Are e-bikes worth it?

(link updated March 2023)

Recently I bought myself a Ridgeback Arcus 1, a budget electric bike (an EPAC, electric pedal assisted cycle), to find out if e-bikes lived up to the hype. In particular, I wanted to test if its stated range of 50km was actually accurate, so cycled from my new home in Bath to a meeting at the Yogscast's studio, yogstudios, in Bristol.

Notes
(6) This is based on the calculation that my battery has a capacity of 313Wh, and the UK average power supply has an intensity of 0.233kg of CO2 per kWh. This implies it takes 73g of CO2 to charge the battery, and thus, given a range of 50km, an intensity of 1.46g of CO2 per km.

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In this video I buy an ebike to test if e-bikes live up the hype. I tested the bike going up a monstrous hill in my home town of Bath, and rode it from Bath to Bristol to visit the yogscast, to test the bike's range. I compare EPACs with S-pedelecs with electric moped with electric motorbikes. My experience with my electric bike has been very positive, and I hope you enjoy the video!

Huge thanks to my supporters on Patreon: Thines Ganeshamoorthy, Ryan Bolton, Jerry Moore, Sam Harvey (soon to be PhD), Ashley Wilkins, Michael Parmenter, Samuel Baumgartner, Dan Sherman, ST0RMW1NG 1, Jan Galkowski, Adrian Sand, Morten Engsvang, Josh Schiager, Farsight101, Liam Margetts, K.L, poundedjam, Felix Freiberger, Robert Connell, Jaime Stark, Kolbrandr, , Sebastain Graf, Dan Nelson, Shane O'Brien, Alex, Fujia Li, Harry Eakins, Andrew Young, Cody VanZandt, Jesper Koed, Jonathan Craske, Albrecht Striffler, hennersfl, Jon Sjöberg, Igor Francetic, Jack Troup, SexyCaveman , James Munro, Oskar Hellström, Sean Richards, Kedar , Omar Miranda, Alastair Fortune, bitreign33 , Mat Allen, Anne Smith, Rafaela Corrêa Pereira, Colin J. Brown, Princess Andromeda, Aron Kári Ágústsson, Leighton Mackenzie, BenDent, Thusto , Andy Hartley, Lachlan Woods, Tim Boxall, Dan Hanvey, Simon Donkers, Kodzo , James Bridges, Liam , Andrea De Mezzo, Wendover Productions, Kendra Johnson.

[fb]

"The biggest worry people have is about range" no Simon the biggest worry we have is the bike getting nicked

[kjevers]

I personally have been riding an Ebike for almost 5 years now. I sold my car and bought a cargo trailer as well. I lost over 25 kilos of weight and seriously improved my health. At 60 years old it's been great.

[shadwyenigma]

‘Sorry, that sounded way more aggressive than I wanted it to’ after ringing a bike bell is probably the most British thing I’ve ever heard hahahahaha

[markc]

65 years old, three years, $1500, and 6000 miles. If not I would be sitting on the couch. Worth it 110%!

[XenonSlayer]

"Who's gonna nick an electric bike without the battery?"
Oh my sweet summer child...

[A_Casual_NPC]

My Dutch thigh muscles, trained over many years of cycling 70-150km a week are almost always outclassed by a granny on an e-bike. Having that not happen anymore would be the sole reason for me getting an e-bike myself.

[SuperBararo]

As a dutchie it frightens me how you are forced onto the road with cars and the general lack of infrastructure, but I do enjoy that now brits can also enjoy the commute by cycling through greenery instead of sitting in a car in traffic.

[Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

Elderly person here. At age 78, I purchased a Class 2 Blix Aveny E-bike for the purpose of getting exercise on the flat bike trails of Dallas.I had only put 200 miles (320 km) on the bike before an arthritic knee forced me to temporarily garage it, but I leaned to love riding it. I gave up my ten-speed, conventional bicycle years ago, but E-biking is a whole new ball game. The daily ride I took from my house to the end of the Northaven Trail and back is 13 miles, or 21 km, and I could ride this route twice on each battery charge, so a 40 km range is assured. I will soon undergo surgery to fix my knee, and my primary goal is to get back on the bike as soon as possible. I urge older people to try an E-bike, or at least talk to your health care provider about the possibility. I find my Blix to be a good ride for me, but if I am able to take longer rides after recovery, I may upgrade to a bike with a frame-mounted motor. I think they will become the standard in the near future.

[henryginn]

I was thoroughly convinced of a bike and pedestrian based world when I saw the channel “Not Just Bikes”. In the Netherlands you don’t get your food weekly in bulk quantities, you pop in for 10 minutes to get one or two bags more regularly, and you have a bike designed for that kind of use. The food shop is not a trek out that must require a car, it’s an errand you do on the way back from somewhere else

[MoisesSolisLordOfAll]

"this is like riding over a teenager's face", that one crack me up good.

[Altema]

I'm impressed with the range given the small size of the battery, and your testing method reflects real-world usage.
I used to be a marathon cyclist, and we have five manual bikes, but my e-bike is by far the favorite. I can get more of a workout than the others, or I can ride more easily than on the others, all with a click of a switch. This year I have spent more actual time riding my bike than driving a car, but what keeps me from using the bike for more is a lack of secure parking. Out of twenty stores, shops, and restaurants, there is ONE bicycle rack rusting at the far end. At a large mall less than a mile away, there is parking for two thousand cars, and eight bicycles. Sigh.

[scifino]

Simon: *rides bike in the UK on the correct side of the street*
Me, a German: SIMON WATCH OUT YOU'RE ON THE WRONG ... ohh, yeah... right.

[andyhartley]

3:45 Who thought Simon died right there?

[stevieinselby]

For a real comparison to show what a difference it makes on a hill, we need to see Pixelgirl riding the e-bike and you riding a regular bike up the same hill 😉

[KoboldPip]

My favourite part of owning an eBike for me was it enabled me to exercise without diving into the deep end and giving up. I was able to use the pedal assistance to sort of ween my way into fitness by gradually reducing the assistance level and periods of use. I feel like if I bought a normal bike I would get overwhelmed and embarrassed and give up. It was like having a personal trainer with me to help when things got tough.

[markbowen]

I’ve just road 277 miles from Fishguard in Wales back to Bristol on my Cube ebike . Carrying panniers, my longest leg of the ride was 70 miles and I still had 3 bars left . So totally amazing . Definitely recommend an ebike 👍

[NickAskew]

My wife has come to a point where she finds cycling difficult due to knee issues and as we live in the Netherlands bikes are rightly everywhere. When she decided to buy her bike I went along and the agent allowed me to take an e-bike along. It was really good fun and I was tempted but decided that right now I don't need one. However it has really changed her life and whereas normally she would go to work by car several times a week by car, she has now switched almost entirely to using the bike. An extra benefit is that when we cycle together she is the one that leaves me behind now rather than the other way round. I am a great fan.

[thefrub]

My area limits e-bikes to 750w. So naturally, I bought a 1500w hub motor kit and then slapped a 750w sticker on the side of it.

[pbsa]

A to B is exactly why i switched- I can do my daily 30mile round trip on an analogue bike but i prefer arriving dry...

[ry]

Ebikes are amazing ! I am 82 years old and was finding hills too much for me on a standard bike . I have up cycling altogether in the end . 6 months ago I bought an ebike . I have never looked back . I can cycle happily for miles now just putting in as much effort as I please . My fitness has improved vastly . Best purchase I ever made . It's so much fun too and the motor hum is strangely relaxing and satisfying . The bike is the lower end of price but it does a great job . Only issue was a very hard saddle. Easily sorted . If anyone is hesitating I would say go ahead and get one . You will not regret it ....