Keeping your fuel costs down and being more environmentally friendly at the same time.
Until now, electric bikes have been little more than just toys the new electric bikes out now will change that. Many feature a powerful motor that will propel you to speeds of up to 15mph (this is the highest legally allowed in the UK).
You should try and look for one with a battery that offers a range of in excess 35km-45km, there is one called the Cyclamatic Power Plus, it makes transportation on an electric bike a fun, cheap and a practical option for anyone looking to leave the car at home and become more environmentally friendly.
The bike can be used as a standard bike with the mountain bike frame, strong V-fork brakes, suspension and Shimano gears with quick-shift offer all the features of a premium bike should.
The Power Plus can be used simply as a traditional ‘pedal’ bike without any problems.
1. Hill Climbing
That may sound obvious to you, but it’s the most important advantage. A good electric bike effectively flattens hills, increasing your normal speed and eliminating the ‘moan’ factor when a gradient comes into view.
2. Safety
It sounds unlikely, but it’s true. Think of a steep and busy road, with cars climbing at 30mph. If you previously slogged up the hill at 6mph, but can tackle the same gradient at 12mph with an electric bike, you will see 33% fewer cars and they will pass you at 18mph rather than 24mph.
3. Running Costs
Money Saving Tips
Purchase cost is a little more than a conventional bike, mechanical wear and tear is about the same, and electricity is so cheap as to be largely irrelevant, but there is an extra expense in terms of battery depreciation. Consequently, an electric bike costs more to run – typically 5 – 8 pence per mile against 4.2 pence per mile for a non-assisted bike.
4. Personal Fitness
A conventional bike will keep you fitter but that’s if you use it and how much, if at all. Because riding an electric bike is a great deal more enjoyable in hilly country, into sturdy winds, or when carrying heavy loads, riders tend to make better use of them. The motor provides up to half the effort, but more regular use means more exercise for the rider.
5. No Sweat
Sweat may not be a serious issue when you’re out for a leisure ride, but it’s more important if you’re cycling to work.
6. Clean & Green
Electric bikes obviously consume energy, where a conventional bikes does not but at an average rate of 100 to 150 watts of electrical energy, against 15,000 or so for a car, if it’s hard to place these numbers in your own lifestyle, think of a 100 watt electric light bulb burning for an evening – that’s enough energy to propel an electrically-assisted bike for 20 to 40 miles, sure that would get you to work and back, just leave the light off you would normally leave on.
7. Genuinely Sustainable
There’s a lot of nonsense talked about sustainability in transport, but an electric bicycle can be made genuinely sustainable. Purchase electricity from a ‘green’ supplier, or generate your own with a roof-mounted windmill or solar panel array, and the vehicles’ fossil fuel consumption will be zero.
8. Faster Travel
In theory a car can average a high speed, but in practise speed often falls below 10mph in cities.
9. High Resale Value
Electric bikes are new technology, and these are early days, but the evidence points to a much better resale value than a conventional bike.
10. Motorised, but no Red Tape
No MOT, log book, insurance. Electric bikes are treated just like ordinary bicycles for legislative purposes, so there’s absolutely no registration or legislation to worry about. You are of course free to insure the machine if you wish, but there’s no compulsion to do anything but enjoy.
