How much has your ebike replaced your car?

[stw]

One of the main criteria was actually the weather. Not much about the infrastructure which is of more interest to me.

Weather, huh. It's an issue, but it's interesting when non-cyclist ratings (I'm guessing this list was made by non-cyclists[?]) because sometimes I learn what people feel are obstacles to cycling. Three cities where cycling is highly popular, Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis/St.Paul, all have weather not friendly/easy for cycling. "What if I get a flat?" is a big obstacle to cycling mentioned when people who don't ride talk to me about why not. Useful stuff to know.

 

[billmeek]

"What if I get a flat?" is a big obstacle to cycling mentioned when people who don't ride talk to me about why not.

So what do they do if they get a flat in a cage (aka car)? You either fix the flat yourself or have a shop fix it... same as you would on an ebike. You can (depending on location) even call AAA to "tow" your bike:

Bicycle Service | Membership Benefit | AAA

Bicycle service from AAA, an innovative member benefit that fits your healthy lifestyle by providing bicycle service to all AAA Members. 

member.acg.aaa.com

 

[mjeds]

So what do they do if they get a flat in a cage (aka car)? You either fix the flat yourself or have a shop fix it... same as you would on an ebike. You can (depending on location) even call AAA to "tow" your bike:

Bicycle Service | Membership Benefit | AAA

Bicycle service from AAA, an innovative member benefit that fits your healthy lifestyle by providing bicycle service to all AAA Members. 

member.acg.aaa.com

not everywhere, AAA bicycle service is only available in a few states.

I have the coverage in CA, only because I registered my bike with the DMV as a moped and have it insured, so it is covered under the AAA motorcycle towing services.


however I just carry patches, a spare tube, electric pump, and some simple tools and change the tire myself on the side of the road, has happened to me 4 times this year.

 

[troehrkasse]

I registered my bike with the DMV as a moped and have it insured,

What ebike do you have? I tried to do this with one (Juiced HyperScorpion), they wouldn't register it since it didn't have a VIN.

Edit: I'm in Colorado, not CA, so that could be why.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have found I use my car now only for:

• Weekly grocery shopping
• As a storage space for my Vado 5.0
• As the transporter to carry my Vado 5.0 to a distant location for a new, interesting ride in new places.

I don't carry my Vado SL: No point to do it for the bike that has replaced my car

 

[mjeds]

What ebike do you have? I tried to do this with one (Juiced HyperScorpion), they wouldn't register it since it didn't have a VIN.

Edit: I'm in Colorado, not CA, so that could be why.

I have 2, a Cyrusher and a Bikonit both have a "frame number" and a motor number, the DMV accepted the frame number as the VIN and the motor number as the motor number.

however CA has a requirement that e-bikes over 750watts capable of speeds over 20mph by throttle only be registered as mopeds, they passed the law in 2017 so they have the ability to create the registration based off a proof of purchase. I can't speak for CO. sorry.

it is a one time fee of $23 and they issue a title for moped, which is not the same as a normal vehicle title. there is no requirement for insurance nor any annual registration, it is a one time fee.

however you can't add it to your vehicle insurance without the registration, I could get bike insurance, but the coverage sucks for what you get. added to my state farm vehicle coverage I get $500K liability, $25K medical, $100 deductible for comp/collision/theft, and replacement vehicle (bike) if it is stolen or deemed a total loss. for $14 per bike per month.

 

[Elkman]

Where I live the roads are very dangerous for cyclists with no shoulders and most people driving at over 60 mph on country roads with very limited sight distance and many that are busy with their phone and don't even stay in their lane. I envy the people living in European cities where bicycling is much safer and many streets in large cities are closed to all motorized traffic.

Accommodation for cyclists has not noticeably improved over the past 50 years and this shows with all the "bike lanes" that are alongside parked cars. If someone opens a car door without looking or makes a right turn into a parking lot the cyclist is toast.

 

[billmeek]

AAA bicycle service is only available in a few states.

If AAA isn't an option, I'd check:

Bicycle insurance to protect all cyclists | Velosurance

Protect your bicycle or e-bike against theft and accidental damage with bicycle insurance. Medical, liability and vehicle contact coverages are also available.

velosurance.com

 

[Art Deco]

Weather, huh. It's an issue, but it's interesting when non-cyclist ratings (I'm guessing this list was made by non-cyclists[?]) because sometimes I learn what people feel are obstacles to cycling. Three cities where cycling is highly popular, Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis/St.Paul, all have weather not friendly/easy for cycling. "What if I get a flat?" is a big obstacle to cycling mentioned when people who don't ride talk to me about why not. Useful stuff to know.

People who are familiar with motorcycles, ask about bugs or animals, not weather . They already know about weather.

 

[Art Deco]

Where I live the roads are very dangerous for cyclists with no shoulders and most people driving at over 60 mph on country roads with very limited sight distance and many that are busy with their phone and don't even stay in their lane. I envy the people living in European cities where bicycling is much safer and many streets in large cities are closed to all motorized traffic.

Accommodation for cyclists has not noticeably improved over the past 50 years and this shows with all the "bike lanes" that are alongside parked cars. If someone opens a car door without looking or makes a right turn into a parking lot the cyclist is toast.

Hoping to read about the bike infrastructure is what made me click the link in the first place. It seemed to me that a good cycling experience requires another path without cars and trucks ... or dogs and kids ... the bikers I saw in cities in Europe were often moving downhill in a pack faster than traffic or single file through a park. I live in a rural area w/o even shoulders on the road.

 

[Dallant]

Not at all, yet.

 

[dmourati]

In our family, the ebike replaced or rather offset the purchase of a second car.

 

[mschwett]

thanks--doesn't show on my desktop screen but if I open this EBR page on my phone I'm able to zoom it enough.

Interesting list. Guessing their criteria from the list but I'd guess they're weighting not just a city's positive cycle qualities but their miserableness of care use there. In other words, a city high on the list might only have average cycling advantages but if it makes using a car there miserable, that increases the relative value of carlessness.

no need to guess, the methodology is described. Doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the inconvenience or cost of having a car - if it did, New York would have to be at the top. It was heavily influenced by climate.

Of course, going carless is easier in some places than in others. A recent study by LawnStarter compared the 150 largest U.S. cities to find which were best (and worst) for living without a car. Results were based on metrics related to walking, biking, commuting, safety (pedestrian fatalities, for example) and weather (some places are just too cold or too hot to hoof it.)
San Francisco, despite ranking 81st among the 150 cities for safety, came out on top, largely because of its mild climate and high commuting scores (and despite its challenging hills). In fact, West Coast cities took four of the top 10 spots, their mild climates helping move the needle.

Shreveport, La., came in last, with the lowest safety score in the bunch. Like many southern cities, it also suffered in the rankings because of a humid climate inhospitable to walking or biking, and poor commuting systems. It wasn’t the hottest, though: Five Arizona cities — Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler, Phoenix and Gilbert — tied in that category, topping all other cities for their number of over-90-degree days. (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Fremont, Calif., along with Seattle, tied for the fewest number of over-90-degree days.)

 

[ActionJackson]

The e-bike will eventually add +1000km/month mileage in the car shuttling my bike and I to and from the mountainside routes I’ll start taking 3x a week in September post Olympics. Thank goodness for cheap diesel!

 

[mjeds]

If AAA isn't an option, I'd check:

Bicycle insurance to protect all cyclists | Velosurance

Protect your bicycle or e-bike against theft and accidental damage with bicycle insurance. Medical, liability and vehicle contact coverages are also available.

velosurance.com

Over priced and low coverage. $61 a month each for my e-bikes with liability of only 100k, no medical, and $500 deductible

$14 a month through State Farm for $500K liability, $25K medical, $100 deductible for comp/collision/theft, and replacement vehicle (bike) if it is stolen or deemed a total loss. And the only issue was 30 minutes and $23 at the DMV to register the bike.

Of course State Farm is giving me bundle and multiple vehicle discounts, plus since I have offset car mileage with bike mileagle I get a discount on the car rate now as I am consider to be a low mileage driver.

 

[mschwett]

On the original question… I’d say e-biking has not replaced any car usage for us, but we very rarely drive either of our two cars. Looking at odometers, since 2002, a total of 80,000 miles for 4 people (currently), or around 4-5k per year, 2k or so per person per year. My older daughter and I do take longer rides to parks or playgrounds that I suppose theoretically we might have driven to, but more likely we’d have not gone. Day to day shopping and restaurants and commutes and all that are accomplished on foot, on bike, scooter, or transit.

The cars are for driving to Tahoe, Los Angeles, etc, trips which will not be replaced by human powered vehicles!

Ironically, I’d guess that cycling has increased my carbon footprint by some measurable amount! 2,000 miles ridden in the last few months, lost 10-15lb but that still leaves another 60,000 calories of food, which had to come from somewhere lol! Plus the relatively few watt hours the bike itself used (hardly relevant compared to the footprint of food.)

 

[stw]

no need to guess, the methodology is described. Doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the inconvenience or cost of having a car - if it did, New York would have to be at the top. It was heavily influenced by climate.

Read more carefully. The linked article was unavailable without an NYT subscription, didn't open on my computers, so I took a guess about the methodology.