The first bicycle my father got me at age seven in 1935 had the distinction of being the worst bike in all of Frankfurt, and a girl's bike to boot. I did not let that bother me too much. Instead I enjoyed the advantage of not needing to handle it with kid gloves or bother to lock it. No self respecting thief would touch it. Still, I was happy when on Christmas 1939 I got a full size second hand bike that was no worse than most other people's and by the time I left Germany in 1952 I had built myself a very nice bicycle with the latest refinements like stainless steel spokes, aluminum rims and a Swedish steel chain of unusual tensile strength to keep it from stretching. It was the only thing I hated to leave behind

Coming to the US I whole-heartedly embraced the American love for cars as part of the American dream, but by the early seventies I could see the environmental, political, economic, but most of all the health problems caused by the excessive reliance on the automobile. Instead of whining about it and blaming the government, I decided to get off my fat butt and do something about it. In 1973 I got a motorcycle for my personal use and since then use a car only for my business and then only when necessary. The first benefit was a butt reduction.

In 2012 I was ready to go a step further and replace my motorcycle with an electric-assist bicycle that could be integrated much better into the American transportation system than a motorcycle, because you can take it on buses, trains, boats and maybe even planes, giving it an unmatched range. With solar cells on my roof it can make me completely independent from the reliance on fossil fuel that finances terrorism and affects global warming. It also gets the government off my back because I do not need permits, licenses, insurance etc.. But none of these considerations can match the health benefits. Responsible use of bicycles makes them no more dangerous than other means of getting around, including walking, while the health benefits are significant. My search for the right kind of e-bike that would fit the bill was and still is both frustrating and rewarding. I describe all my bikes in the blog.

For e-bikes to become a serious transportation alternative, safety is an important requirement. The American 20 mph limit I consider actually too high. At higher than 25 km/hour or 16 mph, the limit used in other countries, lightweiight bicyles become unstable. Both standard bicycles and ebikes can easily go faster, but an occasional tumble is inevitable at higher speeds and one should wear a helmet and other protective gear and clothing. For safety reasons ebikes should also be configured differently than bikes used for sports. I prefer the saddle to be low enough so both feet can make solid contact with the ground and the handlebar for a more upright position. I also have rear-view mirrors on both sides. Within these limitations I feel as safe on my bikes as driving a car or walking.