E-bikes make your city smaller

Years ago, I decided to try commuting via bike, but it was a long 1hr 15m one-way trip to the office, uphill both ways. That's a long time to spend commuting every day. I could partially justify it because it also counts as exercising, so I didn't need to spend additional time at the gym. However, I still wanted to spend less than two and a half hours commuting/working out every day.

I discovered e-bikes around this time, and while they could help me get to the office faster, they're pretty expensive. If only there was some kind of entry-level bike I could use until I can commit to the bike commute! That's when I found a conversion kit that let me turn my regular bike into an e-bike.

I popped off my old front wheel, added the new one, zip-tied some wires to the frame, and I was off to the races. All for "only" $550! After researching bikes that exclusively start over $1,000, this seemed like the only perfect entry point.

The first ride I took with my converted bike was transformative. Yes the bike is heavier, but the e-bike's boost more than makes up for it. I rode my bike all the way downtown and back without breaking a sweat. Immediately, the commute to work didn't seem so intimidating anymore. It really made far-away places feel a lot closer.

But aren't you cheating yourself out of exercise?

A valid observation! But I actually don't cheat myself out of exercise with an e-bike. If I exert the same amount of effort as I would without the e-bike, I just get to my destination faster. For example, my 1hr 15m commute was slashed to 45 minutes, and I was still plenty sweaty when I arrived.

Fortunately, my office had a locker room with showers. Alternatively, I could pedal with less effort, arrive non-sweaty, and still take 1hr 15m to commute. But that's no fun. That said, these days I work remotely, so I don't even have to shower! But I still shower.

What are the best electric bikes?

I dunno. There's so many different kinds and budget is the biggest factor. Similar to regular bikes, there is no upper limit to what you can spend, but the law of diminishing returns ramps up fairly quickly.

That said, I have experience with a few different options.

Conversion Kits - Cheapest option

The conversion kit I mentioned earlier was a fantastic entry point since I already owned a bike, a wrench, and wanted a relatively cheap entry point to experience the joy of electric bikes. Over the years, I've purchased three of these: one for me, one for my wife, and an upgraded one for me. They're not paying me to say this! I just like the product.

An Out-of-the-Box E-bike - More expensive option

I don't like those weird-looking bikes. You know the kind I mean.

I think they look goofy and I don't want to ride them. Vanity aside, they're usually underpowered, it's hard to buy replacements their weirdly-sized parts, and they're not as sturdy as their normal-looking counterparts. 

If I'm going to get a reasonably-priced native e-bike for the first time, I'd just get one from Costco. They usually source quality products, and if it's substandard in some way, their return policy is still legendary.

Cargo Bikes - Specialized, expensive use case

One thing I noticed about buying e-bikes is they're usually shown with extra cargo attached with saddlebags, baskets, etc. and that's because with all the extra power, why not carry a bunch of stuff too? Groceries, backpacks, ET, the list goes on. But what if I want to carry a lot of stuff, including extra people? 

No! What did I just say about looking goofy? Although honestly, I'd still get one if I didn't have one of these:

Cargo bikes cost a pretty penny, but they can be legitimate car replacements. There's tons of accessories and lots of people do their own mods to personalize them even further. And why not? One charge lasts for many miles, they can carry loads of stuff, and I barely need to pedal.

I could bring the car to the grocery store, but why not take the bike instead? The kids love it.

There's plenty of excuses not to ride a bike: the weather, hills, storing the bike, it's slower, no bike lanes... the list can go on and on. But I try to find an excuse to ride a bike instead. An e-bike makes it easier to reach for my handlebars first before my car keys.