3 Reasons Why Electric Bikes are the Best Commute Alternative in the New Normal

Now more than ever, people are looking for alternatives to owning a car. From the road congestion found in just about every city to the environmental impact (and the cost), more reasons to switch from driving keep piling up. With workers returning to their offices, now is the time to start thinking about your new commute.

So, what alternatives are there? Well, there’s public transportation in most cities, ride-sharing, and e-bikes. You might not be as familiar with that last one, but you might find that e-bikes are the solution you’re looking for. Let’s take a look at why.

Public Transportation and COVID-19

Public transportation is the fallback for most people who want to avoid using a car as their primary method of transportation. Even in normal times, this can be inconvenient for many people due to its timing or lack of convenient stops; however, now, COVID-19 seriously worries riders.

For concerned commuters, this rules out public transportation, but even if it’s still possible, crowded public spaces should be avoided. After all, it’s hard to stay six feet away from everybody in a small enclosed bus. However, with an e-bike, you can effortlessly distance yourself from others and stay out in the fresh air, so you can hardly travel healthier.

Ride-share and Rental Bikes Are Costly

Ride-shares and rental bikes are some of the most popular trends today for getting around. These methods of transport are often as easy as opening an app on your phone. But have you considered how much this can cost?

The average cost of a trip using ride-share is about $25 dollars, so assuming you use it twice a day to get to work and back, that is about $50 per day. By the end of a year, that will cost you about $13,000! 

For most of us, that is a lot of money, although rental bikes are cheaper. However, if you are looking to use the popular rental electric bikes here is something to consider. The prices vary considerably based on locality as well as how it is structured. In most places, it will be a few-dollar fee to unlock the bike and then a few cents per minute. In some cases, this will add up to $18 per hour.

By using an electric bike, the highest cost is simply purchasing the bike. Afterward, the cost of powering it and maintenance may cost you very little, especially if you keep up with basic maintenance.

E-bikes are More Versatile Than Public Transportation

If you live in a city, public transportation may be available to get you most anywhere you want to go—but that doesn’t mean it will be particularly convenient. You may need to take more than one bus to get to your destination, and many routes have a considerable number of stops along the way. All of this could take up a good bit of your time.

With an e-bike, you can travel directly to your destination without any stops along the way (unless you want to). You easily get where you want to go faster. Also, you go whenever you want, with no need to worry about bus schedules. This makes an e-bike similar to a car but a lot more economical. It’s also far better for the environment.

There are indeed limitations if you have a longer commute, but if you need to take public transportation to go most of the way, consider a foldable electric bike like the Espin Nesta that is easy to fold up and take with you so that you can complete the last few miles with your electric bike rather than having to switch routes or walk the rest of your journey.