July 02, 2021
https://www.walkbikenashville.org/e_bikes_on_greenway
On July 6th, the Nashville Parks board considered a rules change/update to allow Class 1 pedal-assist E-bikes on Nashville Greenways. The request comes from B-Cycle, which is planning to restart in Nashville with a fleet of 300 pedal-assist bikes starting this summer. We support this request, read on to learn why.
The handlebar width on my VADO SL is 27.5 inches, while on my road bike is 19 inches. The Vado version may be perfect for mountain bikes that can use the extra leverage to maneuver sharp turns but for road riding where sharp turns are rare, they are very uncomfortable.
Ann Proctor found her hands getting numb, so Ronnie cut two or three inches off either side reducing the width to slightly more that used with road bikes. I have planned to do the same, but I thought I would do a little research into handlebar widths. Once I cut mine, I can't go back.
ReneHERSE had this article = "Handlebar Width Matters."
https://www.renehersecycles.com/handlebar-width-matters/
In the case of road biking, it seems your handlebars are most comfortable when they are the width of your shoulders.
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This is a resolution that will be considered at the Metro Council next Tuesday. It is a deal made for a study about e-bikes as a result of a stake holders meeting organized by the Mayor's Office. It includes public input and we will have to make our case that e-bike riders are not evil. We absolutely must humanize the issue because all they want to talk about are the bikes. I didn't make the meeting so maybe someone who was there can explain more.
There is no need to change the current law. It's worked for five years but make no mistake this will be a fight.
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Nashville ebike riders!! Two quick updates on the e-bike/greenway discussion.
First we have been invited to a stakeholder meeting with the Mayor's office Friday to discuss this issue.
Second, the Greenways Commission Agenda has come out for August 11th, and it includes the ebikes on greenways question. Depending on how the meeting Friday goes we will do a call to action to folks to send emails in support.
So that comes to my request!!! In advance of Friday's meeting we are trying to collect at least 10 testimonials from ebike riders -- who you are, why you ride an ebike, and why you feel they deserve to go where bikes are. Or who you are and why you don't mind walking/biking next to ebikes?
Can you take 5 minutes to share your ebike story here? https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScOuRw1NlC.../viewform...
It'll only take 10 minutes and it'll really help us on Friday!! Please feel free to share with other ebike riders you know too!
Tom Evans submission
Best to include a check of your thru-axles as part of your pre-ride checkout.
Tom
From: Bikers Choice Sent: Thursday, August 5, 2021 11:38 AM
To: Tom
So I checked James and he has told me [he has] seen a few more come
loose. I will investigate further. Thanks for letting me
know.
David
On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 7:59 AM David Hardin wrote:
Thank you for the heads up. Glad you caught it. I’ll certainly let the guys know what happened to you. We have been servicing thru axles for over 10 years and this is the first incident I have heard of. If and when you bring it in for your 30day check up, it’ll get a full inspection.
https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a36672989/caroline-cooley-riding-e-bikes/
Caroline Cooley has been riding a bike for longer than most of us have been alive. And though the retired nephrologist (a kidney specialist), is now 70 years old, she’s probably still logging more miles in a week—many of them on Knoxville’s root-ridden singletrack—than many of us spring chickens.
Her secret? A pair of Specialized e-bikes,
namely the Levo SL (an electric mountain bike) and her Como, a cruiser with upright handlebars and panniers that’s perfect for grocery pick-ups and commuting around town.
Without a doubt, this failure could have been a disaster.
I have put 70,000 miles on my three conventional road bikes with quick releases on the two wheels. I have never had a wheel axle failure nor have I heard of anyone having a failure. I had 920 miles on my new Specialized Vado 5.0 SL. Its front wheel was still a virgin, fresh from the bike shop. I had to pull off the rear wheel twice to repair two flats.
I was at the bottom of a hill, just beginning a climb when I felt a sudden unusual drag. I immediately dismounted thinking that I either had a flat or picked up a twig between the tire or the fender. I squeezed both tires. They were hard -- no flat. I spun both wheels. They turned freely. Then I looked down the fork of my front wheel and saw the axle extended about four inches. The drag I felt was the front disk brake catching on the cocked wheel. The front axle was nearly out of the fork.
I turned the bike upside down and was able to push in and re-thread the axle. Fortunately, it hadn't been damaged. The wheel spun freely. I also had not damaged the rotor on the disk brake. I righted the bike and rode it. It did well. Nothing was damaged.
I am not sure what contributed to the axle unscrewing. Either it had not been torqued at the bike shop or this was potential failure mode for thru-axles. If this axle had failed on a downhill coast, the disk brake would have set and the bike would have thrown me head first over the handlebars and into the pavement resulting in serious injury.
I was lucky, but I now had another check to make before every ride. Besides checking the tire pressure and oiling the chain, I planning to make sure the thru-axles are screwed tightly.
