Request for Testimonials

Carey Rogers shared a link.

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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.

Nora Kern shared a link.

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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

There is a big misconception by non-cyclists about how and why people ride eBikes. The problem is due to the many versions of ebikes created for a wide range of activities. The confusion is exacerbated by legislators trying to devise simplified laws for all version based on the bike design and not upon the cyclist’s behavior. That approach is not going to work to most people’s satisfaction.

About three months ago, I joined over a half-dozen other FOGBEE club members and purchased an ebike. My Specialized Vado 5.0 SL is categorized as a Class 3 pedalec. That identification is no more meaningful as to how I ride the bike than to say “the bike has two wheels.”

My companions are used to doing regular 45-mile club rides on rural roads in north-central Tennessee and southern Kentucky. With all of us over 65, we were finding these rides beyond our capabilities.  But, we relished the comradery, recreation, and health benefits.  The ebike provided us a way to continue.

Some cyclists refer to the ebike as cheating. It is not. It is better described as a crutch that we use sparingly to help us manage the difficult parts of a ride, such getting over the hills and lastly long enough to finish with the group. Our ebikes are equipped with 240 watt motors that typically provide a maximum of extra two times our leg power. We can’t charge up hills or speed away and leave the members of a group ride in the dust.

My motor will assist me up to 28 mph, but my bike hasn’t ever gone that fast unless I am coasting down the backside of a hill where, if I am not pedaling, there is no motor assistance.

Our FOGBEE ebikers are now able to join group rides and blend with conventional cyclists. On the flat parts of the ride we typically have the motor turned-off using the small switch on our handlebars. We flick it on for help to crest a hill or to finish the route where our legs would have been fatigued. We compete to see who has used their motor assist the least and have the most battery energy left.

My ebike encourages me to ride far more often. I take it to visit friends, to grocery shop and other errands, or to get a little exercise in the early morning or late afternoon. With my conventional bike I would have all kinds of excuses not to ride and instead use the car.