Street Parking an expensive ebike in London?

biggerbyfar

I'm eyeing up a Trek Super Commuter 8 or 9, which comes in at £3800-4000. I can vaguely justify this to my self by breaking even in under 18months compared to train travel costs, which sometimes also involes TFL hire bike cost at £2 per day. My current commute would be 12 miles each way. The problem is that I don't have a secure parking option at my temporary place of work, which is one of big London Rail Stations

Am I insane to consider parking this kind of bike with a couple of meaty locks on a public bike rack? I'm think of insuring it, sticking a Tile and a gps tracker on it and seeing how it goes....

cooldad

You are joking...

cougie

12 miles each way isn't that far. How about using a normal bike and easing your way into the commute ? You could start with 2 days a week and build up to 4 or 5 ?

You'll still save a packet without paying out the cost of a car.

The Rookie

I doubt it will last out the first day.

12 miles pedaling yourself is far from hard, get a used decent quality hybrid and make it look as shabby as possible.

fat daddy

The Rookie wrote:

make it look as shabby as possible.

If it lasts a couple of months without being nicked, it will naturally look as shabby as possible .... Commuting kills bikes, no way would I ride a £4k bike on my commute even if I had fort Knox to lock it up in.

slowbike

fat daddy wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

make it look as shabby as possible.

If it lasts a couple of months without being nicked, it will naturally look as shabby as possible .... Commuting kills bikes, no way would I ride a £4k bike on my commute even if I had fort Knox to lock it up in.

Oh I dunno ... I quite like riding my best bike (still nowhere near 4k) in to work ... but I have no concerns about security as I bring it into my own office ...
Commuting only wears out bikes if you don't clean them frequently.

fenix

Does anyone in the area offer secure parking ? I've seen places in Salford that do it.

veronese68

I wouldn't.

The Rookie

fat daddy wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

make it look as shabby as possible.

If it lasts a couple of months without being nicked, it will naturally look as shabby as possible .... Commuting kills bikes, no way would I ride a £4k bike on my commute even if I had fort Knox to lock it up in.

My commuter has just passed it's one year point and 1280miles, still looks immaculate. Guess it depends on how much care you take of it.

alan_sherman

Sounds like a new thing for you to commute by bike - hence the e-bike. is it worthwhile getting a cheaper one to see how it goes? Giant and trek do hybrids with e-assist that are half that price and maybe less desirable.

On the other hand that bike costs less than a motorbike and lots of us leave those locked up on the street. Check out NCP and QPark carparks for a little more security.

fenix

http://www.h2bikerun.co.uk/h2-commute/

fat daddy

The Rookie wrote:

My commuter has just passed it's one year point and 1280miles, still looks immaculate. Guess it depends on how much care you take of it.

yeah mine looked fine after 1280 miles as well ..... well apart from the cycle lock up chips and scrapes thanks to my colleagues

The Rookie

fat daddy wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

My commuter has just passed it's one year point and 1280miles, still looks immaculate. Guess it depends on how much care you take of it.

yeah mine looked fine after 1280 miles as well ..... well apart from the cycle lock up chips and scrapes thanks to my colleagues

None of those either!

kingstongraham

Fenix wrote:

http://www.h2bikerun.co.uk/h2-commute/

For £49 in central London, that would be worth it if it was close to your work and you could store clothes there as well.

biggerbyfar

I guess I'll have to see the bike in the flesh and work out how eye-catching it is, or isn't.

Meanwhile it looks like the was some secure bike parking available through the office after all.

I used to commute 5-6 miles and sometimes it felt like a bit of an ordeal, the electric element was supposed to make it more fun and less likely to rock up wide-eyed and dripping.

slowbike

biggerbyfar wrote:

I guess I'll have to see the bike in the flesh and work out how eye-catching it is, or isn't.

Meanwhile it looks like the was some secure bike parking available through the office after all.

I used to commute 5-6 miles and sometimes it felt like a bit of an ordeal, the electric element was supposed to make it more fun and less likely to rock up wide-eyed and dripping.

You need to ride a bit more often then, 5-6 miles is just about a warm up and 10 - 12 miles is generably considered a comfortable commute - assuming it's not up over a mountain

I can (just) recall riding the 9 miles to my girlfriends house for the first time many many moons ago - thinking 'phew that was hard work' - but it was only hard work because I was pushing the pace the whole way. Dispite the gap of not riding for too many years I can do that route far easier now and think nothing of doing 2, 3 times that distance.

And that's not just racing snakes either - I know a "larger" person who used to struggle to do 5 miles who regularly knocks out 15+ miles at a faster pace - still able to talk at the end...

But you do need to want to do it. If you're just seeing cycling as a method of transport to/from work then (IMHO) you're not ready - you need to enjoy the ride or enjoy having done the ride first.

Long_Time_Lurker

To be fair, commuting through London is an ordeal at times. I never considered commuting in Central London to be enjoyable, until I made it to the outskirts and away from the traffic.

dizzydane

Taken from another thread - https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2016 ... ally-work/

fenix

Sobering reading. I can't see a 4 grand bike lasting long.

tangled_metal

Can I suggest a cheap Halfords lock and letting me know where you are locking it up? I'll look after it for you honest injun!

Got to be a wind up. Who's set up another screen name then? Come on own up.

iancalderbank

gor for a folding e-bike and take it into your place of work?