The portable green travel companion

Do you ever have to go into the city? I'll bet that most of you either drive a car or catch public transport. Why not ride a bike?

Lets think about the main reasons that people don't ride a bike more often:
- "The journey is too long"
- "There is nowhere to get changed when I arrive"
- "I don't have enough time"
- "I don't feel comfortable riding on the Freeway"

Now look at the reasons riding is preferable to driving:
- It's faster to get through a congested city
- It's more fun
- Parking is much easier
- Parking is much cheaper (free)
- I can take the shortcuts
- I don't have to pay the toll on the bridge or motorway

You can see there are advantages to both driving and riding, so why not do both? With a folding electric bike you can pop the bike in the boot of your car and drive part of the way to the city. You can park somewhere safe and cheap that is only a short bike ride away, and use the folding electric bike to zip through the congested part without having to pay any tolls. Once you are there fold up the bike and take it with you to the office or your meeting. And because the bike is electric assisted, you wont be tired and sweaty so you wont need to get changed - thereby eliminating one of the major reasons that people don't ride bikes to work more often.

This logic applies whether you are commuting to work, going to the beach, or going to a special event. Your 'instant transport' can sit in the boot of your car until you need it and in less than 30 seconds you can be on your way on the next (and now most fun) part of your journey.

Read my lens on The top 10 reasons to buy an electric bike for more great reasons to ride an electric bike.

For many, the ultimate dream is to tour around the country in a motor home. See what you want to see, do what you want to do. Complete freedom - or is it? Imagine that you have just arrived at your ultimate campsite. You have parked your motorhome, set up for the night and you are enjoying the magnificent view of the lake. Must be time for a cup of tea or coffee before you go fishing, read a book, take some photos...you get the idea.

But you realise that you have run out of milk!

You now have a choice. You can either:
1. Drink your coffee or tea without milk (good for some but not for everybody)
2. Pack everything up and head back up the road to the general store you saw 5 km down the road, or
3. Go for a long walk, hoping the milk won't go off before you come back to your campsite.

If you had a folding electric bike (instant transport), you can hop on the bike and head down the road. You will be back in less than half an hour ready to enjoy your cuppa and get on with your day. The folding electric bike is the perfect addition to your caravan or motorhome - it just makes sense.

Most couples can get by with one car for most of the time, but there is always the time where you need to go different ways. It may not happen often enough to justify having two cars, but it is inconvenient just the same. Your problems may be solved if you had a folding electric bike tucked away in the hall cupboard. That is, unless you argue about who gets to ride the bike!

You can't get through a lens on electric bikes without touching on their incredible ability to save you money over the cost of running a car or catching public transport. Lets examine our earlier example of parking somewhere safe and cheap and riding the rest of the way. Assume a 5 km trip.

I'll base this calculation on Sydney but similar numbers will apply to most major cities. All the costs are based on travelling the last 5km of the trip.

Option 1 - Drive all the way. You will incur Bridge Toll ($4), parking ($25++), plus petrol (10km @ 15c per km = $1.50). Total = $30++.

Option 2 - Drive to free parking spot and bike from there. Given that an electric bike will cost about 20 cents for a 40km charge, the cost of riding the last 5 km each way would be about 5 cents.

Given that Option 1 will raise your stress levels and take longer it's a no brainer that you wouldn't drive if you had a folding electric bike in the boot.

Since we're talking about folding electric bikes, lets look at some of the things you should look for if you buy one:

Easy to fold - Shouldn't take more than 3 easy steps or 30 seconds to fold.

Lightweight - Remember you will be lifting it in and out of your car or cupboard.

Lithium or LiFePO4 battery - The key is light weight and longevity. Lithium is good, LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phospate) is best as it is much more stable and lasts a lot longer. (think global financial crisis - need to maximise your dollar investment).

Simple controls - Life doesn't need to be complicated. A throttle to go, brakes to stop, easy to fold and unfold. Don't bother with gears unless you really need them.

Easy maintenance - As above, the more you have the more you have to adjust. Particularly so for folding bikes as they get folded, unfolded, and packed away regularly. Keep it simple.

A wide comfortable seat - Let's face it you won't be doing the Tour de France so there is no need to pretend that you are. Go for comfort.