If you’re considering buying an electric bike but are hesitant to pull the trigger, now might be the best time to proceed with a purchase.
COVID-19 has completely changed the way we move every day. Public transport is considered too risky. Shared bikes and scooters probably are. You’re likely to stay at home or hide in place, so you don’t have to travel far to get groceries or get some fresh air. Walking is fine – for a while. Ultimately, returns will decrease, especially since you’re wearing out all of your available routes. You could take your old bike out for a ride – and you should – but why not go electric?
Let’s take a look at all the reasons why e-bikes really are the best mode of transport for our new pandemic way of life and why this is a very good time to buy one for yourself (if you’re lucky enough to still be in service to be) .
Social distance: Experts recommend that you stay at least six feet away from other people to minimize the spread of infection. It is a blunt response to the immediate crisis that will last weeks, probably months, and possibly longer if there is a resurgence before a vaccine can be found.
Cycling is an excellent way to adhere to the social distance guidelines as long as you ride alone. Racing is an excellent group activity, but it’s probably not the best type of cycling right now, so leave the spandex at home. An e-bike, with its different levels of support, is the perfect way to go out, feel the wind on your skin, watch the sidewalk flow by and still get that shot of endorphins in your brain without too much make an effort.
An e-bike also allows you to ride further to escape the congested hearts of most cities where busy cycle paths, especially in Europe, can still pose a risk. Most e-bikes will travel at least 40 kilometers, with more than 80 kilometers possible when equipped with larger batteries or when calling back the supported power level. And if the battery runs out, you can often step into a spare or pedal house for much-needed training.
Property, not shared: The shared starters of scooters and bicycles thought they could tolerate it during the pandemic, but it seems that many are scaling back as drivers are buzzing and operations become more difficult and expensive. Infectious disease experts say the risk of contracting coronavirus from a shared vehicle is low although early studies show it hangs on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel for a few days. Many, of course, are not willing to take the risk. At a recent video conference, micromobility analyst Horace Dediu said the new corona virus could accelerate the transition from shared vehicles to privately owned vehicles. We usually agree.
Photo by Friso Gentsch / Picture Alliance via Getty Images
Car traffic drops sharply: People stay at home avoiding unnecessary travel, the demand for rides is bustling and the streets have never been more inviting for cyclists. INRIX says road traffic has fallen by 30 percent in American cities. And it could be even lower: Italy, the first country to introduce a lockdown for the coronavirus, sees a 65 percent drop overall and 70 percent of passenger car travel. Of course this does not mean that it is clear sailing for cycling. Cyclist injuries in New York City increased by 43 percent between March 9 and 15, according to the NYPD. Cities need to do more to protect cycling by banning car traffic from some streets and expanding their bicycle lane network. But for experienced cyclists or people who live in places with a robust cycling infrastructure, time has never been better.
Rules are relaxing: New York City is one of the few cities in the world to ban the use of e-bikes, but the pandemic provides much needed relief. After encouraging New Yorkers to avoid public transportation during the crisis, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was suspend continued police crackdown to immigrant food deliverers who use e-bikes. It will likely be very difficult for the city to resume enforcing its ban after the pandemic is gone, so why not take advantage of this new tolerant culture and buy an e-bike?
The weather improves: If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s Northern Hemisphere spring. What better excuse do you need to get out of your ass and get in the saddle for a ride? Ordinary bikes are motivating in their own right, but e-bikes are the perfect all-weather, but especially spring, vehicles that allow you to transport picnic or hiking gear over long distances without breaking a sweat (unless you want to).
A boost for small businesses and health professionals: With many restaurants and small businesses engaged in delivery to keep things going during the pandemic, the need for a fleet of efficient, fast-moving delivery drivers is greater than ever. There is probably more demand than demand right now, and many gig workers are turning to supply to help offset losses in other jobs. But there is no doubt that bicycles, especially e-bikes, are the best way to transport packages and food deliveries to customers.
In fact, some cities recognize that they have a role to play in encouraging more delivery drivers to use bicycles: the New York City inspector has released a report recently encouraged the city to subsidize “frontline workers” who may be interested in buying e-bikes to speed up their work.
Bicycle shops selling electric and standard bicycles are allowed in the UK and parts of the US “Essential” status during the COVID-19 lockdown. In London, Brompton bikes lend 200 of its folding bikes to members of the National Health Service (NHS), while many stores across the country offer NHS staff free repairs. In Scotland, charity organization Forth Environment Link offers free rental bicycles for e-bikes to dozens of NHS employees so that they can travel between the hospital and home without using public transport.
Good e-bikes in all price ranges: E-bike sales are growing worldwide, helping to lower purchase prices. Local governments also intervene with subsidy programs, tax cuts and other schemes to encourage adoption.
Good e-bikes are now available for less than $ 1,000. Even premium e-bikes that offer more features and more peace of mind can be found for under $ 2,000. For example, VanMoof recently lowered the price of its excellent Electrified S2 and X2 e-bikes to € 1,798 in Europe and $ 1,998 in the US. Likewise, an extremely promising one new e-bike from Muto has just started selling in Europe for an introductory price of € 1,549. And the ridiculously fun RadRover bike from Rad Power Bikes is available now for $ 100 less for $ 1,199.
Many countries in Europe offers incentives for e-bikes to promote their green initiatives. In the Netherlands, for example, a government-backed scheme introduced in January allows employees to lease an electric bike for less than the cost of a Netflix subscription. A $ 3,000 (about $ 3,260) e-bike can be rented from employers for about $ 7 ($ 7.60) per month.
The US is nowhere near as progressive, but perhaps a pandemic will spur the much needed change in the way we see e-bikes.