Opinion
Are e-bikes worth it? After four years in the saddle, here’s what I found
Miki Perkins
Environment Reporter at The AgeTo be honest, the reason I first wanted an electric bike was because I’m agonisingly, painfully, slooowwww.
On the way home, the local bike path hierarchy goes like this: serious Lycra-clad riders move to the front at breakneck speed and shout “passing” as they overtake. Next come the commuters, pedalling home swathed in hi-vis clothing and a self-satisfied glow.
Cycling in Melbourne can be a tough slog.Credit: Simon Schluter
Then the young school kids wobble past, learning to ride while their parents cycle nearby. And the guy on the adult tricycle with two dogs in the back basket and disco music playing from a speaker (love this guy). And last of all is me, creaking slowly homeward and giving a friendly finger salute when someone – OK, everyone – overtakes on the 50-minute trip home.
Leisurely cycling offers small moments of joy. You have time to notice the wide-eyed baby waving at you from their bike seat or watch the seasons change. But slow is not always practical when there are kids to feed and deadlines to meet. And as a climate and environment writer, I was curious to find out if the e-bike hype could match reality.
E-bikes are growing in popularity. National sales ballooned from 9000 in 2017 to around 75,000 in 2021 as more Australians became acquainted with their benefits. They now account for 8 per cent of all bikes sold.
E-bikes can replace the need for a car, I read. They can save you money on petrol or public transport fares and eat up the miles of the commute, all without emitting a whiff of carbon (if you use renewable energy). They are also useful for older riders or people with a disability that stops them riding a push-bike. And these bikes can go fast, or at least faster than I can pedal.
An e-bike rider in Melbourne.Credit: Chris Hopkins
OK, sold. With a generous birthday contribution from friends and family, I bought a teal-blue electric steed. She’s a babe: tough, hard-working and my late-night companion home from gigs and dinners and dancing.
At first, my greatest pleasure was to irritate middle-aged men in Lycra (MAMILs), by boosting my bike to max and sailing past their toiling forms in my heavy woollen work jacket, brow unmarked by perspiration. But I digress.
Four years have passed, minus the two lost pandemic years when the kilometre limit and our collective willpower was so diminished the e-bike often stayed on the back porch. And from a sample pool of one, I’ll try to answer the question people always ask: is it worth it?
Unequivocally, yes. With some caveats.
Can an e-bike replace a car? If you live in an urbanised area with reasonable bike paths and don’t have too far to travel, then perhaps. Riding them is easy, charging them is straightforward and with enough storage onboard – like a front or back basket and panniers – they can carry a stack of groceries.
It’s likely an electric bike will augment your other transport, rather than replace it.Credit: iStock
But if you face heavy rain and long distances, or have young children to contend with, it’s likely they will augment your other transport, rather than replace it. And why not? More than half the trips made by private vehicles are less than five kilometres, and e-bikes can cover these distances while avoiding traffic and saving a hunt for a car park.
Will you save money? Travelling to the office on public transport used to cost me about $30 to $40 a week. On that basis, I paid off the $2000 (on sale) cost of my e-bike in a bit over a year. Working from home has changed this, but the e-bike still saves me money on taxis or ride-shares after a night out.
There are other benefits too. I rarely get sick and I chalk that up to a commute in the fresh air that avoids the germ-ridden hothouse of public transport in winter. And it feels safer riding late at night because my teal friend sets a speedy pace – it sure beats walking home with keys held in my fist, poised for a would-be attacker.
There is one drawback. While I might use the bike more, my cycling “fitness” initially declined because I was too quick to crank the e-bike over the hills and never worked up a sweat. I’ve returned to the push-bike part-time, and found a good balance.
Let’s be clear: e-bikes are not going to save the world from climate change. There’s a long history of industry-funded “deflection” campaigns that divert attention from big polluters and place the burden on individuals to consume so-called “environmentally friendly” products. This won’t work. We need rapid decarbonisation, an end to fossil-fuel exploitation and to remove the unhealthy influence of oil and gas companies on the decisions of governments worldwide.
But in these uncertain times small moments of joy also matter. That’s what cycling – both electric and self-powered – brings to my life. Making small, positive changes in your own world can make the careening, terrifying mess of the climate crisis feel less overwhelming. So join me, and my disco-loving friend, as we ride into the sunset.
Miki Perkins is a senior journalist and environment reporter at The Age.
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