This morning's commute and other commuting stories

@Oliver Schick will have something useful to say about 'motor-dependence' here.

Well. That can come into it; there is some data emerging that rather than switching from driving to e-bikes, which would be a good thing, more people are switching to them from cycling. Not in this country, and that data is mostly based on the sales boom in the Netherlands (if you want to get any realistic understanding, you have to wait for that to settle down first) and, to a lesser extent, Germany.

Sales boom or not, there is evidence that e-bike use has so far contributed to increased cyclist casualties. I also saw a rider along the Walworth Road recently on my way to Cycle PS who had clearly 'opened' his e-bike, probably much like people used to tune limited mopeds. He was doing at least 40kph on it along the high street.

Part of the problem in London is that travel distances are increasing (a lot of Central London salaried workers are having to move out further and further), and I expect this is where a future market for these machines will lie. It's all still too new to say much with certainty, really.