Folks familiar with my writings will know I have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. JustAnotherCyclist has always been an OpEd platform. However, one thing I’ve always tried to maintain is a link with the truth. It is possible to make dramatic statements without distorting the truth. However, it can be all too easy to slide on the wrong side of that divide. That is why I was unfortunately not surprised to hear of the Oregon Department of Transportation taking issue with some facts recently stated by Oregon bicycle advocacy group Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

The issue arises from an infographic the BTA created in an attempt to demonstrate how public dollars are actually allocated to highway projects. According to a report in the Oregonian, ODOT claimed a number of inaccuracies in the information presented in the infographic. BTA’s efforts go beyond a simple infographic. In fact, they’ve launched an entire campaign to attempt to combat one of the common complaints many cyclists face. Namely, the argument from motorists that cyclist receive an unfair amount of highway dollars, without paying their fare share. These arguments usually stem from a mistaken generalization that highway funds come almost exclusively from fuel and license taxes. Therefore if you don’t drive a car (so the argument goes) you are not contributing financially to the public funds that pay for those roads. It is an old argument that takes place all over the country – even all over the world.

The image attached to this article is the corrected version, modified by BTA in response to ODOT’s objections.

So, was the BTA trying to be intentionally misleading? I doubt that, but clearly I don’t know for sure. I do know that every side in a debate will present information that supports their side. They will present the information in a way that bolsters their position. Perfectly normal – this is human behavior. It is important to remember that BTA is an advocacy group. It is their job to push for a particular set of goals.

It appears that BTA is making good faith efforts to correct errors. I just hope that BTA can remember that, while exaggerations are par for the course in advocacy, outright falsehoods can do more damage to a cause than remaining silent. I fully support the BTA’s apparent goals and hope that they can find the right balance.

The “green” benefits of riding a bike are often touted by the bicycle advocacy crowd – this author included.  Despite the obvious environmental goodness of transporting yourself with leg power compared to other methods, folks still strive to “improve” on the bike’s green image.  And these improvements often involve electrification in some way. One of the more recent variations on this theme is the Yike Bike.

Despite the name, the Yike Bike marketing doesn’t really portray this as a “bike alternative” or “bike improvement.”  However, it is a derivation of the “mini-farthing” concept, and there they do hint at the intent to create a better bike, so to speak:

The basic bicycle design has not changed in 120 years because it is a truly fantastic design that is stable and safe to ride. The mini-farthing has been designed to make a form of personal transport that is better suited to a modern city. Rather than just take a normal bicycle design and squash it up, our aim was to see if there was another configuration that was more suited to the task.

The specs on the Yike Bike do seem to fit nicely with the “just get me across town” market.  The device weighs in at about 23 lbs.  The advertised weight limit is 100 Kg, or about 220 lbs, which potentially limits the cargo capacity for some users.  However, it is the range of only 6.2 miles per charge that strikes me as potentially the biggest limitation.  I have not yet been able to find hard numbers on the charge time from complete dead to full charge.

The reported $3600 price tag clearly puts this into a particular market niche.

The comparisons to the Segway are probably a better assessment of the devices market segment – and while its “foldability” makes it very much more portable compared to the Segway, it shares many of the same advantages and disadvantages.

Probably the biggest change for those thinking of a “bike” while looking at this is the steering mechanism.  You essentially site between the handlebars, and steer with your hands down about the level of your hips.  The overall steering feel reminds me a lot of some recumbent configurations.

While clearly a more “green” alternative to your average SUV, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand this whole “electric is greener” concept.  There are clearly environmental concerns about carbon fiber and aluminum manufacturing, but they pale in comparison to the chemically laden batteries that power so many of our e-super-green electric devices.

The Yike Bike is now available for purchase in select markets.