How much has your ebike replaced your car?
- Thread starter john peck
- Start date
Sally Fitzgerald
New Member
Hi John, my ebike has made my life so much easier! I use it now as pretty much as my daily driver. It not only changed my commute to work but my lifestyle! Tried an ebike at a park for the first time 3 years ago, and that was it. I have a pedego and love it. I can't wait however to be able to make more distance on a single charge, thinking of upgrading to a regen one. Which ebike are you using ? 60 miles sounds like a lot !
Over50
Well-Known Member
Cut the car usage way down since I stepped up the e-bike usage. Got a nice insurance discount recently when I realized my annual mileage estimate for our two insured vehicles was way over what we were actually driving. I probably overpaid on car insurance for about a year. Hardly using cars on weekends. Almost all grocery runs now are on bicycles. 4 bags of groceries for the Tern GSD is a piece of cake. One to two commutes per week on bike until the ice comes. I still think we could go from two cars to one but my wife is a skeptic. Haven't been able to convince her yet. In my younger days I used the city bus quite a bit. These days there is that plus Uber etc. I might convince her yet. I'd love to sell the older of the two cars and just rely on our Forester as our sole vehicle.
rannyv
Active Member
We had a lot of highway closures this summer which pushed me to the e-bike almost every day. As I get older and the traffic gets slower, I'm loosing patience with driving. I had been using the conventional, unpowered bike, but at 60, it leaves me a bit tired and sweaty. Since switching to mostly bike, the gas in my car lasts over a month per tank. We'll see what the cold, wet, dark Portland winters bring. The car may look better when it's 35 degrees, dark and raining.
Asher
Well-Known Member
I was doing 400-500 miles a month prior to my ebike, now I'm doing 50-100. I was going to sell the car and now am anyway for other reasons.
Personally, once you cut your mileage to say 50-100 miles a month, it's much better to Uber everywhere when you need a car instead of driving.
Personally, once you cut your mileage to say 50-100 miles a month, it's much better to Uber everywhere when you need a car instead of driving.
john peck
Well-Known Member
I cheated some. I put the battery in a daypack & the bike on a bus. A dollar is good all day within the county.
ebikemom
Well-Known Member
A lot, till the last couple of weeks when we've been innundated with wildfire smoke and hazardous air quality.
I haven't kept track of car milieage like @Asher has, but I hardly ever put gas in the car--a month or more, per tank, like @rannyv . I do need the car, though, to cart kids to distant medical appointments, haul the whole family places when need be, etc.
And, though I hate to think of it, the days are going to get short, cold, and rainy. What then?
I haven't kept track of car milieage like @Asher has, but I hardly ever put gas in the car--a month or more, per tank, like @rannyv . I do need the car, though, to cart kids to distant medical appointments, haul the whole family places when need be, etc.
And, though I hate to think of it, the days are going to get short, cold, and rainy. What then?
rannyv
Active Member
Cold and rainy, wildfires? Sounds like where I live - Portland. I know we're not supposed to exert ourselves when the air quality is bad, but I biked and it wasn't bad.
john peck
Well-Known Member
The rain can be tedious, but right now I'd gladly trade the smoke for some rain
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
^^^THIS^^^
john peck
Well-Known Member
That fire down by Cascade Locks really ruined one of my favorite rides the Historic Columbia River Trail. Fining that kid $4 million
don't help; you know they'll never collect.
Dave, I'll get out my rattle & some feathers & Zorba dance a while. Who knows, it might help.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
I would sincerely appreciate any assistance you could offer my good man!
Asher
Well-Known Member
I recommend switching to a car insurer that charges you by the mile. I use Metromile and it saved me a ton, 50%+, because I drive a lot less than the average.
Here's from the app how much I drove (got the ebike in early April and didn't drive at all for two months; was away from home half of July).
And a good chunk of the driving I do now is to service the car or to avoid parking tickets.
In March, which was pre ebike, I did 500 miles in my car. Which sounded high but there was no crazy road trip in there. I did do a trip in my car to San Diego in June (for a bike conference!). But would have happily done that with Amtrak if I had no car.
Here's from the app how much I drove (got the ebike in early April and didn't drive at all for two months; was away from home half of July).
And a good chunk of the driving I do now is to service the car or to avoid parking tickets.
In March, which was pre ebike, I did 500 miles in my car. Which sounded high but there was no crazy road trip in there. I did do a trip in my car to San Diego in June (for a bike conference!). But would have happily done that with Amtrak if I had no car.
Attachments
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
I’ve never used a bicycle as a car replacement and doubt that I ever shall.
My ebike is a substitute for my backpacking gear, kayak, sailboat or (if we go back a frightfully long time) snow skis.
... David
My ebike is a substitute for my backpacking gear, kayak, sailboat or (if we go back a frightfully long time) snow skis.
... David
Last edited by a moderator:
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Me too. Retired, so there is no need to commute. I just love to be outdoors, and honestly the exercise doesn't hurt me one bit. The bike encourages me to get off my butt.....
john peck
Well-Known Member
That's an issue alright: Oz & the American west are so vast that ebikes are not yet rangy enough for practical travel. (One day perhaps.)
I have had all of the the items you mention. Except for skis, the bike is a great substitute. I loved skiing, but injuries put an end to that.
The bike gets close, but doesn't match the thrill of 80 mph trying to beat Klammer doiwnhill one on one.
Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
Bonnie and I sold one of our cars; that's a big difference there.
We are retired, but both do some part-time work, so commuting is still in the picture. We do as much as possible on the bikes, and the more practice we get, the more we find to be possible.
We live out in the country. Just getting to the outskirts of town and back is a 10 mile round trip. So we still use the car more than we wish.
But downsizing from two to one car is a significant change; painless in the 9 months since we sold the other one.
We are retired, but both do some part-time work, so commuting is still in the picture. We do as much as possible on the bikes, and the more practice we get, the more we find to be possible.
We live out in the country. Just getting to the outskirts of town and back is a 10 mile round trip. So we still use the car more than we wish.
But downsizing from two to one car is a significant change; painless in the 9 months since we sold the other one.
Similar threads
