What I thought I wanted to reality....

[Luto]

Hi All,

I don't know if this will help all those choosing an ebike because it is such a personal choice. But I thought I would share the progression for me and my wife:

Start here: A car replacement, great utility We can do all our local trips by bike. Quick runs to the store or errands. Be green
** Try a bunch of Cargo bike and get sticker shock.

Next Stop: Get out more often, go and get exercise. Everyone says you ride more. Hills will no longer be an obstacle. We can do it together.
** Try a bunch of general purpose bikes, mostly upright and get the "mehs" from the way they ride like beach cruisers.

Last Stop: I forgot how much just riding around, fast, slow, whatever, is so much fun. Just enjoy ourselves.
**Try some bikes that ride like zippier bikes, corner well, roll great and are super stable. Buy a gravel (All-Rounder) e-bike with higher performance tires, no suspension and invest in a Brooks leather seat.

So that is it. Turns out:

I hardly every go to the store because just two bags of groceries is too much load and awkward to be a stable load ( crushable veggies, cans of beer, wine, bread, perishables, Ice cream melting). Plus the security issues are a pain with all the theft and locks are heavy and defeat able.

Exercise is a by product and so much easier when it is fun. These days, I am trying to be kind to myself and others. So I don't force things.

Having fun is the day's highlight and makes the pandemic day more bearable.

For what it is worth.

 

[harryS]

I'm the last guy to be advising though. The only errand I run on a bike is to the library,

But if you had two ebikes, one of you could watch them outside while the other shops. You could probably load a shopping cart worth of goods into a trailer.

 

[Art Deco]

Hi All,

I don't know if this will help all those choosing an ebike because it is such a personal choice. But I thought I would share the progression for me and my wife:

Start here: A car replacement, great utility We can do all our local trips by bike. Quick runs to the store or errands. Be green
** Try a bunch of Cargo bike and get sticker shock.

Next Stop: Get out more often, go and get exercise. Everyone says you ride more. Hills will no longer be an obstacle. We can do it together.
** Try a bunch of general purpose bikes, mostly upright and get the "mehs" from the way they ride like beach cruisers.

Last Stop: I forgot how much just riding around, fast, slow, whatever, is so much fun. Just enjoy ourselves.
**Try some bikes that ride like zippier bikes, corner well, roll great and are super stable. Buy a gravel (All-Rounder) e-bike with higher performance tires, no suspension and invest in a Brooks leather seat.

So that is it. Turns out:

I hardly every go to the store because just two bags of groceries is too much load and awkward to be a stable load ( crushable veggies, cans of beer, wine, bread, perishables, Ice cream melting). Plus the security issues are a pain with all the theft and locks are heavy and defeat able.

Exercise is a by product and so much easier when it is fun. These days, I am trying to be kind to myself and others. So I don't force things.

Having fun is the day's highlight and makes the pandemic day more bearable.

For what it is worth.

Smile as you think of all the fossil fuel you aren't using. Enjoy the view without a windshield between you and the world. Say hello to everyone you pass by. Smell the air and ride the wind. Live long and ride on.....

 

[Sierratim]

OTOH, we do a lot more grocery shopping and general errands than I thought we would. Panniers on both bikes and public spaces to lock the bikes helps. Sometimes the car(s) don't get driven for a week or more, and we get exercise.

Now if I could just get the wife to go on some of my longer loop rides...

 

[Luto]

OTOH, we do a lot more grocery shopping and general errands than I thought we would. Panniers on both bikes and public spaces to lock the bikes helps. Sometimes the car(s) don't get driven for a week or more, and we get exercise.

Now if I could just get the wife to go on some of my longer loop rides...

I do love the no parking the car. Go right to the door. hop off, shop, and go!! So many car accidents in parking lots! As for the wife, Ice Cream or beer at the end?

 

[ElevenAD]

i used to love E-Bike shopping!my avatar is at Shoprite lol, i had double fold down pannier bags and would just bring my bike into the super market,lock it and turn on the Alarm! now with Covid those days are gone,bummer. i stil use it for commuting and good ol fun and exercise!

 

[Dallant]

Never wanted to have a car substitute. I keep my ebiking in city traffic to a minimum. Our desire is for biking trails/country roads.

 

[CodyDog]

We original bought for fun but find ourselves using the bikes for errands during the nicer weather in addition to just riding.

 

[Jetsfan901]

For commuting to work, for fun, for exploring the city, and for much needed exercise...

 

[antboy]

I'm the last guy to be advising though. The only errand I run on a bike is to the library,

But if you had two ebikes, one of you could watch them outside while the other shops. You could probably load a shopping cart worth of goods into a trailer.

Depending on the grocery store we go to, we do the tag team shop-or-watch.

You can get quite the stash with two bikes with a combined 90 litres of panniers.

I also HIGHLY recommend the Arkel Haul-It, since it'll carry a case of beer, but folds up pretty small when not in use, so great for those "screw it, might as well get some staples on the way home" moments.

 

[antboy]

Never wanted to have a car substitute. I keep my ebiking in city traffic to a minimum. Our desire is for biking trails/country roads.

I'm just the opposite. I haven't needed to own a car in 25 years. Of course, NOW I'm considering one primarily to haul our bikes to far off destinations.

 

[Dallant]

I'm just the opposite. I haven't needed to own a car in 25 years. Of course, NOW I'm considering one primarily to haul our bikes to far off destinations.

We‘d rarely see much family without a car. Especially in winter!

 

[Over50]

Never wanted to have a car substitute. I keep my ebiking in city traffic to a minimum. Our desire is for biking trails/country roads.

I did hope to 2nd car substitute. Covid has killed my best arguments - that I made to my wife - of why we could go from 2 vehicles to 1. Those arguments were that I could use mass transit on days I don't ride my bike to work. And, I could afford a lot of Uber trips with all that money we would save on insurance and annual car registration. But still, despite losing those justifications, I'm considering selling a car since I'm not commuting now and likely won't until at least 2nd quarter of 2021. 2 cars just sitting in the drive with little use. Its almost a burden to think I need to take them out and drive them once a week. I'm putting in like $10-$15 of gas like every 3 months. The Tern GSD still gets most of the grocery trips and larger grocery orders we have delivered.

 

[Dallant]

The wife will commute via ebike next spring, assuming she still has a job!

 

[Art Deco]

We‘d rarely see much family without a car. Especially in winter!

My closest relatives are 3 hours away by car, others up to 20 hours by car. Bikes aren't much help for that. We bike to local appointments, to campus, and for fun.

 

[sc00ter]

I couldn't replace my car with a ebike but the wife and I use a motor scooter for 90% of our running around, riding 2-up. The ebike is replacing the motor scooter for me. I just enjoy the ebike so much more. You always see something weird and meet more people on the ebike. Plus my outta shape self needs the exercise. Yes, I lower the PAS and actually peddle! I find I get bummed out if I don't get to ride my ebike for more than a day.

 

[antboy]

We‘d rarely see much family without a car. Especially in winter!

Yeah, I'm lucky that way. I live near Union Station in Toronto, and my friends/family are mostly in the Greater Toronto Area, and close to a subway/streetcar stop (when weather or drinking plans don't permit biking of course ).

Those not in the GTA but in Ontario are pretty close to GO Train stations (and a 10 minute cab ride) though GO does have bike spots on board, so I've done that too.

 

[fooferdoggie]

my reality is I ride far more then I planned on. we got smaller amounts of groceries so loads are not a issue. we order the big stuff. I commute about 120 miles a week then hop on the tandem with my wife for evening rides (thats cut way back because its dark and maybe raining. Now we ride in the evenings more for errands. then we ride longer on weekends upto 50 miles a day. till it started getting dark earlier we were riding up to 250 miles a week. I have ridden more than 8000 miles in one year.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I bought my first e-bike for health reasons - I needed a lot of recreation (not being really able to walk). Suddenly, I discovered how huge distances I could cover and it was giving so much fun!

Currently: I do shopping with one of my e-bikes (it is N + 2, so I laugh at the "N + 1" comments) Similarly to @Sierratim, I use two large Ortlieb panniers, and a large Ortlieb backpack in addition. No parking issues anymore. (Yes, I carry a U-lock and use it at the shopping centre). The total mass of my panniers/backpack on the way home is some 50 lbs. I avoid using my car as much as it is practical.

Recreation: goes without saying. I was able to lose body mass and maintain it below 200 lbs (starting from 236).

Fun: Unluckily not that much in the cold, dreary season. Yet I ride. After each ride, I'm so full of oxygen and endorphins I mutter to myself "What a ride! I feel so good!"

 

[RandallS]

^^^ What he said ^^^ for the most part. I don't do much shopping other than a couple of items but I do get home, regardless of distance or riding conditions, with that feeling of "gee that was fun!"