I love the idea of this article but have issues with the opening stats and making the comparison that riding even an expensive bike is "way, way cheaper than a car". I acknowledge that there is a ton of nuance here, including whether the commuter is replacing a vehicle altogether or only partially, but I think the comparison needs to be more realistic in terms of what type of car (if any) this sort of bike may be replacing, how often it's getting used and who is doing it.
If you look at only partially replacing the vehicle with a bike then the stats change somewhat in terms of fuel and parking, and maybe only a little bit in terms of maintenance and depreciation. If you replace the vehicle altogether then we're cooking and a lot of money can be saved. That's where I see the rub though. How many people are going to give up a car altogether in favour of a commuter bike unless they are fully bought into the idea of doing more for the environment and their fitness and are willing to give up a lot of convenience? There's also the storage and getting in/out of the home with something like this. Lastly, there's a time cost. The actual road time may be equivalent or faster by bike, but the prep time can double the overall commute. Add more time if it's raining.
That said it's a cool looking rig and I've been considering something like this for a while. I already commute by bike on avg 50% of the time and have in the past used a Chariot trailer to haul tools around when doing reno work. A proper electric cargo bike would make that a lot more feasible and be an option for trail building too. When you get creative it's impressive what you can haul by bike, and cargo bikes like the Globe just expand the possibilities.
Jan. 7, 2025, 5:44 p.m. - Mark
I love the idea of this article but have issues with the opening stats and making the comparison that riding even an expensive bike is "way, way cheaper than a car". I acknowledge that there is a ton of nuance here, including whether the commuter is replacing a vehicle altogether or only partially, but I think the comparison needs to be more realistic in terms of what type of car (if any) this sort of bike may be replacing, how often it's getting used and who is doing it. If you look at only partially replacing the vehicle with a bike then the stats change somewhat in terms of fuel and parking, and maybe only a little bit in terms of maintenance and depreciation. If you replace the vehicle altogether then we're cooking and a lot of money can be saved. That's where I see the rub though. How many people are going to give up a car altogether in favour of a commuter bike unless they are fully bought into the idea of doing more for the environment and their fitness and are willing to give up a lot of convenience? There's also the storage and getting in/out of the home with something like this. Lastly, there's a time cost. The actual road time may be equivalent or faster by bike, but the prep time can double the overall commute. Add more time if it's raining. That said it's a cool looking rig and I've been considering something like this for a while. I already commute by bike on avg 50% of the time and have in the past used a Chariot trailer to haul tools around when doing reno work. A proper electric cargo bike would make that a lot more feasible and be an option for trail building too. When you get creative it's impressive what you can haul by bike, and cargo bikes like the Globe just expand the possibilities.