The power of ebikes

Ebike subsidy is a no brainer – why can’t the Government see that?

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Blimey, do I love cycling. This week I've ridden 15 miles in my lunch break on a friend's cargo bike, collecting second-hand garden furniture (I'm trying to cut my carbon footprint). I've also spent three hours after work riding off-road through Epping Forest with a women's and gender-variant's 'gravel club', laughing and weaving between the trees in the growing dusk. Add to that riding my cheap commuter bike across town with a heavy bag, leaving the bike at the station overnight and returning home the next day. Finally, I've also ridden my big pink ebike 20 miles back and forth across central London one day, running errands and social engagements in searing 30°C+heat.

Of all of these positive, practical and joyful experiences, the ebike is among the financially hardest for most people to access, with prices starting at around £1,000 - putting them out of reach of many. This includes the self employed, jobseekers and retired people, who aren't eligible for tax-free bikes under the Cycle to Work scheme.