Worst experience I've had so far on an ebike.

Posted by guyinthechair1210@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 26 comments

I figured I'd share this here with like-minded people.

Last week I rode deep into Manhattan and passing by Times Square on a bike (pedal assist) felt exhilarating. I've passed by there more times than I can count on foot and in car, but never on my ebike. For a while I stuck to familiar routes close to home, and I figured I was better off away from crowds of people. I wanted to relive the experience and ride some more around Manhattan because the streets are wide, there's more scenery, and it's easier to rack up the miles. Looking back, I made a mistake going on a Saturday night.

When I first got there, it was congested with cars and people, but nothing I couldn't handle. I've grown used to having to worry about myself, cars, and pedestrians, so I didn't expect anything out of the norm. The problem is that crowds of people in Manhattan and Times Square ignore traffic signals/lights.

Even if the light was green and I was good to go, some dumbass teen or 20s something jumped out at me, stood in front of my bike, and was more or less doing the on foot version of chicken. I'm sure some of you have seen how some on bikes will ride towards people/cars up to the last second and then turn away, to get a reaction from them. That's pretty much what this idiot did to me.

I have no idea how I reacted so quickly. A second later and I would've crashed right into him. A 50 lb ebike with a 200+ lb guy with safety gear hitting a pedestrian at 15mph or so wouldn't have ended well. Thankfully, I have an action camera, so even if something had happened, I'd have proof that this dumbass jumped out into the street to get a reaction from me. That seriously pissed me off and I loudly cursed at him, but chances are he didn't care or react.

I'm surprised I kept riding around Manhattan after that. I stayed for around an hour more until I headed back because my battery was starting to run out.

Either way, lesson learned. I don't plan on not ebiking through Manhattan or Times Square, but I will be more careful with the time and days I go.

I figured some of you would appreciate what I had to share, or can learn from my mistake.

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RichGuarantee7482@reddit

you should post the video on youtube

KeeganDoomFire@reddit

That might prove OP was in the wrong and riding recklessly.

Fit-Music3193@reddit

Yes. I appreciate very much that I don’t live in NYC. Thanks 🤣

BoringBob84@reddit

I used to say that until I visited. I thought I would hate it, but the opposite occurred. There is so much to do and everything is within walking or subway distance.

Sounds like we’ve lived opposite lives. When I was young I loved all the action in big cities. Last 15 years I can’t get far enough away from them. Nothing but empty country for me to ride in now ❤️

I grew up in "empty country." No more of that for me.

Business-Help-7876@reddit

bear spray

Great idea in Times Square. Incapacitate dozens of people with that cloud. What would go wrong? /sarcasm

chucklestexas@reddit

Carry some pepper spray, and a lance would good, too. People just forget how useful lances are.

Yes, a lance in Times Square would be excellent. Everyone would think you were advertising for a Broadway Show! /silly

some dumbass teen or 20s something jumped out at me, stood in front of my bike, and was more or less doing the on foot version of chicken

At that age, their brains are addled by testosterone. Add in alcohol and some bad experiences with irresponsible ebike riders, and what you experienced is predictable.

I am sorry that you had to endure that.

SilverFishK@reddit

It's not the same thing, but on my commute from work to home I've seen a supposedly blind guy troll the space he should have been walking through. It's very uncomfortable.

If you're thinking that maybe he was just disoriented, I can assure you that I've seen him multiple times and all signs point to him being difficult on purpose.

FreedomX01@reddit

This is what you definitely need. I have this plus a Bicycle Car Horn and that really gets people attention especially at Busy intersections and crosswalks. Where Iive a lot of cars don't respect Cyclist so I got tons of lights to grab there attention and let them know I am highly visible and there. https://a.co/d/0eBIsjQx

https://a.co/d/0eVdwNTC

That looks cool.

Brother_Ebanga@reddit

Staten Islander here: Regular commuting hours in midtown Manhattan is already a challenge, Times Square on a Saturday should be avoided at all costs unless you can lan on cruising at 5-10 mph. If you choose to ride in Manhattan on a Saturday or Sunday I would recommend sticking to the east or west sides and only travel in the middle slowly and carefully. Between the cabbies, tourists and pedestrians it gets really crazy really fast….