Avoiding Bike Theft, Protecting Your Electric Bike

If you’re new to owning an electric bike, you might be concerned about bike theft.  What kind of lock should I get?  Where should I lock my bike up?  How can I protect my shiny, new investment?

Unbreakable Bonds recently posted their top ten cities for bike theft.  As you might expect, the list includes Philly, Chicago, NYC, and San Fran.  More surprising are towns like Cambridge, New Haven, and Austin.  For the top 10 list, check out the Top 10 Cities for Bike Theft.

But the kind people at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance have posted a thorough set of tips for keeping your bike safe.  This is especially important when you’ve got a electric bike.  They discuss how to choose a lock, a locking location, and what bike features to be mindful of.  Read Don’t Get Your Bike Stolen for the full run down on protecting your new investment.

Economy Prompts Increase in Commuter Cycling

Consistent with our last post, the popularity of commuter cycling is growing due to cash concerns.  Recent research indicates that some people are turning to loans to buy high quality commuter bikes, including electric bikes.  This gives people a more economical alternative to transportation, even if they don’t have cash in hand.

For the full article, check out “Popularity of Cycling for Commute Grows Due to Cash Concerns.”

Costs of Car Ownership Skyrocket, Electric Bikes Compete

The New York Times has uncovered the average *actual* cost of owning a car — taking into account the cost of the vehicle, insurance, registration fees, and the host of other sneaking expenses.  And this cost is nothing to sneer at: $8,758 per vehicle for the year 2007.  Wow!

Paul White of NYC’s Transportation Alternatives then calculated the average annual cost of bicycle ownership to be a mere $390.  That even includes a theft allowance.

Electric bikes are more expensive than straight mechanical bikes, but they also allow for longer, less sweaty commutes.  On the Ecobike, charging the battery doesn’t really add to the expense as much as many expect: less than a dime per charge, although this varies based on local electric costs.

For full details on the calculations, see “The Costs of Owning a Car” on the New York Times.

New Bill May Require Oregon Cyclists to Register Bikes

Representative Wayne Krieger of Salem is the chief architect of House Bill 3008, which would require every bicycle owner in Oregon to pay a mandatory $54 registration fee, and then renew it every other year for the same fee.

He explained, “This is an opportunity for the bicyclists to start contributing to our roads,” he said. “If you want to have something that everybody is going to use, than everybody needs to contribute to what’s there… if there were not bicycles we wouldn’t need bicycle lanes.”

He also said the tags would give drivers a way to track down cyclists who cause accidents.

Asked if he cycles, Krieger responded that he’s “not into it.”

For a full discussion of the bill and an interview with Krieger, see BikePortland.org’s A conversation with Rep. Krieger about his bike registration bill.

Do Drivers and Pedestrians Hate Cyclists?

A Modest Proposal — Bikers, Take the High Road at the NYTimes.com explores how cyclists can be safer, adapting to the increasing number of bikes on city streets. The cheeky article includes with four recommendations on improving not only safety, but also public relations between cyclists and non-cyclists.

Check out Robert Sullivan’s entire article here.

Commuter Checks Available for Electric Bike Commuters

Hat Tip to Fritz at Commute by Bike for posting on the availability of commuter checks for those who commute by bike to work. This program allows the employer to give a pre-tax salary deduction to help offset the costs of bicycles, equipment and accessories, and bike storage. Fritz reports:

The new solution supports the expansion of the Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit (IRS Tax Code Section 132(f)) to allow bicycle commuters to designate pre-tax salary deductions of up to $240 per year. Individuals can now designate up to $20.00 per month as a pre-tax salary deduction to pay for the cost of commuting via bicycle. This includes the cost of bicycles, bicycling equipment and accessories, and storage unit costs.

Similar to current Commuter Check programs for public transit and parking, employers can offer the bicycling benefit as a pre-tax salary deduction, saving on taxes for the individual and the company or as a subsidy, which is also tax deductible for the company.

For more information on the program, visit http://www.commutercheck.com/

Click here to read the Commute by Bike post in its entirety.

EcoBike Vatavio on the Daily Green

The EcoBike Vatavio was featured in a recent article on the Daily Green.

Read Electric Bikes: The Fun, Healthy Way to Rev Up Your Car-Free Commute.  They saved the best for last; the Vatavio is #16.

Enjoy!

Living Well Without a Car in 5 Steps

HolisticMamma over at the Holistic Family Movement Show has written an article on “How to Live Happily Without a Car in Five Easy Steps.”

She gives three reasons why you should bother:

1. It’s better for your health because you’ll need to walk or bike to get places;

2. It’s better for your pocketbook because you’ll save thousands by not owning a car; and

3. It’s better for the environment because you’ll reduce your carbon footprint dramatically.

The author wisely includes getting an electric bicycle as one of the important steps to living happily without a car.

For all five steps, visit the full article here: “How to Live Happily Without a Car in 5 Easy Steps.”

Electric Bike Sales Growing in U.S.

Bike Europe reports in U.S. e-Bike Market Takes Off that the electric bike market in the U.S. is growing despite the financial crisis.  The article reports:

Amidst the financial crisis the US bike market and in particular the e-Bike segment is doing business very well. Reports say that the number of e-bikes sold in the U.S. is expected to reach a record 170,000 units this year as big retailers get in on this fast growing market.

While much of the growth is through big box stores, any increase in electric bike usage is a good thing for the economy and environment.  Plus, as more people use electric bikes, independent bicycle designers such as EcoBike get a push from people who want higher quality products with better service and warranties.

Tucson May Invest in Electric Bike Sharing Program

The Arizona Daily Star reports in Electric-bike sharing can get rolling with $35k investment that Tucson may be the first city in the U.S. to start an electric bicycle sharing program.

If Tucson invests $35,000 to start an electric bike-sharing program, it could take some cars off the road.

It would also put Tucson among the first cities in the country with a way for people to borrow an electric bicycle, businessman Daniel Mannheim told a City Council subcommittee Thursday, in a pitch for public funding.

Two U.S. cities are running pilot programs on bicycle-sharing, and Paris has about 200,000 bikes in its program for short-term rentals, said Mannheim, owner of Bikes Electric in Tucson.

But he said Tucson could be the first in the country offering electric bicycles as alternative transportation.