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Originally Posted by homebucket
Yeah, e-bikes are extremely popular in SF, I think largely because of the hills. I don't have one myself because I ride recreationally and for exercise, so e-bikes sorta defeat the purpose of that (and they're heavy AF), although I have seen a lot of e-MTBs for sale as well. But yeah, certainly you can make a strong use case for e-bikes in general, especially for commuting.
Another thing with SF is the wind, especially if you're near the water. On blustery days biking against a headwind, that can be as difficult or more difficult than riding up a hill.
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Ah, the wind. And hills.
I commuted by bike into and out of the Financial District for over a decade. As I often explained it, I would ride Market Street to get to work, and ride uphill against the wind to get home. Great exercise, though, and I never skipped a 'workout.'
As for e-bikes, my husband bought one while we lived in SF precisely because of the hills. He still has to pedal, though, and the harder the incline, the harder he must ride--they aren't motorcycles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by homebucket
Bike parties are pretty common here. I imagine they're popular/common in most urban cities.
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Yeah, I enjoyed dozens of bike parties over the years up there, especially the East Bay ones. At one point, we had several forumers participating--and we even got Giovanni Sasso to ride a Critical Mass with us when he was visiting! The first regular bike 'parties' in the state were in LA--Midnight Ridazz started up in 2004. SF Critical Mass started in 1992, but anybody who is familiar with CM or the bike parties knows they are two distinctly different beasts.