this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025
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micromobility - Bikes, scooters, boards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles, heelies, or an office chair: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

Feel free to also check out

!utilitycycling@slrpnk.net

!bikewrench@lemmy.world

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!bikepacking@lemmy.world

!electricbikes@lemmy.world

!bicycle_touring@lemmy.world

!notjustbikes@feddit.nl

!longboard@lemmy.world

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[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 6 days ago (21 children)

I'd love to be wrong but I don't think this format will ever find a market.

There doesn't seem to be any tangible benefits over an electric cargo bike.

Once you exceed a 250kg system weight your pedal power input isn't worth the extra weight of the drive train et cetera - you're better off with more battery so obviously you're just an electric car at that point.

The faring (and the extra width) creates a lot of wind resistance which, over a moderate distance really adds up and becomes a significant factor. You also need to wonder how many occasions this faring would make the vehicle usable when a rain coat wouldn't. For example, if weather is a spectrum between 1 (calm & sunny) and 10 (cyclonic), then 1-5 you don't need the faring and 8-10 it's probably not safe to drive and 6 is just rain-coat weather.

The only benefit I can really see is that it's more approachable for people that just don't do bikes. For example, my cargo bike has a seat on the back that my kids love to ride on but my partner just won't. It's not because it's uncomfortable but because she finds it embarrassing. I respect her feelings on the matter, and I think she would feel better about something like this.

[–] Tehdastehdas@piefed.social 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

The ability to pedal enables exercise and gives you accurate longitudinal position control for parking. A servo generator as a forward-backward interface complicates nothing compared to a car-like interface. If it doesn't have that now, it will because it's an old invention and the natural solution for all pedal-electrics to evolve to.

Fairing in velomobiles reduces wind resistance a lot compared to unfaired recumbent trikes of the same size. I believe this with doors on has the same drag as a regular bicyclist. Doesn't even matter because electricity is cheap. Rain coat can't stop the weather from hurting my face.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Weather doesnt really hurt until you get to what, 70 mph?

And if youre going that fast, wear a proper helmet.

[–] Tehdastehdas@piefed.social 4 points 5 days ago

When it's cold enough, or just raining freezing cold water, biking hurts.

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