Should I buy an electric bike

Well, I’m envious you’ve even got the option 🙂

I’ve tried a few off-road options out, they’re all a bit mickey mouse. I’m better of riding home on the road and going out for a night ride on the MTB.

Once I worked 12 miles from home and I stopped driving and rode everyday. No shower and I was fine – no smells. Breathable cloths and a good anti persiant for the armpits solves all hygine issues. I worked in school as teacher and used to ride 33 miles (each way for kicks) to work some days. Again no shower. I can assure you that BO was not a problem if you have the correct clothing and dry yourself of before you put your work cloths on.

Electric bikes make sense if you have a disability and simply cannot pedal at a cadance to allow 15 mph. However many people by them to make the ride easier as they think they are not fit enough. This is solved by getting fitter which does you good in the long run. I am passinate about cycling and more people should do it but please pedal unassisted if you can. Cycling to work reduces our personal environmental impact but if you buy an electric bike then the energy used and pollution created to make the motor and batteries as well as the recharing makes a less sound choice than a convential 100% human powered bike.

It simply doesnot bother me how good modern electric bikes are as I really fail to see the point in them.

I’ve got an electric bike. I like using it for commuting. Some days I use elec, some days non-elec. Probably not cheaper to run than a moped, but I prefer it. It’s a bit quicker than non-elec, but the difference could swing the other way if I got fitter. It’s definitely less work than non-elec.

There’s been some calculations done that for most people the additional food required to ride a non-elec bike has a greater environmental footprint than the resources required to power an e-bike. Unless you eat a locally grown vegetarian diet.

For me the e-bike regularly makes the difference between riding or using the car, especially on wet and windy days.

Well, I rode in this morning. Set off at 7 and was in by 8. 17 miles on my 2003 Trek 1500 US postal special. I just had a “basin” wash and towel down when I got here and its fine. No real sweating apart from my back, so I have ordered up a commuter bag thingy to replace the rucksack.

All in, no real problems and looking forward to the ride home! Might just pick and choose the best weather days each week to ride in.

Did think about electric, although my speed only really dropped under 15mph on a few of the climbs.

There’s been some calculations done that for most people the additional food required to ride a non-elec bike has a greater environmental footprint than the resources required to power an e-bike. Unless you eat a locally grown vegetarian diet.

I think these calculations must have been flawed, by a factor of over 1000.

Not to mention beside the point – very few of us live on a subsistence diet. Food miles are overwhelmingly a seperate issue. Important, yes, but seperate.

It simply does not bother me how good modern electric bikes are as I really fail to see the point in them.

Try retiring to South Devon in thirty years time and continue cycling 😉 . My mother is able to ride up hills that she simply would not be able to otherwise. So that’s one extra person on a bike. Which is a Good Thing(TM).

My Mrs has recently bought an electric bike. It is a Giant Escape Hybrid 1 which she got for a good price from the http://www.electricbicyclenetwork.com/ who are selling off ex hire electric bikes. It is like new and had only done 120 miles when bought. She commutes 16 miles to work on it and with it it means she can cycle every day which she wouldn’t be able to do as not fit enough on a normal bike. She is saving petrol, wear and tear on the car etc. and it only takes her 10 minutes longer than driving. She is of the opinion that this exercise is better than non at all.

I’m surprised how easy people find these long commutes. I guess we’re all built differently?!

I had a 20 mile round-trip and it was a few months before i wasn’t too tired to ride at the weekends. I’m talking about riding every single day, rain or shine even when feeling ill etc.

Previously had a 15 mile/1500ft commute each way, and i only managed to do it 5 days per week once (when i was without a car) and i was absolutely totally completely shattered at the end of the week.

30 miles a day week in week out is quite a commitment, nothing wrong with electric bikes either.

As mentioned you don’t have to ride it every day or as I do, you can vary it. I live 28 miles from work, some days I cycle it all, some days I’ll dive half way and cycle the rest, some days I just park outside the city and cycle in.

I’m lucky I have great bike storage and shower facilities in work. But before we moved building I didn’t. Then I found that as long as I showered before the commute and used a liberal spraying of deodorant once I got there I was fine. Sweat doesn’t smell if you keep yourself clean! 😉

ADH -the calc I saw was in this paper here;
http://www.ebikes.ca/sustainability/Ebike_Energy.pdf

Needless to say I’ve not seen any peer review of the approach to confirm or dispute the findings.

I guess the point for me is that often an e-bike is seen as some sort of cheating as opposed to another transport option. And let’s face it we’re on STW where driving a car to take a bike somewhere to ride is normal behaviour.