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April 16, 2009
My Electric Bike
Hey, I'll bet you have been wondering about my electric bike, and how it's been getting along. Well, you know, it's doing really well. This winter it was doing some weird stuff like just dying while I was blissfully riding along. I replaced the batteries at a cost of about $90 and now it seems to be running really well again.
The plan to recharge the batteries every other day in order to not let them run down too far seems to really work. The batteries which were replaced were at least a year old, maybe older. So, whereas the amount of electricity the bike uses is pretty insignificant, there is a cost for the batteries it goes through. Still, you're talking maybe $100 - $125 per YEAR for batteries and electricity. Yeah, how many tanks of gas does your non-green vehicle require in a year? When the gas prices go back up, this will look even better.
Here are a few things to consider about the long term ownership of this bike. I bought it about 8 years ago for $850. Replacing it with a similar bike would cost about $2000 today. It is totally obsolete, out of production. Parts might be available at the bike shop where it was purchased, but that is pretty hit and miss. Any major problems will probably spell the end of the road for it. Chain, tires, gears, brakes, and so forth are all standard items and can be easily replaced.
I saw this awesome scooter that cost $8,000 for a new one. It seemed like a good replacement for the old electric bike. The financing of the scooter, though, made me think again. Insurance: $250/yr; parking sticker: $50/yr; gas: $100/yr(?? a guess)--- so about $400/yr, or $30-$35/month without considering anything toward the purchase price. Hmmm, well, as long as the old electric bike hangs on, I'm sticking with that option. But the scooter is a close second! 
Posted by rossm at April 16, 2009 3:59 PM
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