On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to-
perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Last night, after playing tunes with some acquaintances up north, we
drove home after dark through an Amish area. I saw more ebikes than I >normally see, but I can't say for sure that the riders were Amish. But
at least in that area, Amish buggies now have headlights as powerful as
those on cars. I assume this is partly due to LED technology. Many Amish >households in that area have solar panels, useful for charging batteries
and other things.
And regarding "in that area": I've been told that unlike many other
churches with well defined "top down" authority structures, the
practices of the Amish vary parish by parish or bishop by bishop. Way
back when we did our first bike tour across Pennsylvania, a farmer at an >Appalachian campground said some Amish in that area were allowed to
drive cars, because the grades were too much for horses and wagons; but
that the chrome on the car had to be painted black.
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low >gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has >priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to-perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to-
perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low >gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has >priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to-
perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people? Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski ><frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to-
perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low >>gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept >>electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a >bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people? >Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has >>priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:52:26 +0200, Wolfgang Strobl
<news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I see adults on the bike trails traveling at 15/20 MPH and peddling at
30 RPM, if at all. They wave at me, pretending, I suppose, that they
and I have something in common. I see many school age kids riding
their electric bikes, scooters, and such.
When did "exercise" become something to avoid?
--
C'est bon
Soloman
On 4/14/2025 2:52 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-
or-the-road-to-
perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend
there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road
marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our
tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated
to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who
switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are
Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population
are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be
Amish.
I think the Amish are always going to be a tiny, tiny
percentage of almost any phenomenon. It's sort of the point
of their chosen existence, to be a people apart from the norm.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a
culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we
die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community
is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a
good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their
obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose
design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are
riding a bicycle.
I understand your point. But speaking of "people apart":
That's you and me. At least in the U.S., but also in most
other countries, avid cyclists are a relatively rare breed.
In general, people who build purposeful exertion into their
lifestyle are quite uncommon.
Yes, there are certain locations where geographic factors -
natural or built - make daily exertion more common. I'm
thinking of dense towns with mixed zoning, where one can
still find a grocery shop and a workplace within walking
distance of most homes. But ISTM the trend in the
"westernized" world is to make those places less and less
common. And even in "developing" countries, as soon as a
person can afford something with a motor, they want to buy
it to make getting around easier.
Those of us who push ourselves to use muscle power are
similar to the Amish. We impose voluntary restrictions on
ourselves, for what we perceive as our own good and the good
of the community. We'll always be unusual, unless the built
environment changes greatly.
On 4/14/2025 2:52 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
I think the Amish are always going to be a tiny, tiny percentage of
almost any phenomenon. It's sort of the point of their chosen existence,
to be a people apart from the norm.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I understand your point. But speaking of "people apart": That's you and
me. At least in the U.S., but also in most other countries, avid
cyclists are a relatively rare breed. In general, people who build
purposeful exertion into their lifestyle are quite uncommon.
Yes, there are certain locations where geographic factors - natural or
built - make daily exertion more common. I'm thinking of dense towns
with mixed zoning, where one can still find a grocery shop and a
workplace within walking distance of most homes. But ISTM the trend in
the "westernized" world is to make those places less and less common.
And even in "developing" countries, as soon as a person can afford
something with a motor, they want to buy it to make getting around easier.
Those of us who push ourselves to use muscle power are similar to the
Amish. We impose voluntary restrictions on ourselves, for what we
perceive as our own good and the good of the community. We'll always be unusual, unless the built environment changes greatly.
She was out in open water with nowhere to hide. On 14 Apr 2025 15:05:12 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:52:26 +0200, Wolfgang StroblFolks have all sorts of motivation for cycling, and particularly the sort
<news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as >>> a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing. >>>
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I see adults on the bike trails traveling at 15/20 MPH and peddling at
30 RPM, if at all. They wave at me, pretending, I suppose, that they
and I have something in common. I see many school age kids riding
their electric bikes, scooters, and such.
When did "exercise" become something to avoid?
--
C'est bon
Soloman
of old rail trails I believe your riding ie flat traffic free, smooth >surfaces that says chill out maybe get a ice cream and chat to your mates >sort of ride.
Im sure some folks probably do try to get personal bests and so on, but
even among enthusiasts cyclists they are more likely to err to the ice
cream than Strava segments in my experience.
And so if the bike is helping them along while they are getting out and
about with the family Im not really sure I see the problem.
I do think that. E-bikes do need to be regulated to keep them to the bike >side of things, ie need to pedal to get assistance and top out at 15mph or >so. As otherwise they are Moped in all but name but that would seem be down >to regulation or lack there of!
Roger Merriman
On 4/14/2025 2:52 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
I think the Amish are always going to be a tiny, tiny percentage of
almost any phenomenon. It's sort of the point of their chosen existence,
to be a people apart from the norm.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I understand your point. But speaking of "people apart": That's you and
me. At least in the U.S., but also in most other countries, avid
cyclists are a relatively rare breed. In general, people who build
purposeful exertion into their lifestyle are quite uncommon.
Yes, there are certain locations where geographic factors - natural or
built - make daily exertion more common. I'm thinking of dense towns
with mixed zoning, where one can still find a grocery shop and a
workplace within walking distance of most homes. But ISTM the trend in
the "westernized" world is to make those places less and less common.
And even in "developing" countries, as soon as a person can afford
something with a motor, they want to buy it to make getting around easier.
Those of us who push ourselves to use muscle power are similar to the
Amish. We impose voluntary restrictions on ourselves, for what we
perceive as our own good and the good of the community. We'll always be >unusual, unless the built environment changes greatly.
She was out in open water with nowhere to hide. On 14 Apr 2025 15:05:12
GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:52:26 +0200, Wolfgang StroblFolks have all sorts of motivation for cycling, and particularly the sort
<news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first >>>>> time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low >>>>> gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a >>>> bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as >>>> a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing. >>>>
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I see adults on the bike trails traveling at 15/20 MPH and peddling at
30 RPM, if at all. They wave at me, pretending, I suppose, that they
and I have something in common. I see many school age kids riding
their electric bikes, scooters, and such.
When did "exercise" become something to avoid?
--
C'est bon
Soloman
of old rail trails I believe your riding ie flat traffic free, smooth
surfaces that says chill out maybe get a ice cream and chat to your mates
sort of ride.
Im sure some folks probably do try to get personal bests and so on, but
even among enthusiasts cyclists they are more likely to err to the ice
cream than Strava segments in my experience.
And so if the bike is helping them along while they are getting out and
about with the family Im not really sure I see the problem.
I do think that. E-bikes do need to be regulated to keep them to the bike
side of things, ie need to pedal to get assistance and top out at 15mph or >> so. As otherwise they are Moped in all but name but that would seem be down >> to regulation or lack there of!
Roger Merriman
I do ride some rail trails, but not very often. One has to leave the
trail I usually ride, the one I rode today, the Suncoast Trail, in
order to get ice cream. The road riders I see are not chatting with
anyone. More often than not, they're riding solo and down on the
drops. There is an occasional peloton, but they're not chatting
either.
On the other hand, there are old wobblers who go too slow, and the
ebikers, who go too fast. I've not seen accidents between the two, but
I know there must have been some.
Weekdays on the Suncoast are not very busy, but I drive past the
parking lots on weekends and holidays and there are a hundred or more
cars at each one. I seldom ride weekends.
--
C'est bon
Soloman
Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
She was out in open water with nowhere to hide. On 14 Apr 2025 15:05:12
GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:52:26 +0200, Wolfgang StroblFolks have all sorts of motivation for cycling, and particularly the sort >>> of old rail trails I believe your riding ie flat traffic free, smooth
<news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank KrygowskiI see adults on the bike trails traveling at 15/20 MPH and peddling at >>>> 30 RPM, if at all. They wave at me, pretending, I suppose, that they
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>>>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding >>>>>> tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first >>>>>> time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low >>>>>> gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept >>>>>> electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a >>>>> bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people? >>>>> Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as >>>>> a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in >>>>> general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis. >>>>>
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has >>>>>> priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing. >>>>>
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle. >>>>
and I have something in common. I see many school age kids riding
their electric bikes, scooters, and such.
When did "exercise" become something to avoid?
--
C'est bon
Soloman
surfaces that says chill out maybe get a ice cream and chat to your mates >>> sort of ride.
I?m sure some folks probably do try to get personal bests and so on, but >>> even among enthusiasts cyclists they are more likely to err to the ice
cream than Strava segments in my experience.
And so if the bike is helping them along while they are getting out and
about with the family I?m not really sure I see the problem.
I do think that. E-bikes do need to be regulated to keep them to the bike >>> side of things, ie need to pedal to get assistance and top out at 15mph or >>> so. As otherwise they are Moped in all but name but that would seem be down >>> to regulation or lack there of!
Roger Merriman
I do ride some rail trails, but not very often. One has to leave the
trail I usually ride, the one I rode today, the Suncoast Trail, in
order to get ice cream. The road riders I see are not chatting with
anyone. More often than not, they're riding solo and down on the
drops. There is an occasional peloton, but they're not chatting
either.
Either way its shared space and appears to be sort of places youd expect >walkers kids, dogs and so on, which doesnt sound very conducive for
roadies, pleasant for a potter sure, is a few similar sort of places in or >around London which can be nice but do need to be mindful of others.
That sounds mind boggling busy and huge car park! Certainly similar stuff
On the other hand, there are old wobblers who go too slow, and the
ebikers, who go too fast. I've not seen accidents between the two, but
I know there must have been some.
Weekdays on the Suncoast are not very busy, but I drive past the
parking lots on weekends and holidays and there are a hundred or more
cars at each one. I seldom ride weekends.
in the uk a car park is more likely with a capacity of a handful!
--Roger Merriman
C'est bon
Soloman
Wolfgang Strobl <news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank KrygowskiI believe they are quite clustered in areas so would need to go below state >level, to see what % (if that figures exist!) of Amish are using E bikes vs >population.
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
On 4/14/2025 2:52 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as
a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
I think the Amish are always going to be a tiny, tiny percentage of
almost any phenomenon. It's sort of the point of their chosen existence,
to be a people apart from the norm.
Finally, while I'll never be Amish, I can admire that a culture has
priorities other than "How much shit can we buy before we die?"
Community is very important to the Amish, and community is a good thing.
But switching from bicycles to motorized bikes isn't a good thing in
general, especially not in a country known for their obesity crisis.
IMO, this is marketing for a motorized vehicle whose design mainly
consists of giving riders the illusion that they are riding a bicycle.
I understand your point. But speaking of "people apart": That's you and
me. At least in the U.S., but also in most other countries, avid
cyclists are a relatively rare breed. In general, people who build
purposeful exertion into their lifestyle are quite uncommon.
Yes, there are certain locations where geographic factors - natural or
built - make daily exertion more common.
I'm thinking of dense towns
with mixed zoning, where one can still find a grocery shop and a
workplace within walking distance of most homes.
But ISTM the trend in
the "westernized" world is to make those places less and less common.
And even in "developing" countries, as soon as a person can afford
something with a motor, they want to buy it to make getting around easier.
Those of us who push ourselves to use muscle power are similar to the
Amish.
We impose voluntary restrictions on ourselves, for what we
perceive as our own good and the good of the community.
We'll always be
unusual, unless the built environment changes greatly.
Am 14 Apr 2025 07:52:47 GMT schrieb Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com>:
Wolfgang Strobl <news51@mystrobl.de> wrote:
Am Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:40:59 -0400 schrieb Frank KrygowskiI believe they are quite clustered in areas so would need to go below state >> level, to see what % (if that figures exist!) of Amish are using E bikes vs >> population.
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
On 4/10/2025 12:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/are-e-bikes-a-godsend-or-the-road-to- >>>>> perdition-an-amish-community-is-torn/ar-AA1CAple
A couple remarks:
Holmes County, Ohio is quite hilly. We did a weekend there, riding
tandems with our best friends. One little side road marked the first
time we ever had to dismount and walk a hill despite our tandem's low
gearing. I can see why the Amish there would be motivated to accept
electric assist.
Sure. Who wouldn't? But how many people of those who switched from a
bicycle to a motorized bike during the last decade are Amish people?
Wikipedia tells me that only 0.12% of the US population are Amish, so as >>> a first guess I'd expect > 99% of e-bike users not to be Amish.
So it is even less relevant for the general population.
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