traingang

I just got an email from Aventon saying that their prices will increase on 11 April in response to the trade war. Almost all elements of ebikes in North America come from China and the price jumps from various vendors are probably going to be extreme.

Having bought one last November, I've ridden it 800km and have only used my car three times since. They solve all of the problems that kept me from wanting to bike commute before and really connected me to the landscape of a city I can now explore without the stress of driving. It's the best purchase I've made, even with a low end model that cost me $200 per month or $1400 total. That's one year of my car insurance and registration fees or one minor repair to my car.

Here's the important consideration. The used car market is fucked and much more expensive than it was a few years ago. The parts for almost every model of car are globally-sourced. Insurance is pulling out of risky markets and raising premiums on everyone else, with mine jumping 25% in a few years. If your car shits the bed during this economic crisis, it's going to be a lot harder to secure reliable transportation and the costs of repairing/maintaining/replacing car parts are going to spike across the board.

I'm anticipating things getting worse for at least a couple years and buying a cargo ebike to fully replace my car and give my partner a backup before that happens. If you're thinking of making the switch this is probably the last week for a while where you can get a decent price. Highly highly recommended.