As Melbournians we understand the fickle nature of our city’s weather habits, with the old adage ‘four seasons in one day’ being thrown around at this time of year like grain farmers sowing their crop.
This time of year is also recorded as being the windiest due to the heating of inland air mixing with cooler air from the south – my point being, we are presented with a conundrum when facing our daily commute; be in a controlled environment sharing your personal space with some of Melbourne’s 415,000 daily public transport users (that is 830,000 armpits!), be one of over 48,500 daily private vehicle commuters (rego, insurance, parking, fuel etc), or make the most of the temperate weather, breathing in the sights and sounds of an awakening city and cycle into a stiff head wind? But what if we could nix the headwind with a 250 watt electric motor, a rechargeable battery with a range well over 30 km’s per charge, at a cost estimated to be less than 10 cents for each charge? With these basic bikes stats, a CBD worker could come from as far afield as Sunshine in the West, Campbellfield in the North, Burwood to the East and Hampton in the South, at an annual recharge cost of around $24… Couple this with The City of Melbourne’s efforts in improving cycling infrastructure, commuting by bike is becoming more efficient, safer and economically viable than ever before and with the assistance of an e-bike – more attractive!