E bike fire

[Rob S.]

Two dead this morning in lower Manhattan, six story building destroyed.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Here’s a link to CNN story on this fire.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/us/nyc-ebike-store-fire-lithium-ion-batteries/index.html

[Suzukian]

Geez, that's horrible. Not very specific story though. It doesn't say how the 4 people that died were affected, were they upstairs, in the shop? 4 people died, and the story concentrates on batteries and blame. Did the people who responsible for the violations die? Kind of weird reporting.

[rphillips]

Wasn't there a thing, a few yrs. back, about airplanes banning things with lithium-ion batteries, anywhere on the plane? Thinking Hoverboards and such.

[earlfor]

Lithium batteries should be watched while being charged. Overcharging can overheat them and cause explosion and fire. Cellphones are a higher than average risk due to their batteries being small and unable to absorb much overcharging or excess heat. Ideally, cellphones should not be discharged below 20% or charged higher then 80%, for best efficiency, battery longevity and safety.

[Grimly]

Wasn't there a thing, a few yrs. back, about airplanes banning things with lithium-ion batteries, anywhere on the plane? Thinking Hoverboards and such.

Still very much in force when it comes to shipping lithium batts.
Airlines got very spooked when one or two total losses happened because of lithium fires in the cargo.

[trent]

Screenshot_20230620_133523_YouTube~2.jpg

[Rob S.]

13 dead so far in the city just this year.

[Suzukian]

There has to be some kind of standard, inspection, and regulation of these things. I see some of these bikes on the road, and the people on them are going far too slow, and not obeying the rules of the road. They will be on the sidewalk, then jump into the middle of traffic. IMHO.

[Rob S.]

And they are also dangerous because they're so quiet.

[trent]

Guess e bike companies want laws/rules about people working on e bikes...not so much the bike aspect, but electronics and batteries!! Say it's to dangerous for people to mess with..gotta be qualified????



I decided to get a beginner mountain bike from a well regarded brand that's been around for a while, I can take it on the road when working out of town, give me something to do in the evenings .??

When I bought it, there were a lot of people buying, upgrading and getting maintenance done on their mountain e-bikes.

They were all trying to encourage me to buy one...LOL. Customers and employees..

i guess these things assist you in your pedaling lol you set how much you want its help.
one guy told me you still get a great workout but now a twenty mile ride feels like a ten mile ride.

These guys dropped some big Dollars for some of these things, guy came in to pick up his e mountain bike, puts in on a carrier on back of nice little red pickup....i mentioned the bike carrier looking like a good one...customer said "yeah, it is..bought a grand" then he said " it's worth it secures the bike ,locks it in."

then he said " the e bikes worth more than the carrier and truck combined "

I says " No _________!!!

He said " bikes worth about $12,000-$14,000....

[trent]

As electric bikes become increasingly popular in cities across the US, some in the media are trying to wrap their heads around this reported “electric bike craze.” But make no mistake, this isn’t some short-lived enthusiasm or a passing fad. This widespread adoption of e-bikes by young and old alike is merely the first signs of a paradigm shift.

That’s right, welcome to the future.

https://electrek.co/2023/08/22/electric-bike-craze-future-of-transportation/

[Suzukian]

When you see the prices some young people have to pay to just get liability insurance on a cheap car (because the insurance is so high they can't afford a nicer car), it's no wonder this option has evolved. Now, you can get one of these, and if it burns down a building, you just walk away.

I know of a very hard working legal immigrant who came to the U.S., took any job he could get, drove a bicycle the first year, then a small motorbike (before E-bikes) for another few years. As his transportation increased in size, he got better jobs, as he was able to travel out further. He is now driving a very nice car, and 15 years later, closed on his first house. ( a couple of years ago, when interest rates were long0. This guy took advantage of what was available, and worked his way up to a very nice place for himself and his family.

I think the E-Bikes could make it easier for a lot of younger people to get around, especially if they don't have to deal with gasoline engine repairs. I have no use for them, but I see enough being driven around here to know they are hear to stay. I just get bothered when they are in the middle of the lane, doing 35 mph, when everyone else wants to do 50 mph.

Connecticut has the following rules (above 750Ws, it's considered a motorcycle, but the majority of the laws are set locally but can't surpass state law):

• Class 1 are electric bikes are the pedal assist only ones, and the motor stops when you reach 20 mph.
• Class 2 includes electric bikes that provide electric power whether or not the rider is pedaling, but stops providing power when the speed reaches 20 mph.
• Class 3 is for bikes that continue providing electrical power up to 28 mph.

Going by these rules, most of the people I see are riding them legitimately, except for the few who want to drive down the middle of the road. Truth be told, all the roads around here are mostly 25 mph, but nobody drives at that speed. You would never get anywhere.

[Rob S.]

What are the rules? You tell us what the classes are, but what rules? Which, if any of the 4 classes (1, 2, 3 & motorcycle) require:

registration

inspection

insurance

driver's license

motorcycle license

You're in Connecticut, right, so we can dispose of the helmets.

Around here (NYC), they're driven on streets, sidewalks, lawns, and anywhere else you can think of. 10 lane highways (like the Grand Central Parkway near LaGuardia airport)? Yes. Lane splitting? Of course.

You said they're "hear" to stay. That's their most dangerous attribute - they cannot be heard until it's too late. I'd sooner ride a horse.

[Suzukian]

We had a massive clean up in Danbury Ct., and a lot of other bigger cities, when they changed the law, and allowed people to cruise around on under 100 cc "bikes". You would see 50 of them lined up, all kinds of drug dealing. It took about two months for the government to catch up, but that law was rescinded. I felt sorry for the people who were actually using that category of transportation to get back and forth to their menial jobs. They should some speakers on those things to imitate a sound. Over 750 Watts requires a motorcycle license. They should be registered and forced to have insurance. Motorcycles aren't inspected in Connecticut, but the police do a good job of checking bikes over , especially tire wear, and lighting.

As far as helmets, I don't understand how this state lets people get away without wearing them. It boggles the mind. That's one reason I ride alone most of the time. I know a couple of bikers, but they ride choppers (Ew), and they don't wear helmets. The first thing I do is go about 300 feet into N.Y. state and drive up Rte. 22 into the mountains of New York. Unless you have been riding up there, you wouldn't imagine the fantastic roads and quaint towns.

I used to go down to City Island to rent horses. They knew me well, and would let me take a horse on my own. Very weird riding around New York City on a horse. Those were some street wise horses, when it came time to cross the street, you let the horse take over.