[notlion]

30mph is often needed to keep up with cars in areas where the bike infrastructure is poor or nonexistent. If you can't maintain the speed of traffic, cars will try to pass creating a more dangerous situation for the ebike rider.

[tomcooks]

I fail to find the connection between speed and safety, especially from a completely unshielded pilot point of view. It's not a bike's job to maintain safety and traffic speed, but the opposite.

[joshuaissac]

> It's not a bike's job to maintain safety and traffic speed, but the opposite.

It does not matter whose job it is. If increasing speed improves safety for the cyclist, in this case by reducing the incentive for car drivers to overtake, then a good number of cyclists will do it.

[Johnny555]

I'd like to see the proof that increasing speed improves safety for the cyclist.

There's no road I commute on (including 25 mph city streets) where a 30mph bike would keep up with traffic, riding a skinny tire 40 lb bike at 30mph in the road shoulder that passes for bike lanes around here sounds hazardous.

If I wanted to keep up with car traffic so I can ride in the road, I'd get an e-scooter or e-motorcycle that's designed for higher speed. But then I couldn't ride in bike lanes.

[joshuaissac]

> in the road shoulder that passes for bike lanes

Bike lanes do not exist in most places. The poster had said that their comment was about:

> areas where the bike infrastructure is poor or nonexistent

If there are bike lanes, then being overtaken by cars is not as much of a problem. But in most places, cyclists have to use the same lanes as motorised traffic, so it is more important to be able to keep up.

[baash05]

When you're hit by a car, or passed by a bus, you realise quickly that it's your job. Because someone has to do the job, or you die.

They should, but OMG cars don't