A Metro Vancouver man says his decision to rely on an electric bike instead of driving a gas-guzzling car has led to not just physical but financial benefits as well.
Tim Yzerman, 44, started riding an e-bike in 2005 after purchasing his first one through the UBC electric bike club.
“I’m definitely an early adopter of e-bikes,” he said. “I wanted to have a cheaper way more to get to stay fit, get exercise and do a cheap way to commute.”
“Substantial” savings
Since then, Yzerman has been commuting via e-bike from Surrey to his Burnaby job, which he said has been “pretty good” (aside from dodging some bad drivers). However, he does admit that some routes can be challenging for other e-bike users, depending on where they live.
Over the years, Yzerman has remained an avid e-bike user after getting married and raising his two children.
Yzerman and his wife got rid of one of their two cars in 2013, and the savings were “quite substantial,” he said.
“My wife wasn’t working anymore either,” he added. “Going down to one car allowed us to save potentially $10,000 a year, and that really helped out financially and allowed [my wife] to be a stay-at-home mom ever since.”
Courtesy Tim Yzerman
E-bike challenges
However, owning an e-bike came with its own set of challenges.
Complications arise when Yzerman and his wife need to use their car for different purposes, such as camping, recreational activities or social events.
“So often, I’ve carpooled with my friends,” he said. “So there’s a bit of you having to rely on others.”
Despite scheduling issues that might arise, Yzerman said he and his wife are dedicated to planning around one vehicle.
“So far, we’re making it work.”
Courtesy Tim Yzerman
Yzerman tells Daily Hive that there is no urgency to own a second car again, but if life changes and the family is required to rely on the car more, they might consider it.
Last year, Yzerman applied for the BC e-bike rebates but said he was waitlisted and has yet to hear back.
“I would have liked to have bought a new bike, but I just have delayed that purchase,” he said.