I know, I know. The whole “Don’t like gas prices? Ride a bike!” sounds annoying and feels impractical for most people. But if you weren’t already aware, there’s a much more practical alternative to conventional pedal bikes: fun and energy-efficient electric bikes! Now more than ever, with gas prices rising steeply and uncertain fuel prospects on the horizon, perhaps it’s time to give an electric bike a second thought.
Look, if you can pedal for your entire commute, that’s awesome. Go for it! But the simple fact is that very few car commuters have the patience or physical stamina to trade their car commute for a pedaling slog on an old-school 21-speed. But electric bikes have seen huge success convincing drivers to make the switch to two wheels.
E-bikes basically take the pain out of cycling, turning a long and arduous bike ride into a shorter, faster, and more enjoyable ride. While most e-bikes have a pedal assist feature that gives you a helpful push while you provide a portion of the pedaling, many (at least in the US) also have hand throttles that allow them to be ridden like mopeds, no pedaling required. Pedaling is great for exercise, and it’s awesome that e-bikes provide that option. But sometimes you just need to get to work quickly, and that’s where a low-cost e-bike with a hand throttle can be a nice
The savings at the pump are impressive. The US national average gasoline price per gallon was US $4.33 today. Depending on your car, that might take you anywhere from 20-50 miles.
But on an electric bike? That same US $4.33 will take you over 2,000 miles. That’s because it is ridiculously cheap to charge an electric bicycle, and they are ridiculously efficient. You likely won’t even notice a difference in your electricity bill from owning an electric bike – they simply barely use any energy.
Don’t believe me? Here’s the math. Considering a US national average electricity price of $0.10 kWh and an average e-bike efficiency of around 20 Wh/mile, that works out to roughly $0.002 per mile, or 5 miles for one cent of electricity. If you’re an urban commuter and you drive a 5-mile commute, you could do it on an electric bike for the cost of just one sticky penny wedged in the bottom of your car’s cupholder.
Then consider the savings in parking fees, insurance, car payments, wear and tear on the car, etc. Many people have taken advantage of these savings by purchasing an electric bike.
Is a low-cost electric bike the answer?
Sure, there are plenty of very nice electric bikes out there. Prices can easily balloon into the several thousand-dollar range. But if the goal is to save money, then you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars. There are also great options on the more affordable end of the spectrum. And depending where you live, they may pay for themselves in a matter of months. You’ll of course have to price this out for yourself, but with a tank of gas approaching $60-$100 right now depending on your tank size, you can see how quickly an e-bike can pay for itself.
There are plenty of good e-bikes out there in a wide range of prices.But if you’re looking to save money and get started cheap, Majik has excellent options to get you rolling efficiently.
