Do: Ride your (electric) bike to work!

jesse

@ September 24, 2008

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Tired of waiting for the electric car that you won't be able to afford anyway? Wanting to start biking around town, but daunted by the distances, physical exhaustion, and buckets of awkward sweat? Ladies and gentlemen, your chariot as arrived.

That, my friends, is an electrical-motor assisted bicycle.

With a twist of the handlebar, the 400 W motor on the back wheel hub scoots you forward at a top speed of 20 miles per hour for up to 20 miles. Want to extend your range? Save the battery and give it a little pedal every now and then.

I racked up nearly 2000 miles on my old bike when I was commuting in the northeast. When I moved to Texas, I was confronted with two problems. First, it is pretty much hot as balls here all the time. It's almost October, and its nearly 90 degrees outside right now. And second, there are no shower facilities at my current place of employment. So, I could either show up for work covered head to toe in sweat, or drive and be covered in shame. Unpleasant as shame is, it smells much better.

Okay, yes, they aren't giving these bikes away. With a trade in of my old bicycle, I figure this guy will set me back about $1700 times two, because why do I get to have one and the Suze doesn't?

But on the plus side: I'll be able to take it everywhere. Because I won't need a shower on the other end, this bike can truly become a vehicle-replacement for all my around town needs except for grocery shopping. It will extend the life of my current vehicle and save me money on repairs. Plus, the days of cheap gasoline are long gone. For every 20 miles I scoot around, I'll spend pennies on electrons instead of over $3 in gasoline.

I recently wrote that the Chevy Volt was doomed to failure because they were trying to make the car all things for all people instead of trying to shift the way Americans think about transportation. Here is a vehicle that is suitable for many of the things you do, is nearly free to own and operate, and has zero emissions. The future of transportation is out there; recognize it when you see it.

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Jim

@ September 24, 2008 9:36 PM

I don't know if you got the memo, but I have "it" on good authority that the Segway is the future of transportation. It's going to change the way that cities are designed.

Rick @ September 25, 2008 12:33 AM

But seriously, to me the difference is that this beastie can legitimately go on roads. And similar critters have had some commercial success in Europe/Asia.

Notwithstanding engineering issues, Segways are (perhaps unwittingly) destined for sidewalks, and those are basically governed by local ordinances -- very difficult to build a consolidated plan that can satisfy each individual municipality. As an aside, a fun read about the whole Segway project is a book called "Code Name Ginger: ..."

jesse @ September 25, 2008 8:18 AM

The Segway is an interesting case. It maybe should have done better then it did. I think it was a combination of failed marketing and over-hype. But other than the issue of roads vs. sidewalks, the electric bike is very close to what the Segway does. You just don't look like a complete douche riding one.

kevin @ September 25, 2008 6:25 PM

I don't think you can dismiss the roads vs sidewalk issue so easily. Speeds are inherently limited on a sidewalk since they are and will always be (short of actually changing the way cities are designed) for pedestrians first. Segways are doomed to the sidewalks because they can't keep up with traffic, but on a non-empty sidewalk they're limited to the speed of surrounding pedestrians.

Which makes you look like a lazy spoiled douchebag for riding one instead of just walking. Meanwhile, the bike is zipping along at a consistent 20MPH in the street.

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