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E-bike subscription v buying - the pros and cons

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Richard Peace's picture

Richard Peace

Richard Peace took to full-time outdoor writing/photojournalism after stints in an office and as an English teacher abroad. His cycling route guide books include the best-selling Ultimate C2C Guide and the Ultimate UK Cycle Route Planner plus Electric Bicycles. He has written for various media about many aspects of cycling

1 comments

2 years 1 week ago

When I was commuting I would have loved to try an e-bike for a month. I wasn't convinced it would have made my commute much quicker than the road bike, but it could have made it more predictable time wise and evened out those days when the legs weren't feeling it and there was a stiff headwind. The only way to find out, was a prolonged trial. A ride around a car park in front of a bike store or an experience day would not cut it.

If someone like me, who is keenly interested in such things and has a lot of experience cycling can't fathom it out, then the chances of a non-cyclist concluding they can replace their car with an e-bike are pretty small. Unless you are willing to stump up the cash to buy the bike on a whim, then it's a hard sell to convince the masses.

It's not been a problem for the industry so far, as there has been enough demand. But as those buyers become saturated, a rental scheme could help with widening the market.