I picked up an e-bike today for a month's hire totally free of charge. Cycling UK have a #MakingCyclingEasier scheme in #Manchester (and #Sheffield, #Leicester and #Luton), free hire for a month, including a lock, a helmet, charger etc.
First impressions are I love it! Definitely going to get me #cycling further.
I'm going to log my progress here, keep up with which journeys I do, and see what impact, if any, the e-bike has on my car use.
For context, we're a one car family of two adults and two toddlers. I commute via train. Usual car use is nursery drop-offs, supermarket shops etc. Occasionally to rehearsals or gigs. The loan e-bike doesn't have any pannier racks or similar for transporting things.
I also don't cycle much. Once or twice a week, weather dependent.
Day 2 of my #ElectricBikeMonth
- walked to the park and back
- no other travel required, so no vehicles used
Day 3 #ElectricBikeMonth
I had to drop kids at nursery, go to a rehearsal with guitar, amp, pedals and microphones, then pick up 8 bags of kids clothes someone was giving away on a local thrift group before collecting kids from nursery. And it’s raining So…
- used the car
Day 4 #ElectricBikeMonth
Nursery drop-off and pick-up...
- used the car.
And my knee hurts.
Not going brilliantly so far to be honest. Tomorrow is another day though.
Day 5 of #ElectricBikeMonth
- couple of local errands to run so finally got out on the e-bike! I had @sethb in my mind's ear accusing me of cheating when I wasn't out of breath, so I went the long way and tried with the electric bit turned off a bit. Also really struggled to get up a steep hill from a standing start. Need to remember to use gears and not just assume that Turbo mode = easy!
- had a rehearsal/workshop this evening. Drove but gave people lifts, so #carpool at least.
Day 6 #ElectricBikeMonth
- family trip to a park, took the car
- rare date night opportunity, also took the car and fed our friends cats on the way home.
Planning to commute on the e-bike tomorrow though, fingers crossed...
Day 7 #ElectricBikeMonth
Success!! I commuted!! On the e-bike 8.4 miles to work. Felt largely safe, enjoyed the #OxfordRoad cycle lanes, dodged a few pedestrians in Rusholme, got chatting to another dad about his #RadWagon cargo bike (jealous). Only really using top 3-4 gears (out of 9).
And then.
About 5 mins from home... the chain came off uphill. And got wedged in pretty tight next to the gear. No allen keys with me. Unable to fix. 20 min dejected walk home.
- walked to feed cats.
Day 8 of #ElectricBikeMonth
- walked to the park for a water fight for my eldest son's birthday
- fixed the chain back on the e-bike, used it to cycle round to feed my friends cats
No car use. Friend's #cat pictured sat on me for a cuddle.
#ElectricBikeMonth Day 9
- family party at home, used e-bike to feed the cats (1mile away, but took the long way home so 3mile round-trip)
My uncle's perspective on whether e-bikes are cheating or not: "it gets people out doing aerobic exercise, while taking away the gut-busting hill climb stuff that puts people off"
Day 10
- drove to recording session with my mics and stands etc to record some wonderful music
- push bike to do 2 mile round trip to feed cats. Hill still hurt a bit, but ok.
Day 11
- no biking or driving myself. Got a lift to the recording session in Salford again. Wondered about cycling there, but microphone stands...
Day 12
- drove family of 4 to Stockport to find new school shoes
- drove family of 5 to a pub for dinner
- walked to a bar for drinks while Nana put the boys to bed
- still no biking
Day 13 (Thurs)
- walked to a park.
Day 14 (Fri)
- car for nursery drop-off and pick-up
- e-bike for 3.5 mile round trip to run errands. Could have taken push bike but struggled for the motivation, and my knee hurts a bit. Entirely plausible that e-bike saved a car journey.
Day 15 #ElectricBikeMonth
- drove family to a National Trust place for the morning
- quick e-bike trip to feed the cats.
Day 16 #ElectricBikeMonth
First real success in terms of replacing a car journey. Met my brother in Stockport to watch a film. Definitely would have driven. Hills too much for my feeble legs on the way home so... #EBike to the rescue! 4 miles each way. Total breeze. Big moon in a clear sky.
And it didn't get stolen when I parked it!
(Drove family in car in torrential rain to go swimming this morning too)
#ElectricBikeMonth Day 18
- drove the family to Lyme Park
- charged the e-bike but didn't use it
Day 19 (Tuesday)
- no e-biking, or driving but...
- fitted a child seat to my push bike for the first time! Bit of a struggle getting our youngest to keep a helmet on, but he loved the ride. I need to work on my balance, power, stamina and all that (although @sethb reckons I need a new bike...) but this is definitely a goer. Wish the e-bike had a pannier rack...
Day 20 was pretty much like day 19 #ElectricBikeMonth
- bus into Stockport library for kids storytime in the morning , then walked to shops for food.
- bike ride with enthusiastic toddler to feed ducks this afternoon. He asked to go on the bike as soon as he saw it this morning, which counts as a win I say.
No e-biking today, but no car use either.
Incidentally, my partner and our eldest are on a city break via train. Cheaper than driving if it's just one adult+child, not so otherwise.
Day 21 of my state-sponsered #ElectricBikeMonth was a good one!
- my nearly 2-year old loves the bike seat. Demanded to get in it to go and feed the ducks. Then out to Sainsburys cafe for lunch on push bike.
- took the e-bike to visit friends approx 4 miles away. In the rain, and my satnav sent me a weird but pretty way. Need to toughen up. Rain should be OK.
- 4-year old wanted a go in the bike seat, so back to the push bike. HARD WORK. He's heavy, and so is the bike.
Good day. No car.
Day 22
- train strikes. I cycled the e-bike into work (8 miles each way). Honestly got a little bored on the journey. I think I miss my train commute, listening to music or podcasts. Or I need to toughen up and use my push bike, for the dopamine.
Day 23
ended a run of 4 days without using the car by
- driving family of 4 to a National Trust place
- driving myself to meet friends for a drink (I bottled the cycle, would've been 45 mins each way, vs 15 in car, and it's late)
Day 24
- stayed at home all day
Day 25
- drove kid to and from nursery
- cycled a couple of miles round trip on the e-bike in the evening to pick up something someone was giving away. Very pleasant, likely would've overheated had I used my push bike...
Day 26
- walked eldest kid to school
- I'm about to drive to collect youngest from nursery.
#ElectricBikeMonth comes to an end on Friday I think!
Day 26 of my #ElectricBikeMonth
- e-bike to do the 5 mile cycle each way to the dentist for a filling (gutted). A few steep hills so I was very grateful for the power assist. Didn't use the car at all today, and definitely would have done, especially with this heat.
When I put my reflective jacket on, our youngest said "bike?" and went and picked up the bike seat to bring it to me 😭 Had to explain daddy was going on the bike, not him. Good to know he's enthusiastic though!
Day 27
- took the youngest on the back of my push bike to feed the ducks. He FELL ASLEEP on the ride home, in case anyone is wondering how slow I cycle.
- charged the e-bike from our #solar panels for added points
Day 28
- ten mile cycle to return the e-bike at the end of my #ElectricBikeMonth
Sad to see it go, chewed the ear off the guy in the shope for recommendations for commuting bikes. Think it's time for a lighter push bike, would love my own e-bike but the cost is too high for me!
Anton Hunter
Tom Ward