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Thinking of getting an eBike? Steve's Case Study

One of our volunteers Steve shares his experience in getting an eBike loan and what to expect. Read the full story here!

"Spring 2022 and life was beginning to return to some sort of normality after the chaos of Covid. One element of this was that the established routine of working from home was gradually changing to more time back in the office. Time to get back to commuting- but ideally not by car! I work for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and travel from Deanston to the BTO Scotland offices at Stirling University. Cycling to and from work requires carrying a change of clothes, notebooks and a laptop, plus a few other odds and ends (locks, a few spares). Having previously worked at the Stirling Active Travel Hub I knew a wee bit about e-bikes and also about the Energy Saving Trust (EST) loans to help buy an e-bike.

In late April I went on the EST website and registered an interest in applying for an e-bike loan. Work was then incredibly busy and it was a while before I looked into it again. It was lucky I did as my opportunity to apply wasn’t far from expiring (I think you have three months from when you register). I got the ball rolling by downloading the application form and the pleasantly clear instructions and started looking into bikes.

I wanted something comfortable, robust, and winter-ready. A hybrid-type frame would suit me best, and I had a good idea of the type of motor I wanted (a mid-motor Bosch system- the Ford Transit of e-bike motors!). I looked online to get an idea of prices and manufacturers. To get a feel for a bike I visited Roots Cycles in Doune and looked into the options offered by Trek. You don’t have to have a quote or invoice from a bike shop to proceed with a loan, but it’s wise to have a pretty clear idea of the bike you want- and what it costs.

The EST loan is for a maximum of £3,000, payable interest-free for up to four years. Once I had a clear idea of everything I completed and returned the paperwork to EST in early August. At this stage, Roots Cycles had looked out for the bike I was after and were just awaiting confirmation I had successfully received the loan. One hurdle to the application process was that you print and return a hard copy of the pretty lengthy form but you also have to scan and email this back to them as a pdf. As it’s 20+ pages of A4 this could be quite a hassle, but a friend told me about an app for your phone where you take a load of photos of the paperwork and the app makes it into a pdf for you. Once everything was sorted I sent it all off. Within about 10 days I got a phone call saying my application was successful. There was one last simple email to send confirmation and then that was that- I could order my bike!

Now e-bikes are not cheap, and the bike I’d chosen costs a bit more than the £3,000 loan. I just had to make this up myself. There are plenty of very good e-bikes that come in under the threshold. It’s also worth pointing out that if you’re getting an e-cargo bike you can apply for a bigger loan.

Late August 2022 and the bike was ready!

What a beauty. It’s a Trek Allant +7, bought from Roots in Doune. I had to have a bike I could rely on year-round, so mudguards and integrated lights were essential. A rack is necessary for all the stuff I need to carry. The bike has nice wide tyres and a suspension fork- both of which make for a smoother ride on the rough back roads I cycle. The trip is about 9 miles each way, with some exposed areas on the Carse and some steep hills. What are the main excuses not to cycle? Wet? You’ve got mudguards, and decent waterproofs needn’t cost a fortune. Windy? Give it a bit more assistance! Dark? It’s got really good lights and I’ve added a couple of extra front and back. What I’ve noticed is that having a well-kitted-out e-bike has removed 99.9% of the excuses not to cycle! But do you get much exercise? Yes of course you do! And you can choose to get more motor assistance any time you feel the need. You can also turn it off altogether or challenge yourself to ride the whole way with the lowest level of assistance.

Doesn’t it take longer to cycle? Well, yes, but not a whole lot. I often take around 20 minutes to drive. And that’s sitting in the car, doing nothing, taking up space on the road and in car parks and emitting a fair bit of CO2. Cycling takes only 30-35 minutes. I see loads of wildlife on the way, get some good exercise, and I’m moving all the time. As I’m cycling in with motor assistance I don’t arrive at work all hot and sweaty- I can just quickly change into my ‘civvies’ and I’m ready for work. So far this year I’ve done over 400 miles on the bike, not just for commuting but for numerous short trips to the shops, to exercise classes, and for socialising. I commute to the office two days a week, and the bike has very quickly become the default mode of transport to get there. With holidays, snow and ice, and needing the car the odd day I should tally up well over 1,500 miles each year just commuting, never mind the rest of the time myself (or my wife who also uses the bike) use the e-bike.  

There are still a lot of folks that seem to regard e-bikes as ‘cheating’ and I don’t pay attention to that nonsense. I’m still getting exercise and my base fitness has improved. It’s better than driving too! Biking in and especially home helps clear the cobwebs and you arrive home physically tired and mentally more clear-headed.

I’d highly recommend getting an e-bike and the EST loan certainly takes a lot of the sting out of the cost. Go on- go electric!"

If you are also looking to start your eBike journey or are curious to try them out, we offer 3-week taster eBike loans with the full gear.

Get in touch with us!