It’s no secret that electric bikes are pricier than all but the fanciest standard rides. If you have ever considered purchasing an electric bike, only to be deterred by the price, you may be thinking about the potential of electric bikes the wrong way. Are expensive bikes worth it? Rarely, unless you’re a competitive athlete. Are electric bikes worth it at their standard price? That depends on your intended uses. Here are some ways the cost of an e-bike can be justified:
Pedaling Efficiency
In the same way you use up expensive gas while driving a car, when you ride a bike, you need to compensate your energy expenditure with food calories. If you use your e-bike for any professional service, from commuting to bicycle delivery, you probably spend a large number of calories pedaling. Over even a single day, this can lead to exhaustion, resulting in decreased deliveries or performed services, and expensive food purchases. The pedal assist and full-throttle features of most electric bikes can significantly improve caloric efficiency, enabling you to make more and spend less.
Reliability for Commuting
If you commute to work or use your bike for work, an electric bike can improve your chances of safely reaching your destination. When you are less concerned with hard pedaling, you can pay better attention to the road ahead. On rough days, an e-bike’s electric motor can help you reach your destination without overexerting yourself before work. Electric bikes for commuting are becoming increasingly popular in urban areas.
Drastically Increased Range
An often-overlooked benefit of electric bikes is that they can enable you to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Parks and open areas are often just out of reach from suburban and urban centers where most people live. For many, this fact alone justifies owning an expensive and unsustainable automobile. With an electric bike, you can increase your range to access the best natural areas in your part of the country, saving you on the gas and upkeep costs for a car.
Versatility for Difficult Terrain
Certain areas have hills or inclines that make standard bikes virtually impossible to ride. If you live in such an area, owning an electric bike can make biking worthwhile, as electric motors can easily help with pedaling through the hardest slopes. In some cases, e-bikes are the only option for difficult terrain, especially when pedaling uphill for the duration of a long commute would be prohibitively exhausting. If you live in a city where steep hills are common, owning a powered bike can help you exercise, as you are probably more likely to use your electric bike than either a car or standard bike for most daily situations.
Electric bikes are relative newcomers to the world of sustainable transportation, but they are here to stay. Whether buying one is worthwhile for you depends entirely on your lifestyle and preferences. In a surprising number of situations, however, an e-bike is an investment that pays for itself. This is especially true if you bike for work.
