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The money i dident spend on fuel payed the E-Bike a long time ago! And my endurance also improved!
Not sure it'd be practical where I'm at with the towns being miles apart, but a great idea in more dense areas. How do you deal with transporting things like a trip to the grocery store?
Grocery carrying capacity depends on how many kids you need to take with you:
With some proper bags and preparation, you can also pack quite a load onto a normal bike:
Either way, you can add some temporary storage to most bikes:
Now that's some crazy getup, i suppose the range and speed is going to be influenced by the weight and battery capacity, could be an interesting bit of research. For me it'd maybe a max of 400lbs for the two of us (I'm 6'3" and in the 230 some range alone) plus a minion and cargo. Probabbly 500 actually just to give some overhead, never good to spec things just at capacity.
Yes, it alsodepends on how much help you get from the motor. I can get between 35 and 80km out of my Ebike depending on the helping function I choose, how much headwind, how many hills, how much I'm carrying, etc. I went with a midrange battery for mine, but after experiencing the longer range use cases (going on biking holidays carrying my child or on day trips somewhere relatively far), I'd definitely choose the largest battery next time. I definitely think it's worth the extra 200-300 dollars.
I'll also do a shout out to Thule bike trailers. You can attach them behind any bike instead of having to buy a special one with front carrying, and they're super light, all terrain and can be easily removed when you don't need them.
Google pannier bags. They're basically totes that mount onto a bike rack. Some of them even have straps to convert them into a backpack for easy carrying.
In terms of distance, I think you might be surprised by how far and fast you can go with an ebike. A lot of people only think about their speed when on the highway, but most of your time on the road is likely spent at slower speeds navigating traffic in town. So what bikes may lack in speed, they make up for in maneuverability.
Sounds like a lot of people here have some experience with this. Where I'm at it's all towns of less than 2000 usually spaced 5-10 miles apart over a state highway. I could bike on it, at least in the summer. Might be worth a look, or just getting a decent analog bike since it can't really be my daily transport moving a kid and all. Been meaning to get one of those anyhow, last one I had was a shoddy thing not up to hauling someone my size.
One option to look into, especially for transporting small children, is a "bakfiets". It's a type of cargo bike with a large bucket in the front that can be used to haul kids and groceries. And you can find them now as ebikes to make it easier to haul more stuff. They're super common in the Netherlands for their high carrying capacity. You'll even see people moving furniture around with them!
I bought a comically large insulated box that can hold six large pizzas.
My wife orders the weekly groceries home every 1-2 weeks. The delivery fee for purchases over 150.- is only 4.95, which easily pays for itself with the drive and the parking fee to the nearest shopping center (8km). In addition, in this setup i also have to carry the purchases only from the front door to the basement.
Edit: We use Public transportation a lot. For the normal bike we use the Thule Chariot Sport as a trailer. For the daily needs (fresh bread, somtimes mising butter or milk...) we shop localy in th village, also with bike and backbag or the biketrailer.
A decent cost, I'd guess the delivery is a store employee using a company vehicle since that'd be a heavy lift for $5 to take on in some 3rd party service or the employee's car like most small shops. Persoannly I like going to the shop, even if it's a little ways out just for the getting an idea on the fly aspect when walking by something.
We can only order on date, not on time. So then the Camion just drops all deliverys on this daily tour.
racks, boxes, and bags.
Miles actually aren't a problem on an ebike. Pannier bags can carry alot.
Smaller trips to the store on the way home if they live in a city. I like to get a couple things at a time during lunch break since the store is close
Backpack?
My car insurance is more than my bike's initial cost.
Every year.
Forever.
I understand exactly what you mean. The insurance for me (accident-free and driving safety course) was 500.-, plus road taxes of c. 250.-... and that every year...
That's awesome, congratulations!
What bike do you ride?
Also, feel free to check out !micromobility@lemmy.world
Thank you:) Thanks for the recommendation, i checked it out!
E-bikes for the win! Much love!
Top job!
Thanks :)
Keep going till 80085
I try to remember! Maybe 58008 befor, so we can turn it upside down.
What do you do for thunderstorms and nasty weather? I think this is a fantastic idea but weather.
With the money you save it's nothing to take a cab in truly bad conditions.
I used to be very anxious over bad weather when I first started cycling more and switched modes of transport at any chance of rain. These days I always have a tiny-pack-size rain jacket and pants with me and plan my commute around the weather radar... but above of all I've just got pretty indifferent to rain. Most of the time it's just a little bit, the few instances it gets more I have the rain gear with me. Thunderstorms that entirely prevent cycling are extremely rare for me.
I ride a lot in my city and thunderstorms can happen several times a week where I live during certain parts of the year. Usually I can plan around them and if it's really so stormy I don't think I can bike then it's usually better if I don't drive anywhere either.
The main one that gets me is when I pick up my kid from school. Just rain and I'll bike but if there's lightning I occasionally need to take the car for safety.
Waterproof jacket and trousers that fits a pannier bag (preferably waterproof also) makes you basically 90% rainproof, especially if the trousers have shoe covers or your shoes are at least a little waterproof. Also, clear glasses avoid raindrops to go into your eyes while riding and allow you to see the road. Like this, only your hands are not covered.
This plus Vessi waterproof shoes. I am an amphibian.
Get wet. It sucks, but it's not the end of the world. Especially if you dress appropriately.
Lightning isnt a concern?
i typically pull over and take shelter (gas station, retail store, etc.) for lightning. it’s pretty rare for it to last a long time, at least where i am. most folks have no problem letting you loiter until the storm passes.
In a drizzle or similar, I bike with a weatherproof jacket. I take the bus or tram if I have to get anywhere in bad weather, but more often I probably don't leave my home if the weather is bad or there's a storm brewing.
Disclaimer: I live alone in a major metropolitan area and mostly work from home.
I don't drive my car in severe thunderstorms.
I've been caught in painful hail multiple times on my bike. Rain coat plus helmet gets me pretty far.
Good clothing and topnotch hikingshoes, that's the most important part. My commute is 17min long, so it's not to long.
Just go, it's not that bad.
Think about how many times in the last year you had heavy rain hitting your windshield while driving a car. Certainly light rain in most places might be more common. I've been bike commuting for 1700 miles so far. I have only been caught out in heavy rain once, moderate rain once, and light rain twice. I live in a place with fairly average rainfall. It's probably rained several dozen times during some other part of the day many of the times I've commuted, but the commute itself is 38 minutes (10 miles) and I have usually been lucky. I had a lot of apprehension about weather when I started, but I mostly barely think about it at this point. Just check the radar, and wear appropriate cloths. One thing I mean to get is waterproof rain pants, but it hasn't really mattered that much so far. I have water "resistant" casual pants, and they work well enough for light rain.
Rad!
Great Job! How is your bike doing with this mileage? Any problems with the engine?
I take the bike to the small service every six months (Easter/October). I also always change the tires from summer tires to endurance tires or vice versa. The spare parts have so far cost me a little more than a complete set of decent winter tires for the car. Fortunately, I had no problems with the engine so far.
Sounds great Safe travels!
What kinda bike are you riding?
I ride a black Flyer.
That's amazing! I just passed 1100km on my e-bike and I love it! Have you had to replace the battery after that many kilometers?
Thanks :) I have not replaced it jet, but i want to mention:
Would you again buy a 50 km/h bike vs. a 25 km/h one? I consider buying an e-bike to pull a trailer but I am not sure if I need the extra power, 25 km/h seems plenty. Does it feel saver when you can drive as fast as surrounding cars?
I would buy a 45km/h ebike again in a heartbeat. The slower ebike has a better range, but it supports you less long and your travel time is longer (in my case 17 instead of 30min). Car drivers can always overtake you, at higher speed they need more distance. In my opinion, a rearview mirror should be attached to every bike for commuting. You will notice quieter e-cars or fast approaching racing machines much earlier and can take actions.