E-bikes gain momentum in St. John’s
Weather and infrastructure challenges among the biggest hurdles to overcome
Despite the dreary weather and lack of cycling infrastructure in St. John’s, some residents are opting to use electric bikes, instead of cars, to get around town.
According to Mike Hall, Pedego store owner in downtown St. John’s, electric bikes have become popular with middle-aged people, retirees and tourists.
Pedego is an e-bike store that has been in operation since May. It provides e-bike rentals, catering to individuals eager to explore the city.
“For people who find biking difficult, or may have disabilities or health problems, it’s a mode of transportation that enables (them) to all of a sudden get wherever they want to go,” said Hall.
WHY GET AN E-BIKE?
St. John’s resident Alex O’driscoll works as a dog groomer in downtown St. John’s, and has been using an e-bike since June. Saving money was a big reason why O’driscoll decided to buy an e-bike.
“I don’t drive, so it was costing me upwards of $600 a month to get a cab back and forth to work,” he said. Now, he uses the e-bike to go everywhere.
Myles Russell has also opted to use an e-bike instead of a car. Russell is a civil engineering technologist and director with Streets Are for People, a non-profit collective that advocates for sustainable urban planning.
Russell bought his bike in winter 2022 when he realized using a car was no longer necessary.
“Instead of spending roughly $12,000 a year on a car that needed to drive me five minutes a day, I decided to get an e-bike to ride to work,” Russell said.
Elizabeth Yeoman, a retired professor from Memorial University, has been riding an e-bike since last summer. While she used to prefer walking or cycling to get around, a knee injury and arthritis has limited her ability.
“I’m 70 years old,” said Yeoman, “and I just want to be active for as long as I can.”
“I think people are not very aware that bicycles can be mobility devices, and that they can enable people with various kinds of injuries to get around,” she added.
And for O’driscoll, e-bikes have even helped his mental health.
“It has done a lot for me, just getting me out of the house to go out for a ride.”
E-BIKE CHALLENGES
With Newfoundland and Labrador’s unpredictable weather, some folks might hesitate to hop on the e-bike trend.
As Hall puts it, “You know Newfoundland is cold, and I say, well Sweden is cold, and Amsterdam gets fairly cold,” and they are recognized as having the most bike-friendly cities in the world.
“There’s obviously gonna be days where you can’t use your electric bikes, but when you’re dressed right for it, and you got the right clothes on … these bikes, they’re made to go in moist conditions so they can go anywhere.”
Pedego sells winter tires that can be installed on regular e-bike and “fat bikes” with large frames and broad tires suitable for winter weather.
O’driscoll has also been using his e-bike throughout the winter.
“Except for like three or four times since the weather started, I ride it pretty much everyday. I had studded tires put on it for the winter.”
“There’s absolutely no reason not (to ride an e-bike) if you have the right gear,” he added. “I’ve got a snowsuit, I’ve got goggles that I wear to protect my eyes.”
He even finds riding in the wind easy with e-bike’s pedal assist which makes pedaling easier and faster.
Yeoman will also cycle in rain or shine but has stopped since the winter has started. “I’ve always just had good gear, so I’ll definitely cycle in most weather, and I would cycle in almost all weather except with ice and the snow blocking the edge of the road sometimes,” she said.
And for Russell, there have been only roughly 10 days that the weather has been too bad for him to bike.
“Rain doesn’t stop me, wind doesn’t stop me,” he said.
“St. John’s has arguably some of the worst weather in the world, but we’re not all made of sugar, we can put on a rain jacket,” adds Russell.
The biggest thing everyone is afraid of is the vehicle traffic, said Russell.
According to the city of St. John’s website, there are only six streets that have bike lanes, and seven shared-use paths.
When riding his bike on the road, Russell has encountered angry drivers and has even collided with three pickup trucks.
“Most drivers were fine,” he said, “but from a cycling perspective, all it takes is one lunatic to hit me in a truck and I’m dead.”
O’driscoll has also had some close calls and encounters with angry drivers. He chooses to avoid main roads and take side streets because of this.
“Some drivers just are a bit aggressive and they overtake me sometimes and they miss me by inches and are not paying attention, or just don’t care that I’m on the road,” he said.
“On the street it often feels a bit dangerous,” added Yeoman.
“What the law says is that vehicle drivers are supposed to be sharing the road with cyclists, but a lot of people don’t seem to be aware of that and sometimes they’ll yell at you that you’re supposed to be on the sidewalk, which is not true.”
Yeoman believes there is a need for separate infrastructure. “I’m hoping the city does more to put in bike lanes.”
She also expressed excitement about the development of Kelly’s Brook pathway, which will become a shareduse path for pedestrian and bike traffic as part of the 2019 St. John’s Master Plan.
Hall is also optimistic about new bike paths and thinks it will be positive for tourism this coming summer. Pedego is in talks with other communities, including Mount Pearl, CBS, Paradise, Clarenville and Grand Falls, to set up more ebike rental kiosks.