E-bikes clarified: WTF, LOL, IMHO!

Does this bike make me look lazy? Yes!

I caught a bit of flack the other day at Reddit for saying that e-bikes are "like spanx" because -- well, just because. There seems to be a real humor deficit among cycling advocates. I stand chastened, if not corrected. Yes, e-bikes are better than cars. No, we cyclists are not competing with each other for "coolest bike" honors (at least not in any objective sense. We here at PFN are  considering what to do about this annoying sitch.)  That all said, it seems as if e-bikes are at some kind of tipping point here in the US of A. And just so you know, my bestie Dave T. has been hawking these things since long before anyone actually noticed, and he is the coolest guy I know -- and that's saying something.

Here's the deal though: e-bikes are just a lazy way to get non-bikers onto bikes. They do not provide any significant advantage over a standard pedal-and-coast bicycle, and ultimately they are like NA beer. Dude, go ahead and pedal. Go ahead and work off that extra 200 calories. It's OK. You don't need to coast at 20 MPH on the flats, and there is no shame in getting off and pushing your bike up that killer hill by the 7-Eleven.