Tips For Cycling To Work By Electric Bicycle

There are many benefits to commuting by bike. I mean, it's cheaper, you don't have  to pay parking, taxi, bus, or even train fees. It's faster, you could shoot through the traffic  that bit quicker, and it's good for the environment. Today, I thought I'd swap out  the regular bike and take out electric bike. I thought I'd show you  some tips and tricks on how to commute by e-bike. 

What is an electric bicycle？

If you haven't seen or heard of an e-bike before, then let me explain.  It's a bike like this with a neat little motor in. When you push on the pedals, the pedal assist  kicks in, meaning you can zip away uphills and over tough terrain without gassing yourself.  There are loads of different kinds of e-bikes out there. There's folding ones, meaning you can get on the train easily or put them under your desk.  There's e-mountain bikes for those wanting to go over the rougher terrain. There's even step  through e-bikes for those who don't want to swing their leg over the saddle. Then  for those speed virgins out there, there's those road e-bikes but I've opted for a gravel  bike, a do-it-all bike going over rough terrain, but also keeping speed on those bike paths too.

Check your battery

Now, this might sound really obvious,  but make sure your battery is fully charged. I mean, it sounds daft, but it's easily forgotten.  What I would tend to do is be prepared the night before. Check your battery and then stick on  charge through the night. That way you have full battery in the morning. As an add-in bonus, when  you get to work, you can always just top it up, that way you can have good fun on your way home,  and there's no risk of losing battery. The last thing you want to do is ride your e-bike dead.  It will make it quite hard to ride.Now on the subject of being prepared,  make sure you've got your bag prepared as well. A good thing to do is prepare that the night before  also. That way you get a little bit of a lighting, or you get a little bit more of the riding time. 

Cycling kits

Now, depending on how long your commute is, you can either opt for half or full cycling kit. If it's short, you can opt for more casual wear. One thing to remember, though, is if you're riding in those winter months,  tend to make sure you're wearing some light vibrant clothing,  something like a fluorescent jacket so you're seen on those dusky or even dark  nights. Don't forget safety is absolutely key, so make sure you wear a helmet too. Leading on from helmets, we would definitely advise you invest in a good set of lights,  a front and a rear for your safety, especially if you're commuting all year  round when the nights get longer and those days get shorter. Nowadays e-bikes can keep  up with cars. We want to make sure you're being seen whatever speed you're going at. 

When it comes to junctions, red lights, or even places with lollipop man, make sure you stop. We  want to give cyclists a good name and you don't need to worry about getting a good acceleration.  You've got an e-bike. It'll do it for you. Be patient and wait your turn.

Panniers

One thing that does really put off commuting is having to carry around a big,  heavy, rucksack, but there's loads of alternatives. You can use panniers or  saddlebags. That way, you can keep all that heavy weight off your back. It's not a bonus. You won't  get any backache.

Security

Now, security is always key when it comes to commuting, especially if you're leaving your bike  out on the street. What I would advise is getting a good lock. What you could do instead of carrying  a big, heavy lock around with you, is you could leave it at work. That way, you don't have to  take the extra weight.

Route planning

When it comes to route planning and you're lucky enough to have an e-bike,  you don't need to avoid the 12% climbs that you would on a regular bike. know you could  take the fastest and most direct route, but I wouldn't get stuck in the rut of  doing the same old route day in day out. Mix up. Have a bit of variety in there. If you get to work on the quickest route possible to get in there, and then on the way back,  if you have a bit more time, you can find a more adventurous route.

What I definitely recommend you do is avoid these busy main roads. It will lose the fun of cycling. You'll end up slowing yourself down having to weed through the traffic. Top tip, go for quiet roads. After all, you want to enjoy your cycling.

Buddy up

If you have got a friend or a buddy that goes to the same workplace as you or go  to the same area as you, then I would definitely recommend you buddy up with them. It makes your  commute go that little bit quicker. A bit of company on the bike is absolutely key. I wouldn't  mention you're on an e-bike though because they might not want to ride with you again. 

Save money

You are going to  save a lot of money while commuting by bike. I mean, it's going to be saving money on parking,  train, taxis, bus fares. You could even use that extra bit of cash to treat yourself to a coffee  or a croissant when you get to work, or if you bank it, you can treat yourself to some cycling  kit, some lights, or even a bike.

Weather

Commuting by bike does not need to be weather dependent. I mean, I'm very lucky in the fact  that I've got blue sky today, but here in Britain where you can never be too careful.  If it's a short commute and you still want to wear your casual kit, I'd prepare your bike,  so making sure you've got a set of mudguards. That way, you don't need to worry about that  surface water. As a bonus, you don't need to worry about getting a soggy bum  when you get to work.

If you're the kind of person that on their commute, you've got loads of traffic lights  or loads of junctions, and you're worried about tiring yourself out on those accelerations, well,  the big advantage of an e-bike is it takes all that away. It zips away. It does that  acceleration for you. You might get to traffic lights this time, look either side, see a car,  and you might race them off the line a bit. Feel free to go into Green Pedel and ask us any questions you may have!