The one drawback for many people who are out of shape (a large percent of the country) is that they feel they can’t handle all the hills and could get stuck miles from home pooped out and unable to go any further. The perfect solution for these people is an electric bike or “e-bike”. If you’ve never heard of it it’s basically a regular bicycle with an added battery-powered electric motor.

Like all bikes, they can be ridden on city and country roads, bike paths, and bike lanes. A full-featured e-bike provides 3 modes of use: pedal only (like a regular bike), pedal-assisted (you’re pedaling but the motor’s helping you) and motor only (letting the bike do all the work). If you’ve ever ridden a conventional bike, riding an e-bike will come naturally to you. Here’s a sample of a good one currently on the market: http://www.voltrider.com.

Electric bikes open up cycling to a whole slew of people who would otherwise be driving a car. It’s wrong for cyclists to assume that anyone can ride a bike. Many people would like to, but find it impractical or impossible because of hills, distance, health reasons, knee problems, aging, or even the inconvenience of having to shower and change at work. And if you ever ridden with a little one in a child seat – it can be exhausting. E-bikes suddenly make the joy of biking a whole lot more accessible to the 98% of our population who aren’t cyclists.

I think it’s crazy that the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has no incentives in it for getting people to buy an e-bike.

The single greatest practical option available for the average American to contribute in reducing carbon emissions, our dependence on oil, and traffic on our roadways, while – at the same time – reaping enormous savings on fuel costs, car payments, insurance, and maintenance, is to offer a tax credit to purchasers of modern electric bicycles. Not to mention the physical (and mental) health benefits our nation can realize as a result of transplanting a couch potato’s backside from the sofa to a bicycle seat.

A tax credit of $500 for the purchase of a new lithium ion powered electric bike makes sense will reduce pollution, and bring awareness to the potential of today’s modern electric vehicles.

I especially like the one that folds up and you can carry on your back! Neat!

Kimberly :)