Bicycle Austin forum

JW

Member

Registered: 2008-10-07

Posts: 15

Re: Gas & Electric Assisted Bicycles

How is a cheap bike that was never intended to handle a motor, with a questionably legal, definitely non-emission controlled Chinese engine, in any way "green?"

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 640

Re: Gas & Electric Assisted Bicycles

Perhaps it mostly reflects light with a wavelength of around 530 nm?

Personally, I was wondering if the forum had an advertising policy.  I know there are ads on the front page, but I was assuming that those were paid ads ...

And to be fair, while the engines may pollute badly like a weed-whacker or lawn mower, they do tend to get around 100-200 mpg (which is really awful considering that most cyclists likely average less than 1/6th of a horsepower -- you'd think they could get much better mileage than 100-200 mpg.)  But even 100-200 mpg is far better than a car, so they're using less gas, and putting out less carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide (but probably more other crap -- ozone, nitrous oxide, unburned gas, etc. since they don't try anywhere near as hard to keep the pollutants down as a car.)

Last edited by dougmc (2008-10-28 22:10:32)

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,484

Website

Re: Gas & Electric Assisted Bicycles

To answer your question dougmc about whether it's okay for people to post ads -- yes, within reason.  I'll allow an initial post to introduce a product or business.  After that, there had better be something really new and compelling before posting again.  I just added this to the Rules link at the top of the page so this is clearer.

However, ads for equipment should go in the Equipment category (where I just moved this post), not the "Other" category.  Also, email addresses can't be published, even your own, as per forum rules.

About the product in question -- I agree, putting a cheap ultra-polluting Chinese motor on a bicycle seems not only to defeat a primary purpose of biking, it also seems just rude.

tomwald

Moderator

From: 78722

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 290

Re: Gas & Electric Assisted Bicycles

From the sound of this product, it can probably go faster than 20 mph on a flat surface without pedaling.  If that is the case, it cannot be used legally as the same as a bicycle, i.e., it cannot be used in the bike lane or on the sidewalk.

Strangely enough, just today I saw two motorized two-wheelers badly breaking the law:
1) Motorcycle riding up Guadalupe St. northbound bike lane at 21st St. at about 20-30 mph
2) Motorized scooter riding on the sidewalk on the Drag at about 10 mph during the day with moderate pedestrian traffic

tomwald

Moderator

From: 78722

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 290

Re: Gas & Electric Assisted Bicycles

A bicycle, with or without an assistive motor, does not have "a deck": 551.301.2.4. ... or is it Sec. 551.351.4?
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/S … 8266.76576
... although perhaps I'm misunderstanding what is meant by "deck".  I am assuming that a typical bicycle seat would not qualify as a "deck".

I would maintain that despite the claim in this post:
http://bicycleaustin.info/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=756
... riding a gasoline-motor-assisted bicycle on a sidewalk is likely not legal.

I'd like to think too that no one would make any habit of using motor propulsion on a sidewalk, aside from the mobility impaired and emergency responders.  It reminds me of the Austin Critical Mass ride(s) that rode through the aisles of Whole Foods... but that was an exception, a demonstration.  (FYI, I was not part of it.)

Here is a story in Paris where some moped riders incidentally get ticketed for using their mopeds where bicycles would be allowed:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fbe3e530-aec2 … 07658.html