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Recreational cycling is different as it's basically pointless but what's wrong with an electric mountain bike? It's like an uplift service, anywhere you want it. The only people who would object to what other people ride are the sort who like to express their opinion on what constitutes "real mountain biking", and who cares what they think?
Depends, the person deciding "what constitutes "real mountain biking", " might be the Council's ROW officer, if they decide that e-bikes are no worse than MTB's, and bikes are having a negative impact then they could slap a TRO on bridleways banning bikes.
I've nothing against them for commuters and the infirm, but I think of them in the same way as mobility scooters. And if the population as a whole is getting fatter and less fit, then they need licencing like mopeds before they become more of a problem. The rules governing moped were written back when a 50cc engine was about as powerfull as these E-bikes are now, you were supposed to pedal them uphill as the engine coudln't do it alone.
Its bad for 2 reasons, you're relying on their ability to follow closely without touching your wheel and causing a crash, and if you dont know they're there you cant warn them of potholes, debris, changes of speed/direction, etc, resulting in a crash. And asside from the safety aspect it's bad etiquet. Whether you view that as snobish or cliquey is a different matter, but most people wouldnt object if you introduced yourself and took a turn.
Nail, head. And contrary to some of the vehement reactions on here, I don't read the OP as being in a frothing rage.
None of those problems are anything to do with e-bikes though?
Not a big into road riding, starting to get out a bit more, but all this is a bit new
I don't sit behind others on the commute cos I don't like blocking that much of my view. I couldn't really care if someone sits behind me, though, there are so many other people on the road that you can't really get too upset by other people (central London).
If you're out on a ride for pleasure, it's a different matter. But calling unannounced drafting "bad etiquette" makes it sound as though it's something particular to road biking, part of a secret code of conduct. It isn't, it's just not polite.
If you were out for a walk in the countryside and you were on your own, you met someone at a trail junction and they just followed 2 paces behind you for half an hour that would be incredibly weird. It's not nice to have someone following you, lurking behind you saying nothing and if you're with friends, listening to your conversation.
Substitute walking boots for bikes and it's still wierd. It's a personal space issue more than anything else.
Its bad for 2 reasons, you're relying on their ability to follow closely without touching your wheel and causing a crash, and if you dont know they're there you cant warn them of potholes, debris, changes of speed/direction, etc, resulting in a crash.
But if you do know they are there, but they haven't had the decency to say they are there. it's ok to try and make them crash by obscuring pot holes? Crazy.