I hesitate a little to chime in because I recognize and agree, to some extent, with both sides of the thinking.
That said, I have an electric assist cargo bike, a somewhat cobbled together but perfectly functional Yuba Mundo and I will say that it is the most practical vehicle I have ever owned. It lets me haul big loads, cover greater distances, get through traffic relatively easily, all the while still riding my bike! It is only pedal assist, and I am rarely out of the "+1" assist range (out of +1 to +5). Oh, it also lets me keep riding with a bad knee that is refusing to completely heal and that's a big deal to me. So, advantages, and certainly not a complete list... - Able to haul more comfortably. In my case that is groceries, hardware, bikes and big boxes, etc. It could just as easily be commute and work gear, child seats, etc. - Able to cover longer distances reliably and without drama. I had a 17-18 mile 1-way commute when I was in Denver, and though I am not proud of it, that was too much for me. The one time I timed my ride to work, even on the giant Yuba, was 57 minutes, door-to-door, stopping at lights and all. - When riding in traffic or other stop and go situations, I am better able to get up to speed quickly, bad knee and all, and that somehow helps convince cars that I am something akin to another vehicle. Maybe coincidence, but I have had fewer close calls or signs of vehicle aggression when I am on the Yuba. I suppose sheer mass has its place as well?! - Big and/or long hills that might test me beyond respectability are not a worry. On just a bike ride, bring on the tests. But when going somewhere where I need to not smell and not look like I just came out of the gym, etc. the Yuba wins. - And for all the reasons, if e-assist gets more people on bikes, then I believe it helps cross that tipping point where bikes are seen more as vehicles and not just for play, recreation, etc. Maybe it is just my aging ways, although I understand why mountain bikers would want e-assist and to go faster and faster, that is not my thing and will not be. The benefit I see in e-assist bikes is to make them more practical in a real, day-to-day world, to help make bikes seem more viable (to all ages) as an alternative to ever larger cars and trucks Anyway, I love my standard and amazing regular bikes and can still do a lot on them, even haul things with trailers, etc. But having, using and riding the e-assist Yuba has been eye opening. Not that I think Rivendell is the natural vendor for such things, by the way, but an e-assist, Clem-based cargo bike would be fine with me. I will say, my Yuba uses a rear-wheel motor and it works perfectly well, though I know the mid-drives get high ratings. That said, I can move my "kit" from bike to bike (and have), it puts less stress on the drivetrain, and mine is incredibly quiet and responsive. Just thoughts and a report of what I have found... Bob Lovejoy Galesburg, IL -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
