Ride my ebike to work everyday. All of your points are spot on. Excited to see more people realize this over time. Brings a lot of joy and satisfaction to ride my ebike everywhere. In fact, I haven't driven my car in nearly 2 years!! My commute is faster, more beautiful, and I get to part my bike directly at the entrance to my office (when everyone else is fighting over parking spots 100ft from the entrance). The cost savings are amazing, I bought a higher end ~$2k bike and it pays for itself in no time at all. Compare the cost to change a tire on a bike with that of a car, or for that matter compare a bottle of chain lube to getting an oil change in your car every 3 months. It's amazing to me that people still drive their massive gas guzzling cars to work in this day and age.
yes brilliant I also e-bike to work every day and it is fun too - just recently getting a fat e-bike built cant wait to hit the tracks too and I am 58 years old - never too old for an E-bike
Nice video. These are all the reasons I started utilizing my eBike more and more every day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many places in my community now allow bikes i the drive thru. I went to Walgreens a couple days ago to pick up my meds. The pharmacist said I was their first and she had a good chuckle with questions about my bike. Keep up the good vids Micah.
My father has been riding his liberty trike for the last 3 years since giving up his driver's license (he's 93 now) and loves getting where he needs to go and doesn't feel as though he's lost his Independence. He even does a trip once a month to Costco ( I was shocked to see just how much a etrike could carry with racks front and back) He loves telling people he meets along the way the benefits of owning an ebike in Los Angeles
Following this crazy pandemic I have had to downsize immensely and also decided to sell my car and invest in an e-bike. It is the BEST decision i have ever made for myself, for my future, and for this planet. Thanks for creating this video. You convinced me! And as for myself, a week into this journey I can attest all of these things are TRIED AND TRUE!!!
I love my bike and I love working on it making changes to improve my experience I've acquired a new skill in basic electrical engineering and I love it
I think there needs to be significant improvements in driving codes in North America to make E-bikes a true alternative to cars. The plethora of rules imposed on bikes (the 20 MPH speed limit, the requirement for the motor to cut off in some areas about that speed, the safety requirements) makes it so it's only a good alternative for very short commutes for the average Joe. If rules were changed so that ebikes could be driven faster (45 MPH like scooters) with electric assist, it would go a long way towards making it a true alternative. In colder climates, snow and cold means you need to have cover during winter. Covered velomobiles and scooters cost almost as much as a small car without the utility. That being said, if I could drive that vehicle at high speeds everywhere, and with manufacturing economies of scale, I might be tempted to make it a second vehicle, which would already be a great start. Making velomobiles and covered e-scooters all-weather, more affordable and changing city codes to allow higher speeds are what I believe is required to give people in NA a chance to truly switch their cars for this.
Salut ! You can ride your e vehicle just like any other vehicle on the the road using the full lane, I do it all the time in California on a regular bicycle! This doesn't require changing rules and is a very efficient way of commuting, it's also safer because you are seen and where the action is happening, bike lanes and such to the side of the roadway are dangerous because they get cyclists visible to motorists at the very last second at intersections. Cyclists are the only vehicle operator to be told to stay to the side of the road and that's not right, there are important exceptions within those laws though so take a good look at them and understand your rights to ride in traffic, riding this way has changed my life for the better, before then there were too many close calls, it was very stressful, never again!
While I agree greater speed limits could be beneficial, I think there are ways around it that are unlikely to get you in trouble (as long as you aren't obnoxious). As in many things, a little street smarts goes a long way. That said, even at 20mph I think they are feasible replacements for many car trips if there was a paradigm shift in the populace. Honestly, cruising along at 20mph is not big deal if you're not expending much effort to travel at that speed. Within 3-4 miles, I can't imagine the time difference is that significant, especially once you're savvy enough to utilize the variety of options traveling as a human-scale machine allows. Depending on your situation you may find there are lots of shortcuts that enable greater parity with vehicle travel on an e-bike. I know I've found ways to my grocery store that would be impossible in the vehicle and make the time on par with getting in the car, and it's much more fun to boot.
Too bad you didn't mention e cargo bikes because that is appealing to a lot more people. Also, I am having a hard time with seeing you riding an ebike without your fingers on your brake levers... it's already a must on any bike, especially in town, around traffic but truth is it's a must anywhere so, on an ebike with your speed etc? Wow... I would highly encourage you keep your fingers on your brakes at all times. Other than that some good info. I've been biking commuting for a decade, mostly in traffic and I use the full lane by default because I am just another vehicle operator on the road and am thinking of upgrading to an ebike. Thanks.
Mika....a couple of years ago I retired and then the pandemic hit and I drove my car maybe once a week to get grocery and gas, then it wouldn't pass smog and the shop said I needed a Catalytic converter and it would be about 1500-2000 to repair it so I decided to donate the care to a non profit and got a tax write off of $500, I figure I would save $8000 a year in gas, registration, insurance, repairs, maintenance and get some exercise and pollute the planet just a little less so I just purchased a RadRunner Plus a couple of days ago and they said I should get it by the 19th, I will zip tie a milk crate on the bike to pick up groceries and etc...
Thank you for another great video. I really do agree with all your reasons but your last one is the best one. The fun factor can't be overstated. Commuting by an internal combustion car was no longer enjoyable. I have over 10,000 miles between all my scooters. I definitely saved wear and tear on my cars but I did it because it is just more engaging to be on a scooter. I especially love the power scooters that can hit very high speeds as I don't need the ultra portability I once needed. Consequently my sub-25MPH scooters don't get the same amount of miles but I have them when needed. Any PEV will provide more physical engagement than sitting in a car. Heck, just standing on a scooter for 50-60 minutes per day engages your core, legs and arms far more than people think. EUCs and my Onewheel also engage your feet and calves very well. Stay safe and healthy.
While I agree that people in cities should strongly consider swapping their car for an e-bike. I think it's hard for people to understand because this is a paradigm shift. Different modes of transport optimize for different things and a 45 minute trip on a bike is really different from a 45 minute drive. It might be easier to nudge people toward replacing 1 errand that requires driving with a bike ride. Getting things done while on a bike can be a life changing experience.
you could get a disc lock alarm which goes off if anyone try's to move your bike also recommend to have a strong u type lock and lock your bike to a post or bike rack
Micah. Always great to watch your videos and actually learn something eye opening, especially about the new electric bikes. So helpful. Can you give me the name of that black helmet you have in the background? Thanks.
11 - E-Bikes last almost forever. Yes even the battery if you charge once a week or daily to 70..80%. 12 - You can haul (!) almost everything - groceries, beer, kids, everything 13 - Almost independent mobility (make & repair on your own) 14 - Refill at home/work
Don't give up, take a good look at your vehicle code, usually bicycle rules have some exceptions within them that makes it legal to ride anywhere in traffic etc, many of us ride this way all over the country, if I can do it, so can you! More info here: facebook.com/BicyclistsBelongInTheTrafficLane/
11th reason: you breathe in less pollution, because a car's cabin captures pollution. "However, the highest averages were recorded inside the cars and buses: the closer to the source of the pollution, the exhaust pipes spewing out the fumes, the higher the total number of nanoparticles. The difference between walking by the kerbside of the road, and by the building side, on the same pavement - just a few short steps - was an average of 82,000 particles versus 69,000. " www.bbc.com/future/article/20191113-the-toxic-killers-in-our-air-too-small-to-see
I ain't got on a bus since i bought my electric monster scooter, it is a much better way of travelling, An i can get too my town centre a lot faster than the bus, At a fraction of the cost, The best point of all if everyone started using PEV's, Is bringing the traffic down, The amount of cars on the road in the UK is ridiculous, No wonder more kids are going too the doctors about asthma an breathing difficulties, Coz it is happening, If not for us make this planet cleaner for our kid's kid's, Like i said travelling on my monster scooter gives me some weird type of freedom feeling, lol, No mountain too tall enough an that, LOL, Next up is an electric bike, But I am going too make my own with a rear wheel hub, Tho i been looking at those little propeller motors with those brackets, But i been told the hub motors are the best, So might just do that instead of messing round with motors, Do it the lazy way, After all the E-Bike is for the laziest of us all, Let's face it, Reason you get an E-Bike is so you ain't got feel knackered getting home, LOL, That feeling when you blip past somebody struggling too ride there bike up a hill, Some weird satisfaction happens when you do, LOL, Everyone should have one form of PEV...................
I'm still 50/50 about e-bikes, and much prefer to ride my totally zero-fuel non-electric bike. I think that e-bikes are a good choice for unfit people who want to get into cycling and maybe start to exercise a bit more, or for those with a disability, and for elderly people to continue cycling well into their advanced years, but I really can't see why they would be a first choice transport option for otherwise fit and healthy adults. It's like they are trying to get fit without putting in any of the required effort, like when overweight smokers wear a tracksuit and running shoes in the vague hope that they will become fitter by some sort of osmosis or something. I don't know, maybe I'm just missing the point here, although I do acknowledge that riding an e-bike is a better option than driving a car, and much cheaper to run, and I may change my mind about them if and when I ever get too old to ride a conventional bike, so I might one day have to resort to riding what I would consider to be a two-wheeled mobility scooter.
you do have to put in effort though or can...you missed that part of video where studies say you probably get more exercise on a ebike because you stay out longer
@@ecoman351 You maybe right, but having a good gear-ratio is my god-send on hills or in wind. I can stay out all day on my old-school hybrid bicycle, although it often seems to steer me into tea-shops as I try in vain to ride past them.
Ride my ebike to work everyday. All of your points are spot on. Excited to see more people realize this over time. Brings a lot of joy and satisfaction to ride my ebike everywhere. In fact, I haven't driven my car in nearly 2 years!! My commute is faster, more beautiful, and I get to part my bike directly at the entrance to my office (when everyone else is fighting over parking spots 100ft from the entrance). The cost savings are amazing, I bought a higher end ~$2k bike and it pays for itself in no time at all. Compare the cost to change a tire on a bike with that of a car, or for that matter compare a bottle of chain lube to getting an oil change in your car every 3 months. It's amazing to me that people still drive their massive gas guzzling cars to work in this day and age.
yes brilliant I also e-bike to work every day and it is fun too - just recently getting a fat e-bike built cant wait to hit the tracks too and I am 58 years old - never too old for an E-bike
Nice video. These are all the reasons I started utilizing my eBike more and more every day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many places in my community now allow bikes i the drive thru. I went to Walgreens a couple days ago to pick up my meds. The pharmacist said I was their first and she had a good chuckle with questions about my bike. Keep up the good vids Micah.
My father has been riding his liberty trike for the last 3 years since giving up his driver's license (he's 93 now) and loves getting where he needs to go and doesn't feel as though he's lost his Independence. He even does a trip once a month to Costco ( I was shocked to see just how much a etrike could carry with racks front and back)
He loves telling people he meets along the way the benefits of owning an ebike in Los Angeles
That's right. And one of the neat things is cruising right past the gas station. He he he he he. Yep we can buy more groceries this way.
@@jamesrichey4155 I stop by and scab out bottles and cans from the bins by the bowsers of station
Following this crazy pandemic I have had to downsize immensely and also decided to sell my car and invest in an e-bike. It is the BEST decision i have ever made for myself, for my future, and for this planet. Thanks for creating this video. You convinced me! And as for myself, a week into this journey I can attest all of these things are TRIED AND TRUE!!!
Oh, and I also recently picked up a cargo trailer to be able to increase my eBike's abilities to make even more essential trips.
Nice! When someone is committed to using an e-bike, there's almost no end to how much utility can be squeezed out of these things!
I love my bike and I love working on it making changes to improve my experience I've acquired a new skill in basic electrical engineering and I love it
Good for you Erick, ride safe and keep exploring!
I think there needs to be significant improvements in driving codes in North America to make E-bikes a true alternative to cars. The plethora of rules imposed on bikes (the 20 MPH speed limit, the requirement for the motor to cut off in some areas about that speed, the safety requirements) makes it so it's only a good alternative for very short commutes for the average Joe. If rules were changed so that ebikes could be driven faster (45 MPH like scooters) with electric assist, it would go a long way towards making it a true alternative.
In colder climates, snow and cold means you need to have cover during winter. Covered velomobiles and scooters cost almost as much as a small car without the utility. That being said, if I could drive that vehicle at high speeds everywhere, and with manufacturing economies of scale, I might be tempted to make it a second vehicle, which would already be a great start.
Making velomobiles and covered e-scooters all-weather, more affordable and changing city codes to allow higher speeds are what I believe is required to give people in NA a chance to truly switch their cars for this.
Salut ! You can ride your e vehicle just like any other vehicle on the the road using the full lane, I do it all the time in California on a regular bicycle!
This doesn't require changing rules and is a very efficient way of commuting, it's also safer because you are seen and where the action is happening, bike lanes and such to the side of the roadway are dangerous because they get cyclists visible to motorists at the very last second at intersections. Cyclists are the only vehicle operator to be told to stay to the side of the road and that's not right, there are important exceptions within those laws though so take a good look at them and understand your rights to ride in traffic, riding this way has changed my life for the better, before then there were too many close calls, it was very stressful, never again!
While I agree greater speed limits could be beneficial, I think there are ways around it that are unlikely to get you in trouble (as long as you aren't obnoxious). As in many things, a little street smarts goes a long way.
That said, even at 20mph I think they are feasible replacements for many car trips if there was a paradigm shift in the populace. Honestly, cruising along at 20mph is not big deal if you're not expending much effort to travel at that speed. Within 3-4 miles, I can't imagine the time difference is that significant, especially once you're savvy enough to utilize the variety of options traveling as a human-scale machine allows. Depending on your situation you may find there are lots of shortcuts that enable greater parity with vehicle travel on an e-bike. I know I've found ways to my grocery store that would be impossible in the vehicle and make the time on par with getting in the car, and it's much more fun to boot.
Good video, I use my ebike for everything. I can easily transport several days of groceries 😁
I love my e-bike so much and I start using it must of the time it's fun and make me more healthier.
$1 can buy several barrels of oil
Too bad you didn't mention e cargo bikes because that is appealing to a lot more people.
Also, I am having a hard time with seeing you riding an ebike without your fingers on your brake levers... it's already a must on any bike, especially in town, around traffic but truth is it's a must anywhere so, on an ebike with your speed etc? Wow... I would highly encourage you keep your fingers on your brakes at all times.
Other than that some good info. I've been biking commuting for a decade, mostly in traffic and I use the full lane by default because I am just another vehicle operator on the road and am thinking of upgrading to an ebike. Thanks.
Mika....a couple of years ago I retired and then the pandemic hit and I drove my car maybe once a week to get grocery and gas, then it wouldn't pass smog and the shop said I needed a Catalytic converter and it would be about 1500-2000 to repair it so I decided to donate the care to a non profit and got a tax write off of $500, I figure I would save $8000 a year in gas, registration, insurance, repairs, maintenance and get some exercise and pollute the planet just a little less so I just purchased a RadRunner Plus a couple of days ago and they said I should get it by the 19th, I will zip tie a milk crate on the bike to pick up groceries and etc...
Thank you for another great video. I really do agree with all your reasons but your last one is the best one. The fun factor can't be overstated. Commuting by an internal combustion car was no longer enjoyable. I have over 10,000 miles between all my scooters. I definitely saved wear and tear on my cars but I did it because it is just more engaging to be on a scooter. I especially love the power scooters that can hit very high speeds as I don't need the ultra portability I once needed. Consequently my sub-25MPH scooters don't get the same amount of miles but I have them when needed. Any PEV will provide more physical engagement than sitting in a car. Heck, just standing on a scooter for 50-60 minutes per day engages your core, legs and arms far more than people think. EUCs and my Onewheel also engage your feet and calves very well. Stay safe and healthy.
While I agree that people in cities should strongly consider swapping their car for an e-bike.
I think it's hard for people to understand because this is a paradigm shift.
Different modes of transport optimize for different things and a 45 minute trip on a bike is really different from a 45 minute drive.
It might be easier to nudge people toward replacing 1 errand that requires driving with a bike ride.
Getting things done while on a bike can be a life changing experience.
anyone have any recommendations on security when it comes to ebikes? I would have to leave it in a parking lot
you could get a disc lock alarm which goes off if anyone try's to move your bike also recommend to have a strong u type lock and lock your bike to a post or bike rack
Great video!
I'd love to see links to "study after study" referred to in the videos.
Great. Video, thanks
Which bike was that you were sliding on? The green bike.
In the sand? CSC FT750-26
All these are great points!
11th reason - No road taxes.
Great points. Thank you.
I ditched my car last Nov. I now ride a Honda CB125E - it only sips petrol. It's nimble, and swift. And it's a HONDA.
With the barrel of oil in negative numbers...
Micah. Always great to watch your videos and actually learn something eye opening, especially about the new electric bikes. So helpful.
Can you give me the name of that black helmet you have in the background? Thanks.
Mark Geller no
@@fairrttg989 Shlomo Smuck, better name
Hey Mark, that's an Overade Plixi helmet
@@Electrek Micah. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Your YT's great. Watch every one!! Learn something every time..Thank you again.
11 - E-Bikes last almost forever. Yes even the battery if you charge once a week or daily to 70..80%.
12 - You can haul (!) almost everything - groceries, beer, kids, everything
13 - Almost independent mobility (make & repair on your own)
14 - Refill at home/work
Awesome! 👍
What was the motorcycle you rode in the intro?
That was a 2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire
great video mikah you said ton a ton of times lol
love e-bikes
I live in a red state where roads are not bike friendly and extremely dangerous. Everything is governed around big oil.
Don't give up, take a good look at your vehicle code, usually bicycle rules have some exceptions within them that makes it legal to ride anywhere in traffic etc, many of us ride this way all over the country, if I can do it, so can you! More info here:
facebook.com/BicyclistsBelongInTheTrafficLane/
11th reason: you breathe in less pollution, because a car's cabin captures pollution.
"However, the highest averages were recorded inside the cars and buses: the closer to the source of the pollution, the exhaust pipes spewing out the fumes, the higher the total number of nanoparticles. The difference between walking by the kerbside of the road, and by the building side, on the same pavement - just a few short steps - was an average of 82,000 particles versus 69,000. "
www.bbc.com/future/article/20191113-the-toxic-killers-in-our-air-too-small-to-see
Learned that in this popular science book by Tim Smedley: www.amazon.com/Clearing-Air-Beginning-End-Pollution/dp/1472953312
Where I live, still need a car. Nearest post office is 8mi away. According to google, 18mins by car or 2.5hr walking. 45 mins by bike wow
Yeah. They're great for denser areas though!
I ain't got on a bus since i bought my electric monster scooter, it is a much better way of travelling, An i can get too my town centre a lot faster than the bus, At a fraction of the cost, The best point of all if everyone started using PEV's, Is bringing the traffic down, The amount of cars on the road in the UK is ridiculous, No wonder more kids are going too the doctors about asthma an breathing difficulties, Coz it is happening, If not for us make this planet cleaner for our kid's kid's, Like i said travelling on my monster scooter gives me some weird type of freedom feeling, lol, No mountain too tall enough an that, LOL, Next up is an electric bike, But I am going too make my own with a rear wheel hub, Tho i been looking at those little propeller motors with those brackets, But i been told the hub motors are the best, So might just do that instead of messing round with motors, Do it the lazy way, After all the E-Bike is for the laziest of us all, Let's face it, Reason you get an E-Bike is so you ain't got feel knackered getting home, LOL, That feeling when you blip past somebody struggling too ride there bike up a hill, Some weird satisfaction happens when you do, LOL, Everyone should have one form of PEV...................
Petrol and gas is skyrocketing so yes we all need electric bikes n scooters
I'm still 50/50 about e-bikes, and much prefer to ride my totally zero-fuel non-electric bike. I think that e-bikes are a good choice for unfit people who want to get into cycling and maybe start to exercise a bit more, or for those with a disability, and for elderly people to continue cycling well into their advanced years, but I really can't see why they would be a first choice transport option for otherwise fit and healthy adults. It's like they are trying to get fit without putting in any of the required effort, like when overweight smokers wear a tracksuit and running shoes in the vague hope that they will become fitter by some sort of osmosis or something. I don't know, maybe I'm just missing the point here, although I do acknowledge that riding an e-bike is a better option than driving a car, and much cheaper to run, and I may change my mind about them if and when I ever get too old to ride a conventional bike, so I might one day have to resort to riding what I would consider to be a two-wheeled mobility scooter.
if im using my ebike totally instead of a car the pedal assist will be a godsend
wind, hills all that stuff
i mean come on ...its funner also
you do have to put in effort though or can...you missed that part of video where studies say you probably get more exercise on a ebike because you stay out longer
@@ecoman351 You maybe right, but having a good gear-ratio is my god-send on hills or in wind. I can stay out all day on my old-school hybrid bicycle, although it often seems to steer me into tea-shops as I try in vain to ride past them.
@@Teapot-Dave steering into tea shops haha...
That's ok 😊 you have some tea time...
Nothing wrong with that
Is it just my mental disability that is annoyed with constantly moving hands?
The only reason I still own a gas powered truck is so I can haul my e-bikes around
why not getting bigger batteries for the bike
SO woke it makes me sleepy
so edgy 🙄
@@magneto44 got ball?