E-Bikes on the Low Bridge

[Seattle E-Bike]

Tips for how to keep everyone safe when you are an E-Bike

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[Seattle E-Bike]

First, if you have, or buy, a 28 mph bike (there are lots of 20 mph bikes as well) slow down when you are passing a pedestrian or slow bike. About 10 yards out, start ringing the pedestrian bell. It has a pleasant little classic bike tinkling sound. About 10 feet out, say our loud “I’m on your right” or “I’m on your left”. This prevents the pedestrian or slow bike from swerving in front of you. Works every time. If you don’t, sooner or later a pedestrian will move in front of you. Slow bikes tend to keep going straight.

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[Seattle E-Bike]

More safety tips. Until two years ago, all bike helmets had a speed rating of 25 kph. That is only 15 mph. Every year, I would travel to Eurobike in Freiderichshavn Germany, and meet with Abus executives to urge them to come out with an E-Bike helmet. 2 years ago, they did. 45 kph, which is about 25 mph, the rating conferred by the Dutch Government. Solid rating. Abus sent us the first dozen they shipped to the U.S. Great helmet, very comfortable and adjustable, 45 kph rating, bright rear light. Compartment with built in, pop out, rain cover.

We have been urging all of our customers to buy them. Even slow bikes go fast down hills. I have been passed by a slow bike going 40 mph down 35th Avenue SW.

They are pricey, $149.95, but a bargain compared to brain damage. AND, If you live in West Seattle, White Center, Westwood, Highland Park, or South Park, You get one FREE. Just come into Seattle E-Bike, buy a $2500 or more E-Bike, and get an Abus Pedelec Helmet.

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[Chemist]

When I first moved to Seattle years ago, I would occasionally have reason to be walking the Burke Gilman trail in the morning, with its normal bike traffic. This was pre-ebike assist. As someone who wasn’t biking, it was several months before I eventually realized I’d heard a complete statement of “on your left” instead of a command to move left, a statement that “you should be further left”, etc. I didn’t dart in any particular direction, but even a pedestrian without headphones on might only catch the very last bit of what you’re trying to say audibly if you’re passing at 20+ mph. That was during the times where WA didn’t respect the driver’s license I had from another state and made me re-take the written (which I aced all questions on).

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[Seattle E-Bike]

on your left can be said in less than a half second. even if you just hear “left” it means, in bike path parlance, that you are being passed on the left. It means you don’t suddenly jut to the left. You can continue on your course, which the bike rider has taken into consideration. The good news is that almost all the way into town from Alki, bikes are separated from pedestrians.

Amsterdam is a different story, bikes have the right of way over pedestrians, the bike ways are much easier to walk on then the crooked pedestrian ways, but if you walk on a bike way, or cross one, and you get hit, you are to blame.

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[Don_Brubeck]

And, don’t be going 20 mph on shared-use paths and trails! It is really important especially for e-bike riders on heavier bikes to go slowly and announce their intentions when approaching pedestrians, dogs, children on bikes, and when passing other bike riders. The speed limit is 15 on King County trails. Seattle doesn’t yet have a set limit, but has this regulation:

Section 11.44.120 RIDING ON A SIDEWALK OR PUBLIC PATH.
Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.

And this information for all users of shared-use paths.

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[Chemist]

What ever happened with the pilot ebike program with seattle parks and rec for trails and the 15 mph limit? The proposed and approved pilot was from Aug 2018-Aug 2019.

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[56bricks]

Not PC enough for the elites. Or the “specials”.

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[VBD]

The biggest problem with bike lanes is that they inevitably become multi-use trails. Alki has both a pedestrian sidewalk and a bike trail, but it never works out like that. I almost never use the bike trail, because it can be completely clogged, and getting up to 10 mph can be a challenge.

Except for the few empty trails, or when I have no other choice, I much prefer just riding on the road. For me, it just seems safer.

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[Seattle E-Bike]

Another safety point about E-Bikes. Quality E-Bikes generally have hydraulic disc brakes with 4 pot rotors, and 203 mm discs in many cases. The combination give them enormous stopping power. Yes E-Bikes weigh 29 to 58 pounds, while unpowered bikes bikes weigh 16 to 40 pounds, but throw in the weight of a 160 pound rider, and the rider E-Bike combination is roughly 10 percent heavier, while having 30 to 100% of the braking power. Seattle E-Bike sells one E-Bike that weighs less than 29 pounds, about the weigh of the average unpowered bike. Yes there are hard core racers who own 16 pound bikes, you will rarely see them going under 30. Not after paying $12000 and working out like triatheletes. If you are into pain, don’t buy an E-Bike. Different strokes. If you must have both, make sure your shoes are two full sizes too small.

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[TSurly]

Good equipment doesn’t make up for a lack in rider ability/experience. Powerful brakes on a bike that requires no effort to go fast can be a hazard of its own.

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[Seattle E-Bike]

You might consider giving people more credit. Look how we are responding to the Corona virus. I think very well. People have common sense. They are not going to ride fast until they feel competent at it. Practice makes perfect.

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[Seattle E-Bike]

The quality and size of bike trails are often a problem. I-90 and the low bridge are very wide, completely protected. Excellent. I agree with you about Alki. One of the best set ups is Admiral way, it is not that wide, but instead of two way, which can be scary, there are bike lanes on each side of Admiral going in opposite directions. Its one of my favorites. Much more comfortable than the Second Avenue Bike Lane down town.

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[mark47n]

E-Bike: You said the following, “

You might consider giving people more credit. Look how we are responding to the Corona virus. I think very well. People have common sense. They are not going to ride fast until they feel competent at it. Practice makes perfect.

”

You must be joking. While I could cite numerous ways that people are utterly lacking in the benefit of the doubt I think I will stick with the number of rolled over cars our fair WS claims. Here’s a small sample of what I’ve witnessed on bike paths/multi-use paths in the few years:
People walking on bikepaths with earbuds in.
people walking three abreast an refusing to give way.
People yelling at me for calling the ubiquitous ‘on your left!”
People yelling at me riding my bike on the bike path (Myrtle Edwards, on the separate bike path).
People throwing cans and bottles at me.
People opening doors into oncoming bike traffic.
People turning across my lane of travel (this was the only time I saw a cop bust a driver for endangering a cyclist).

This list is much, much longer but I think I made my point.

I’m a avid cyclist and I’m down with coexistence. Coexistence work both ways though and in my experience, just from watching E-bikes on paths, E-bike users can be…incautious. I watch near misses due to a lack of awareness of how long it actually takes for them to stop or the results of all of that stopping power collide with physics and conservation of momentum. I watch E-bikers go zipping along crowded bike paths quite fast, fast enough that I’d have been riding on the road. What I’m saying is that there is nothing common about common sense.

I think it would be great if more people hopped on a bike – of any sort, or scooter, skateboard or anything to get the job done. I would also hope that those people would exercise a bit of sense lest they end up like those flipped cars.

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