[lovesena]

A good day can turn bad when you're stuck in traffic. If there is a traffic jam on the way to work, you may encounter problems such as being late.

If you're interested in saving money, getting around low-carbon, and exercising, it's time to consider the best way to commute - an electric bike. In fact, choosing an electric bike for commuting is better than driving.

Why choose an electric bike for commuting?

1. Save money
Choose an electric bikes for sale to work and save more money. You only need to spend money on a new electric bike, and the follow-up investment is low.
Compared to commuting by car, the cost of ebike work is much lower. If you want to save money, an electric bike is the best way to get around.

2. Environmental protection
Electric bikes are a zero-emission vehicle because they don't burn any fuel, and e mountain bike don't release any gas into the atmosphere. If the majority of people choose e-bikes instead of cars for work, it will have a major impact on reducing carbon emissions. If everyone chooses electric bicycles to go to work every day, I believe our environment will get better and better.

3. Avoid traffic jams
The most annoying thing when you go to work is the traffic jam, you can only wait anxiously in the car. You may be late and lose money due to traffic jams, and it will also cause you to be in a bad mood. By choosing an electric bicycle, you can completely avoid traffic jams, because you only need a gap to pass.

4. Exercise is especially good for the brain
Research shows that commuting by full suspension ebike is associated with increased productivity, reduced stress, reduced absenteeism and improved cardiovascular health. Ride at speeds up to 28 mph, remove all your work and family stress and try not to have fun while you do!

5. Lose weight
Ride an electric bike and get your whole body moving and your body will get better. It's no secret that many Americans gain a few pounds a day, or even 20 pounds or more, because of the office. An hour of riding an electric bike can burn more than 390 calories. Ride an electric bike every day and your body will be in a state of balance.

With an e-bike, you can enjoy all the benefits of cycling to work without any inconvenience.

 

[newleaf150]

Although I choose not to ride an e-bike myself, Mrs. Newleaf has one and loves it. I'm generally a fan. You present some good arguments for e-bikes (or regular bikes, depending on one's fitness level), but seem to have missed some of the down sides when it comes to actually replacing a car with an e-bike. I believe some of these bear consideration.

First off, weather: I live in the Denver area of CO and ride year round, if mostly for pleasure. I highly recommend winter riding, especially in fresh snow, but it introduces a whole range of gear and skill requirements which are best eased into. I ride with studded tires in the winter, for example. They are a great option and provide unreal traction, but the learning curve is steep. I found it very difficult to get used to riding while both of my tires slide in different directions at the same time. That none of the slides last for more than fractional inches means you don't crash, it just constantly feels as though you're about to, at first.

Similarly, I ride through winter, but since I do it for pleasure, I'm able to cherry pick the conditions I want. Replacing a car with a bike means giving up some of that ability, especially if using the bike for a commute. I have been known to leave work early during the winter due to worsening conditions raising safety concerns for me in my car. As much as I love cycling, riding a bike in such weather, especially for any distance, will take dedication, along with the right skills and gear. Get it wrong and discomfort will be the least of your problems. Frostbite is real, and it hurts. At best.

It's also worth remembering that no matter how much traction your bike has, if you are riding on the road with cars, most of them lack that same traction. I've literally lost count of the number of times I've adjusted my cycling speed on an icy road to accommodate a driver who is moving too fast for the conditions and destined to slide through a stop sign or traffic light ahead of me, depending. These instances are only safe for me because I'm aware of the cross traffic and have enough experience to predict with fair reliability when a motorist will or will not be able to stop in time.

On the e-bike specific front, charging the battery may be an issue. Bikes get nasty quickly when ridden in adverse conditions. In the winter, this can necessitate bringing the bike inside or otherwise out of the weather to let it dry out somewhere above freezing, lest the clinging ice and slush harden to concrete-like consistency and immobilize the bike. Batteries generally charge poorly in the cold unless equipped with internal warmers. I believe some e-bike batteries include this feature while most do not.

Outside the cold and snow, there's rain. I've been in rain storms out here in the mostly desert which soaked me to the skin and filled my shoes with water in the space of seconds. Without a friendly windshield and wipers to keep it clear, it's a lot harder to see when the rain is really coming down. I hasten to add that I've never ridden in a truly hard rain, such as featured daily in FL during monsoon season. I've driven in it, and that was bad enough. I shudder at the prospect of having to ride my bike in such downpours, and I generally enjoy riding in the rain! At the least, more specialized skills are required. Riding any bicycle on wet pavement is, by its nature, more dangerous than riding the same bike on dry pavement. That isn't a reason to only ride dry pavement, but is a reason to move slowly and hopefully develop the necessary skills before ditching the car altogether.

It's worth being aware that it is safe to drive a car during a thunder storm while the same cannot be said of riding a bike in the same conditions: the metal bits in the car's body form what's called a Faraday cage around its occupants which generally protects them from lightning strikes. Bikes lack any such rider-encompassing body work and therefore offer their riders zero protection. Is that a reason to stick with the car for some commutes? I wouldn't know, except for me. Only the individual can answer that.

Ditto hail. I've driven through a few hail storms that did damage to my car. I hate to think of what that would look like for someone on a bike who was not prepared with some means of shelter.

None of these things are deal breakers, but all deserve careful consideration when it comes to taking the laudable step to replace a car with a bike or e-bike. Though I ride regular bikes myself, if I were to consider such a step, I'd likely pick some type of fat tire cargo e-bike, equip it carefully, and never look back.

Alas, that brings up another issue: out this way there are not many public transportation options. Distances are such that even a Type III e-bike is going to be challenged to make many trips in a reasonable amount of time. Add to it that many public options specifically disallow the transportation of e-bikes, and having a car continues to make sense, if only as a means of quickly getting your bike to a cool, less local place to ride.

I get the goal of having fewer cars on the road and definitely see e-bikes as a wonderful alternative to cars in many cases. I believe it's still best to sit down and think carefully about what it means to swap a car for an e-bike. There are many good reasons to do so, but a surprising variety of hazards and pitfalls as well. It takes a lot of effort to learn to operate a car safely in adverse conditions. The same is true of bikes, but unfortunately the skill sets do not much overlap. Thus the motorist looking to ditch their car for a bike is looking at the need to learn a bunch of new things when it comes to operating the bicycle in all the same conditions in which it's reasonably safe to drive.

In the end, I think going into such a swap with good awareness of what it means to ride a bike year round in your local environment will lead to a happier experience and greater likelihood of success. It is really neat to ride in bad weather, provided you have the skills and gear needed to do so comfortably and safely.

 

[maelochs]

Altogether too much truth and relevant factual information in that post. You can maybe get away with it on TwoSpokes, but you'd get banned by Facebook for sure ...

 

[i12ride]

Electric cars and bikes and whatever vehicle you want to call electric are zero emissions right up to the part where there is a factory making the batteries and those are hardly zero emmission much less toxic free to the earth when their trash gets disposed of. Why the hell is that part always left out. What pollution is generated by where you get electricity from that charges that zero emission battery? Left that out too. OP gots jokes.....

 

[i12ride]

Yes, ebikes are more exercise than sleeping or sitting on couch watching TV.....thanks for that stunning bit of info........I get exercise just reading these threads. Exercise in futility.

 

[maelochs]

As I12Ride notes, the whole idea of "zero emissions" is a false issue ... lifetime environmental impact is the real measure, and even if the battery is solar-charged, making solar cells is quite impactful ... and making batteries, from mining to manufacture, is extremely destructive ... and as far as what to do with the old batteries .... yeah, that's an issue.

And if you charge the bike at home ... . well, 25% nuclear, and about 70 % diesel or coal-generated electricity in most parts of the country. Where is the "zero emissions" in that?

I am fine with electric-assist bikes, electric scooters, electric mini-motorcycles or whatever ... but don't lie about them. it is insulting.

Between Mr Newleaf and I12 I'd say the issue is finished.

 

[i12ride]

Weather happens......how long will those ebikes hold up in rainy conditions? what is charge loss percentage of batteries due to excessive cold and/or heat? Doubting even IP68 anything will last that long in adverse conditions....if ebikes are even that hi rated for wetness. Then there is the inconvenience of wearing waterproof or cold proof clothing to get you back and forth from work....and having a place at work to store all that and the bike. Doubting many will want to deal with that kind of travel hassle. Me on the other hand, will ride my actual human powered bikes thru rain snow heat cold dark mud.....especially mud....on purpose without any concern about staying clean or dry at all and it all has no negative effects on me or the bike. Will these ebikes last 30 years or more....doubt it. my regular ones have.

i can see where, in a perfect scenario, riding to work would be a very cool concept. bummer that reality and logistics crap all over that for the masses. you're trying to sell an impractical fantasy.......best case is work from home and go ride whenever you want for whatever reason or mission. that is a much more realistic sales pitch.

 

[i12ride]

THIS is true carbon emission free commuting that burns way more than 390 calories or whatever you would sitting on a seat and does really keep your body in balance.

EMBRACE THE PERFECTION AND SIMPLICITY OF THIS DEVICE!!!

Behold the spectacular gravity of this situation! No recharging required.......