Why an electric bike is music to my ears...
AN alternative to being stuck in a traffic jam is to take a bicycle ride instead – just as long as the distance and weather permit.
One of the great appeals of cycling is it helps keep you fit. But if the idea of struggling up a steep hill using pedal power fills you with dread, then you could consider jumping on an electric bike.
These battery-powered iron horses – often referred to as e-bikes – are popular. Although there are currently only 50,000 electric bikes on Britain’s roads, it is predicted there could be as many as a million within a decade. In China, more than 200 million people use e-bikes.
Thanks to improved technology they look much like a traditional bike – but with a long, chunky battery often strapped to one of the frame struts. It usually gives at least 25 miles of electric-powered motoring at up to 15.5mph – with the power pack often taken off at the end of the day and recharged overnight using a standard electric socket.
The bikes have a throttle grip that can be twisted to add a boost to pedal power. Although heavier than a traditional bike they can be used just the same – pedal power only.
The main downside of an e-bike is cost – as even basic models cost as much as £1,000.
Musician Dre Smith, from Poplar, East London, treated herself to a top-of-the-range Infinity LS e-bike from Volt Bikes last year. She is paying for the £2,600 bike in regular instalments – £100 a month.
She says: ‘It seems expensive but £100 a month was what I was paying on public transport and taxis to get around town with my music equipment.’
The 27-year-old, who uses the stage name Dregas and has a website dregasmusic.com, adds: ‘It is the only way to travel – enabling me to avoid traffic jams when in a car while also keeping me fit as I do a lot of pedalling. But with a guitar strapped to my back and carrying a keyboard, I do often need electric help.’
Those who use a bike to get to and from work can knock at least 25 per cent off the price through Cyclescheme. If your employer is signed up it allows you to spend up to £1,000 on a bike and accessories without paying income tax or National Insurance on the purchase.
If you do not want to buy, consider hiring. The best-known hire option is the London-based ‘Boris bike’ which for a £2 fee gives you access to more than 13,000 bikes in the capital for 24 hours. After paying this charge, the first 30 minutes of any ride is ‘free’ – with a further £2 payable for any additional 30 minutes you spend on any bike.
Dockless bike-sharing company oBike operates in London and Oxford. Download an app, locate the nearest bike and unlock it using a code sent to your phone. It charges 50p for half an hour. Bike & Go is available at some train stations. For a yearly subscription of £10 you hire a bike for £3.80 a day – keeping it for up to 72 hours.