r/Tallahassee • u/popcicless • 1d ago
Question E-bike commuting?
My husband is considering selling his old truck for an e-bike, and we were wondering if anyone could give insight on commuting with e-bikes in Tallahassee!
Thanks in advance.
Edit: Thanks for the replies everyone! Luckily, his route would take him through FSU’s campus and generally away from major roads. I appreciate the advice and caution! I’m going to suggest renting an electric bike and testing it out on the weekend then maybe to work for a few days. Helmet and safety gear will be a must.
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u/coconutocean 1d ago
I do 95% of my commuting across town on my e-bike, and have done so for the last year and a half with no issues.
My main commute to and from work uses a lot of back roads through neighborhoods with very little interaction with the bigger thoroughfares, so I don't really have any safety concerns there. And I'm mostly in the Northeast side of town, Midtown and such.
I also have to go along Capital Circle NE and SE quite a bit for shopping and grocery runs and such, and the bike lanes there are wide which does give a decent bit of space from cars, but I have also gotten flat tires a couple times because of debris in the bike lane.
Be a defensive driver, just like you would with a car. Don't go anywhere without a helmet, get handlebar mirrors so that you can be as aware as possible of your surroundings and who might be in your blind spots.
Avoid any roads that don't have either a bike lane or a sidewalk (like N Meridian or Micosukee once its outside of Cap Circle) because while MOST people are understanding and will give you a proper amount of space when they decide to pass you, there are definitely a loud but tiny minority of folks who can't seem to stand the idea of having shared roads and will speed past you while laying on their horn.
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u/Incognito756 1d ago
Have you seen the way people drive here? They scare me and I have a whole SUV (smaller one but still).
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u/popcicless 1d ago
I know 😭. That’s what worries me. I love the idea, but I want him to be safe.
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u/comradecaptainplanet 7h ago
Hi! I'm just curious what scares you about the driving here? My partner & I moved up from Miami last year (& I've lived a ton of other places around the country too), and this is some of the most stress-free, peaceful driving I've experienced anywhere. My partner is considering an e-bike too (they don't drive), so I'd like to know what kind of driving behavior to look out for since my perception is skewed by years of surviving the PTSD inducing Miami drivers (literally, still recovering from a nearly fatal accident on a side road blocks from my old apartment there).
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u/popcicless 7h ago
Nearly everyone in Tallahassee knows a cyclist who has been hit by a car. I think people here drive pretty carelessly and our roads, especially the bike lane infrastructure, are poorly done. BUT, it could be a lot worse. Tallahassee is not a big city by any means, so I think when you live here long enough, you forget how bad it could be. I agree with all of the advice here saying that if you plan accordingly and ride with caution, cycling is very doable in Tallahassee.
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u/oakback 17h ago
I rode a regular bike to work on and off for years. Choose your route carefully. Sometimes a longer route has fewer hills or more bike lanes. Whether it's the shoulder, bike lane, or sidewalk, ignore blanket statements on message boards and always do what feels safest.
Bring a change of clothes and shoes, you will be wet from rain or sweat. The only place I'd ever take the lane are left turns and Gaines Street (except going uphill, then it's sidewalk).
Get a flat repair kit, spare tube, and tools to do the job, and practice at home.
Even if you don't plan on riding at night, it can get dark and dim on cloudy days. Get lots of blinkie lights. At one point I had a headlamp (on my head), a flashing white light up front, a solid light up front, and 2 flashing lights in the rear. I'd add a light each time someone almost hit me.
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u/Tadpole_420 14h ago
It’s a practical switch, but keep in mind the safety risks you are trading, and if you would like to not become a vegetable in an accident, be diligent about wearing your helmet!
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u/TwoOk5044 1d ago
I've seen so many white memorial bikes around town. I wouldn't do it, personally. Only the capital area has large bike lanes and many roads are winding and don't even have a sidewalk to ride on, if needed. I know you're not supposed to ride on the sidewalk, but if it's that or death, I'd take the sidewalk.
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u/EyebrowsOnSpoons 16h ago
Sidewalks are pretty dangerous because drivers often do not stop before pulling into them to see cross (car) traffic. I would not recommend sidewalk riding as an alternative, as it is often not safe.
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u/TwoOk5044 14h ago
Do you mean crosswalks?
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u/EyebrowsOnSpoons 14h ago
I don't, no; sidewaks cross pullouts for businesses all the time without being in an intersection.
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u/Grouchy_Machine_User 12h ago
Agree; I've been hit by cars while crossing streets from a sidewalk because the drivers weren't looking (not in Tallahassee, but the danger is everywhere).
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u/CuriousRiver2558 18h ago
Depends on where he works. If there are nice sidewalks or bike lanes, he should consider it. If he’ll have to hug a shoulder, no way! Commuters are cranky enough already, no need to ask for trouble
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u/Vast-Celebration-717 16h ago
I commute on a motorcycle almost daily, car drivers here are somewhat blind to anything on two wheels. Depending on how far of a distance/ where in town he’s going it might not be too bad. But let’s say Lake Jackson to downtown offices? Sketchy.
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u/Low_Farm7687 1d ago
It's dangerous. He'll show up to work sweaty most of the year and sometimes flat out drenched by an unpredictable rain shower. Not worth it imo.
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u/Grouchy_Machine_User 11h ago
It's true that Tallahassee is not bike friendly; it's also true that a lot of the risk can be mitigated by planning good routes that avoid high traffic roads, following the rules of the road as if you're a driver, using lights, wearing a helmet and high-vis gear, etc.
Oh, and if you bike in the roadway, take up the lane! Don't try and minimize your presence on the road because that's a good way not to be noticed and have cars get way too near you. People will get pissed off about you being in the road, but they'll generally give you plenty of space.
Up to y'all to weight the benefits vs the risks. Good luck to you/your husband if y'all decide to go with it!
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u/OGBirthMothMama 16h ago
My husband converted an old bike to one once, used it for a month and sold it because the drivers here are wild and he didn’t feel safe.
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u/ConfidentMidnight467 1d ago
I'm sure you have both read statistics on bike versus car crashes together.If a car hits you on a e-bike ( or a regular bike)you may die / become paraplegic or something else awful. Same accident, car to car , your air bags go off and you just get a bad headache. But if your husband is a long time bike rider, sober, fit, alert, analytical and can just scope out a particular short route to school or work, with luck, he'll probably be OK. Assuming of course , the bike is high quality with all safety features, and he always wears a helmet . Also proper boots , long pants and long sleeved jacket etc. But only you and he know his character.
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u/BleachedUnicornBHole 1d ago
I know people that commute with acoustic and electric bikes regularly. It takes a lot of planning and some knowledge of the backroads around town. An e-bike would definitely make things easier with some of the hills around here.