Ebiking destroyed by claims processing father

[jeffjot]

Okay so was really getting into the e-bike thing, as you may have seen by my recent posts.
As I've said earlier, I've been looking at some kind of backup transportation in case my car breaks down, as I only have one vehicle and no help for rides.
My work is across town and often its vital I get to it.

The reason I asked earlier about 2 stroke bicycles is I actually built one off a kit last year, as another scheme for backup transportation. I put it on a huge 29" 18 speed Huffy, and spent a lot of time customizing it, with all kinds of bells and whistles..... but to this day I have never started or run it. I know that sounds crazy.... I can't explain exactly why except that I've been really busy. But mostly because I've had reservations about mixing the oil and gas right, maintenance of the engine after I put fluids in it.... the noise and smoke disturbing neighbors, whatever.

Just recently however I ended up seeing two e-bikes, a full size and a folding at Wal-Mart, and bought them both, thinking I'd try them out and return one.
I really enjoyed both, but could not decide between them.
They're quiet, there's no fuel to mess with, no smoke, and here you see I was riding them immediately, which is telling. To me I just feel the e-bike fits me better than the 2-stroke.

I ended up choosing the folding bike for convenience as it was backup transportation.
I've been out riding it a number of nights, and its been a lot of fun. It is great for backup transportation. However its just kind of too small.

I then got this crazy idea. What if I just keep both e-bikes. I could sell my regular bicycle, sell the two stroke motorbike, and just have the full size e-bike for a regular bike, and the folding e-bike for backup? I really like the idea of being able to go out for rides and then having the backup e-motor in case you get tired, I think this would make me much more likely to get out riding for exercise.

So I put this question to my father who is a retired claims processor. And get this ten minute lecture schpiel about how dangerous it is to be out on two wheels, how he had dozens of claims over the years of people getting injured on motorbikes. People being hit by cars. People crashing.
If you're going even 20 miles per hour with nothing around you, its just a matter of time before you're seriously injured he says. If you need backup transportation he says, get an old beater car and just park that rusty lug out in front of your house. "I'd rather you did that and stayed alive", he says.

Talk about torpedoing my e-bike hobby in its infancy, lol
IDK. Thoughts, anybody?

 

[jeffjot]

He's a bit like Debbie Downer from SNL isn't he?
Yeah I can tell by the silence
I think he's thinking about motorcycles, not e-bikes.

 

[Atavar]

Ask your claims adjuster father why if what he said is true why is motorcycle insurance 10-25% of the cost of car insurance with comparable value four wheel vehicles.
It all comes down to claims history and actuary tables.
If he had dozens of motorcycle injury claims over the years I suspect he has handled hundreds of automobile injury claims.
I am a firm believer that given the rider is experienced and trained you are safer on two wheels than four.
A motorcycle can start faster, stop faster, turn faster and escape through a smaller hole than a car.

 

[jeffjot]

I see an e-bike as basically the same as a bicycle in speed and no real difference in safety. I rode bikes and ten speeds all through my childhood and adulthood, and only had one accident...... and that was when I was a kid being chased, and looked back and ran into the back of an open parked pickup truck. I cut my lip and was bleeding, but basically walked away from that.
I was only about 12. I didn't bother to put up a fuss about it until I got home lol.

How many people wear bike helmets with their ebikes?

 

[Jager]

Well, I'm a lifelong motorcyclist, having ridden something north of half a million miles. I absolutely love things with two wheels.

But in an urban environment, I'm going to agree with your father that the chance of serious injury on two wheels is much greater than in a car. I'll disagree with him that that's reason to avoid them. The world is full of people so afraid of dying that they never end up living.

Ebikes are pretty amazing. I'd vote for one simply because of how much fun they are, irrespective of their practicality as backup transportation.

 

[biknut]

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live." Mark Twain

Truer words I've never heard. Over the years my attitude has changed. I used to tell all my friends to learn to ride, but after years of experience and water under the bridge my thinking has changed. I now realize that because of the inherent dangers, not everyone is meant to ride. Only you can decide about it for yourself. That being said it's been my observation that first time older riders seem to do better than first time younger riders as far as accidents are concerned.

 

[Chuy]

… I then got this crazy idea. What if I just keep both e-bikes. I could sell my regular bicycle, sell the two stroke motorbike, and just have the full size e-bike for a regular bike, and the folding e-bike for backup? I really like the idea of being able to go out for rides and then having the backup e-motor in case you get tired, I think this would make me much more likely to get out riding for exercise…

That’s not a crazy idea. But, if you like tinkering, why not get an ebike conversion kit for your regular bike? It doesnt take long to install a conversion kit if you have the necessary tools and materials. The uart Bafang bbshd & bbs02 kits are very reliable and with the recent changeover to canbus units, you may start seeing deals on uart units.

 

[Smaug]

The thing is that your dad only sees the results of claims. The other >99% of the people riding around un-injured were not his concern.

Just like my ex wife (a doctor) only saw the people who were injured or killed, and she was anti-motorcycles.

These people know the stakes, but don't think about the odds. Only part of the equation, in other words.

If they were to dig a bit deeper, I bet they'd find that eBike crashes are less common and less fatal than car crashes, which we're de-sensitized to. What does your dad say about car insurance claims? ;-)

I'm not saying you shouldn't listen to your dad, only that his is just one viewpoint; a valuable one for sure, but not the only valuable one.

 

[biknut]

I was thinking along the same lines as Smaug. When you're a hammer, the whole world is a nail .