No throttle for kids | TheaterFire

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CaterpillarKey6288@reddit

Parents like this are the reason that states are trying to make all ebikes illegal.

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Aggressive-Sir-7510@reddit

It seems like this person is actually putting effort into getting their kid something reasonable which is good lol

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RoundSetting3402@reddit

This is the opposite actually. OP is looking for a class 1 ebike. The problem you referenced is emotos for kids.

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TJBurkeSalad@reddit

No they are not. OP is clearly concerned and asking questions. The people ruining it for everyone else don’t give af about anything.

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CaterpillarKey6288@reddit

No they are trying to give a ebike to 10 year old.

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Terrible take. The throttle is the best safety feature on an e-bike. It allows you to accelerate quickly out of danger zones like intersections. It also helps to get a heavily loaded bike in motion when balance is not optimal. Also, the throttle allows me to ride my bike safely in snow and ice because I can put my feet on the ground for extra balance when things get a little too slippery.

The only problem with e-bikes are the speed. IMO 20mph is plenty fast places with good pedestrian infrastructure. In areas where there are no bike lanes and paths being able to more closely match vehicle speed makes it safer to share the road.

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Maxrdt@reddit

Honestly I'd be fine with throttles only going to like 10 mph because I only use it to get started from a stop if my feet are out of position or if I'm in stop and go traffic. But I also get having a higher limit to match vehicles like scooters that don't have pedals. It's a good accessibility option.

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TJBurkeSalad@reddit

I would be fine with the throttle cutting out at 10mph too. Unfortunately regulating this would be far more difficult than outlawing e-bikes all together. Fortunately I foresee another massive uptick in e-bike users from the high gas prices similar to the one we saw during Covid. The more e-bikes sold the harder it will become to make them illegal.

E-moto’s are freaking sweet too, and they are already regulated like motorcycles. It’s no different than electric cars. The laws are already in place. The next obvious step should be enforcement. These are the bikes that the majority of people are upset about, but don’t understand the difference.

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Maxrdt@reddit

I know in many jurisdictions it is harder to register an e-moto because the laws are written around gas engines only. If we could actually get people taking an MSF course it would be great.

Of course in some part they are popular BECAUSE you don't have to pay for registration and insurance, but there is absolutely a market and place for these in-between vehicles, and getting ahead of them is going to turn out better than trying to outright ban them.

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Flashbulb_RI@reddit

I pedal 99% of the time on my eBike, however I find the throttle very useful, like when I need to get my 50lb e-bike across a busy intersection from a dead stop = pedal + full throttle. I can give many other examples like starting from a dread stop on an incline.

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Soltea@reddit

How is this hard to do without a throttle? Seriously. It's a bike. Use your legs and gears.

It feels like people really want a moped or motorcycle and the pedals are only there for the loop hole.

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avo_cado@reddit

Skill issue

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Flashbulb_RI@reddit

I’ve been riding a bike for 40 years / countless miles, plenty of skill and experience. The throttle is a useful tool on an e-bike. I could live without it but I like having it.

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placeperson@reddit

Check out this bike

Expensive but checks every box

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RoboticGreg@reddit

Search for class 2. Class 2 can't have a throttle

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Silent_Watercress400@reddit

You’re thinking of Class 1. By definition Class 2 bikes have a throttle.

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Wu-TangProfessor@reddit

I'll probably get some grief for this but I wouldn't buy an Ebike for kids. A normally fit kid can ride the heck out of a decent bike and should get comfortable enough with that before getting motorized.

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GoldenPSP@reddit

This. There is basically no reason a 10-14 year old needs an ebike.

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greggers1980@reddit

Yep my pedal bike is faster than the ebike I tried.

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BoringBob84@reddit

Another problem is peer pressure. Even if the parents buy the kid a legal Class 2 e-moped, his friends will put pressure on him to defeat the speed and power limits.

I would be tempted to put a GPS tracker on it and review the data against maps. If I saw it exceeding 20 MPH on flat roads, not stopping for stop signs and lights, or other reckless behavior, I would take the ebike away and make him walk. It is important for kids to learn that rights come with responsibilities.

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atlasraven@reddit

Little kids, sure. For teens, I wish more ebikes had a Parental Mode where you could lock the ebike to a maximum assist level or max speed.

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Charli3q@reddit

Lot of terrible parents buying their kids Surrons and such right now. insanity. Its like they actually dont know what they are buying their kids.

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atlasraven@reddit

Not really a new phenomenon. Lots of delinquent kids in the 80s too riding around trying to look cool :P

(Just an upstanding teen being hassled by the law)

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Charli3q@reddit

LOL! I mean, luckily e-motos are def less dangerous than a 2 stroke motorbike. But goodness.. Any parent not fully tracking their minor childs movements on an e-moto. bad.

On street and run a red light? You lose the bike for good. Selling it. Id have zero tolerance for that.

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SkyGuy5799@reddit

I agree, the other day I seen a family riding around on normal bikes but the youngest kid didn't even have pedals, just straight up electric.... Like wtf

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Zenigata@reddit

This surely depends upon your location and what kind of riding they have in mind.

Recently visited a prospective school for one of my kids. Over 130m of climbing in 2 km on the way to school. Seems like a pretty reasonable use case for an ebike to me.

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Flashbulb_RI@reddit

I ride both an e-bike and a regular bike. I 100% agree. Develop bike skills first before introducing a motor. Regular pedal bikes are becoming underrated in this e-bike world, pedal bikes have many advantages.

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Weaselthorpe_House@reddit

Growing up, I was a normally active kid on a beater bike with an ancient Sturmey Archer 3speed hub and rode the hell out of it. Loads of fun.

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I-Like-MTB@reddit

Yeah you can get fit super quick

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Slipstriker9@reddit

Get a Bafang Ebike kit build it with them and buy the programming cable. This way you can limit how ever you want to and map a the power curve. They come with a throtle but they work great without installing it.

If you want guides or help go to theendlessphere forum.

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east140@reddit

I mean do they really need an e bike? Get them a regular bike and a dirt bike if that’s the itch you’re trying to scratch

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Impossible-Money7801@reddit

Your ten year old should not be riding down the street at 20mph. Think about it. They’ll eventually have a fall.

It’ll be the same as having them sit on the hood of your car, driving up to 20 mph and then slamming on the brakes.

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waitingforsummer2@reddit

There is a reason why e-bikes are illegal for under 16 crowd.

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Rattlingplates@reddit

I really don’t understand the throttle hate. Most bikes only throttle to 20 and you have to fake pedal to make it go 28. Just Becuase your feet are moving that makes it ok with you letting the bike haul ass over a throttle ?

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Zenigata@reddit

And you seriously cant see any way that might be dangerous for a 10 year old?

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Rattlingplates@reddit

That’s very clearly my point. Just taking the throttle away and letting them pedal these same speeds is still ultra dangerous. The throttle isn’t the problem it’s the top speed. The throttle should even be discussed.

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Zenigata@reddit

In that case you made your point very confusingly.

Also torque sensing and bikes which dont propel riders to such ridiculous speeds also exist. They ride totally differently to a bike with a throttle.

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Soltea@reddit

If it has a throttle it's not a bike in my opinion.

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Rattlingplates@reddit

There’s just this massive disconnect with people. Some people are using these as scooters and there not bikes they’re e bikes. As soon as you motorize it it’s a different animal.

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OkGuide3784@reddit

which is why cadence sensors suck...

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Rattlingplates@reddit

Shit I enjoyed mine. However I was using my bike strictly for commuting to and from work. I got my exercise in through kite surfing or my other hobbies.

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hezuschristos@reddit

Class 1 bikes exist….

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HoojoSpifico@reddit

I'll die on this hill. Veteran parent here. Don't buy e bikes for kids younger than 18. Let them struggle and work to get over hills. It teaches character and reinforces the need for physical fitness. Throttle or not powered bikes shouldn't be given to children.

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Ok_Barber4598@reddit (OP)

lol I know, I know, don’t get kids ebikes, rub some dirt on it and drink from the hose. Trust me this is a debate I’ve had with myself many times and this is my compromise with my particular circumstances, and the comment section isn’t where I’ll change my mind. (Please take this comment with the light hearted sassy friendly response it’s intended to have) in an ideal world the hills would be alive with the sound of switching gears and music. But where I live in California I’m surrounded by hills and every one of my kids friends has an ebike (most with throttles that go too fast in my opinion), so my kids are discouraged and reluctant to join them on rides etc. I’m just trying to get them over the hump (or hill) without fully going to the extreme of what the other kids have. I don’t want them to miss out on the core memories I have of getting together with a group of friends and riding our bikes to the market to grab jerky and snacks, and then off to who knows where.

So if you all could help me find that sweet spot I’d really appreciate it!

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SoCalSoccerBot@reddit

I wouldn’t recommend buying a cheap ebike. They’re cheap for a reason. A bicycle focused ebike (you can pedal it home without assistance) is also a bike that is going to go fast. Not fast on assist, fast because proper bikes are capable of high speeds and going down hills you’re looking at upwards of 30 mph. So don’t get hung up on top assist speed limits. Your kids are going to exceed those going down the hills.

So anyway, to answer your question, https://www.yamahabicycles.com/bikes/crosscoreRC

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placeperson@reddit

Woom was making a bike like this (the Woom Up) but it seems to be discontinued unfortunately, at least in the U.S. I think the best bet here could be to convert a bike using a Tongsheng TSDZ2 (a relatively inexpensive conversion motor that is quite lightweight, torque sensor, and very programmable). It's something I'm thinking about in a few years when my kids are in yours' shoes.

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derailleurplans@reddit

The tern nbd is manageable for experienced cyclists probably around 10-11 and up. Plus it fits about 4’10 - 6’3

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bikepackerdude@reddit

The adult is the pedal assist

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jarvischrist@reddit

Just let them get the foundation with a normal bike... Kids have been climbing hills on their own steam for as long as bikes have existed, it gives them a sense of achievement, something to conquer.

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placeperson@reddit

My kid has been riding a pedal bike since he was 3 and rides to and from school almost every day. He has plenty of foundation. But I totally empathize with OP. Our family gets around entirely by bike where we live right now. Once my kid is like 8 or 9 and starting to outgrow riding around on the back of our cargo bike, I would love to have a gentle motorized option for him so that we can ride around our city together easily, rather than having to go back to using our car more or have it be a slog & a fight to go do our weekend activities because it involves 6-8 miles of biking for him.

Obviously kids can ride pedal bikes, but for use as actual transportation in our city over longer distances, motors could be really helpful. People imagine kids throttling around but that's absolutely what I don't want.

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CatfishDog859@reddit

Can confirm. I grew up in an incredibly steep neighborhood that got minimal if any grading before it was developed for houses... As a kid it was my big goal to pedal up to the water tower at the top of the ridge without putting a foot down... single speed bike, so i learned how to switchback up the hill if i started to loose momentum and position my center of gravity to maintain traction on the back tire.

Thats not to say we didnt go fast... we bombed down the hills easily above 25mph on coaster brakes and only ill fitting helmets... some of my greatest memories, but also the greatest lessons in determination, problem solving, and accomplshment. Dont let motor dependency steal that from kids before they earn their legs.

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thedarkforest_theory@reddit

A class 1 emtb. Lots of choices, no throttle, 20 Mph limit.

Class 3 commuter bikes don’t have a throttle but the limit goes up to 28 mph. Speed is a significant factor in severity of injury so my choice would be a class 1.

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Ok_Barber4598@reddit (OP)

Also the number of suggestions and bikes that say class 1 then have throttle stats…

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YBHunted@reddit

Lmao parents are really buying bikes for their small kids? Jesus christ.. as a dad of a 2 year old and a 2nd coming soon I cant even imagine the logic behind that.

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atlasraven@reddit

Some ebikes have a quick disconnect to remove the throttle.

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Hairy_Employment543@reddit

It’s summer, feed them a big breakfast put them outside and lock the door, make sure they have a bike, a regular bike, preferably a beater they have disassembled and put back together, roller skates, a pile of wood some tools and access to water, like a garden hose. They’ll thank you later. Really tired of dodging fat kids on e-scooters on the bike trail.

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jms1228@reddit

It’s getting to the point where only high kids will be allowed to take an e-bike to school. I get it, they’re fun & I wish I had one when I was 14, but the laws are changing on these things weekly.

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scarfwizard@reddit

What country you in?

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trtsmb@reddit

At that age, they should get a regular bike with gears. They don't need a motor.

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Significant-Pen-6049@reddit

Torque sensors are usually more fragile and can't handle bike drops as much as kids would do

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Fantastic-Aside7041@reddit

you could get one with a throttle and remove it?

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I-Like-MTB@reddit

Kids adapt quick. They don’t need it. And tbh any high quality e bike won’t have a throttle. So chances are you’re not looking as a high quality e bike. So chances are they won’t like it.

Just get a nice, normal bike

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Revolutionary-Half-3@reddit

There's a reason I loved mountain bikes as a kid, 21 gears gives some really low ratios for hill climbing.

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willydynamite1@reddit

Usually easy to take off the throttle.

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hezuschristos@reddit

That’s what I was going to say, PAS still works if you remove the throttle all together.

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roedie_nl@reddit

Don’t buy e-bikes for kids.

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Mr100ne@reddit

If they ain’t driving I would not give them the ability to go slow car speeds any where near a road where people are going big boy car speeds.

The time to make decisions going that speed is minimal and if they don’t have a good foundation of bike riding already they’re gonna get hurt. If they don’t have a good understanding of driving rules on top of that they are for sure getting hurt.

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BlackLesPaulCopy@reddit

I highly doubt you were going to find an e-bike that has the ability to set the pedal assist at a certain level and leave it there. Even if you remove the throttle on one and left the pedal assist in place it would still be able to be set to a higher level of pedal assist meaning you could go faster.

Just get them a stand-up scooter or something.

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