This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Commuting By Bicycle Is Easy When You Go Electric

Electric bicycling is a viable alternative for any one with a commute of 3-10 miles.

 

Commuting to work by bike is doable, fun and money-saving. 

Considering buying a bike that you can use to get to work with? What's stopping you? If you commute between 5 and 10 miles to work every day, getting out of your car and doing that commute by bicycle will be something you wish you started doing a long time ago. 

Find out what's happening in Redwood City-Woodsidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Riding to work is 100 times more fun than driving. Why not get to work with a refreshing smile on your face? The experience of traffic, any kind of car traffic can be a huge downer. Even the regular slow-flowing traffic, that isn't really a traffic jam, is frustrating, moving from light to light, stop sign to stop sign. Going by bike bypasses all of that and can even take the same or less amount of time than by traveling by car or bus. 

Moving around on an electric bike is a relaxing and satisfying experience. You're in the open air. You're not chained to your cell phone or updates on your social media and you can survey your surroundings at a normal pace. 

Find out what's happening in Redwood City-Woodsidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One of the highlights of my own commute to work (7 miles each way) is a little bypass that I take through a local city park in Belmont. I slow down and breath in the cool shaded air and listen to the creek near the bike path. I can't do anything like that by car. In seconds, I'm off the main road and riding down a shaded tree-lined park in the quiet. If I want, I can even stop and take a quick rest before heading up the hill I need to climb on my electric bike and enjoy the silence. 

Hills are a breeze on an electric bike and they're what really makes owning an electric bike worth every penny. You may still have to pedal to get your bike up to speed on a good size incline. Still, you more than likely wont have to break a sweat and a little excise will do you just fine. If you live in the hills, an electric bicycle is a wonderful way to keep you on two wheels without the agony involved in climbing hills unassisted.

It's a pleasure to ride around on a bike, passing gas stations along the way. In terms of speed comparison, consider all the times you had to fill up on the way to work losing time on the way. Your electric bike charges up over night, while you're sleeping. Plug it in at night. Un-plug it in the morning and you're tank is full.

Most days, from Redwood City, through San Carlos, to Belmont, at a top speed of 20MPH, I commute home at the same pace - and often faster - than either cars or bus up or down El Camino. These vehicles are subject to back-ups at traffic lights. With a bike you get to move to the front of the line.

Electric bikes require almost no maintenance compared to cars. No oil change. No fluid change. 

You can park your electric bike almost anywhere. 

Electric bikes have come a long way in recent years. They're reliable, light weight and fast. There are also affordable and require no insurance or license.

For those of us with short commutes, electric bikes are an easy way to get out of the car and get to where we need to go in a more enjoyable manner.

Why not consider an electric bike as an alternative to car for your commute?

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?