Jack's Electric Bicycle

Doing Tuesday's Business on the Bike

(Note: If you’re going to buy an electric bicycle or compare the different technologies, then you’re going to want to know how they’re used. With that in mind, the following is a travelog of today’s electric bicycle journey.)

I own a weekly community newspaper in McKinleyville, Calif. After spending weekends behind the computer and then driving my car nearly 195 miles every Monday to get the paper printed and delivered to the post office, I look forward to Tuesdays.

I don’t have a lot of work to do other than to go to the office, return some phone calls and stock a few newspaper racks.

So today I used the electric bicycle. The weather was beautiful, with blue skies, temperatures around 75 degrees and a slight breeze. Welcome to Shangri-la.

I attached the battery to the bike and plugged everything in. The process takes about a minute or two. I could cut this down to about two seconds if I left the batteries on the bike while they’re being charged, but I don’t trust the old electrical outlets in my garage.

I stuffed both saddle bags with newspapers. I also carry a cable and padlock, a tool kit, bike pump and a full canteen. Add me to the mix, and you’ve got a fairly heavy load.

I pedaled the bike, got going at a slow speed and then hit the throttle. I was blasting down the street at top speed, comparable to an average recreational cyclist pedalling at full speed.


(Hammond Trail)

I’m fortunate to live less than a quarter mile from the Hammond Trail, a paved pedestrian/bicycle path that extends from the south end of town all the way to the north, except for one “missing” link that is scheduled to be built next year.

I’m fortunate to live in a town that had the foresight to plan such a trail. These are vital no matter what kind of bike you use and they provide a lot of recreational value for the community.

Once I reached the trail, I stopped using the motor and pedaled. I needed some exercise and I wanted to save the power for the hills. For about a half mile, I cruised at a leisurely pace and admired the wildflowers before exiting the trail onto a street that would take me downtown.

There’s a gradual increase in elevation from the trail to the downtown, a distance of about a mile. To put in perspective, the biggest “hill” is the freeway overpass. The rest of elevation gain takes place on streets that, to the untrained eye, would look perfectly flat.

So the hills are minimal, to say the least. Which brings up a point – if you have to go up a few hills on your commute route, this technology is great. It can get you up and down the hills with minimal sweating, even though some pedaling is advisable.

On the other hand, if you have multiple hills, and they’re steep, you would quickly suck all the power out of your batteries. Then you’d be stuck pedaling with a hub that slows you down and a heavy load of batteries. In that case, you’d be much better off with a regular bike.

Fortunately, I don’t have that problem. When I reached the downtown, I turned on Central Avenue and made my way to my office. On Central Avenue you have to ride along with traffic, but there are nice, wide and clearly marked bicycle lanes on each side. Last week, I noticed that the street sweeper machine made its rounds, so the lanes are even clean and clear of debris.

These little things, in my opinion, are important to quality of life.


(The office. I work out of a small room the size of a closet upstairs.)

By the time I got to the office, I had traveled a total of about 1.8 miles with a slight elevation gain. It was nice and easy, and wouldn’t even qualify as even a mild workout.

My next scheduled stop would be the newspaper rack in front of the Six Rivers Brewery. The pub’s slogan is “A brew with a view” because it’s perched atop Bella Vista Hill – another power sucker.

On my way there, I decided to take a short detour and check out Mill Creek Falls. Beautiful.



After filling the rack, it was time to turn around and head to the Arcata-Eureka Airport on the north end of town.

Rather than using the power saving strategy, I decided to blast along as fast as I could, with mild pedaling and lots of throttle.

By the time I got home, I had travelled a little over 9 miles. I still had power in the batteries.

To get some exercise, I took the dog on an extended walk.


Closing thoughts:
• On a beautiful day like today, I could have had a good time doing my route on a regular bike. It raises the question – why not just use a regular bike and skip the engine? I think that’s legitimate to ask. On the other hand, there’s the “sweat factor” I previously mentioned, which is important when using the bike to conduct business and visit clients. There’s also the “lazy factor,” which would come into play during a hectic week of business when you have to make multiple trips into town.

• It’s a lot more fun to do business on the bike than in a car.

• You get some exercise, even when using the motor.

posted by Jack Durham @ 7:51 PM