Electric Bikes: I Love Them and You Can Too, By Turbo Bob

Turbo Bob loves electric bikes!

This is a guest post from Turbo Bob who is an electric bike advocate and enthusiast that lives in San Diego California.  Be sure to check out his Turbo Bob Bicycle Blog!

There are so many great and varied reasons to love your E-bike. Maybe one of these will hit home for you and be the catalyst that brings you into the fold. My wife and I have been riding ours for over four years. In an order that doesn’t match mine, and with more subjects that affect me personally, let’s get our E-bike love organized.

Money:  If you embrace and ride your E-bike often, it will pay for itself in as little as a year. With such high costs to own a motor vehicle, the maintenance, insurance, parking and other fees, just keeping it parked at home will save a bunch real quick. If you can forgo a car completely, the savings will be incredible. These are not the reasons we ride our E-bikes, but why spend more than you need too?

Health:  Even with the electric-assist, you will be doing yourself a wonderful favor to ride an E-bike. Being a regular bike with a motor to aid you when you like, you can pedal as much or little as you prefer. So you can tailor your amount of exercise to suit your mood or athletic ability. Also, the more you ride, the less you might need the power. So trimming down and bulking up can come at the rate you choose.

Attitude:  The open air, freedom of youth and staying out of traffic can make you a different person. Getting away from an oppressive routine can be the best. You don’t necessarily need an E-bike to be out riding, but then again, maybe you do. Knowing that the ride might not be strenuous could make all the difference whether you decide to climb aboard and do some pedaling.

Marching to your own drummer:  Why follow the crowd? Being your own person is part of what makes each one of us. Your family and friends might boo-hoo your E-bike, but who cares? If it makes you happy, then that’s all that matters. You can read them the reasons you love it off this list, or you can just smile and ride. I am sure you will come up with your own list as the miles go by. Even still, let the world live their life, while you really live yours.

Environment:  This one is a given. Your so called carbon footprint will shrink to near nothing in the transportation department. With a recharge of your battery in the 3-10 cent range (I’ve heard many estimates), you know that’s not much in the way of energy. Plus, you can combine your E-bike with public transport to really max out the whole effect. This is the number one reason that put us on our E-bikes. And keeps us there too.

Perfect for people who want to ride but are concerned about their energy to complete a trip:  You or a family member might be recovering for an injury or suffering from some energy sapping health problem. Yet you want to ride, so you are looking for an answer. On an E-bike you can pedal till your feeling done, pull a u-turn, and motor back home. Each time you might get a little further, and soon smiling and riding often. Perfect.

Turbo Bob and his Brompton folding bike.

Commuting:  Covered a little in the above sections, this is probably the main reason you might consider getting an E-bike. Studies have shown that an outdoor bike blast can perk up your brain, calm your nerves and get you ready for a better work experience. Many work places are offering bike parking and showers for bike commuters. They are finding out that a more productive and content employee is arriving for their day on a bike.

Social:  Group rides are awesome. At a mellow pace, you can talk, laugh and relate to friends and new friends in the best of ways. We got our E-bikes well before we started joining in on local group rides, but now that we participate on many, it makes our E-bikes a bigger source of contentment. Enjoying great scenery and the outdoors with like-minded people has become one of our biggest pleasures.

Hills and winds:  High on our E-bike desires was to be able to conquer the local grades without getting off and pushing the bike on up. This has made biking and bike commuting much easier. A strong wind or breeze can mimic the same effect as a hill. Once again, a little assist from your E-bike’s motor will flatten out a hill and calm a headwind. Nature versus your E-bike—winner, you.

Get an E-bike and make your own list. You will be happier, healthier and most likely have a few more dollars in your wallet. Your contribution to cleaner air and a healthier planet are a wonderful by-product. Make sure you get a quality one that fits you well and riding it will come naturally. I know at my house, E-bikes have made a ton of changes, all good.

Love an E-bike? Oh yes, Turbo Bob.

“Like dogs, bicycles are social catalysts that attract a superior category of people.”—Chip Brown, A Bike and a Prayer.

End of guest post by Turbo Bob

What do you think?  Can you add more reasons to love an electric bike?  Please share your thoughts and story’s in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!