TL;DR:
Getting ready to go back to the office soon after working from home for a little over a year. I live very near a very decent bike path that cuts through the metropolitan area and happens to also have access very near to the office which I work. I have toyed with the idea of biking the 10 mile (each way) route for a few years but had convinced myself it was too impractical to double my commute time.
I have been keeping an eye on e-bikes for a few years now, but always considered them a little out of reach in terms of price for something that I perceived didn't fill any of my needs, but tugging pretty generously at my wants. Well, staying at home for a year has changed my perspective on this somewhat. I have had significantly reduced expenses (and stress) due to not driving a car every day, and now that I am preparing to go back to the office I want to try to hang on to at least some of that benefit even if my commute takes more time, especially considering that time cost is offset further by a little exercise and outdoor therapy that I typically don't make enough time for. I feel that I have found a practical purpose to fill with an e-bike and my previous reluctance is simple due to growing accustomed to commuting in a car over many years. I had considered purchasing a Zero FXS motorcycle about 5 years ago, but safety concerns eventually snuffed out that idea and I resigned myself back to the car commute being my only practical way forward, at least until a few weeks ago when I started weighing the pros and cons regarding a bicycle commute.
I am still telling myself that I expect to double my commute time as I prepare to take it on, planning to wake up earlier, be home later etc. With the way traffic is growing in this area, I would not be surprised to find out that my e-bike commute may very well wind up being much faster. My car commute consists of 90% semi-dense city traffic, 3 stop signs, 15 traffic lights. The bike route I have mapped would consist of 2 traffic lights and a handful of low traffic/good visibility road crossings, the greenway actually passes under the majority of the very busy roads and intersections that I would encounter. From casual observation of this greenway it seems well populated, but far from what I would consider congested. I am going helmet shopping and to borrow an acoustic bicycle this weekend to try out the route and get accustomed to the pattern.
What really pulled my interest into this was a recent review of the VanMoof S3. I was painfully unaware of the explosion of the e-bike market and this led me down a rabbit hole of figuring out what the current state of e-bike technology is. Tech gadgets have always been a major interest of mine, and my exploration into this new (to me) territory did not disappoint. All said, I started out leaning toward a VanMoof S3, really liked the idea of the Specialized Turbo Como when I happened upon it, but after a few weeks of research and consideration (much of that spent lurking in these forums) I decided to go with a Priority Current (Shimano). I know this is against the best advice of dealing with a LBS, of which we have many great shops in my area, but I had really sharpened my sense of the features that I want in an e-bike specific for my needs.
Due to component shortages, the lead time for the bike I ordered is a few months. Priority's policy on pre-ordering also attracted me, I can cancel and get a refund at any time before the bike is shipped, and apparently their customer support is generally regarded as very good. They sell spare belts, tubes and batteries right on the accessories page of their website, and the accessories are sortable by bike which I felt was a nice touch. I have a feeling my journey with e-bikes is just getting started as the wheels have already started to turn motivating me to consider purchasing another for my wife in the near future. My initial gut reaction is leaning towards the Electric Bike Company models with the hub motor and throttle for her since she can't handle much strenuous effort between her MS and the medications she is on to curb progression of the disease. She should be within the range of adjustment for the Current that I ordered to try that one out, but I would really like to take her to some of the local bike shops to see if we can get our bearings for what would work best for her. Since hers would strictly be for amusement, I am not quite as concerned with the maintenance aspects since it would only potentially get use a few times a month at best.
Anyways, just wanted to drop in and introduce myself and my situation and say thanks to this community for all of the valuable insight I have collected from it. Keep up the good work and stay safe out there!
P.S. Any recommendations for what I should wear on my bike rides? I do not have access to a shower at my office, and they do have a dress code, although it is fairly lax. Our weather here is all over the place, often freezing during the winter months but a good mix of mild temperatures throughout most the year. Summer can get pretty hot (humid, mid 90s) for long stretches. Thanks again!
- I'm planning to start commuting by e-bike soon.
- Waiting a few months for delivery of my Priority Current. (Online order)
- Already considering another e-bike for my wife. (LBS)
- Thanks for filling this forum with a wealth of information to empower my independent research!
Getting ready to go back to the office soon after working from home for a little over a year. I live very near a very decent bike path that cuts through the metropolitan area and happens to also have access very near to the office which I work. I have toyed with the idea of biking the 10 mile (each way) route for a few years but had convinced myself it was too impractical to double my commute time.
I have been keeping an eye on e-bikes for a few years now, but always considered them a little out of reach in terms of price for something that I perceived didn't fill any of my needs, but tugging pretty generously at my wants. Well, staying at home for a year has changed my perspective on this somewhat. I have had significantly reduced expenses (and stress) due to not driving a car every day, and now that I am preparing to go back to the office I want to try to hang on to at least some of that benefit even if my commute takes more time, especially considering that time cost is offset further by a little exercise and outdoor therapy that I typically don't make enough time for. I feel that I have found a practical purpose to fill with an e-bike and my previous reluctance is simple due to growing accustomed to commuting in a car over many years. I had considered purchasing a Zero FXS motorcycle about 5 years ago, but safety concerns eventually snuffed out that idea and I resigned myself back to the car commute being my only practical way forward, at least until a few weeks ago when I started weighing the pros and cons regarding a bicycle commute.
I am still telling myself that I expect to double my commute time as I prepare to take it on, planning to wake up earlier, be home later etc. With the way traffic is growing in this area, I would not be surprised to find out that my e-bike commute may very well wind up being much faster. My car commute consists of 90% semi-dense city traffic, 3 stop signs, 15 traffic lights. The bike route I have mapped would consist of 2 traffic lights and a handful of low traffic/good visibility road crossings, the greenway actually passes under the majority of the very busy roads and intersections that I would encounter. From casual observation of this greenway it seems well populated, but far from what I would consider congested. I am going helmet shopping and to borrow an acoustic bicycle this weekend to try out the route and get accustomed to the pattern.
What really pulled my interest into this was a recent review of the VanMoof S3. I was painfully unaware of the explosion of the e-bike market and this led me down a rabbit hole of figuring out what the current state of e-bike technology is. Tech gadgets have always been a major interest of mine, and my exploration into this new (to me) territory did not disappoint. All said, I started out leaning toward a VanMoof S3, really liked the idea of the Specialized Turbo Como when I happened upon it, but after a few weeks of research and consideration (much of that spent lurking in these forums) I decided to go with a Priority Current (Shimano). I know this is against the best advice of dealing with a LBS, of which we have many great shops in my area, but I had really sharpened my sense of the features that I want in an e-bike specific for my needs.
Due to component shortages, the lead time for the bike I ordered is a few months. Priority's policy on pre-ordering also attracted me, I can cancel and get a refund at any time before the bike is shipped, and apparently their customer support is generally regarded as very good. They sell spare belts, tubes and batteries right on the accessories page of their website, and the accessories are sortable by bike which I felt was a nice touch. I have a feeling my journey with e-bikes is just getting started as the wheels have already started to turn motivating me to consider purchasing another for my wife in the near future. My initial gut reaction is leaning towards the Electric Bike Company models with the hub motor and throttle for her since she can't handle much strenuous effort between her MS and the medications she is on to curb progression of the disease. She should be within the range of adjustment for the Current that I ordered to try that one out, but I would really like to take her to some of the local bike shops to see if we can get our bearings for what would work best for her. Since hers would strictly be for amusement, I am not quite as concerned with the maintenance aspects since it would only potentially get use a few times a month at best.
Anyways, just wanted to drop in and introduce myself and my situation and say thanks to this community for all of the valuable insight I have collected from it. Keep up the good work and stay safe out there!
P.S. Any recommendations for what I should wear on my bike rides? I do not have access to a shower at my office, and they do have a dress code, although it is fairly lax. Our weather here is all over the place, often freezing during the winter months but a good mix of mild temperatures throughout most the year. Summer can get pretty hot (humid, mid 90s) for long stretches. Thanks again!
