This is my first old man opinion and I don’t care who knows it. The habits of sedentary lifestyle get formed early. Learning that physical activity can feel good, make you feel accomplished, and is worth it does not happen overnight. The sheer amount of kids I see getting carried around at 45 mph on a sidewalk meant for slower things is astonishing. Half paying attention to the road while texting on their phones with ear buds in blowing past me walking my two dogs and kids just drives me nuts. Using your freaking naturally given legs and braking a sweat of some kind is good for you. No kids should be scooting their perfectly functional bodies around building a habit of being a lazy bones to go and play video games at a friend’s house. We have enough unhealthy people the last thing we need is an easy out for the one last vestige of useful physical work we have left.

Some notes I have for this. If you are in sports going to a sporting thing, ride your e-bike without shame. Obviously any physical or health reasons, great, glad you can get places. If you need to go really far or are commuting for a job, sweet, live your little life. Final admission is that given the same chance I probably would have gotten an e-bike and happily ridden past judgey millennials with a smile. I’m just trying to get places old man, don’t be a hater. But being on the other side I just hope kids can get exposed to using their physicality to do things for themselves and it makes me sad that potential biking fans could never discover their passion for something that is good for them and their environment.

  • @kozel
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    31 year ago

    You seem to be mixing up your unhappyness of e-cyclist riding on the sidewalks and oppinion about healthy benefits of a normal bicycle.

    Aso for the second, consider that riding an e-bicycle is still healthier than not riding at all. (Especially at 45 mph = 70 kmph. The electric support is restricted up to 25 kmph. Are your shure about that 45 mph?)