micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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It's a little sad that we need to actually say this, but:
Don't be an asshole or you will be permanently banned.
Respectful debate is totally OK, criticizing a product is fine, but being verbally abusive will not be tolerated.
Focus on discussing the idea, not attacking the person.
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Yes, ideally it would not draw undue attention apart from that which a run-of-the-mill acoustic bicycle would. This is partly as a rudimentary form of "security through obscurity", but also partly so the ebike doesn't invite any strange, unfounded prejudices like "ebikes are cheating" or "only speed demons ride ebikes". I acknowledge that a perfect "sleeper" ebike would have many of its own drawbacks, so this is just one of the qualities I would evaluate.
The main drawback of a totally stealth e-bike is price.
I think some conversion kits might look like you're carrying something rather than boosted by something.
You raise a good point. I suppose I should clarify on what degree of inconspicuity I would like.
What I had in mind for a not-out-of-place ebike is one which does not have more numerous components than an acoustic bike, with the motor and controllers neatly tucked away and integrated into the design. That is, nothing which looks like it was bolted on after-the-fact. I've seen some models which integrate the removable battery into the thicker down tube. And hub drive motors are less noticeable than mid-drive motors, since the latter are betrayed by the characteristic bulge, whereas hub motors can hide behind disc brakes and sprockets.
Obviously, upon close inspection, a speedometer or throttle might give away the game quickly. As would someone with a keen eye for ebikes, no doubt. So perhaps the criteria is simply enough stealth that your average person at 20 paces would find it unremarkable.
I'm not sure how well I described that, or if I'm going in circles, but I hope this made at least some amount of sense.
The only thing I would narrow down is, are you looking to foil the average person, or the average bike theif?
The average person. Bonus points if it can turn invisible and thus foil a bike thief, although that might foil the owner as well haha