4 reasons my electric bike is the ideal way to travel

A YEAR ago, a wonderful addition to the family came into our lives. We had been humming and hawing about taking the plunge, but eventually decided that the pros outweighed any potential cons, and so Bici (pronounced Bee-Chee) arrived and became our new pride and joy.

We have had such fun this past year falling in love with Bici and can barely remember life before her.

Bici is not a puppy, a kitten or human baby, but a gorgeous Italian, blue, longtail, electric Bicicapace cargo bike.

It might seem strange to mark the one-year birthday of a mode of transport, but Bici has become such a valued part of family life that it would be rude not to mark the occasion.

Mileage

Over 365 days, Bici has taken us 2,155 kilometres. That’s the equivalent of a road trip from Cork to Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Wexford, Waterford and back to Cork - twice!

It’s hard to believe I can clock up that mileage just dropping and collecting kids from school, going to sports and activities, the office, the library and the supermarket, but we did.

There were two big adventures to Dublin when we put the bike on the train and cycled away from Heuston Station, around Dublin, visiting friends and family for a few days, but really it was the short day-to-day trips that got the odometer ticking.

Short excursions were the very reason I wanted the bike in the first place. I was irritated every time I had to pile two kids into the car when we were travelling tiny distances. Getting stuck in traffic and spending needless time circling for parking spots was annoying. With a cargo bike you can have the kids on board in a jiffy, dodge the traffic, and park right outside your destination.

If I had driven 2,155 kilometres in our family car, it would have taken longer, created more stress and released more than half a tonne of carbon emissions (approximately 0.635 tonnes) into the atmosphere.

I initially hesitated about purchasing the bike, worried it wouldn’t get the use to warrant the outlay, but our year’s mileage dispels all concern.

In fact, I’ve turned into an unofficial Bicicapace promoter - extolling the virtues to anyone I think will benefit from one.

Cargo

Bici can take up to three kids straddling the back seat and 80 litres of shopping or bags in the front carrier. I’ve squeezed full supermarket shops and two kids on at the same time. I’ve transported bags of compost, tins of paint, lengths of bamboo sticks, plants and shrubs. Even a small suitcase!

Inadvisably, I have transported fully grown adults, one tall, distinguished man sat into the rear carrier like it was a chair as I trundled him along, and a not quite as tall woman managed to contort herself into the same position the kids sit in, but with her knees very close to her ears.

Balancing the weight of adults is trickier, but mainly because we were laughing so hard at how funny the setup looked to passers-by.

Fun

‘Life is a journey, not a destination’ is one of my mottos in life, and Bici encapsulates this perfectly. Getting to a destination is fun in itself.

The kids chat, sing songs, comment on all manner of points of interest - cats, dogs, colourful flower displays, concrete mixers, neighbours’ cars, flat tyres, broken windows. The ride is a source of constant entertainment.

Going to school is stress-free, I can drop them at the gates, give them an “embarrassing kissy-wissy” (their words, not mine) and be at my desk in ten minutes.

Getting to big events is a doddle. Cycling to a match in Páirc Uí Chaoímh with flags waving, hailing fellow supporters is a laugh. Rocking up to a large summer event in Fitzy’s Park is easy. No searching for parking spots, no marching complaining children long distances and when you arrive the bike seats work as elevated seating to watch the shows more comfortably. When everything is over, hop on your bike and get home in 20 minutes.

Interactions

Other people are curious about the contraption and it is a source of casual conversation with strangers.

I get compliments about my fitness levels, being able to pedal two kids up Cork’s hills, but when I point out the electric battery admiration levels drop.

Top stranger questions are ‘How long does the battery last?’ and ‘Is it safe?’

It feels safe cycling around our neighbourhood haunts of Glasheen, Ballyphehane, Togher, and the city centre. Drivers are mostly cautious and courteous, and because I can go faster than a push bike (top speed 25 km/hr) I don’t hold up the traffic for very long.

That said, I’m never going to cycle on the South Douglas Road again - drivers accelerated at crazy speeds to overtake me - with very little room to spare.

Also, because of the battery power, I’m happy to take a slightly longer, but quieter, route to avoid busy roads. And there are plenty of bike routes that I didn’t even know existed until cycling along a safe path became a priority because of my precious cargo.

To the question of how long the battery does last, I offer an Irish response - it depends! - on whether you’re cycling up Patrick’s Hill with three kids in the back or sailing along the flat of the Carrigrohane Road.

I probably charge the bike once a week and that takes us everywhere we need to go.

So, Happy Birthday, Bici! Here’s to many more years cycling around Cork together!