What follows may sound a little hyperbolic, but here goes. I don’t think you could make a better, more meaningful investment this year than an eBike…
I was toying with the idea of starting with the headline; eBikes Can Save the World from Doom! But miraculously, my rarely-seen better sense got the upper hand and I went with the money angle. That always strikes a chord in the hearts of People, but no matter, whatever works.
Of course, we generally think of an investment as equating to money, but that is somewhat simple because an investment can encompass much more in the grand spectrum of life.
You can invest in your health. Lovers invest in their futures together. Increasingly, people invest in self-education. Parents invest their time nurturing and teaching their children. As a society, we invest our hopes for better outcomes in the governments we elect. And as the world wakes to the reality of climate change and the seriousness of our collective situation, we will end up investing massive amounts of money, resources, and personal choice and sacrifice to limit the extent of the damaging trend we are currently experiencing. We will simply have to invest.
With this knowledge as a backdrop, I return to the premise at hand; eBikes as an awesome investment. Well, to be regarded as a great investment, it must provide a great return. That’s where the rubber hits the road. And let’s face it, you have to invest some money to get an eBIke. But, oh, the return!
First, let’s consider someone who commutes to work. This is really a no-brainer, with one important caveat, that being you must have a secure lock-up at both home and at work. If securing your bike isn’t an issue let’s consider the returns in having one in your life.
From a financial perspective, you need only compare the cost of driving a car to know that riding an eBike instead will result in a payback on a $4000 eBike generally in less than a year. After that, it’s less than a dollar a month to charge. Although certainly an important consideration, saving money is only one part of what an eBike returns to you.
Recently in a major study that looked at the considerable amount of GPS tracking data now available from sources like couriers & delivery people, it was confirmed that travelling in the city by bicycle is faster than by car or motorcycle. Your commute by eBike would of course be faster still, and without the sweat-producing energy required of a regular bike.
Arriving at your destination in a buoyant state-of-mind and energized for your next day-part is one of the other important benefits from riding an eBike. When you consider the pure fun of riding a bike and the freedom it offers, the wind on your face, along with the pleasure of pedaling to gain motion to your destination, and compare that to sitting motionless in the cockpit of a sterile air-conditioned environment, moving slowly in congested emission-spewing traffic, while feeling frustrations and tension building quickly, it’s again, no contest.
If your positive daily mental state and your overall mental health is important (as it darn well should be) then eBIkes again win hands down. Add to that the fact that having an eBike gets you out riding more often for longer distances and new adventures, and the picture becomes clearer as to how an eBike can enhance your life. By the way, it’s also an investment in a better, happier, and more people-friendly city.
Here’s another way it’s a great investment – an eBike is an awesome exercise machine. If you haven’t ridden an eBike then it’s hard to know, but you don’t have to have the power engaged in order to ride. When the power isn’t on then you are simply pedaling a regular, albeit somewhat heavier, bike. No need for an expensive in-home stationary bike. So, through exercise, an eBike is an investment in your longevity – like buying an extended warranty on life!
Lastly we come to perhaps the biggest investment return, and the most important reason for buying an eBike; I hinted at it earlier in this post. Remember that subtle headline, eBikes can save the world from doom? Even though it’s somewhat bombastic, there is some truth to it tool.
We need to make better decisions as a society, and as individuals who live in and contribute to our society. We need to make decisions that are based on the realities of our environmental situation, and in that light, getting out of a car whenever possible is a responsible decision.
So in summary, an eBIke saves money, gets there faster than a car, promotes better mental health, makes for a better city, generates joy, enlarges your experience, provides an exercise platform, extends your life and serves to save the planet for ourselves and future generations. With all the priceless returns eBikes provide, it would be interesting to hear a valid argument try to be made for not investing in one.
Check out our webstore, at Shop.GearsBikeShop.com, to see the wide selection of eBikes available to choose from, and test ride one the first chance you get. We also ship eBikes right across Canada for free.*
From what I hear regularly from our customers and what I know to be true from my own personal experience riding mine, getting an eBike into your life will enhance it like little else. I urge you to invest in one.
See you in the shop, or out there,
– Cycling The 6ix
*Free shipping applies to any full price current model eBike. For Shipping on Sale bikes or more details please contact Ira@GearsBikeShop.com
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