would "speed Impaired" be more acceptable than "Handicapped"?

You have one term (E-Bike) that applies equally to Electric Motor Assisted Bicycles and to Electric Motor Assisted Scooters but the 2 vehicles are NOT equal because Bicycles are free to exceed the 20 MPH limit while Scooters are stuck at 20 MPH.

Ever wonder where this 20 MPH thing came from?

4 E-Motor & E-Bike Company Presidents together with their Liability Insurance Agents decided in the USA in the late 90's that since their wee little electric motors would be hard pressed to ever pass 20 mph and that a rider will sustain more severe injuries above 20 mph in a crash that 20 MPH was an acceptable limit.

Note: this was the Insurance Companies believing at the time that E-Bikers would be Insured just like Motorcycle and Car drivers. Since that never happened in the USA or Canada that 20 MPH limit was then left to the 4 companies with small e-motors. When the E-Motors got bigger no one bothered to raise the speed limit.

Yes, speed impaired would be better. That way it is clear you are referring to the vehicle rather than the driver.

Even better would be to say that scooter-type ebikes have a low top speed.

Impaired still connotes an organism, not a device.

Gordon

I saw this once in Craig's List recently and I thought this was brilliant and what should be used in this Group re: > Scooter-type E-Bikes.

Using Scooter-type won't confuse people who think of an E-Bike as a Pedal Assisted Electric Bike.

Question time: if you think you are NOT physically handicapped then why are you driving an Electric Scooter??

Wow! Transportations options were desperately needed to attract a larger audience to reduce automobile use especially for short commuting needs. The more options the better it is for all, and after the three year pilot (that existed ONLY in Ontario) fortunately logic prevailed despite the isolated negativity from certain groups or people. I find the above comment to be insulting to say the least. I am 55, in great shape, exercise daily (not bicycle riding) and if I am overweight for my size it is by about 5 pounds. I use my scooter style bike as often as I can to augment my automobile use for many reasons. One, it is a fun way to travel and two it is equally as fast as my truck going to places like the corner store or the mall. I can park it anywhere and requires no additional insurance or licence to own one. I do not feel the need to utter obscenities or my opinions when I see someone with a transportation option that I would not consider for a moment. I love the options available if it means one less car on the road for even a simple trip to the store. Transportation needs is not about exercise, and if cycling is your form of exercising...great...I prefer rowing machines which gives the body an overall workout. Then afterwards, I enjoy hopping on my scooter style e-bike and going for a nice ride around my neighborhood visiting friends with an open mind and a sense of humour.

Veloteq Rider, I am not insulted by the question, only amused. As to the rest of your response Two Thumbs Up,`cause I only have two thumbs to give
loCk

it is not logical that the Province of Ontario wants people to get away from their Car and go Electric.

It is Logical when you see the Province wanting to build new Nuclear and Coal/Natural Gas Electricity generating stations that by sheer coincidence retiring Ontario Politicians end up on the Board of Directors of and their friends end up with Consulting jobs.

You think Dalton McGinty would risk pissing off the massive auto industry in Ontario which forms 54% of all exports from Ontario unless he has a hidden agenda?

Pissing off all the self interest Groups who Lobbied against e-bikes?

Big Bucks in Electricity Generation and to justify new Plants you need to increase the drain on existing Power Plants to a critical level.

We Win because we get Laws allowing us to drain the system. We do however lose when new taxes and hydro billing charges are needed to support all the new Power Generating plants and we might even lose big time if the Government publicly points at us as the reason why Ontario needs more Nukes.

I'm sort of confused here. What exactly are you trying to say?

That it is not in the best interest of the Ontario government to promote ebikes?

You're kidding right?

The ebike laws are a nifty little "hey, aren't we green" feather in the government's cap. A PR move as far as I can see.

I find it hard believe that anyone out there actually worries that ebikes will even disturb the drinks on the deck of the SS Automobile. If they did, well hey, the world needs paranoiacs too.

Get blamed for more nukes? I'll admit the public is gullible, but I find it hard that they would swallow that one.

BTW, you going to apologize to Veloteq? Fred? How about to all the other readers silently steaming? I guess I wasn't making up all that stuff about offensive wording.

You do what you want, but seriously, stop with the kidding around, we're trying to be serious!

Gordon

So you chose to ignore McGinty going on and on about how Ontario's leading export to the USA in a few years will be Hydro-Electric Power?

How the USA is going Green fast and will need Power generated in Ontario. The USA is not building new Nuclear power plants but Ontario is.

An $8.0 Billion deal with Samsung to open 4 PV Plants. Something like 700 Wind Turbines planned. All that sounds pretty Green but then buried in all that were the new Nuclear and coal and natural gas electric power generating plants.

Seems like an awful lot of proposed power to be generated for only 13 million residents in Ontario doesn't it?

Best way (only way) to get the citizens onside with liitle if any resistance will be brownouts and blackouts and the culprit according to Queens Park will be Ontario's lack of available power generating stations. You get a few thousand e-bikers out there being visable supporting the need for more electricity to keep those batteries charged and the government will be pleased.

If you think Queens Park wanted E-Bikes and E-Scooters to show the world we've gone Green you're daft.

This is the same Queens Park that drove the ZENN E-Car out of Ontario threatening to confiscate Electric Cars and take them to the GM Crusher.

E-Cars look like fossil fuel burning Cars don't they and so people cannot tell them apart and no joy there for the Government but E-Scooters and E-Bikes are what Queens Park want to see filling the streets and in peoples faces.

Guess we'll have to wait till after the Election to see if I'm correct or not. But I am NOT a Sheep who blindly follows and believes what the Government says simply because Liberal Politicians have a dreadful track record for being honest.

Question time: if you think you are NOT physically handicapped then why are you driving an Electric Scooter??

Have to say Joshua, I was feeling a bit better when you said you were referring to the bike being handicapped, not the rider, but then you came out with the above! OUCH!

I indeed am NOT physically handicapped, and in fact go for three trail bike rides a week, on my mountain bike. I purchased my e-scooter as a means to get to work when I transferred to a day job, and the choices were either ride my bike, get a second car, or the ebike.... Now, I HATE to ride my mountain bike on the road, and I work 12 hour shifts, often with no lunch, breaks and often additional overtime. The thought of arriving at work, sweaty and exhausted is hard enough. The thought of then riding home after a busy shift is depressing.

A second car really didn't make sense given my short commute (~10k each way). The ebike saves me gas, insurance and $500/year in parking fees. It takes me roughly 2 minutes longer to get to work than it would in my car. Actually, I also don't stop at Tim's like I do in my car, so it saves me a coffee, bagel, and about 10 minutes, every shift :) I am not sweaty and gross feeling when I get to work, I enjoy the morning, or evening rides, and I park in front of my building, instead of about a km away if I were driving my car.

My e-scooter has a good sized trunk, and I can fit paniers on it, which make grocery shopping a breeze. For a short ride I can easily load it with quite a few bags. I do not feel like I am in danger when I ride my e-scooter regardless of the top speed...it is bright green, and I usually wear my bright yellow cycling jacket. I added scotchlite reflective tape for evening rides. I ride smart, I do not put myself in dangerous situations. I do not ride on bike paths, but do ride in bike lanes, being aware and respectful of other users.

So, my question would be.... WHY WOULD YOU NOT CHOOSE AN E-SCOOTER AS A SHORT COMMUTE VEHICLE??? a

Ever wonder where this 20 MPH thing came from?

I was under the impression back in 2000 during the introduction of power assisted bicycles in Canada, 32 kilometers per hour was chosen because that was the average high speed that a fit cyclist could achieve, and the 500 watt motor was considered acceptable because that is the equivalent output that the same individual exerts to achieve this speed.