four hundred twenty seven

Why is the future of cycling so ugly?

I know everything changes but for 200 years bicycles have been man powered.  Motorcycles are technically bicycles but they have evolved into a category of their own. The latest bicycle mutation is battery power but it has turned into a real freak show. 

Human powered bicycles have evolved over the 200 years. Wheel size and tire width, shifting systems, drive trains, brakes, handle bar shapes, seats and building material, but the one thing that has never changed is that human power is what makes them go. 

To make a human powered bicycle better you must focus on lighter, faster, rider position and aerodynamics. Bicycling was a very physical activity 

If you add battery power the tires can be fat, the bike can be heavy and wind resistance is of no concern. I know it is function over beauty but why try to be dorky and ugly? One company could do this for a niche market but all of them? 

These new designs may have been inspired by the US Postal Service. Not the USA Lance Armstrong team sponsor kind but the "rain sleet or snow" kind. One interesting twist; the new electric bike designs make "Boomer snow birds" look cool again.

I am still a stubborn purest, I like my human powered bicycle. It started when we were young and was part of our culture. Turning the cranks with our legs became a competition. Climbing the local hill and getting off to push was embarrassment. 

We jumped ramps, raced on cinder streets, never wore a helmet (if the even made them), went on all day adventures, delivered news papers  and ran errands. We rode them to school, across town or to our favorite swimming spot on a neighbors farm, it was freedom and it was free as long as you had air in the tires. 

The bikes were heavy and bullet proof. They were usually "hand me downs" from and older sibling, painted with house paint and never stolen. A kid without a bicycle was really missing out on summer.

I believe electric bicycles are here to stay. They are easy to ride, just twist and go. I'm all for easy but easy brings a new type of rider. They may have little or no experience riding a bicycle. They can easily reach higher speeds then traditional bicycles. They are heavier so they don't maneuver or stop as well. 

Cyclists with experience realize how dangerous riding in traffic can be. The new rider comes on the scene and assume they can be seen and have the right of way. They easily go faster then a traditional bicycle so cars misjudge their speed.

I hate seeing kids on electric bikes in traffic. Traffic is dangerous enough to risk your own safety but little kids in plastic helmets are really at risk. Ride in the quiet neighborhood streets or parks but stay out of city traffic.

Cars get dents, cyclists human powered or battery powered get broken bones or worse. My respect for cars and trucks comes from many years of trial and error. No big crashes but many close calls, only a few were my fault. 

I know the thought of having a magic button to push to help me over the next hill will haunt me but I'll stick with my human powered bicycle "Walter".