It is a noise that cyclists hear in the urban bustle. A “zzzzzz” added to a friction on the ground, which triggers his anxiety on the slopes. They have barely turned their head or looked in the rearview mirror when the machine is at their level, before speeding away. With its motocross-inspired look, huge knobby tires and chunky chassis, the electric fatbike is causing trouble in the soft mobility space.
“There’s nothing to do there!” »Curses are heard on the cycle paths of the metropolises where, in recent months, these imposing electrified mountain bikes have appeared, often with unbridled motors. They join the zigzagging cohort of large electric scooters, also rampant, maneuvered like racing cars by full-face helmet wearers. “Monstrottes piloted by Darth Vader”describes Cyril Vermeulen, a fifty-year-old businessman who travels 2,000 kilometers a year on his electric bicycle through the capital and its surroundings.
“For two years, he continues, angry and now equipped with a rearview mirror, I encounter a swarm of new and unbridled machines driven by men, quite young, who go more than 40 kilometers per hour. Double my speed! They are prohibited on public roads, so they are not insured. » In France, you know, the law prohibits modifying the speed limitation device of these machines. Anyone who violates it will only be able to travel on private land. “In the beginning, a few controls on the slopes, with the confiscation of the machines, would have been enough to stop the phenomenon, while now the public authorities are overwhelmed, points out Mr Vermeulen. I am very angry with them. There will be injuries. »
Alexandre Jannot-Caeillete, 30, turned one a year ago: “An electric fatbike passed me on the right at an intersection, crashed into me from the side, scratched my entire forearm, and then yelled at me. I wasn’t driving fast enough! » He, who every day connects Villejuif (Val-de-Marne) with the Parisian district of Alésia, where he works as a communications manager, has recently communicated his apprehension. “This generates anxiety, you have to be constantly attentive. We don’t hear these bikes coming and they impose themselves, always on the left or in the center. They feel invincible with their big tires. Nowadays, pedaling is like riding around the ring road with inter-row motorcycles. »
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