Power to pedal, a way to commuting?

19 August 2009

If Australia continues ride mostly for leisure and sport, like now, then the Electric bike is indeed a bit of a cheat. But if we get serious about using bikes as transport, to get to work, do the shopping, etc.

then the E bike makes a lot of sense. And there will be pressure on

us to get serious, of that I'm sure, even if we are not now.

When our Govt. arrives in Copenhagen this December for the big climate change conference, cycling will surely be on the agenda as a way of

reducing greenhouse gases, The people of Copenhagen make 40% of their

trips on bikes, and they are going to make sure this is talked about, both in the conference and in the press. And so it should be.

Considering that a private car emits approx 2.8 tons of carbon a year, by using bikes instead of cars, the Danes are doing something very good.

And not it's just them. All over Europe, cities are now committed to cycling as transport. Figures of 20% commutes by bike are now common, especially in Germany, and in the Netherlands too of course, where the figure is well over 30% .

Now, how's Australia going to feel in Copenhagen when its time to fess up, to admit our bike commute rate is less than one percent, that

our 10 million cars are almost never left at home? Sydney has been

making a lot of noise about a new biking era, but at the very best, the Sydney hopes to raise it's present rate of 2% bike commutes to 10% by 2016, which is still way below most European cities. Indeed, we are

coming last in the developed world, even behind the US and Canada,

when it comes to using bikes as transport.

We have a huge amount of catchup to do. But how? I believe the E bike can be part of the answer, that it can help make commuting more practical, more comfortable, and thus much more prevalent. The Dutch know more about the practical use of bikes than anyone. So, it's significant that they purchased 140,000 E bikes last year. Secondly, that an E bike, The Gazelle, won the prestigious bike of the year, and that thirdly, they expect 180,000 E bikes to be sold this year. Sales are exploding and its not for sport or leisure that these bikes are being bought. It's because they are practical in a way we've not thought about at all.

For example, go into a bike shop here in Australia, ask for commuter bike and they'll try and sell you something with no mudguards, no luggage rack, no saddle bags, and even no lights, indeed none of the standard equipment on a practical European bike. The reason of of course is weight.

Eveyone here's obsessed with having the lightest bike possible as a badge of pride, and yet weights not really so important, if you are using your bike for transport, not speed, and especially if you have an electrical assist. Maybe for the ride to work a backback does as well as the rack and the bike stays light. But how do come home after dark?

How do you shop without panniers? I came home with 20 kilos of groceries in my saddle bags yeterday. As a test, I put the fruit in one side and added 5 bricks on the other. Then, I re climbed the steep hill to home, carrying 40 kilos extra with no trouble. Serious shopping is possible with real utility bike.

But there's an even stronger case for the E bike, and that's safety. Everyone knows that it's the feeling of being unsafe which keeps many people, especially women, off bikes, except on sheltered leisure rides.

On An E bike, since headwinds are not a factor, there's no reason not to sit perfectly straight, as do 90% of Europeans. This means you see better, are seen better and feel safer.. Given that you can also be wearing your normal clothes since sweating is not a problem, the way you relate to motorists is quite different, altogether much less adversarial. Both you look and posture are unusual. You have to experience the different relationship this sets up, to know what I'm talking about. Many friends, who'd said they never get on a bike here, suddenly feel safe enough to give it a go, having sat up straight on my E bike.

We are way behind in uptake of this amazing new technology. In the US, there are already shops which sell only E bikes, the same in Europe. We still have the RTA trying to decide of we should be allowed to have 250 watt motors, the European standard, instead of the present legal limit of 200 watts. The upgrade is imminent, apparently.

But foolishly, the RTA may also take away the throttle which makes an E bike so much safer. My bike has two options, the motor comes on automatically when I pedal, or I can apply some throttle if and when I want. The latter is great for a standing start at the lights, especially if heavily loaded, a great safety feature.

The other thing about E bikes is that they extend people's riding life since heavy loads, hills, and headwinds, are far less exhausting. In Europe, folks continue to ride into their eighties with a bit of help and even without. By the way, you still get plenty of exercise with an E bike, perhaps more than a normal bike, because you use your machine so much more often.

Check ou this YouTube video of me persuading a neighbour to try my bike on a long commute up daunting hills.

If you are tempted to try one, go carefully. An E bike for much less than $2000, is probably not much good.