Many comment when they see me on my electric bike that it defeats the purpose of cycling, implying that I'm cheating because I'm riding an e-bike. I have a different take.
First the idea:
Let me say that I have a Gary Fisher mountain hybrid bike and that I'm accustomed to riding the streets of Key West and cycled the entire 12 miles around the island on many occasions. I love doing that, but it just didn't serve my needs the way my Pedego e-bike does.
Let me explain:
Since my bike arrived I've done my best to keep my car parked and depend on my Pedego for transportation. While I love my Gary Fisher bike, I didn't like arriving to meetings sweaty and rumpled. I admired to scooter riders because this was not much of an issue for them, but I knew also that I didn't want a scooter. I didn't need to go 35 mph on a noisy little machine. By completely incorporating my Pedego into my daily routine I've got the perfect combination of speed when I want it and can pedal when I don't. If I ever run out of "power" my bike isn't dead...I just pedal. It's only happended once thus far, because I forgot to charge and tried to stretch my roughly 25 miles per charge range. The result is that while I do use the electric motor I also pedal more than I would have when I depended solely on my car for errands and meetings. My e-bike is the vehicle of choice now to ride to the bank, post office, lunch meetings (when it's not raining, which it rarely does in Key West).
A huge bonus is that I haven't needed to visit the gas station since January 27 and I still have over a 1/2 tank of gas. Instead of refueling every 8-10 days, I may go an entire month. That might save $80 to $100 in gas each month. I haven't given up pedaling or driving, but I am choosing the most fun option to get my work done, PEDEGO. By saving that much gas each month, I'll have my bike paid for in 18 months or less (my figure is based on gas at $3.40 per gallon, if it goes to $5 as many predict, the savings accrue even faster.
So while you may not see me pedaling all the time, I am certainly pedaling more than when I was in my car. The past 2 weeks I've been focused on gas savings, now I'll also begin making note of the health benefits of relying on a Pedego for daily transportation. By staying active and incorporating the Pedego into my daily routine I expect to shed a few pounds and accrue other health benefits over time. Time will tell...and I'll keep you posted.
To begin, here is a little chart that calculates the amount of calories burned while cycling. Just match your weight and speed, the table assumes you will ride for 1 hour.