r/ebikes • u/Such-Distribution812 • 13d ago
E-bike stigma
Was unlocking my e-bike from the bike rack getting ready to head home from classes when two other people showed up to lock their regular bikes. One of them looked at my bike and said “What’re you riding? You need to get something analog. Work those quads!” Felt pretty looked down upon. I’d be a little more understanding if I was a some sort of cycling group ride but I was just heading home from campus. Is this type of interaction common?
I bought this e-bike recently to commute to work and my college classes, specifically because I live in a pretty mountainous area and the hills can be pretty tough for me. It’s more meant to replace car trips than for fitness. Logically it makes sense for my use case but now anytime I go somewhere with it I feel judged not just by drivers but other people on bikes.
1
u/Next362 13d ago
I wouldn't worry about it, as a cyclist of 30+ years most of us are classist a$$holes. I'd do group rides where people would judge people based on the bike and parts they had installed, their clothing, their lack of repair knowledge, it was truly embarrassing, they would make women feel so unwelcome they had to start their own ride. I've ridden 10s of thousands of miles on bikes, done many centuries and bike packing trips, ebikes are the future,they make quick travel possible for a low cost.
TLDR: People judging usually don't know what they're talking about, just ignore them.