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Commuting, Cycling, Technology - December 11, 2020

Bike blog test ride: are commuter e-bikes worth the price tag?

We look at four e-bikes, from the hi-tech to the conventional, to see which offers the best experience

It’s fair to say I learned two main things in trying to test out a series of commuter-type e-bikes over the past few months. One was more of a rediscovery: they’re fantastic fun. The other was a surprise: at the moment, they’re really hard to get hold of.

The coronavirus pandemic changed the UK in many ways, and one of the minor impacts was to spark an explosion of interest in e-bikes, as people sought out ways to return to work while avoiding public transport and traffic jams.

Firstly, for any newcomers to this world, let me explain what we mean here by an e-bike. Under UK laws, this means an electric-assist bike – ie, the power boost only kicks in when you start pedalling – and where the power switches off at about 15mph. Faster and more powerful electric machines exist, but cannot be ridden legally without all the legal paraphernalia needed for a moped.

The second point is to stress that an e-bike is still a bike, and is not cheating. Plenty of studies have shown that e-bike users often get as much life-enhancing physical activity as riders of conventional bikes, with the lower exertion often factored out by more miles ridden.

Finally, e-bikes can be transformative, especially for those uncertain that cycling or cycle commuting is for them, whether because of a lack of experience, or because of hills, or perhaps fitness.

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Commuting, Cycling, Technology - December 11, 2020

Bike blog test ride: are commuter e-bikes worth the price tag?

We look at four e-bikes, from the hi-tech to the conventional, to see which offers the best experience

It’s fair to say I learned two main things in trying to test out a series of commuter-type e-bikes over the past few months. One was more of a rediscovery: they’re fantastic fun. The other was a surprise: at the moment, they’re really hard to get hold of.

The coronavirus pandemic changed the UK in many ways, and one of the minor impacts was to spark an explosion of interest in e-bikes, as people sought out ways to return to work while avoiding public transport and traffic jams.

Firstly, for any newcomers to this world, let me explain what we mean here by an e-bike. Under UK laws, this means an electric-assist bike – ie, the power-boost only kicks in when you start pedalling – and where the power switches off at about 15mph. Faster and more powerful electric machines exist, but cannot be ridden legally without all the legal paraphernalia needed for a moped.

The second point is to stress that an e-bike is still a bike, and is not cheating. Plenty of studies have shown that e-bike users often get as much life-enhancing physical activity as riders of conventional bikes, with the lower exertion often factored out by more miles ridden.

Finally, e-bikes can be transformative, especially for those uncertain that cycling or cycle-commuting is for them, whether because of a lack of experience, or because of hills, or perhaps fitness.

Could the Cycle to Work scheme start an ebike revolution?

New guidance on £1,000 ‘cap’ means more expensive ebikes are available as part of scheme

Over the weekend, new guidance on the Cycle to Work scheme was announced by the Department for Transport (DfT), making it clear that ebikes are eligible for it. This clarification could encourage a new demographic on to two wheels, and provide huge benefits to disabled and elderly people.

The scheme is a complicated but well-used salary sacrifice scheme in which employees can get bikes, tax-free, via their employers. It starts with a year-long loan, which most people extend until the bike is worth so little they can “buy” it for a nominal sum or extend the hire for a percentage of the bike’s value. (After five or six years, HMRC considers a bike to have a negligible value).

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Bike blog test ride: are commuter e-bikes worth the price tag?

Bike blog test ride: are commuter e-bikes worth the price tag?

Could the Cycle to Work scheme start an ebike revolution?

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