Pedal bike, electric bike or moped/scooter?

[JHE]

I am thinking of getting a moped or scooter to commute to work. The journey is about eight miles each way, which is further than I want to cycle in the early morning.

Doing a bit of Googling to see prices, I've come across information about electric bikes. I'd never heard of them before. I read that, though they have little electric engines, they are classed as bicycles and so you do not need 3rd party insurance and you do not have to pay road tax. Allegedly, the batteries are cheap to recharge, too. Has anyone here got any experience of these things? Are electric bikes a good idea? Are the running costs really very low?

Also, could someone who knows about scooters/mopeds please give me an idea of how much a scooter/moped would cost to tax, insure and fill with fuel? About how many miles do you get to the litre? Are there any big disadvantages to mopeds/scooters?

 

[Zaskar]

I ahve a gilera 180 scooter - more a 'performance' model than a eco tool - 85mph, rinses cars up to 30mph, 80 to 100 mpg.

Insurance 100 to 200, tax 30 ish i think.

My friend has an electric scooter ( looks like a sliimmed down moped) that he got for 250 quid - 20mpg, 30 mile range. He swears by it.

Recharging costs really are tiny - pennies.

 

[Boycey]

just stay away from electric motor assisted bicycles- they are the preserve of the mentally challenged. tbh 8 miles either way isn't that far, my ride to college is 7 and takes about 40 minutes.

i don't know too many specifics about scooter insurance but i do know that living in a "low crime area" and having a garage/off street parking is a big bonus, as is not being 17-24 years old

a courier company i used to work for bought a couple of electric scooters, the riders liked the "no petrol" angle, they disliked the speed. i often saw them being pushed or crawling at 5mph.

 

[Orang Utan]

Don't be lazy - get a normal bike

 

[Zaskar]

Don't be lazy - get a normal bike

Dont be lazy, saw your legs off at the knees and crawl... ;-)

 

[gentlegreen]

My cycle ride is only 4 miles and mostly off-road - though it includes a river valley and I'm a fat old git.
It's mostly psychology - music helps enormously. - and additional miles are easier.

What's the geography of the route ?

How long would the journey be on a motorcycle ?

Just think how annoyingly fit you would be.

 

[JHE]

Thanks for the info, Zaskar. The scooter option is looking more and more appealing. I'll probably come back to this thread to ask for more info and advice after I've read around to see what's available and how much things cost to buy.

Left Turn Clyde, it is not only a matter of laziness - though I admit that is part of it. It's also about two other things. If I had to exert myself to cycle eight miles in the morning, I'd arrive at work sweaty. (I wouldn't mind the exertion or sweatiness going home.) There's no shower available at work, so I'd be all sweaty and smelly all day. That could be unpleasant for me and the people I work with. It's also a matter of time. If I had a decent moped I think I could probably get to work in 15-20 minutes door to door. By bicycle it'd take me about an hour, I think, which is the same as it takes me now by public transport (including the walk at each end). It would be useful to be able to leave home 40-45 minutes later than I do now.

 

[JHE]

What's the geography of the route ?

Lots of it is nice and flat - but there are some rather daunting hills, too. In the case of a couple of the hills, I would have to be much fitter than I am now to cycle up them. When cycling nowadays, I get off the bike and walk when I get to difficult bits. (That's why I think the journey would probably take me an hour each way.)

You are, of course, absolutely right that if I cycled to work and stuck to it, I would get a lot fitter after a while - but I don't really want to use my commuting as an exercise programme. At the moment, a bit of regular but gentle swimming is my route to becoming less of a slob.

 

[moon]

I commute 25 miles per day on an electric mountain bike, it gets me up the hills and into work without being totally knackered and covered in sweat.

I still get lots of exercise as its a ped assist, have lost about a stone in 3 months...its the best thing I've ever bought imo

I could never have done the journey every day on normal bike.

I get about 45 miles per 10p charge and assistance upto 15mph in ped assist mode, it has a throttle only mode which takes you up to 20 mph but i rarely use that.

I think its a great way to get car drivers onto bikes as many people have bought them as an alternative to a new car.

lots of I's there hehe

 

[mauvais]

I ride ten miles each way (35 mins, though it'd be much longer for a new cyclist), and I just keep a full change of clothes at work. There are showers but I don't bother and I hope I don't stink.

A good, reliable bike should help you up hills - it's almost all psychological, a bit of technique, then a very small amount of physical work.

 

[salem]

I work in quite a few different places and used to cycle to some and get the tube/bus to others but as I was often spending an hour+ each way on the tube+bus and the cycling was leaving me real sweaty without shower facilities decided to get a scooter.

I picked up a vespa from gumtree for £700, another £280 to insure (TPO but that includes business use and I'm 23, male and only have a CBT) and another £150 or so for a helmet, gloves and jacket.

It is by far the best money I've ever spent. Even though it's just a standard 10 year old automatic jobbie it is unbelievably fun to ride around on. Very very fast - I work all over and generally a trip that would have taken over an hour by tube now takes 20mins or so. And my travel costs are now a couple of quid on petrol and a fiver on the oyster card for when I'm out drinking rather then £20/week on the oyster before.

It's really liberating too, I'll often decide to pop out for lunch without much idea of where to go and then end up spending an hour exploring London until I find the 'right' place with no worry about being tired on the way back.

The only thing I miss is friends to ride around with and it's a bitch if you meet someone, decide to have a pint and then have to either leave the bike and collect it the next day or take it home before drinking, where as if your on a bicycle - fill yer boots.

 

[moon]

it's almost all psychological

And thats where the problem is, its the thought of cycling home after a hard days work and tackling hills that keeps most people off their bikes.

 

[gentlegreen]

I ride ten miles each way (35 mins, though it'd be much longer for a new cyclist), and I just keep a full change of clothes at work. There are showers but I don't bother and I hope I don't stink.

A good, reliable bike should help you up hills - it's almost all psychological, a bit of technique, then a very small amount of physical work.

After 20 years it still takes me 25 minutes to do my 4.2 miles.
Mostly due to sharing my route with other human beings.

I get a bit sweaty, but it only takes me a couple of minutes with a couple of flannels and some shower gel in the executive washroom and I smell sweeter than a good many non-cyclists I encounter.

 

[gentlegreen]

And thats where the problem is, its the thought of cycling home after a hard days work and tackling hills that keeps most people off their bikes.

Music.

Makes cycling into a twice daily rave.

(my commiserations for those who aren't into repetitive beats)

 

[salem]

And thats where the problem is, its the thought of cycling home after a hard days work and tackling hills that keeps most people off their bikes.

Yeah I agree there. I think that this is where those schemes to have bikes available on the streets are great. So if you have had a really tiring day, just jump on a bus or whatever.

 

[salem]

Music.

Makes cycling into a twice daily rave.

(my commiserations for those who aren't into repetitive beats)

See I like the idea of that but would never consider doing it on the roads in a million years.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

I do a 17 mile round trip to work on a 100cc scooter plus the odd shopping trip. Keeps up with the traffic nicely in town (mostly rural route tbh) and spend £5.50 a week on petrol. Insurance is just under £200 including personal accident cover and legal, road tax £15.00. No parking problems

The downside is I get bloody cold in winter!

I'm considering getting a folding bike and cycling/bussing to work, at least when the daylight returns. Then if the day was particularly exhausting I could get on the bike knowing I don't have to do the whole trip and would get round the initial fitness considerations.

 

[fredfelt]

Check if your company is part of the cycle to work scheme where you can save 50% on the cost of a new bike if you are PAYE. This may include electric bikes

If you do go electric I imagine a big down side is that you do not get warm through exercise. It will probably be very cold on a winters morning. There is an electric bike shop in Oxford if you are near these parts.

Personally I don't understand electric bikes, unless you are old or frail. I reckon very soon you'll be faster on a human powered bike - I regularly pass a commuter on an electric bike on my cycle to work.

UK ones are limited to 15mph, but I think if you want a faster one you might be able to import one...

 

[zenie]

On electric bikes you can pedal to keep you warm though, the electric is just meant to assist isn't it?

 

[moon]

Personally I don't understand electric bikes, unless you are old or frail.

or lazy

 

[JHE]

More advice sought from moped/scooter people:

- How easy and quick is it to sort out road tax and insurance?

The situation at the moment is that I'm tempted to buy a second hand scooter that is about 10 miles from where I live. If I buy it, I'd like to go and collect it and ride it home, but I don't want to risk getting done for riding it illegally.

(Or should I run that small risk just to get the scooter home and then sort things out over the following week?)

 

[T & P]

The first thing you should get is insurance, which can be done right away over the phone. So long as you have the reg number and provide some basic info they should insure you right away. It doesn't really matter if the paperwork takes a few days. Bennetts usually works out cheapest for me.

You can get your tax disc online nowadays, but so long as you have applied for it by post or online (you will need the insurance policy number) it's okay AFAIK to be without a disc for a few days. You can put a note saying 'disc in the post' in the disc holder if you want, but even if you got a ticket you'd have it cancelled when you show you have applied for a disc. I've seen plenty of bikes with an expired disc or not at all, and IME wardens don't seem to be arsed to check them very often. However many CCTV and police cars scan number plates automatically so you might want to make sure you are on record as having applied for a disc when the bike first goes on the road.

 

[JHE]

Thanks!