Electric Bikes
Parent Q&A
Select any title to view the full question and replies.
Long-Term Electric Bike Rental
–Aug 19, 2021Does anyone know where I can rent long-term (1 month or more) an electric bike? Thinking of purchasing, but expensive. I want to be sure.
Aug 19, 2021How can I get an electric bike up a flight of stairs?
–Aug 4, 2021Hi all -- I really, really want an electric bike as our "second car" to take my daughter around town but I have an issue with storage. We live up a flight of stairs (we have zero curb access) and there's no way I can carry the bike up the stairs (it weighs 60+ pounds). Anyone have any creative ideas for how to get the bike up the stairs? I'm looking into a bike chute/ runnel, but the prefabricated ones are rather expensive. Can anyone recommend a DIY or a handyman or contractor who could create one?
Appreciate the help -- I really want an electric bike and I just need to figure out the storage issue! (Yes, I approached my neighbors about storing it in their garage but it was a no go).
Thanks!
Aug 4, 2021Cargo Bike Recommendations?
–Mar 8, 2021Our family of three, with a baby almost ready to be a bike passenger, is looking to buy an e-cargo bike. Context: I've been biking most of my life for work and play and I'm very comfortable riding. My partner had an injury preventing them from riding for the past few years, but is ready to give it a go again. They have less experience/confidence riding and are understandably wary of sharing space with cars. We have a plan in place to get some practice and take Bike East Bay classes to help with that a bit. Most of our rides will be in the inner east bay Oakland/Berkeley/Richmond, under four miles, used for errands and outings, and also some longer rides to access outdoor spaces (like along the Bay Trail). We want to use cars as little as possible. Whatever we get, we hope to be able to use joyously, with minimal maintenance, for a good long time. Questions: Are you using an e-cargo bike that you love, or don't love so much? What makes it fabulous, or not so fabulous? What features are most important to you and why? What do you wish you'd thought about/known before purchasing an e-cargo bike? I like the idea of having the baby in the front so I can see them, but I notice that most bikes are loaded in the back, not the front. Ideas/experience with having loads in the front vs. the back are very much appreciated. Anything else to consider that I'm not asking? Thank you!
Mar 8, 2021
I would highly recommend an electric cargo bike. We are a one car family and our electric bike is our primary form of transportation for anything under 5 miles. If your schools are close, e-bike is a great way to do it, possibly even quicker than driving depending on traffic and parking. And way more fun. It truly replaces a car for local trips - I can carry two kids and all their stuff or a week's worth of groceries and don't worry about hills with the pedal assist. We have a Radwagon, which is one of the more affordable ones (and there is a showroom in Berkeley!) but depending on your needs there are A LOT of other options out there - I'd be happy to share more about other models if you want or direct you to some resources for researching them.
I can also share a little about our EV experience. We have a 2015 Nissan Leaf with a range of about 80 miles. We got it cheap because it's an older model (EVs are advancing fast so 2015 is old) but of course we pay for it with the low range. We priced it out and decided that it would be better financially to get the cheaper EV and then use the money saved to rent a car any time we need it for a longer trip.
Have you checked with Sports Basement? I know that they have monthly bike rentals, though the inventory is sometimes a bit low.
Also, we have an electric bike we used for several years to transport kids. DM if you want to chat about our experience.
Try Hank and Frank. They have been around for ever and should be able to assist you.
If you do a month rental, I would try to get the money you pay for the rental to be applied to the purchase of the bike if you decide to buy.
Xtracycle just opened a store in Mill Valley, and they are doing rentals. Might be worth checking with them!