I have just about convinced myself to buy a stupidly expensive electric bike ($6700), called a wattwagon for getting to my new (much higher paying) job downtown. It would be the last American built frame in my size the startup has.
The deal is I could take public transit, drive or bike ride. Public transit will take ~1 hour each way, plus ~$1500 a year. I could drive, the drive there is not bad, 32 minutes to cover the 9 miles around the typical time I would go in, but the drive back, due to road direction changes and traffic patterns, is predicted to take 40 to 1 hour and 45 minutes every day driving back. When I came back from my interviews it took and 1 hour 15 min one time and 2 hours to get back the other. I simply do not want to spend that much time commuting.
The best solution seems to be biking. On a regular bike google predicts it will take 48 minutes. I figure with an e bike I can probably get the time down to car speed or a little longer ~32-38 minutes. I do not honestly think I can do 20 miles a day on a bike 3-5 times a week and feel ok. I have back issues that sometimes render it very difficult for me to walk. Overexercise, like to much time on my road bike, has been a trigger in the past.
I could go with something cheaper, but I am leery. My wife currently uses an ebike to get to and from work that we got on craigslist for $1500 (originally a $4000) bike that had a 5 year warranty. And we have needed it!! We have had to have the battery replaced (weak, limited range), the motor (gears in the motor housing destroyed themselves), the rear wheel replaced (bearings shot), chain and cassette replaced (wear and tear, normal) in the 1 year we have owned it. It just seems that if you actually use these things for decently high speed, long distance commuting they get worn down fast. I have been unable to find a bike on craigslist or facebook with enough power, speed (need 28mph pedelec otherwise to slow time wise and to keep up with traffic), and range in the month or so I have been searching. I could buy new one from a shop, but the warranties are pretty short, most do not have the combo of range (general rule of thumb I have found is expect half the range promised if you are going to be riding high speed/long distance in cold and hot temperatures 15-96 degrees F), speed, comfort, low maintenance, and reliability I would like.
I like this bike for the comfort (front AIR suspension, rear seatpost susp.), speed (28 mph), range (45miles), brakes (sooo many manufactures put out these 60-70 lb machines capable of 30 miles an hour with single or dual pot brakes, 4 pot are so much better and marginally more expensive and way more safe, I do not get it!), integrated brake light (safer in traffic!), integrated hub gears and belt drive (sooo much less wear and tear replacement and maintenance!), fully weatherproof (actually meant to and ok to ride in rain/snow!), Ti fram is nice plus, great rack for paniers. I don't like that it is a bit ugly and a hodgepodge looking thing, grip shifter (ick, but thats what works with IGH), price is very high and that any warranty work, while unlikely with these components, will be pretty awful as this is a very small startup company building the things (practically more a prebuilt kit bike).
Mostly this is to save me TIME. Otherwise largely unjustifiable vs just taking the easy route and just driving. At my salary it easily paid off in less than a year, time value of money wise. It also is way cheaper than the increased taxes alone from moving in closer to work, even more so when you include that rent would increase dramatically, we no longer would have a garden, etc. as well.
Oh, importantly with something so expensive, my work offers "secured" bike parking.
PS I have realized fuel efficient cars are actually remarkably cost, time, comfort and maintenance efficient (all in running/insurance costs for car are probably $250 a month for me) while looking into this (at least if your work pays for parking, I would probably have to pay $4000 a year in parking alone for work if it was not provided).
Topic: What's the stupidest thing you're lusting after right now? (Read 1333871 times)
