Why Many Are Switching to Electric Bikes for Commuting

As the technology inside ebikes improves and the variety of available styles increases many people are discovering that the benefits offered by ebikes fit their lifestyle choices. Others are finding that using an ebike can bring certain elements of their life, such as their commute, in line with their principles. 

Commuting has always been described as a “drag” or the “most painful part” of someone’s day. There’re many ways in which we’ve tried to spice up the commute over the years: podcasts and tablets, to name a couple; but even though these are good they are just additions to the same old routine.

Cycling is the most recent revolution to help mix up the commute and ebikes are just the icing on the cake; bringing forth benefits that are different from both the regular commute and commuting by conventional bicycle. Many cyclists are now also realizing the benefits of commuting via ebike and making the switch. Here’re just some of the reasons as to why people from all walks of life are switching to using ebikes on their daily commute.

Avoiding the Pandemic

As the elephant in the room, the pandemic is currently one of the biggest decision making factors when it comes to people choosing to change up the way they commute. Commuting by ebike provides people with the peace of mind that they won’t be in closed public space with a large number of other, unknown people.

Commuting by ebike means that you’re out in the open and away from these high risk environments. When you’re riding an ebike you’re almost in your own little bubble, with the air movement created by your movement helping to keep everything moving. When you’re temporarily stopped, maybe waiting for lights, the length of bike in front of you, and behind you, helps to ensure that there is adequate distance between you and other riders.

Furthermore, if you haven’t ridden a traditional bike in some time and are worried about not having the conditioning to make the commute, ebikes are the perfect solution. You can rely on the pedal assist and the throttle to help you get there quicker and easier.

Skip the Traffic

Traffic is surely one of the worst elements of commuting. Stop start, stop start, stop start. When riding an ebike to work there is no traffic for you to get stuck in. If you’re on the trail then there aren’t even cars you have to worry about, but if part of your commute does happen to contain roads then, on your ebike, you’re small and nimble enough to be able to breeze by the long lines of crawling cars. 

Riding an ebike to work also means that the length of your commute is going to be pretty much the same everyday. There’s no need to leave the house early to ensure that you always arrive on time and will slow down your journey. As such, you may find that you shave time off your commute. Time which can be spent sleeping, or fixing an excellent breakfast!

Get Your Exercise!

In addition to the commute, the gym is a part of modern life which gets a lot of hate thrown its way. Sure some people love it, it’s just not for all of us. By commuting by ebike you can skip the trip to the gym on your way home from work and get your workout on your commute! Two birds one stone!

On an ebike you can select your pedal assist level allowing you to control how hard you work. You can ensure that your trip to work is comfortable enough to wake you up and invigorate you for the day but not enough to make you sweat heavily before work. Then, on the return journey home, you can take the assist down a few notches and get your workout.

It has also been shown that those who ride an ebike travel further and ride it more often than those who ride a conventional bicycle. Ebike owners are also more likely to get on their ebike with confidence on days or evenings where they wouldn’t usually be inclined to do so with a conventional bicycle. So not only are you using your ebike for commuting but as a motivator to exercise!

No Sweat!

Arriving at work hot, sweaty and out of breath is one of the main reasons that people shy away from commuting on a conventional bicycle. The adjustable pedal assist function on an ebike means that the rider has control over how much assistance they get and, therefore, how much they exert themselves. As a result, even those in the most hilly of cities, such as San Francisco, are finding that they can breeze to work on an ebike, exerting just enough energy to arrive at work energized but not sweating profusely. There is nothing worse than arriving to work for a meeting out of breath and sweating where it is difficult to speak normally.

Faster than a Conventional Bike

With the pedal assist and throttle capabilities, ebike riders can get off the start line quicker and reach higher speeds than the riders of conventional bicycles. As a result, riders of ebikes can get to work that much quicker than other cyclists on the road; saving them valuable time during their commute.

Ebike riders won’t always travel at full speed, after all, we do want to enjoy our time cycling and don’t always want to break a sweat. But it is good to know that, should you need it, the extra power and speed are there to hurry you along on your way.

Hills and Headwinds

Hills can have many people riding conventional bicycles twitching with unease, but ebikes put all of this unease to rest. With an ebike there is no need to dread the long slug up to the top of the hill, or try and find another, longer but more casual route. On an ebike you simply turn the pedal assist up a few notches and you’re at the top in no time. Best of all you won’t be drenched in sweat by the end of it. If there’s just a single small hill in a commute it is enough to put some off commuting by conventional bicycle but ebikes take all this worry away and hills in their stride. 

Headwinds are the un-talked nightmare that affect every cyclist at one point or another. Encountering a headwind means riding into the wind, and, when you’re in one, you will often find yourself pedaling furiously yet feeling like you’re getting nowhere. Just like with hills, headwinds are a breeze for an ebiker to conquer and you won’t be muttering under your breath and sweating afterwards either.

Environmentally Friendly

It is a well known fact that commuting by bicycle is one of the most environmentally friendly methods of commuting. In this sense, ebikes are just as green as conventional bicycles! If you usually drive to work then you’ll no longer be burning gas. If you usually catch public transportation then your weight is no longer present, meaning that these methods of transportation will burn less fuel too.

Budget Friendly 

If you choose to ride an ebike to work then there are many commute based expenses which you will no longer have to get your wallet out for. If you catch public transport then the ticket fees for using this service will stay in your pocket. If you drive yourself to work then you will no longer have to pay for the gas to get you there nor the regular tune-ups that come with daily car commuting.

Riding an ebike instead of driving for your commute also means that you’re putting fewer miles on your car, reducing the amount of maintenance you have to undertake and, potentially, increasing its sale value in the future. Also, many insurance providers are now offering schemes and policies which are based on how many miles you drive. Not driving to commute and signing up to one of these schemes could save you extra money.

If you’re considering buying an ebike for commuting calculate how much it costs you to get to work every day. Work out how much this adds up to over the course of a year. The numbers may surprise you and, with ebikes becoming more affordable, such numbers might influence your purchasing decisions.

Opportunity to explore

Riding an ebike to and from work or school gives you the freedom, on your return home, to confidently take detours and explore the areas through which you’re commuting. You can just roam wild and free, or you can seek out and test new routes for your commute. Having an ebike to do this on means that you can explore further than you might otherwise be tempted to after a hard day’s work, knowing that you have the battery and the pedal assist to help you to get home.

Larger Selection

As ebikes have become more popular and more readily available so the range of offerings has evolved. You can now get ebike versions of almost every style of bike, from the commuter ebike to foldable terrain ebike. This not only means that you can find one which fits your commuting purpose and your own stylistic preferences but you can buy yourself a style of ebike for commuting which you will also want to use in your free time.

A Final Word On Fun!

Ebikes are just simply fun to ride! It is hard to ride an ebike without having a smile on your face and, because you get to control how much assistance you receive and you’re not packed into public transportation, stuck in traffic or sweating as you pedal into a headwind, then an ebikes is going to make your commute a part of your day that you look forward too, not something that you just want to be done with. 

If you are ready to explore ebikes further, Aventon has a full line of ebikes to fit everyone’s needs. Check them out!