The Train Station/

The Sweat-Less Commute

In this new economy and our heightened awareness of the state of natural resources in the world so many people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and one of the biggest impacts is reducing or cutting , but in our auto-centric landscape that we have created this can be difficult to achive for all but the most avid and dedicated bikers.

If you find you can’t afford to drive your car in this “New Economy” , get yourself a hybrid that uses no gasoline. The two power sources: electricity and your thighs. The current crop of EBikes, the electric-assist bikes that appeal to urban commuters who want an alternative to their car or any other form of transportation that requires them to find parking or buy gas.

For commuters who like the idea of riding a bike to work, but who hate the idea of being sweaty on arrival, Ebikes do just that. The intention here is less on bikes for the spandex crowd and more for those pedaling to a job. Or at least a job interview. These EBikes a great alternative to getting into a car. With improvements in technology (thanks in part to developments on the electric-car front) this trend is moving toward commuters, baby boomers and those who want to shrink their carbon footprints. So when thinking of how to decrease my carbon footprint I thought of cutting out the middle portion of my commute. The small steps do count and as it gets lighter later and warmer during those early mornings you may find me out on the paths more and more.

My A2B Ebike , from UltrMotor, looks very much like a regular bicycle except that it has some very heavy-duty looking components and a wide center stem where its lithium-ion battery (recyclable) is housed. It doesn’t require any kind of license or special permit, as does a motorcycle or scooter. This means that a new buyer could jump on it and get going without any kind of bureaucratic runaround at the DMV .This is also a zero-emissions scooter that just happens to be an electric bike. And the A2B gets lots of attention. When people see me riding it they do a second take and the experience of riding is truly exhilarating.

These bikes are way too much fun. Sure, you can pedal them hard, but faced with a hill on the way home from work, who could resist switching on the juice? My Ebike, the A2B, is extremely easy to ride, stable and solid-feeling. The procedure is simplicity itself. Hop on, turn the key to A or B “on” position, start pedaling and then twist the motorcycle-type throttle and you’re off with lots of zip for climbing hills or cruising at 20 mph. Range is 20 miles, and a full charge takes 3.5 hours. The charger plugs into a wall plug and into a three-point outlet on the side of the bike. And with my new Solar Panels on top of the garage I am really…”riding on Sunshine!”