2. E-Bikes are faster, cheaper and more fun than cars
This morning I needed to travel from my girlfriend's apartment to my apartment. She lives in Hayes Valley. I live in Mission/Potrero.
As the crow flies, the distance between the apartments is 1.5 miles. It’s usually too far to walk (and it’s an unpleasant walk on 13th street). If there’s no traffic, a car ride can take as short as 6 minutes. But this only happens if I travel late at night. The average travel time by car is probably 10-12 minutes and occasionally it’s longer.
This morning, I left my girlfriend’s house at 8:35am. I checked Uber and Lyft to see the price and time for a trip.
Lyft: $19 and a 19 minute wait (!)
Uber: $24 and a 6 minute wait
I suspected that even the Uber would take longer than 6 minutes to arrive given it was rush hour.
So, I checked Lyft e-bikes. These are bikes that are parked in docks around the city, available for pedestrians to use for a small fee. There were a few e-bikes available for rent at the dock nearby.
Even though I was carrying my backpack and a tote bag with overnight clothes, it wasn’t too much baggage. I hopped on an e-bike and biked home.
I started my e-bike ride at 8:38am and I ended it at 8:49am (11 minutes). It cost me $1.95 because I was a member (paying an annual fee for cheaper daily prices). But even a regular ride would’ve cost $8.24.
The e-bike was better than a rideshare for a few reasons:
Cheaper. It saved me between $18-22.
Faster. The entire trip was 11 minutes, where the rideshare could’ve taken that long to even begin the ride.
More fun. The weather was 57 degrees, not much wind, and overcast. The e-bike was easy to use. The right was mostly pleasant.
Now, this ride had many factors working in my favor. It was rush hour so rideshares were expensive and took a long time. The e-bike I used didn’t have any issues with the e-assist or seat (which occasionally happens).
But either way, it’s often the case that e-bikes are cheaper and faster than cars. They don’t have the costs of someone else driving you (or the payments of owning your own car). Plus, they can weave in and out of traffic, making them a good option for rush hour. Consider trying one yourself.