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20,000 kilometres is equivalent to travelling halfway around the world, 26 trips between Auckland and Christchurch, or 400,000 lengths of an Olympic pool. Depending on your perspective that may be a long way, or not very far. For me however, it’s the distance I recently achieved on my e-bike commute to work.
The milestone is one that crept up on me. The on-bike speedo captures the mileage, and as I’ve recently upgraded my bike, it was only after I saw the total mileage on the previous bike that it clicked.
It does provide a nice feeling of satisfaction though. Over the years of my e-bike commute I have had to put up with the gentle (and quite persistent) ribbing about not having to pedal or still not using his legs, but I keep smiling.
A sustainable way to travel, while also saving time and money
Ever since my first e-bike ride which was over a decade ago, to owning my own e-bikes, I have loved it. If any colleague or friend is interested, I will always offer them the bike to ride. I have yet to find someone who has taken it for a ride and not returned with a big smile on their face!
I am a strong advocate for sustainable travel. While I also appreciate a good classic car, or the sound of a V8, time and place is everything. For my daily commute to work, I don’t have a better choice. By bus, it will take 40 minutes, by car in the morning peak it can be 15–25 minutes without even considering where I’m going to park, but the e-bike is 15 minutes maximum! That’s makes it an easy choice.
Inland Revenue has a rate that they use to calculate the running costs of a car and this currently sits at 83c/km. On that basis, I have immediately saved over $12,000 – even after accounting for the cost of the bike and maintenance.
When I put it all together – the quicker commute, the money saved, the health benefits (yes, I do still use my legs!) and the simple pleasure that can come from a nice bike ride, it’s a win-win situation.
Perhaps it’s time you try out an e-bike for your commute to work, to run some errands or a weekend adventure?
Need help developing a travel plan for your organisation?
Abley specialises in helping organisations track carbon emissions from business travel and commuting and put in place plans to reduce their environmental impact. If you’d like to talk about a travel plan for your organisation, contact our sustainability and transportation specialists.
