9 Reasons We Picked an Electric Bicycle to Break a World Record
Posted 08-08-2014 at 05:56 PM by Biking Momma
Everyone has a bicycle - in fact, learning to ride a bike is an important rite of passage for the kindergarten set around the world. But if you go for a drive in any average town in the US, how many bicycles do you see out there? Or even pedestrians for that matter? Americans are stuck in their cars, and it seems like we can't get out of them. And it's killing us. Our reliance on gas-powered vehicles is poisoning the air we breathe, isolating us from our community, and creating a sedentary lifestyle that is making us more obese than ever in history.
Electric bicycles can bridge the gap between traditional bicycles and cars for the average American. Our family has been passionate about electric bicycles for years - we have built several ourselves from salvaged bikes and parts. But we want to do more - we want to get the word out about electric bicycles and encourage people to ride them! That's why we decided to attempt to break the World Record for the longest electric bicycle ride, and make a documentary about our journey, which we are partially funding through Kickstarter.
You may be thinking: "Electric bicycles, really? Isn't that cheating?" No, and here's why:
1. Electric Bikes are Fun: Think back to when you were a kid and you were cruising down a long hill on your Huffy or BMX. Remember that freedom you tasted? The exhilaration? That's what riding an electric bicycle is like. You can reach speeds of 20 to 30 mph, which feels pretty fast on a bicycle!
2. You Will Have Batmobile Stealth on the Road: Since there's no noisy motor (electric bicycles are powered by rechargeable batteries), you can glide silently through your suburban neighborhood, greeting your neighbors as you fly by and enjoy their surprised and confused looks as you disappear into the distance.
3. Electric Bikes are Great Exercise - How can this be? You wonder. Won't it make me lazy? Well, depending on the type of bike you have, you most likely still have to pedal, but you end up using your electric bike more often because it's so easy and you love it so much. Plus, you'll take it on longer trips so you get more overall net exercise than you would with your traditional bike (or your car for that matter!).
4. Electric Bikes are Good for the Environment - According to the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, half of all trips in the US are less than 3 miles. You do NOT need a car to go 3 miles. With an electric bike, you can easily take your child to school or make a run to the grocery store, especially if you have a cargo bike, a trailer, or rack bags. If we used our electric bikes for these quick trips, and saved our car driving for the longer journeys, imagine how much less carbon monoxide we would be producing!
5. Electric Bikes Prevent Unwanted Sweating for Commuters - Morning commuters riding electric bikes don't have to bring an entire backpack filled with pantsuits, dress shoes, makeup, and perhaps a towel to sponge off with. You can ride to work dressed to impress, and you'll arrive relaxed and exhilarated, not stressed and bloated from sitting in traffic and eating Starbucks takeout.
6. Riding an Electric Bike will Make you Feel Bad Ass - You'll breeze past traditional bikes! Depending on the laws in your state you may get to ride in the bike lane but go much faster than everyone else. And since it's not immediately apparent to most that you're riding electric, people will marvel at your sheer power and stamina as a rider.
7. You'll Save some Hard-Earned Cash Riding an Electric Bike - On an electric bike, your average commute per day will cost you around 5-8 cents. That's about $1-$2 a month. The average American drives 40 miles round trip each day. At an average of 50 cents a mile, getting to work by car will cost you $20 a day, or $400 a month!. Just think of all the great things you can do with that extra $398 in your pocket each month! For one thing, you could move a little closer to your office even if it's a more expensive area - then you can e-bike to work and enjoy extra free time.
8. You Can Repurpose That Old Blender That Doesn't Crush Ice Anymore. Just kidding. But you can build one yourself by retrofitting your current bike with a electric motor. Just order the parts online at one of many e-bike supply shops such as this one.
9. Can 200 Million Chinese People be Wrong? Sales around the world are up - with 200 million e-bikes on the roads now in China. From Europe to Asia to Brazil, people are embracing the electric bike as a viable replacement to cars. But they have yet to catch on in the US!
I encourage everyone to check with your local bike shop to see if they have any electric bicycles you can test-ride. I promise you'll love it! Help us spread awareness for this important alternative transportation - donate or share our Kickstarter project with everyone you know. Any amount will help - let's make some positive change together!
Electric bicycles can bridge the gap between traditional bicycles and cars for the average American. Our family has been passionate about electric bicycles for years - we have built several ourselves from salvaged bikes and parts. But we want to do more - we want to get the word out about electric bicycles and encourage people to ride them! That's why we decided to attempt to break the World Record for the longest electric bicycle ride, and make a documentary about our journey, which we are partially funding through Kickstarter.
You may be thinking: "Electric bicycles, really? Isn't that cheating?" No, and here's why:
1. Electric Bikes are Fun: Think back to when you were a kid and you were cruising down a long hill on your Huffy or BMX. Remember that freedom you tasted? The exhilaration? That's what riding an electric bicycle is like. You can reach speeds of 20 to 30 mph, which feels pretty fast on a bicycle!
2. You Will Have Batmobile Stealth on the Road: Since there's no noisy motor (electric bicycles are powered by rechargeable batteries), you can glide silently through your suburban neighborhood, greeting your neighbors as you fly by and enjoy their surprised and confused looks as you disappear into the distance.
3. Electric Bikes are Great Exercise - How can this be? You wonder. Won't it make me lazy? Well, depending on the type of bike you have, you most likely still have to pedal, but you end up using your electric bike more often because it's so easy and you love it so much. Plus, you'll take it on longer trips so you get more overall net exercise than you would with your traditional bike (or your car for that matter!).
4. Electric Bikes are Good for the Environment - According to the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, half of all trips in the US are less than 3 miles. You do NOT need a car to go 3 miles. With an electric bike, you can easily take your child to school or make a run to the grocery store, especially if you have a cargo bike, a trailer, or rack bags. If we used our electric bikes for these quick trips, and saved our car driving for the longer journeys, imagine how much less carbon monoxide we would be producing!
5. Electric Bikes Prevent Unwanted Sweating for Commuters - Morning commuters riding electric bikes don't have to bring an entire backpack filled with pantsuits, dress shoes, makeup, and perhaps a towel to sponge off with. You can ride to work dressed to impress, and you'll arrive relaxed and exhilarated, not stressed and bloated from sitting in traffic and eating Starbucks takeout.
6. Riding an Electric Bike will Make you Feel Bad Ass - You'll breeze past traditional bikes! Depending on the laws in your state you may get to ride in the bike lane but go much faster than everyone else. And since it's not immediately apparent to most that you're riding electric, people will marvel at your sheer power and stamina as a rider.
7. You'll Save some Hard-Earned Cash Riding an Electric Bike - On an electric bike, your average commute per day will cost you around 5-8 cents. That's about $1-$2 a month. The average American drives 40 miles round trip each day. At an average of 50 cents a mile, getting to work by car will cost you $20 a day, or $400 a month!. Just think of all the great things you can do with that extra $398 in your pocket each month! For one thing, you could move a little closer to your office even if it's a more expensive area - then you can e-bike to work and enjoy extra free time.
8. You Can Repurpose That Old Blender That Doesn't Crush Ice Anymore. Just kidding. But you can build one yourself by retrofitting your current bike with a electric motor. Just order the parts online at one of many e-bike supply shops such as this one.
9. Can 200 Million Chinese People be Wrong? Sales around the world are up - with 200 million e-bikes on the roads now in China. From Europe to Asia to Brazil, people are embracing the electric bike as a viable replacement to cars. But they have yet to catch on in the US!
I encourage everyone to check with your local bike shop to see if they have any electric bicycles you can test-ride. I promise you'll love it! Help us spread awareness for this important alternative transportation - donate or share our Kickstarter project with everyone you know. Any amount will help - let's make some positive change together!
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