If only cycling infrastructure was my worry about e-bikes. It’s not even close.
I worry about, in no particular order:
Cost. A good ebike in Canadian dollars is north of $7000.
Repairability. Nearly all of my LBS won’t fix e-bikes that weren’t purchased from them. This not only locks me into models that might be out of someone’s price range, but it also makes it very difficult to move with your e-bike (or even travel with it).
Long-term parts and durability. Will an e-bike last 30+ years? Because my vintage steel MTB has, and will likely last another 30 with parts being available for that least that length of time. You have a lot more to worry about with e-bikes, including proprietary batteries, controllers, motors, etc.
Technology is changing so fast that an e-bike purchased this year may be very outdated in 5 years. New tech like belt drive, pinion gears, etc., are already gaining popularity. Even a change in battery tech would make current e-bikes look ancient.
Short warranties. E-bikes, at least none that I’ve seen, have lifetime warranties like many traditional bikes do (at least on the frames). It would destroy me to buy a $10,000 ebike that has to be trashed in five years because the aluminum frame cracked in half.
I skimmed the beginning for the “saved you a click” and it looks like it’s about infrastructure. Same old shit we already know and not specific to ebike. Maybe there is other stuff later in the article but I lost interest after the hit of ‘no shit’
Cost? I could get a used Corolla for what ebikes are selling for. Sure, they’re a new product on the market and prices will probably come down, but there’s a massive proportion of the population who cannot financially justify an ebike.
I got one on sale for ~$700. 250w, 10.4Ah, 45Lbs (and smaller than most bikes), folding, and has gears. I did have to air up the tires and tune the derailleur (and it does not have every feature), even though it was new I wouldn't say "used Corolla of ebikes" would be a bad comparison especially on value (and that it may not be enough for everyone). It went cheaper after I bought it, but looks like that's because it was discontinued (I don't see it on their site anymore, also the company seems to have missed the point on it with a comparison to a new model). EDIT: though they do have a somewhat comparable model, D11, but I chose the now-discontinued bike over that (possibly largely because price).
But yeah, seeing headlines on this sub I know nothing new is going to compare to that on value. Like their "cheap" is gonna be a $1K+ bike that probably has some other issue like weighing 60Lbs or has no gears.
Part of that is because Ontario vehicle registration renewal is free, which obviously isn’t free, it just means taxes pay for it instead. For comparison, registration in QC is $210-$300 per year, based on area; before any large size or extra cylinder fees.
Your insurance is also exceptionally low for Ontario.
Are you talking about licence plate renewals? I think they are free now, but they’ve always been around $75 (or so) per year. Quebec’s rate is brutal @ $300 per year.
Your insurance is also exceptionally low for Ontario.
CAA pay-as-you-go! Literally saved me thousands of dollars a year. I would highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t drive more than 8000 km a year.
I wish I could get rid of my car for good. My wife still uses it, while I ride a bike for 99%+ of my trips within a 40 km radius. I’d much rather put any car-related payments towards an e-bike.
Thanks for the tip on CAA pay as you go, I only put in 4000 last year.
Québecs rate is brutal; but it’s because a lot of externalities of driving are covered by that fund. For example, if a pedestrian gets hit and runned, that find pays for it if the driver (and their insurance) can’t be found.
The $100 difference in finds are based on home much public transit is available where you are, the more transit, the more you pay. (Though I’ve also thought I should also get $100 off a yearly transit pass)
Add comment