Colorado E-bike rebate program (house, to buy, income)

[Indigo Cardinal]

I thought this might be of interest to folk here:

https://www.9news.com/article/news/l...b-d9fc7f5199b8

I don't qualify for the rebates (income above the AMI), but I've been interested in an e-bike option, because I live six miles from work, and I'm in a sort of 'dead zone' so far as public transport goes (the nearest lightrail stop to my house is literally across the street from my job, so obviously, that's not an option). The nearest bus stop to my house is a mile and a half away (no parking, so I'd have to walk), and then the bus would take over two hours to get there. But an e-bike might only take ten minutes more than driving my car, which would be doable. It'd also be nice for those quick errands in my area where I only have to get a few things (maybe put one of those baskets on it for that).

My big concern is they are pricey at the moment, plus, I was looking around shops and such for bike racks to lock them to, and I'm not seeing any? I know there's ways to lock them so somebody just can't start them up on you, but that doesn't mean somebody couldn't just take the whole bike and either figure out how to start it later, or break it down for parts.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Indigo Cardinal

I thought this might be of interest to folk here:

https://www.9news.com/article/news/l...b-d9fc7f5199b8

I don't qualify for the rebates (income above the AMI), but I've been interested in an e-bike option, because I live six miles from work, and I'm in a sort of 'dead zone' so far as public transport goes (the nearest lightrail stop to my house is literally across the street from my job, so obviously, that's not an option). The nearest bus stop to my house is a mile and a half away (no parking, so I'd have to walk), and then the bus would take over two hours to get there. But an e-bike might only take ten minutes more than driving my car, which would be doable. It'd also be nice for those quick errands in my area where I only have to get a few things (maybe put one of those baskets on it for that).

My big concern is they are pricey at the moment, plus, I was looking around shops and such for bike racks to lock them to, and I'm not seeing any? I know there's ways to lock them so somebody just can't start them up on you, but that doesn't mean somebody couldn't just take the whole bike and either figure out how to start it later, or break it down for parts.

Can't really talk about ebikes specifically, but concerns I'd think about before even getting to ebike logistics- have you tried riding a regular bike on the route you would take? Will you be on trails, or low traffic streets, or navigating along major route. Is it a route you could walk if you had the extra time?

[hikernut]

You definitely need a place to lock your bike. You said there's a light rail stop by your office. Are there no bike racks or lockers near the rail stop?

Another option is to do an e-bike conversion. This tends to be cheaper even if you need to buy a bicycle.

[waltcolorado]

A good thing about an ebike is that in general, the weight of some massively robust lock wont matter much to how the bike rides or the effort you put into pedaling.

Ive had a commuter ebike for 3 years now and if you have at least somewhat of a safe route, the six mile commute will be a pleasure. Ive been putting in around 1K miles per year on it.

[Phil P]

I think it's awesome! I'd be above the income threshold too... Environmentally, there's not a better vehicle. As a person who commuted on one for 4 years (when the weather wasn't bad), it's more enjoyable than driving, it takes a little longer, but it's also your fresh air time and you feel connected to the outside world every day.

For a commuter, the prices aren't as expensive as they are for mtn e-bikes, you'll get your money back quick enough given that 50 cents a mile isn't too unrealistic for vehicle commute costs.

As far as theft, if you take the battery out and put it inside at work, that's good theft proofing. A little lock might still be needed, but an ebike without a battery is rather useless.