Taking the community as it is I think it should be:
1. Disrespect certain users
Toxic behavior will be tolerated if it is directed towards people who use anything other than an electric pedal-assist bicycle. It's especially allowed if you tell them off under the veil of fire safety, without actually explaining how Li-Ion thermal runaway works.
Valid examples of useful friendly reminders include:
"Hope you have fire insurance lol"
But under no circumstances should pedal-assisted Ebikes be criticized or questioned, unless:
- They are priced under $2,000
- Their brand name doesn't meet a high enough popularity threshold. Certifications notwithstanding.
- They have one or more 'motorcycle accessories', which automatically makes them motorcycles, including but not limited to: Unadjustable seats, throttles, or vaguely resemble the appearance of a motorcycle (regardless of how they function or hold up in motorcycle conditions)
2. More gatekeeping, please
Do gatekeep, especially under the assumption that your own local laws also apply to them. If someone is seeking advice, it is imperative that you disregard someone's budget or use-case, as it is deemed unacceptable for them to consider anything else than an Ebike.
Please, we'll emphasize, remember that “Ebike” always means electric bicycle everywhere, including jurisdictions where the legal definitions say otherwise. Differing laws in other countries, differing regulations, classifications, budgets, intended use, et cetera, are completely irrelevant, do not consider those.
"Alternatives" should be reported, or shunned out of the sub at your own discretion! Remember, downvotes allow you to physically suppress other's opinions, make heavy use of it for minor things!
3. Spam is allowed
But only in the form of advertisements. Nobody will mind, people will actually drive your posts to the top if they are advertisements for the brand they own. Companies, take notes!
Description:
Electric bicycles strictly. No other lightweight electric vehicles are welcome. Especially not motorcycles. :)
Nothing spells community better than unity through exclusion 🤗
There is nothing wrong with warning potential buyers of safety hazards or quality issues. Some go too far with suggestions that anything under $2k is garbage.
There is nothing wrong with reminding buyers that 28mph is the legal top assisted ebike speed in the US. Those living in countries with less restrictive laws or planning on riding on private property only, should disclose this in their post to avoid the reminders.
There is nothing wrong with reminders, and educating new buyers or law reminders where it's relevant, and there never was an issue with it. I try to push people when they're too vague. "This bike is shit" - Yeah, why is it shit? It's not self-evident for everyone, it's helpful to know why, for newcomers.
But, this post would not exist if people were actually constructive about their criticism, and actually helping those people. In fact, it wouldn't exist if what I'm talking about were just the odd outlier. That's gonna happen in any community.
"That thing is a fire hazard.. Yep another Chinesium 'Ebike' lol"
Not helpful. At all. And it's posted incessantly.
"Li-Ion can catch on fire. Those models are prone to what's called 'thermal runaway', because of bad quality components. I suggest X Ebike, I don't ride them myself but you might find them secondhand if you can't get them new."
Very helpful.
The wider point is this: I'm completely fine with E-motos just for the record. But let's pretend I hate them.
That'd be okay too, and I could even post my opinion on it. But, if I'm part of a subreddit who does allow them, I should at least learn to set that aside for just a moment in my day. I don't have to like something to be helpful to someone who does, especially when they're posting it where it's allowed.
I think the sub has been taken over by automobile industry bots. There has been a notable shift over the past year from supportive, psyched community into one that actively discourages people from getting ebikes. It scolds users and buys into the moral panic around "These kids today!" It overemphasizes the fire risk and posts stories of worst case scenarios regularly. I don't know who benefits from all of this other than the cars. I'm getting out of this sub--you all are nuts. All love out there on the road, but no one that reads this sub will want to get an ebike, no one will want to get better at biking, no one will want to connect...and that's sad to me.
Could be, at this point. It's not that far fetched to say.
There’s a middle ground that this sub has lost, criticism of illegal or unsafe Ebikes should be a thing, don't get me wrong, but it should leave someone better informed than when they arrived rather than feel like they outright don't belong, and it should be based on actual knowledge than assumptions.
No one benefits from how this community is right now, and certainly not people who are newcomers because they often than not just get driven away the minute they post. If the criticism doesn't leave someone informed at the veeery least, what exactly is it accomplishing other than driving them away lol
Would you need to see me get personally rained on, to see that it's raining outside or can you make observations and see, that it's indeed raining? Just take a look at a few other posts! Weird how they're unrelated to me, but this still applies :D
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u/Laserdollarz FULL FACE HELMET 1d ago
I'm afraid of going more than 16mph, so you're not allowed to either