People for eBikes

Testimonials from people who currently ride ebikes in Nashville. Sent to the Metro Greenways Commission. by Walk Bike Nashville 2/24/22

Nashville Greenway Endorsement sent February 24, 2022

Dear Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation Board Members,

We are writing today to ask that you endorse the Greenways and Open Space Commission’s recommendation that there be no changes to current e-bike law. 

 

Along with the 15 Council Members who wrote the Board this summer, we also ask that you approve the BCycle request to operate in Metro Parks.  

Danny's New Ride

Danny celebrates his end of therapy and is anxious to bike again thanks to his new Creo

Waste of City Resources

Hi all, 

Not sure what is needed from me but a bit of context that we can perhaps share to support our belief that this is a pretty mindless, wasteful discussion:

1. I ride my non-electric road bike on the greenways. I can confirm that it is possible to ride over 25 MPH on a road bike for extended periods of time. The only thing preventing me from riding 25 MPH on Greenways (at least in sections) is the posted speed limit. The bike is good for it. My e-bike tops out at 20 MPH - so yes, my road bike is significantly faster.
   
   
2. It's almost impossible to tell that my e-bike is in fact an e-bike. And if I turn off the pedal assist, it's no longer an ebike. So this makes the ban almost completely unenforceable.
   
   
3. I ride my e-bike to work every day, and I also use it to tow my ~80-lbs worth of children. If I'm not mistaken, towing your kids in a trailer is more or less exactly the kind of activity the greenways are designed for. Without the e-bike, getting my kids up hills that are more than a few percent incline becomes quite difficult, and I'm an avid cyclist. If I struggle getting them up Nashville's hills, that doesn't bode well for the rest of the population. 

So I'm aligned with everyone here and am happy to support as needed. For all of the reasons I stated above, 

this is a mindless discussion and a waste of city resources because it's a law that is both unenforceable and counterproductive.

From an email by a member of Nashville e-bike Group

Difficult to answer? Maybe the wrong question.

From Walk Bike Nashville Feb 22, 2022 newsletter --

After a long process, a "study," and many, many meetings, the Greenways and Open Space Commission decided today to do another study before recommending any policy changes regarding e-bikes on greenways.

Maybe the reason why the Commission can't get an answer is because they are asking the WRONG question. The objective for the Commission is keep the greenways safe. That has to do totally about the person riding the bike and not about the bicycle he or she is driving. DOT does not regulate by the car a person drives on the road. They regulate by how the driver travels on the road. It has a century of that experience. Why has everyone lost that competence on the greenways?

Conversation about eBikes

All – Please join us online for A Conversation about Electric Bikes on Wednesday, March 9, at 1 p.m. With all the questions surrounding possible regulation of e-bikes, Nashville BCycle and Walk Bike Nashville are convening a panel of national, regional, and local transportation experts and advocates to discuss and bridge any understanding gaps. 

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The panel includes Dr. Chris Cherry (University of Tennessee), Ash Lovell, Ph.D (PeopleforBikes), Lindsey Ganson (Walk Bike Nashville), and will be moderated by Michael Briggs, AICP (Vanderbilt University). Learn more about the panelists and register for the event here. Best, Elese Daniel (she/her) Nashville BCycle | General Manager

Metro Greenway Commission Meeting February 9th

Metro wants an eBike study amid greenway concerns

https://fox17.com/news/local/metro-recommends-another-study-amid-concerns-over-ebikes-and-greenway-infrastructure

Nashville Greenways are a hot commodity for runners, walkers, and bikers alike. 

My quote (Tom Evans) to the ebike group has been precisely what Lindsey Ganson with Walk Bike Nashville told Fox17,  “E-bikes just allow more people to bike! An e-bike rider just gets an extra boost to keep up -- not to speed down a greenway. Really, when it comes down to it, it’s not the type of bike, it’s the rider on the bike.”

A Gazelle

The Gazelle ebike was brought to my attention. So I thought I would compare it with our favorite Vado 5.0 SL. From the beginning this Dutch import  Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB appears to be similar to the Vado. We checked out the review from Bicycle.com and a video from E-bike Review (below).

As always I first interest is configuration, price, weight, and class.

Making Personal Stories for eBikes

FROM CAREY:

Thanks to Ben and Tom for the stories. I’m convinced we need to make this as personal as possible since talking to people about class 1 and class 2 makes their eyes glaze over.

The best thing you can do right now is  make contact with the Greenways Commission members.  Email them and tell your story because they need to hear us.  Some of them probably can’t  be convinced but we should try.  We’re quietly trying to make a few personal contacts via people who know the members.

How I Use My eBike

How I Use My eBike

I have been riding a bicycle for eighteen years starting at the young age of sixty-three. During that period, my favorite times were on multi-week bike tours. I have traveled across National Parks, across multiple states, and from the US to Montreal. Until recently, I averaged over five-thousand miles every year and worn out three road bikes. However, my needs have changed.

Nashville Greenway Trails

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