#!markdown
I'll hold back on the hate, but there is a point that's missing when
comparing pedelecs to chairlifts etc. Where there's a chairlift, there's
usually a bike park. You pay for access (which is not an issue) and the
trails are regularly maintained by a paid crew, often using heavy
machinery. This is not the case with "regular" bike trails. Also, not
all trails can be accessed by shuttling (either because there is no road
or because driving is prohibited).
There are areas where access and
the impact of users on trails are not an issue because those areas are
hard to reach. It takes time, it takes effort. Pedelecs change this,
creating all kinds of problems, which would make up a whole article.
In
alpine/remote areas, this also creates the problem of ill-prepared
people who suddenly find themselves in remote areas/dangerous situations
(already a problem in the Alps, mostly with hikers who start from the
end of a chairlift). The ensueing rescue often endangers the rescuers as
well.
Yes, I can see the appeal of pedelecs, but they're a can of
worms I'd rather not have opened. Mind, I'm fine with pedelecs for
commuting (already a huge thing here), even though they can be
dangerous, mostly because people ride at speeds they're unable to
handle.
Nov. 4, 2014, 12:05 a.m. - Bagheera
#!markdown I'll hold back on the hate, but there is a point that's missing when comparing pedelecs to chairlifts etc. Where there's a chairlift, there's usually a bike park. You pay for access (which is not an issue) and the trails are regularly maintained by a paid crew, often using heavy machinery. This is not the case with "regular" bike trails. Also, not all trails can be accessed by shuttling (either because there is no road or because driving is prohibited). There are areas where access and the impact of users on trails are not an issue because those areas are hard to reach. It takes time, it takes effort. Pedelecs change this, creating all kinds of problems, which would make up a whole article. In alpine/remote areas, this also creates the problem of ill-prepared people who suddenly find themselves in remote areas/dangerous situations (already a problem in the Alps, mostly with hikers who start from the end of a chairlift). The ensueing rescue often endangers the rescuers as well. Yes, I can see the appeal of pedelecs, but they're a can of worms I'd rather not have opened. Mind, I'm fine with pedelecs for commuting (already a huge thing here), even though they can be dangerous, mostly because people ride at speeds they're unable to handle.