News on Surrey's Greener Future

As we approach Cycle to Work Day on 4th August, our latest guest blogger - Surrey County Councillor Paul Deach - shares his experiences of taking the plunge from car to electric bike.

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In October last year, I spoke to an environmental motion to a full council meeting and committed to send my car back to the lease company and buy an eBike to become my primary mode of transport from January 2022.

It was a scary undertaking at the time because I rely on transport to get me around quite a wide area in Surrey for my job and council commitments. My job requires some equipment that I have to carry around, and at the time not as physically fit. My family thought I was mad.

The main reason I made this decision was that I know that if I am to encourage residents to try active travel as a means to replace some (not all) car journeys credibly, I need understand all the barriers and pain points.

In early January this year (2022) I took delivery of an eBike, and a week later, my car returned to the lease company, so there was no going back.

The pain points I mentioned earlier; I experienced many of those almost immediately. After only a week of owning my eBike, the batter developed a fault. Because I had purchased my bike directly from a reputable manufacturer, I was not worried about it as I knew they would send me a replacement part under warranty. Or at least I thought that's what would happen. But because of global supply chain and shipping issues, I still had not received the replacement part after four months. After only a few weeks of the manufacturer confirming they would send me a replacement part, I realised I was not getting it soon. So I decided to buy another eBike to keep it as a spare in case I have such issues again in the future. That bike served me well, but it was a much cheaper one and not suitable as a primary mode of transport. I returned the first bike to the manufacturer in May 2022 and got a full refund.

The biggest lesson (or pain point) that I learned so that resid ents don't have to is to always buy an eBike from a specialist and reputable local eBike store. This is because they can advise you on the right bike for your needs and will be able to solve any issues you might encounter quickly as they will have good availability of parts. While this way of buying your bike might be a little more expensive, you will not regret it, especially if something goes wrong.

I ended up buying the bike I should have purchased in the first place from Spokes of Bagshot. I test-rode three eBikes before deciding to buy the one I settled on, and I could not be happier with my purchase.

There have been some other less stressful pain points that I have experienced, such as getting caught out in the rain and cold weather without the appropriate clothing for the conditions. I have learned that if you can keep your extremities warm such as your head, face, neck, torso & hands, dry and warm, no matter how cold it gets, it is not at all awful.

I was a little concerned about having the confidence to ride on main roads but soon discovered that there are more cycle paths/routes than I thought in Surrey. While there is still some work to be done by the council on cycle routes, it is possible to make most journeys on cycle paths, off-road or back streets and avoid most main roads. I have found that Google Maps is the best resource for planning cycle routes.

I can often do many of my work commutes entirely off the road. I live in Deepcut; therefore, I am fortunate to have the Basingstoke Canal practically on my doorstep. Two of my largest clients are in Woking, which means I can hop onto the towpath from my house and cycle directly to my clients without touching any roads.

My other concern was that some of my commutes involve significant distances, even for an eBike. For instance, County Hall is in Reigate. That would involve a 66-mile ride, round trip, which would take about 3 hours each way. That is not viable, but I quickly discovered I could take my bike on virtually any train in the County. My nearest station with a direct train to Reigate is Farnborough North which, from my door to the platform, is a 12-minute bike ride. From Reigate Station to County Hall is about a 15-minute ride. Not only is this a cheaper way to get to County Hall than driving, but it is also quicker.

Over the two-year term of my car lease, I have worked out that it cost at least £11k, including all the running costs. I also have to hand it back to the lease company at the end of the term.

The eBike is not without its running costs; after the initial price of the bike, it costs about £0.15 to charge from empty to full. I'll get about a 30-mile range on that. The bike also has some consumables as any other vehicle would. For instance, to maintain it, I have to lube the drivetrain, and it's a good idea to keep it clean to reduce wear and tear on things like the cassette and chain. I still have the first bottle of lube and cleaning fluid that I bought in January total cost about £18.00. I have also probably spent about £300 on other essentials like clothing, helmet, lock and tools. I had to replace the chain after about 650 miles. That cost £35 for the chain and labour. I have also purchased dedicated bike insurance for about £130 per year. All in all significantly cheaper than the lease car.

But the most significant benefit is the sheer joy cycling has brought me. I have discovered amazing things in my community that I did not know existed or certainly did not fully appreciate. It has had a profoundly positive effect on my well-being, in particular my mental health. Overall, I am happier, healthier and have a lot more money in my pocket.

I also feel good that I am positively impacting the environment, and there is one less car on our busy roads.

To follow my eBike experiences, check out my Facebook page at facebook.com/DeepcutDeach