Technology is changing the way we commute and every year new options arrive in the market making it easier for us to commute. Electric scooters and bikes are on the rise. A lot of people are shifting from using traditional vehicles to using these two devices. Electric scooter VS bike share a lot of similarities and they’re within the same price range, that’s why some people get confused when making decisions between the two. In this post, we’ll take a look at their similarities and differences so that you can figure out which one is best for your daily activities.
Electric Scooter Vs Bike
Cost
This is one of the important aspects to consider when choosing between the two. Both of them aren’t really that expensive, a decent electric scooter or a bike will cost roughly between $300-$500. You can even find more durable and sturdy ones costing $1000-$5000 or even more. With $500 you’ll find a good value for your money when choosing either an electric scooter or a bike.
A lot of people however still consider the price to be high. They hardly complain about the price of cars where the average car cost about $36,000. This is just your average car price and we’re not even talking about maintenance, fuel, tax, and insurance.
I understand a car provides more comfort and safety, and they’re no way comparable with electric scooters and bikes. I’ll tell you that if you’re not traveling long distances you’ll be more comfortable riding an electric scooter or a bike. The maintenance for both is only a tiny fraction of what it will cost for a car or a motorcycle.
Both electric scooters and bikes come with extra accessories like a helmet and other gadgets which will make the devices more comfortable and user-friendly.
Servicing
Servicing and maintenance is also another aspect to consider because every device will require maintenance and servicing.
A bike will require more servicing than an electric scooter. When it comes to bikes you can do the servicing yourself or you should expect to pay $50-$100 annually if you’re to service at a bike shop.
On the other hand, electric scooters, they hardly require servicing. You’ll end up replacing some components, and one of the things you’ll replace often is the chain tube, which will cost around $15.
Durability
A bike will definitely win the race when it comes to durability because it can last for at least five years or even more depend on how you’re maintaining it. On the other hand, an electric scooter will last for only 2 years. Also, the life of your battery can show a significant drop within some months. If you want something that can last for years, you should consider a bike as your option.
Range
For electric scooters, the battery is one important factor to consider since each battery installed has a certain miles range. Most scooters will last for only one hour on a single charge, but this can cover up to 10 miles or more depending on your speed. Basically, you can use an electric scooter if your mile range is no more than 5 miles so that you can go and come back. Unless you have access to charging the scooter at your destination. But the good news is that most scooters will allow you to ride the pedals even if you run out of charge. That can still be tiresome to some people especially if they have to cover
long distance before getting back home.
With bikes, there are no limitations since you’re not using any batteries. If you like you can ride all day long provided your bike is in a good state. For bikes, it just depends on how you’re willing to suffer. A lot of people have covered hundreds of kilometers on their bikes without any problem. All you need is a little rest when you’re tired before you continue with your journey.
Comfortability
Without going into deep research on this one, you probably guess electric scooters is more comfortable. You won’t be doing any hard job, assuming you’ll be riding on batteries. For bikes, it takes a lot of effort to ride through your destinations. You’ll suffer a lot when covering long distances.
On another note, a bike will help you get in shape, riding a bike is one of the best exercises you can do. A lot of people stick to riding a bike as their exercise routine and they’re well fit. If you don’t mind putting in the work, you can travel around the city to your favorite destinations to save money on transport and at the same time be in shape.
Applicable Laws
Though electric scooters have been around for some time now still a lot of states and cities are still working on drafting applicable laws for electric scooters. Some have already amended the laws. Singapore for example requires that you obtain a driving license before you begin riding around the city. The best way to ensure you abide by the rules is to check for the local rules in your area, this way you’re safe.
Bikes have fair rules since they have been around since the beginning of technological advancements. You’re required to wear a helmet and some areas are restricted to bike riders plus some rules that you can check in your local area.
Electric Scooter Vs Bike – Which One Is The Best?
You’ve now seen some of their similarities and differences and it all comes down to your choice. Our recommendation is that if you’re going to cover more than 5km, you should use a bike since you don’t need to worry about charging any battery. But if you’ll cover less than 5km, you can definitely go with a scooter, you can go and come back safely on a single charge since we already mentioned that scooters on average can cover 10km on a single charge. If you however don’t mind riding with the pedals, you can still cover more distances without any worries.
That’s it for the post, let us know your best choice and why you choose any of these two electric scooters vs bike devices in the comments below.