

 

[Lebowski]

only goes 150 he says.....

 

[izeman]

PS- Why is everyone so worried about my footwear? It's not a Flintstones bike, and I'm careful enough that my feet only touch the ground when I stop. Sure if I was riding on a racetrack or offroad where going down is just part of the sport, then I'd have to get riding boots and fully armor up, but in regular street riding the more exposed you are, the more careful you ride. At least that's the way it is for normal people. I love the free feeling of riding feeling the wind, and I don't see a whole lot of difference between riding around in a cage or wearing one.

if you ever fell, and the bike fell on your feet, sliding down the road for couple of meters you wouldn't ask. not that i'm a safety evangelist - but except from the impossibility to go on the highway with a bike anywhere in europe, i would at least wear solid shoes, and a leather jacket.
on the other hand, like you, i love to free feeling, and the fresh air when i ride my bike and only where short sporting trousers, a t-shirt, half-finger gloves and a bike helmet and do 70mk/h in the forest. crazy ... yes. but sandals on the highway take that to the next level i'm fine with that, you're not hurting anyone with it, and i think it's up to every person himself to decide how much safety is enough. i'm NOT lifting my finger and say nono! i'm on your side - it's just crazy
edit: forgot to mention: it always depends on where (on earth), you ride. and if you ride during rush hour in a multi million ppl city, or go sheep herding in the country. and it all depends on how much traffic there is around you. i had two major accidents riding a motor bike and it was all the other's fault. but who cares if it's your back that is broken ...

 

[The fingers]

i would at least wear solid shoes, and a leather jacket

Horsehide is my favorite. :wink: