Comments from strangers about your bike

[Supertux1]

Riding and keeping up with a produce delivery truck on a two lane one-way street, guy out the window yells 'where can I get one of those!?'

Having only a second to explain at speed I says 'Build it!' and speed off while he gets stuck behind a car turning left.

 

[pdooley]

Well I've logged just over 1000 miles now and had many experiences, from adolescent kids MF'ing me for no reason to girls flirting, but mostly people just staring with blank looks.
The people on other bicycles are the most attentive of course, they usually just gawk as I zip by.

I did pass one other cyclist on an ebike, looked like a beach cruiser converted. I was about 10mph faster than his setup, so he never caught me. I could have stopped to chat but didn't have time.

 

[amberwolf]

Am trying out hte new chikfila just built near work, on my day off this week, befor eI head over fo rgroceries and stuff, and a couple just came over and asked about my bike (which I managed to get the parking space right in front of the door for, and I got hte table facing that door, by chance). Told them the basics of it (and about hauling the dogs/etc with it), and they're interested in converting a car to electric. Referred them to ES via the bike's stickers, and hopefully they'll come on and check us out, maybe we can help them.


Also the usual "awesome bike" and stuff like that on the way to and from work, and from customers (and sometimes people just ocming in to ask about the bike itself), during the last couple weeks or so more than usual, some days with half a dozen or more.


Also had a police officer who happened to pass by me as I was parking the bike at work call out his window: "I wish my wife would let me do that to mine!"; presumably he means the motor rather than the uglification. :lol:

 

[spisska]

I've got about 800 miles on my bike now, and almost all the comments I get are positive.

What bothers me is the people who *don't* comment. That is: the people (invariably in gigantic SUVs) who feel like they should be faster than anyone on any bike, let alone a beach-cruiser like mine.

Off the line, I get to 20 or 25 mph a hell of a faster than they do, and I can slow for stop signs in a much shorter distance, not to mention accelerate a lot faster. Yet some people just have to pass me, no matter how unsafe for me or anyone else not protected by four tons of steel.

In Chicago, there's something of a civil disobedience movement called Critical Mass. The idea is that once a month there is a mass communal bicycle ride through the city involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of cyclists that disrupts auto traffic along the route, delaying traffic for several traffic-light cycles at every intersection they pass through.

I'm not convinced it's the right tactic, but there's no doubt that the movement has raised the profile of cyclists' right to use the city roads. I rode along a couple times this summer, and the reactions of Chicago cyclists to my vehicle have been overwhelmingly positive. As far as I could see, I was the only one on an electric on each ride, though I didn't stick around for the party at the end.

Still, I can say that the positivity of comments I hear about my bike are inversely proportional to the size of the vehicle driven by the commentator. In other words: the only negative comments I get are from people driving obscenely large vehicles that are themselves too big and too heavy to be responsibly driven on city streets.

 

[Raged]

I have a mixed response... Most people are nice on the commute to work, but some lycra dudes just hate you for "cheating". I did go to the local velodrome to test some stuff out and the people training on their race bikes weren't happy I was there and lapping them... It was a public velodrome and I did have a right to use it. I left after 10 or so laps.

What I do love... When I'm commuting and sitting at the front of the lights when a lycra racer tells me to move over so he can go in front. I let him through then sit behind him... ringing my bike bell telling him to go faster and faster... "Why you so slow buddy? You look tired? Want to move over?" Yeah... I'm that guy.... Karma's a biatch.

 

[AussieRider]

Raged, I hear ya.
One of my favourite comments was non verbal.
I was riding my beach cruiser on a well known cycle route south of Melbourne ( Nepean highway ) on my beach cruiser. Stopped at traffic lights along side a Lycra Lizard on a carbon racer I commented on what a great day it was but he just looked me & my bike up & down then looked straight ahead & took off. I followed & at the next light tried to start the conversation again. He still ingored me. As we rode on at a steady 30 Km/h he kept looking back at me & pushing harder. It was a warm sunny day & I could see he was getting redder & sweatier. On the last few Kms I passed him & got the non verbal comment; drops of his sweat flying off him as I passed. 'nuff said.
Another time a cyclist in I'd guess his late fifties was checking out my other E bike at Caffe De Wheels. I went over to talk to him. His first comment was "That's cheating". When I said "Yes, yes it is" he said " I want one". We talked for about half an hour after that as I explained E-bikes & Pedelecs to him and gave him a few retailers to check out.
I had one bloke call my older E-bike ( see AussieRiders second build ) an Industrial Mutant & onother said it reminded him of his 1949 Velocette back in England.
A young lady I met at Seaford pier said my beach cruiser reminded her of a '59 Caddy & asked where she could get one so, as she put it "Could get my groceries in style". Made my day.

 

[Samd]

Hahaha - your bike would confuddle most lycras! I love that thing.

That look - that's the look I tell my wife it's the "he looked at my bike like it was a talking cat" look.

 

[AussieRider]

Hey Sam, thanks. Wich bike do you Mean? The Brighton rock caffe racer ( "Industrial Mutant" );
View attachment 1
Or the Beach Cruiser;

A few months ago I was on the "Mutant" when A couple of kids on BMX bikes passed me. I think one of them was trying to impress me coz he mono'd past me then dropped back on 2 wheels & looked back at me. I said "That's impressive, but I'm not pedalling". He slowed down & stared at the bike. Then came the usual how fast, how far, how much etc...

 

[Samd]

Oh!

Love the cruiser!

 

[fourbanger]

"that's cheating!"

"at least I'm not wearing leotards!"

Had a guy in a Datsun pickup try to drag race me at a red light once, pitty I was turning left.

Got the great idea to drag a 54 Belaire off the line intersecting the highway after a couple bers. Wheelied and almost fell off. Seriously considering FWD for next build.

 

[amberwolf]

Had someone come up to me lookng for a battery for his bike; I recommended him to go here to ES, as I don't have any personal list of battery vendors I'd trust, and I don't have any ready-made ones up for sale, especially in 36-volt that he wants. He dind't appear to have time for any indepth discussion of the subject, or I might've been able to help him more directly.

 

[Kingfish]

Today I voted.
Which means I drove my ballot over to the drop-box next to the Senior Center that’s next to City Hall; lots of opportunity to be spotted by official officials ~ hehe

And I woz! 8)

The 1st guy was either a First Responder or part of the Fire Department; not entirely sure… though when he began to enter the cross-walk, I paused to let him pass, but he gave me the waive and said he wanted to see me go by on my ebike. As I passed him he just oogled over it so I relented and pulled over for conversation which lasted a good 15 minutes. He offered up some advice on the helmets and essentially said that above 35 mph, no helmet will save you from concussion, and neck & spine injury. And he gave me that knowing look of seeing many many victims in all sorts conditions. His is not a job I envy. Regardless, it was a good chat for both of us.

I also discovered they moved the drop-box over to the front of City Hall.

So, I go there and have my 2nd conversation with Redmond’s Finest who had the distinguished duty of taking ballots from drivers and dropping them into the box. He was completely blown away by the 2WD ebike. When he asked me how fast it could go, and I shyly admitted 50 mph. He asked if I liked going that fast and I told a half-truth in that I only do it for bragging rights and that the wheel base is really too short; 35 mph is fast enough for my tastes. There’s truth in all that which makes it believable. He was pretty busy and as much as he wanted to talk between drivers – it wasn’t the right place to do so. Perhaps next time.

Although it was good to receive positive interest from those that serve us in vital ways.
Impressed, KF

 

[xenodius]

I blew a tire on a hill a few weeks ago as a result of a big nail from nearby construction. An off-duty fireman on his way home gave me, and my bike, a ride-- saved me a 500ft climb and 3 mile walk of shame. He was very interested in the bike, said he'd seen me zipping around before-- and wanted one. He made a similar comment about helmets that's had me in a fix for something better than the bicycle helmet I have now, thinking about a full-face for the winter but I'm not sure. At the very least I'd like something with a reasonable windscreen. I like the style and design of Giro's Air Attack, but I'd want something a tad beefier.

Safety is a legitimate concern as long as we have cars to keep an eye on. Or perhaps, less pointedly... other people to watch out for.

 

[dgk02]

Mostly I get comments inside my work building since I take it up on the freight elevator to my office. NYC passed a law a few years ago stating that commercial buildings must make a reasonable accommodation if an employer is willing to let their employees bring a bike in. Before that they mostly all just said NO.

Almost all the comments are positive and I explain how it works, and that I'm over 60 so it's ok for me to have an Ebike. Several have asked about the kit and how difficult it is to put together. I explain that with the help of the people on the Endless-Sphere forum it isn't too difficult at all.

 

[Ykick]

Mostly I get comments inside my work building since I take it up on the freight elevator to my office. NYC passed a law a few years ago stating that commercial buildings must make a reasonable accommodation if an employer is willing to let their employees bring a bike in. Before that they mostly all just said NO.

Almost all the comments are positive and I explain how it works, and that I'm over 60 so it's ok for me to have an Ebike. Several have asked about the kit and how difficult it is to put together. I explain that with the help of the people on the Endless-Sphere forum it isn't too difficult at all.

Love it Dave! On any given day my workplace now has 3 eBikes parked in our enclosed alley space in midtown. All of 'em are "my fault" - built for co-workers. Also gotta Dahon Jetstream in the pipeline for a guy at another theatre around the corner.

My latest Xootr Swift eFolder -

 

[Modbikemax]

Almost all the comments are positive and I explain how it works, and that I'm over 60 so it's ok for me to have an Ebike

And there's the hand brake! When the kids think it's cool ebikes will really take off. :?
Just like dragster, fixies and mountain bikes, we need the kids to make them cool.

 

[rider95]

I get lots and lots I didn't get very many comments on here when I posted pic and asked for comments I got like 3 ppl but when ever I ride it were ever, I get lots and lots and some are very funny and the look on there faces Priceless!! when I pull behind the bike path bullys . You know the guy he,s all decked out in his raceing jersey and matching shorts rideing a $5000 carbon fiber thingem jiggy flying down the path like he owns it I pull up behind him and yell passing on the left slow rider keep to the right as I pull along side him I nod and say some small talk he looks over at me with that puzzled look he,s thinking how in the hell can a 6ft 250 dude rideing a MT Bike were a baseball hat backwards pass me ???? After I pass and pull ahead I pull over just to watch the look on his face as he rides by PRICELESS!! when I unload my bike at the local mt bike trail I lean it up my tailgate and just sit in my chair and watch , and pretty soon you can see the looks then theay walk over with lots of comments . I tell em about this web site to come here

 

[rider95]

You never know who or what you'll run into out riding, I ran into a pack of zombies a few weeks back out on my local trail then the other day a older rider comes up to me and asks me about my fame on my bike he tells me and rightly so that's its a old so cal downhill bike made by Intense cycles . And that he used to race for them and a few others back in the day then he see,s its a elec bike and hes like wow that's neat so we have a nice chat he,s a cool older rider so as he is leaving he tells me hes a retired cop and rides a lot was in town for some training he,s now a FBI sp agent .

 

[riba2233]

Congratulations to anyone who succeeds to read and understand this.. lol.

 

[CroArcher]

 

[cal3thousand]

Maybe you should post that here:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=51087&start=150

 

[rider95]

Yeah I get the same response from my motocross buddies and all the bicycle guys and bike shops lol nobody understands me, just thought I would share some of my experiences I have had with my E bike . sorry

 

[wheelbender6]

I guess the FBI gave him a number and took away his name. Just kidding. Keep posting your riding stories. I'll read them.

 

[aroundqube]

Congratulations to anyone who succeeds to read and understand this.. lol.

Thank You!

 

[cassschr1]

I got it just fine.