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  1. You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • thorgalle
      Scout
      2 weeks ago

      I've lived in bike-friendly locations all my life and grew up with bikes for commuting and leisure, which is to say I personally have never been attracted by e-bikes, which seem the least repairable and most work to keep charged. My dad has contemplated one of those 45km/h (~28mph) S-pedelec bikes, which are usually classified as mopeds. For a 10-20km/6-12mi commute, I think they do make sense even if you don’t have issues riding a regular bike.

      The trend towards more proprietary parts is saddening, but I only see electrification growing. The universally compatible battery kickstarter at the end looks promising in that regard! Promising as well are the detachable motor solutions that I’ve seen pass by here, which can be fit onto regular bikes. I also hope standardisation legislation will proceed.

      In current events, moving back to Belgium, I'm about to ship back the 2nd hand Gazelle bicycle that I got for ~500 eur in the Netherlands in ~2015. I rode it to Finland, and it's been me serving well for commutes and leisure all this time. Some of its components subject to wear have been replaced 3-4 times (including, for the first time, the saddle and bottom bracket a few weeks ago), probably for a total lifetime cost of some ~1500 eur.

      That’s not extremely cheap, but I’ve never optimized the replacement of the chain, quickening degradation of some other parts and leading to higher costs that could have been avoided. Gazelle also uses some less-common components (but still fairly standard, I think) compared to older bikes, which are often slightly more expensive, and the Shimano Deore-class components are also more high-end. The costs still pale in comparison with alternative transportation like a car or even public transport.

      After 10 years however, I’m in the market for a new bicycle! A sturdy, high-quality touring bicycle, to be specific. I’ll keep an eye on repairability, that’s for sure.