E-bikes are fantastic and the more people we can get out of cars and on them the better. Lots of people saying use your legs you don’t need one look at the bigger picture.
Came to the same conclusion end of 2019, bought myself an Orbea Gain F30 (converted to drop bar last year) and used it to get to work. Well, for a short time only obviously. But it uses the same motor concept and you put in quite a lot of work yourself. I quite like it, maybe I can even use it for its intended purpose one of these days. The time for roughly 20km is the same as with the car, considering going into the car park, getting it out and so on. In my mind, the extra effort is worth the cost on the environment and personal fitness that comes with commuting by car. Since most of the time I am only transporting myself and nothing else anyway.
Indeed. My workplace has two of those. A Black one and one in the same spec as Manon's. Not sure who drives them though but it's always in the carpark.
Well, she does come from a car family - her father does stage rally and she has been his navigator (from her "presenter profile" video from a few years ago).
In Sweden they found that emergency calls for heart related issues in the larger cities dropped considerably when people started to work from home and they attributed to rush hour stress in traffic weren't present.
I'm waiting for the data on how air quality and environmental damage etc has changed during this epidemic. I have to think that the many less cars, planes etc that have been travelling have had to have had a huge effect on things but I would really like to know exactly what and how things have changed.
@@itarry4 It isn't the cars you need to worry about as much as the vans, HGVs and everything else with an unrefined diesel engine. My office windows get covered in black soot at a remarkable rate compared to a few years ago.
Got the 2019 merida ninety six 4000 last year, and it's a very good bike. It can do anything from base training on the road, to some fun laps in the bike park. I recommend it as a do-it-all mountain bike for roadies. Just make sure to put some grippier tires on, as the Maxxis Ikons suck.
It's hilarious watching this as someone who lives in Bristol. Ollie's going back and forth on the same roads to get the shots. At 7:35 he's heading back out of town!
This is very disappointing to hear...We deserve a clarification from GCN. Everyone please try to like the comment by @Drew Mac so that we can get some answers
@@oadka best way to determine is to check their strava! but perhaps they could have done the race without much shots taken (because it is a race after all), and they did the shots after the race!
Very true man it washes away everything and clears your mind after a stressful day and when you hop in a cold or hot shower at the end of the day it's the best feeling ever.
i thought it was funny they made a big deal of the car getting stuck at lights when supposedly they were on the same route so the bike would get stuck too. altho i spose the bike always filters up when caught by a light.
@@cho4d got you. In the city I live there are tons of lights where you can pass through the legit way on a bicycle dunno how "legit" it is in the UK atm
On a hilly route i would agree with you, but on a flat route after 25kph you now have a dead heavy bike to ride that is now laughing at you as it is no longer giving you anything lol. Unless they put the speed of the bikes up to 35 kph ass, for the vast amount of cyclists they are useless. I know for the vast amount that do buy these bikes 25 kph is ok for them, but for those of us that can ride faster that that on the flats don't want to then have to lump that weight around trying now to keep up with our faster riding buds.
@@robertjohnston5842 I use an e bike, well I will when it finally arrives, it's called Campagnolo Chorus. I thought brexit would get rid of the 15 mph limit, but no, it came from blighty.
@@sandydennylives1392 I agree that 15 mph is fast enough for some cyclists, but i guess for those of us that can go faster than that on our own need not apply for an ele ass bike unless we live in among mountains lol.
@@robertjohnston5842 You can get 'em modded but finding a steel frame for long term reliability is not cheap. I guess the brompton is a good option as 15 mph on small wheels seems quite fast. I like ze challenge of the 'tains , my new racer when it arrives will have 36x34, which will be ample. I live in a 'tain free land by and large, with only a few steepies so at the mo their pointless.
Watching Manon in traffic reminds me of my own frustrations with driving and how much better I feel riding my bike or just walking. One thing is certain: I will be driving a lot less going forward. Thanks for the vid!👍🏾
That is a terribly inaccurate quote, and commuting around a busy city in a car has been a terrible idea for years. Meanwhile I drove 90 miles to Salisbury in an hour and a half (with all my luggage obviously), spent the whole weekend walking everywhere, and then drove back in an hour and a half. Good luck doing that on an e-bike.
@@Rover200Power I don't think anyone is trying to say that an e-bike is a direct replacement for a car, just that it makes sense for many people's commutes.
@@Rover200Power In that scenario an electric motorbike would do it faster than the car (filtering +pwr to wgt ratio) unless your a goody two shoes sticking to speed limits. I guess you will always get more luggage in a car.
Always great to see Ollie and Manon on videos together! They make a great team! The stress of driving to work is definitely not one I look forward to when we will get asked to come back to the office in the summer...cannot use a bike unfortunately...I am much happier and more efficient working from home and cycling outdoors and indoors
I commute to work about 3-4 times a week by ebike and it’s a perfect compromise. Just don’t think about it as a training session and more like a relaxing walk.
Anyone can easily become one. I owned a car before and this is in expensive Singapore. My wife saw that I turned into some kind of unrecognizable beast behind the wheel. It all disappeared and never seen again when I gave up car ownership. The only cars I drive now are rentals when I'm on vacation in another country and I hardly drive into the city on vacation.
I'm in Canberra Australia and the number of e-bikes and scooters that have appeared in the last year is huge. I'd rather people use their own muscle power to get around, but at least there are less cars and more people out and about. It probably helps that Canberra, at least, was barely affected by by Covid compared to most places (124 cases and 3 deaths out of a population of 400,000).
I'd say e-bikes are much better than scooters in my humble opinion. Specially since most of Canberra is hills. Perhaps could switch assistance on and off while commuting. I myself travel to work belco to city with a plain 'ol road/gravel bike.
I have the Orbea Gain that uses this same system and I gotta say I absolutely love it. That being said, I live in FL and the humidity alone makes your a gross sweaty mess just walking to the driveway.
What about the assistance limit at 25Kp/h. Isn't it annoying to lug around the extra 5Kgs compared to a normal gravel bike once you exceed it? I'm curious about the Mahle System as well, but I keep wondering if the extra weight of the system does not hurt more than the 20-30m of assisted drive you get when starting after a stop. Do you find yourself limiting your speed so you stay in the assisted range? Also: How's the motor control as this is purely cadence computed, right? Does it push you for a bit after you've stopped pedalling?
I’ve got the same motor on my Bianchi 👌- what I love is that for probably 80% of my riding I’m pedalling a 12kg bike around at 30k getting a good workout and then when things vertical I’ve got the choice of the magic button or not - great system !!
In the winter - pouring rain, cold weather, and me not giving a single F because i'm in the right gear cruising past everyone stuck in traffic with my e-bike. Never stuck in traffic, effectively no fuel costs, combine 2 necessary tasks of commuting and exercising... efficient as duck.
Exactly, going by car at rush hour is stress, cycling a bike is like vacation before work. Even if biking takes a few minutes more, still much more enjoyable and extra time well spent. I really don't understand why most people still prefer a car for commuting, especially when it is only a few km like 3 or 5km. I mean 50 years ago it was common to show off that you were able to afford a car but this argument is probably gone by now. I guess it is that people never tried to use a bike for commuting and just have in their mind that it is not going to work for them.
Great video! Which is faster is a very individual question. My drive to work is 35-40 minutes each way, the unassisted bike takes me 70 minutes in and 95 back (way home has an unavoidable cat4 and a cat3 climb). US spec ebike drops that to 60 minutes in and 75-80ish back and easily halves the effort riding conservatively. It's a 40 mile round trip, so having an assistance option is a wonderful thing especially on the back end after a 10-12 hour shift. Sure that's still a pretty big difference, but I think I'm on the more extreme side of commuting. End of the day, I ride primarily because I enjoy it. It also just happens to also be more economical, therapeutic, healthy and better for the environment. Would recommend!
I got Cannondale Synapse Neo 3 with a middle Bosh motor a month ago, commuting to work every day 15 kilometres each way on turbo mode all the way, charging every 3rd day, find it very good , easy to ride and never sweat, don’t need a car any more
6:00-Mental well-being. In the past, I suffered from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD). However, since I started communing by bike-share, the 20-30 minutes of sunshine on winter mornings has cured me of SAD. Also, riding a 50 lb bike while wearing a 15-pound backpack helps keep my legs in shape when my mileage decreases in the winter.
The timing of this video is great, I hope it will get more people on bikes when the world returns to something more normal. GCN is really living up to their goal of promoting bike riding
I'm already commuting by bike and it's amazing! Although it may take me +20 minuts more on good days, it is faster on bad days. The best of all is how happy I arrive at work compared to how stressed I was when commuting by bike. Plus, you arrive at home with your cardio done!👌🏻
I'm glad that you mentioned door to door time, it is usually ansolutely terrible in public transport. For me bike 25min, car 25-30min, and public trasport takes more like 50 minutes (30min in a tram, but I have to walk a bit and wait for it). Also, nice i30n.
I just got my second bike (a giant luxury in NYC) for commuting. I am riding 2x7 miles every day and even these short rides are improving my fitness level. Plus it's so much better to ride out my daily stress. Extra bonus, you can meet with good looking cycling girls ;)
I used to live in Toronto. I could get anywhere I needed to go faster by bike than by either transit or car. I really enjoyed bike commuting, unless it was pouring rain or snowing.
One thing I would be worried about with E-bike commuting is traffic trying to pass you or cutting you off in potentially dangerous scenarios where they don't realize you are going 20+mph.
I commute to and from work each day and I love it, it’s the mental and physical health benefits I love the most . I’d like to know the cost difference between maintaining a bike vs maintaining a car for commuting
The video has some very good points. I myself ride my bike more than my car which I love to leave parked under ground. That being said you neglected to to bring up seasons in this video and locations where we get significant snow and ice In winter and yes I live in Canada where you like to joke about how we discuss and post the weather we get FYI I do get a chuckle out of it . And although I do my best to ride when pathways are cleared it’s still potentially dangerous to your self and other people who use the road. Still many good points just. felt it was lacking regardless all factors. Still would highly recommend riding to work. Even on the snow had to put that in for you folks. Thanks for making this one
Once raced through Bath to demonstrate why bikes trump cars in towns or cities. My dad and I had just come off Two Tunnels and he reckoned he could drive to maccas in Southgate faster than I can ride it. Fortunately for him he told me what he wanted because by the time he showed up his order was almost ready. Bath is such a great city for fast, technical urban rides.
I ride my aero race bike (Avanti Corsa DR2) to work. Door to door it's actually faster than the car even with pretty faff free parking (less than 5min walk, prepaid), and the bus can't even come close. I do not arrive sweat free, but then I either shower at home or work, doesn't really make a difference to time. What does make a difference is that during that commute I get some exercise, which is time saved, and even with expensive road bike parts it still works out loads cheaper than driving or the bus, even ignoring parking.
Surprising to see my own car pop up in a cycling video. :'D Commuting by car is not nearly as bad for your stress levels as they claim when you get to do it in such a fun-to-drive car. ;)
They’re now developing e-bikes that don’t eveb show the motor anymore? How am I supposed to judge people now if they overtake me on a climb if I don’t even know if it‘s an e-bike or not? 😂
I will be working from my home office for the foreseeable future, even after lockdown ends. Before that, I rode to work and back every day. It was by far the quickest option for me, significantly cheaper, and did so much for my physical and mental health! I was benefited by my office having both locker rooms and showers, though. Not every office has that, though, and not everyone wants to show up to work drenched in sweat or soaked to the bone in rain, snow or whatever.
Love my Orbea Gain for my commute to work, plus adding in the slightly not-actually-allowed third party tuning cable allows me to grab even more of a little extra push from the motor!
To make this a real world test you should actually do what nearly half of commuters do each day... first put the two kids in the car/on the bike, go 3 miles in the opposite direction to work, then turn round and go to work via the shop to pick up a pack of nappies, food for dinner etc all while it's raining.... yeah wont happen but that's why millions of us keep out beautiful diesel cars. All that from a hardcore cyclist who would never ever ride to work
Unless you drive on long stretches of motorway/a-road and never go into a city, a diesel is a terrible commuter vehicle. City driving destroys the DPF and kills your MPG, diesels are not designed for a 3 mile trip to school, couple of miles to a shop and a few miles to the work. Your engine will fail driving like that soon enough, get a petrol or electric for that sort of driving. Or better yet don't make the mistake of having kids and use a car only at the weekend for shopping and walk to the nearest shop for top-up stuff.
@@Gobtik yes if it was solely for commuting it would be a poor choice.. however in the weekends I like to take my kids away to the mountains, lake, beach etc something those poor children of parents who dont own a car because they are too busy trying to be "cool" by not owning one and saving the environment (ironically they end up missing out on enjoying the environment). Most importantly though I'm glad I've not been brainwashed into believing in not having kids or climate change so my three boys and I will continue to enjoy the great outdoors while those who profess to care about it almost never visit it (makes it even more pleasant out there too 👌)
My mother never owned a car. Took me to Kindergarden, got to Work and picked me up later, we did the shopping and all the Weekends rides to visit siblings in the country by bike and public transport. Yes, a car would sometimes have been more convenient the vast majority of those years we were fine.
I would call mine fun. However, one odd fact is speed restrictions with ebikes such as UK, Europe and Australia. At 25kph (the legal limit) I'm amongst the slowest commuter. Even E-scooters are faster (unregulated as yet). Tables are turned on hills though.
im cycling since 20 years to work in Berlin and i can confirm its great :) for the 8 km to work i need 45minutes with public transportation ,25 minutes with car and 17-25 mins with bike depending on weather . BTW if you know the traffic lights you can adjust your speed and drive very efficiently and be much faster than people who take it by red.
Bought an ebike to commute on a couple of years ago. Used it everday, was way better and even quicker than motorcycling to work as I could use the bus lanes to pass all the cars for the last 3 miles into town. Also parked it in the office where I could look at it all day ... :)
I used to live in Bristol, I was cycling everywhere whereas my wife was driving most of the time. From time to time she would have to drive the same journey I was cycling and I don't think that she ever reached the destination before me!
I had begun commuting by E-bike in February. It's more fun, has helped me slim down and yes, faster to work than a car for me. I'm not going back to burning petrol regardless of how much "normal" we get back to.
I cycle commuted for about thirty years. Hated driving so much commuting from Cardiff to Bridgend I bought van ebike. 22miles each way - problem is the assistance takes all the effort away and I was loosing fitness. So I switched to my favourite system, hack bike to station, train then walk to office. Brilliant system, 5 mile cycle ride, 30 Minutes train listening to music and 20 minute walk. Always felt great after that. Give up the car if you can!
Thanks Ollie, now when I buy an eBike soon, I can tell my wife that you told me to "absolutely do it", since my commute is a hilly 50Km it's a bit difficult to ride the route analog... my only problem is where to store it at home I'm kinda running out of space. 🤔
Before the pandemic, I commuted 11 miles each way 4 days a week by bike (drove one day a week to swap laundry at my desk so I never needed a backpack or panniers). I loved it. Got to work with endorphins helping me start the day.
I've got my canyon ultimate and a crescent elton e-bike. The canyon takes me to work in 34 mins, the crescent in 39 mins. But with the canyon I've got an avg HR of about 160 while the crescent keeps me below 140. That translates to not having to take a shower when I arrive. By car it's 15-55 min depending on traffic. The distance is about 18 km both by bike and car and the battery on the e-bike lasts about 2-3 days worth of commuting. I can really recommend it, all your co-workers will shake their heads and hate you.
Empirically speaking, a road bike for me has been a much faster mode of traveling around Tokyo City than railways and buses despite the city's reputation of highest quality public transportation.
I know Ollie comes in for a lot of banter but credit where it’s due, he does have a very nice smooth pedalling style. I guess all that track work for his hour attempt paid off.
Even when a bike isn't faster, it is more consistent in travel time. In New York City, a key reason people commute by bike is because the travel time is predictable. With cars, buses, subways, commuter trains, and taxis, the time is variable. On a bike, it's not. That consistency is worth an amount of time.
Before I watch: For short commutes a bike and especially an e-bike definitely can be practical weather permitting. A lot can depend on the route available to the bike. For long commutes things favour the car, especially factoring in the weather. Ebike vs Public Transport, I would lean to ebike virtually 100%, possibly even in winter (I live in Western Canada, -35C is sometimes a thing) I just hate riding the bus. I am considering an ebike for trips where I don't need carrying capacity, and any time difference is not enough to be a concern. Trips that could be done on a regular bike but getting hot and sweaty is practical for the trip's purpose would favour the ebike. Finding the right ebike at the right price that is the hard part. Most ebikes cost more than every car I have ever bought. More than 3 of the 5 motorcycles I have owned.....
Commuting by bike is great for busy cities and journeys less than 10 miles. I used to love my commute into the centre of London. Unfortunately now my commute (once working from an office) is 35 miles each way, and even if my fitness could hack 350 miles a week, I’m now sure I could find time for my commute to take (realistically) 2.5 hours each way.
Commenting before this watching and this video is a question I've asked myself many, many times. I love cars to bits, but please, please let the bike win! 🤞
7.5 KM is the distance between my home and work place (door to door). On usual days, starting 9 am, it takes me 23 minutes to bike and about 30 to drive. This is due to traffic lights and stop signs. On days when i finish way past rush hour, it takes me 25 minutes to drive and around 17 minutes to bike (i can ride faster at night when there are no car or pedestrians around, and i don't need to be all that bothered with stop signs).
Pre-lockdown my straight road commute of 25 miles was quicker on the bike than the car, getting through roundabout to roundabout traffic at rush hour on my road bike straight down the middle of number to bumper cars was epic.
Would you consider riding an E Bike to work instead of taking the car? Let us now in the comments below!
😅Would not even look at an e-bike... where is the challenge there? Use ur legs!! Hehe
I‘ll ride my leg powered bike to work thank you very much 😅
Ollie, Keynsham is pronounced Cane-shum.
E-bikes are fantastic and the more people we can get out of cars and on them the better.
Lots of people saying use your legs you don’t need one look at the bigger picture.
Came to the same conclusion end of 2019, bought myself an Orbea Gain F30 (converted to drop bar last year) and used it to get to work. Well, for a short time only obviously. But it uses the same motor concept and you put in quite a lot of work yourself. I quite like it, maybe I can even use it for its intended purpose one of these days.
The time for roughly 20km is the same as with the car, considering going into the car park, getting it out and so on. In my mind, the extra effort is worth the cost on the environment and personal fitness that comes with commuting by car. Since most of the time I am only transporting myself and nothing else anyway.
When I drive to work it's anywhere from 25 minutes up to 90 minutes traffic depending.
Cycling is 17-20mins regardless.
From 25 to 90 minutes??? Really? :O
Yup same here, was always 50 minutes on the bike could be 30 mins to a hour a bit in the car.
@@mateagoston8145 bus commute is nearly 2 hours for me. Just riding to last bus stop in queens should cut that by half!
Same here ...
15 minutes by bike and 30-50 minutes by car
Manon's taste in hot hatch is impeccable.
Hyundai i30 N for those wondering. Very hot indeed.
Indeed. My workplace has two of those. A Black one and one in the same spec as Manon's. Not sure who drives them though but it's always in the carpark.
I didn’t think my level of respect for manon could have increase, but there we go!
huhu I catch the car first too.. it is weird in my place for a girl buying a manual.. because.. it is manual.. a hot hatch nonetheless..
Well, she does come from a car family - her father does stage rally and she has been his navigator (from her "presenter profile" video from a few years ago).
In Sweden they found that emergency calls for heart related issues in the larger cities dropped considerably when people started to work from home and they attributed to rush hour stress in traffic weren't present.
I'm waiting for the data on how air quality and environmental damage etc has changed during this epidemic. I have to think that the many less cars, planes etc that have been travelling have had to have had a huge effect on things but I would really like to know exactly what and how things have changed.
Also less annoying coworker.
There's alot of data on stress levels and rush hour traffic. It's crazy traffic literally kills people.
@@itarry4 It isn't the cars you need to worry about as much as the vans, HGVs and everything else with an unrefined diesel engine. My office windows get covered in black soot at a remarkable rate compared to a few years ago.
Finally a Merida bike at GCN. It is a bike for less badge conscious people. Less price then S Works, Pinarello or Bianchi, but just as good.
Exactly! Merida Reacto 400 is an absolute beast!
Got the 2019 merida ninety six 4000 last year, and it's a very good bike. It can do anything from base training on the road, to some fun laps in the bike park. I recommend it as a do-it-all mountain bike for roadies. Just make sure to put some grippier tires on, as the Maxxis Ikons suck.
First it isn't a bike, but an electric bike.
@@DoomNerd67200 its a deer, a female deer.
Love me new Scultura
It's hilarious watching this as someone who lives in Bristol. Ollie's going back and forth on the same roads to get the shots. At 7:35 he's heading back out of town!
Wait, you mean this video was staged? NO WAY!
GCN!! You have betrayed us! Ollie and Manon we need an answer! Was this staged? :'(
This is very disappointing to hear...We deserve a clarification from GCN. Everyone please try to like the comment by @Drew Mac so that we can get some answers
@@oadka best way to determine is to check their strava! but perhaps they could have done the race without much shots taken (because it is a race after all), and they did the shots after the race!
@@oadka why? its a fun show nothing major also how would they do shots in the middle of town without causing issues on the road
Can't emphasize the mental health aspect enough. It's amazing how even a short ride home washes away the stress from the work day.
So true 👍
Agree 100%. No matter what crap happened at the office during the day, I'd get home and be stress free and pretty upbeat!
Very true man it washes away everything and clears your mind after a stressful day and when you hop in a cold or hot shower at the end of the day it's the best feeling ever.
You know your winning in a race when you're taking your time having a Ted Talk whilst you're competitor is cursing at a poor red light.
😂
i thought it was funny they made a big deal of the car getting stuck at lights when supposedly they were on the same route so the bike would get stuck too. altho i spose the bike always filters up when caught by a light.
@@cho4d got you. In the city I live there are tons of lights where you can pass through the legit way on a bicycle dunno how "legit" it is in the UK atm
"shouty Manon and her shouty car." 😂 In the next video Ollie gets dropped again... by Manon's right hook!!
🤣🤣🎯🎯
9:00 You missed 41% less risk of being dropped
On a hilly route i would agree with you, but on a flat route after 25kph you now have a dead heavy bike to ride that is now laughing at you as it is no longer giving you anything lol. Unless they put the speed of the bikes up to 35 kph ass, for the vast amount of cyclists they are useless. I know for the vast amount that do buy these bikes 25 kph is ok for them, but for those of us that can ride faster that that on the flats don't want to then have to lump that weight around trying now to keep up with our faster riding buds.
@@robertjohnston5842 I use an e bike, well I will when it finally arrives, it's called Campagnolo Chorus. I thought brexit would get rid of the 15 mph limit, but no, it came from blighty.
@@sandydennylives1392 I agree that 15 mph is fast enough for some cyclists, but i guess for those of us that can go faster than that on our own need not apply for an ele ass bike unless we live in among mountains lol.
@@robertjohnston5842 You can get 'em modded but finding a steel frame for long term reliability is not cheap. I guess the brompton is a good option as 15 mph on small wheels seems quite fast. I like ze challenge of the 'tains , my new racer when it arrives will have 36x34, which will be ample. I live in a 'tain free land by and large, with only a few steepies so at the mo their pointless.
Watching Manon in traffic reminds me of my own frustrations with driving and how much better I feel riding my bike or just walking. One thing is certain: I will be driving a lot less going forward. Thanks for the vid!👍🏾
So, to quote Top Gear: the car, as a concept, is in shambles
I was remembering the episode where Richard (on a bike), May (in a car), Clarkson (in a boat) and the Stig (commuter train) raced across London.
That is a terribly inaccurate quote, and commuting around a busy city in a car has been a terrible idea for years. Meanwhile I drove 90 miles to Salisbury in an hour and a half (with all my luggage obviously), spent the whole weekend walking everywhere, and then drove back in an hour and a half. Good luck doing that on an e-bike.
@@Rover200Power I don't think anyone is trying to say that an e-bike is a direct replacement for a car, just that it makes sense for many people's commutes.
@@Rover200Power In that scenario an electric motorbike would do it faster than the car (filtering +pwr to wgt ratio) unless your a goody two shoes sticking to speed limits. I guess you will always get more luggage in a car.
Always great to see Ollie and Manon on videos together! They make a great team! The stress of driving to work is definitely not one I look forward to when we will get asked to come back to the office in the summer...cannot use a bike unfortunately...I am much happier and more efficient working from home and cycling outdoors and indoors
At 7:25 the four grey houses in shot I worked on them nice to see them still standing 😂
GCN, when could we expect a "Bike VS Hank's dad on a Challenger 1 main battle tank | Who Will Win?"?
I commute to work about 3-4 times a week by ebike and it’s a perfect compromise. Just don’t think about it as a training session and more like a relaxing walk.
I do love watching Ollie, 'shouty Manon in shouty car', has me in stiches!
The takeaway from this is that Manon's an angry driver!
Anyone can easily become one. I owned a car before and this is in expensive Singapore. My wife saw that I turned into some kind of unrecognizable beast behind the wheel. It all disappeared and never seen again when I gave up car ownership. The only cars I drive now are rentals when I'm on vacation in another country and I hardly drive into the city on vacation.
Oh Ollie. We love your sense of humour. Never change.
He’s trying to find new ways to win challenges. Good for him. I guess the cycling hat is a thinking cap.
Is Manon angrier than Hank is excitable? Got to be close....
Not only that but I bet she had a high heart rate too 🤣
If so, she's a good actor!
🤣Ollie: "While we patiently waiting here for Manon"
I'm in Canberra Australia and the number of e-bikes and scooters that have appeared in the last year is huge. I'd rather people use their own muscle power to get around, but at least there are less cars and more people out and about. It probably helps that Canberra, at least, was barely affected by by Covid compared to most places (124 cases and 3 deaths out of a population of 400,000).
Fewer cars and more bikes is always a plus!
I'd say e-bikes are much better than scooters in my humble opinion. Specially since most of Canberra is hills. Perhaps could switch assistance on and off while commuting. I myself travel to work belco to city with a plain 'ol road/gravel bike.
I have a indoor bike to ride to work . i am working at home!
This would be a challenge for Hank and his dad
it should be hank on e-bike vs his dad in the motorcycle….
I was expecting Hank's dad and Hank addressing him as "Hank's dad"
Hank's dad, its too cool and calm, Manon its funnier cause she is more stressed
Yeah, I wonder who would be faster - Hank on a bike or his dad in a tank...
@@pawesedrowski6743 yes, the next off road challenge. Hank on a gravel bike vs Hank's Dad in a Chieftain.
I think you guys missed the link to the study about the pollution. Thanks!
I have the Orbea Gain that uses this same system and I gotta say I absolutely love it. That being said, I live in FL and the humidity alone makes your a gross sweaty mess just walking to the driveway.
What about the assistance limit at 25Kp/h. Isn't it annoying to lug around the extra 5Kgs compared to a normal gravel bike once you exceed it? I'm curious about the Mahle System as well, but I keep wondering if the extra weight of the system does not hurt more than the 20-30m of assisted drive you get when starting after a stop.
Do you find yourself limiting your speed so you stay in the assisted range?
Also: How's the motor control as this is purely cadence computed, right? Does it push you for a bit after you've stopped pedalling?
I’ve got the same motor on my Bianchi 👌- what I love is that for probably 80% of my riding I’m pedalling a 12kg bike around at 30k getting a good workout and then when things vertical I’ve got the choice of the magic button or not - great system !!
agree 100%...I have the same setup on my carbon Orbea Gain, and love it for precisely the same reasons. ☺
The best commute is no commute. Remote work FTW! :)
To be honest, nothing raises my heartrate more than sitting in a car!
Manon left Hyundrai. Love the i30 N, though.
Had to read that one twice!
In the winter - pouring rain, cold weather, and me not giving a single F because i'm in the right gear cruising past everyone stuck in traffic with my e-bike. Never stuck in traffic, effectively no fuel costs, combine 2 necessary tasks of commuting and exercising... efficient as duck.
Manon's frustration with drivers and traffic lights is all of us driving to work. Good video!
Exactly, going by car at rush hour is stress, cycling a bike is like vacation before work. Even if biking takes a few minutes more, still much more enjoyable and extra time well spent. I really don't understand why most people still prefer a car for commuting, especially when it is only a few km like 3 or 5km. I mean 50 years ago it was common to show off that you were able to afford a car but this argument is probably gone by now. I guess it is that people never tried to use a bike for commuting and just have in their mind that it is not going to work for them.
@@stefanwagener exactly anyone can get a flash car on finance, it's a debt symbol not a status symbol
5:25 Must have been a really cold day out there in Bristol...
One of the aspects of GCN I truely enjoy is the comradery with the presenters. Continue the fine work. Ride to thew level of your smile.
Great video!
Which is faster is a very individual question.
My drive to work is 35-40 minutes each way, the unassisted bike takes me 70 minutes in and 95 back (way home has an unavoidable cat4 and a cat3 climb). US spec ebike drops that to 60 minutes in and 75-80ish back and easily halves the effort riding conservatively.
It's a 40 mile round trip, so having an assistance option is a wonderful thing especially on the back end after a 10-12 hour shift.
Sure that's still a pretty big difference, but I think I'm on the more extreme side of commuting.
End of the day, I ride primarily because I enjoy it. It also just happens to also be more economical, therapeutic, healthy and better for the environment.
Would recommend!
Ollie, Keynsham is pronounced Cane -sham not Keen-sham 😂👍🏼
Thank you - I was about to point that out too!
I got Cannondale Synapse Neo 3 with a middle Bosh motor a month ago, commuting to work every day 15 kilometres each way on turbo mode all the way, charging every 3rd day, find it very good , easy to ride and never sweat, don’t need a car any more
6:00-Mental well-being. In the past, I suffered from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD). However, since I started communing by bike-share, the 20-30 minutes of sunshine on winter mornings has cured me of SAD.
Also, riding a 50 lb bike while wearing a 15-pound backpack helps keep my legs in shape when my mileage decreases in the winter.
Hey, I would also recommend taking a vitamin D supplement in the winter ☺️
@@supernoodles908 Thank you. I will give that a try also.
The timing of this video is great, I hope it will get more people on bikes when the world returns to something more normal. GCN is really living up to their goal of promoting bike riding
I'm already commuting by bike and it's amazing! Although it may take me +20 minuts more on good days, it is faster on bad days. The best of all is how happy I arrive at work compared to how stressed I was when commuting by bike. Plus, you arrive at home with your cardio done!👌🏻
Ollie's statistics analysis is unbeatable. Lol
Looks like you filmed this on a quiet day - that route pre-lockdown at 0830, the bike would have been at least 30mins ahead.
I'm glad that you mentioned door to door time, it is usually ansolutely terrible in public transport.
For me bike 25min, car 25-30min, and public trasport takes more like 50 minutes (30min in a tram, but I have to walk a bit and wait for it).
Also, nice i30n.
classic bit of undertaking at 5:20.
I just got my second bike (a giant luxury in NYC) for commuting. I am riding 2x7 miles every day and even these short rides are improving my fitness level. Plus it's so much better to ride out my daily stress. Extra bonus, you can meet with good looking cycling girls ;)
I´d LOVE to see you repeat that vs. Clarkson, Hammond and May
How about fenders and a rack for storing your stuff? I would also add lights and a lock which can be attached to the frame
absolutely.... important for a commuter bicycle
This is the first time I see Ollie winning a race in GCN 😂
This reminds me of old school top gear
I don't know what's most special. Ollie winning a competition or Ollie cycling in jeans....
not getting dropped?
Skinny jeans as well!
@@scottmandel20 aero gains!
@@scottmandel20 A Millennial clings tight to their fashions. Also, why are the kidlets bringing back mom jeans? They look terrible on everyone.
I used to live in Toronto. I could get anywhere I needed to go faster by bike than by either transit or car. I really enjoyed bike commuting, unless it was pouring rain or snowing.
Actually, driving a car also gives you a solid cardio workout. The traffic sends your blood pressure through the roof.
Ba-DUM-cha!
Manon is driving a manual car! Nice
Most cars in the UK are manual
One thing I would be worried about with E-bike commuting is traffic trying to pass you or cutting you off in potentially dangerous scenarios where they don't realize you are going 20+mph.
the footage at 7:03 has such a trippy aspect to it
I commute to and from work each day and I love it, it’s the mental and physical health benefits I love the most . I’d like to know the cost difference between maintaining a bike vs maintaining a car for commuting
I love the pidgeon at the end checking Ollie out :D
The video has some very good points. I myself ride my bike more than my car which I love to leave parked under ground.
That being said you neglected to to bring up seasons in this video and locations where we get significant snow and ice In winter and yes I live in Canada where you like to joke about how we discuss and post the weather we get FYI I do get a chuckle out of it . And although I do my best to ride when pathways are cleared it’s still potentially dangerous to your self and other people who use the road. Still many good points just. felt it was lacking regardless all factors. Still would highly recommend riding to work. Even on the snow had to put that in for you folks. Thanks for making this one
I like E bikes ✅ they lighter, Faster, and can get you wherever you wanna go Effortlessly 🚴.
05:47 Now, that's clever, didn't know e-bikes could do that.
Great video! In major cities, cycling is often as quick or quicker than by car or, at times, public transport
I absolutely adore the two of you!
I've been riding to work with 2021 specialized sirrus x 5.0. One of the best decisions of my life.
Ollie! You and Manon did a great job on this video! Way to take the win Ollie and Manon had quite the change jar for parking 😃
Once raced through Bath to demonstrate why bikes trump cars in towns or cities. My dad and I had just come off Two Tunnels and he reckoned he could drive to maccas in Southgate faster than I can ride it. Fortunately for him he told me what he wanted because by the time he showed up his order was almost ready.
Bath is such a great city for fast, technical urban rides.
Manon dropped by Ollie.....never thought that would ever happen!
I worked throughout the pandemic here (essential worker they say) and commute 8mi or something like 12.6km each way 5days a week, absolutely love it!
Even the pigeon at the end had it's head turned at that e-bike 12:27.
I ride my aero race bike (Avanti Corsa DR2) to work. Door to door it's actually faster than the car even with pretty faff free parking (less than 5min walk, prepaid), and the bus can't even come close. I do not arrive sweat free, but then I either shower at home or work, doesn't really make a difference to time.
What does make a difference is that during that commute I get some exercise, which is time saved, and even with expensive road bike parts it still works out loads cheaper than driving or the bus, even ignoring parking.
Surprising to see my own car pop up in a cycling video. :'D
Commuting by car is not nearly as bad for your stress levels as they claim when you get to do it in such a fun-to-drive car. ;)
They’re now developing e-bikes that don’t eveb show the motor anymore? How am I supposed to judge people now if they overtake me on a climb if I don’t even know if it‘s an e-bike or not? 😂
The dead giveaway is when they are pedeling with a cadence of 50 going 25 miles per hour up the hill
I will be working from my home office for the foreseeable future, even after lockdown ends. Before that, I rode to work and back every day. It was by far the quickest option for me, significantly cheaper, and did so much for my physical and mental health! I was benefited by my office having both locker rooms and showers, though. Not every office has that, though, and not everyone wants to show up to work drenched in sweat or soaked to the bone in rain, snow or whatever.
Love my Orbea Gain for my commute to work, plus adding in the slightly not-actually-allowed third party tuning cable allows me to grab even more of a little extra push from the motor!
To make this a real world test you should actually do what nearly half of commuters do each day... first put the two kids in the car/on the bike, go 3 miles in the opposite direction to work, then turn round and go to work via the shop to pick up a pack of nappies, food for dinner etc all while it's raining.... yeah wont happen but that's why millions of us keep out beautiful diesel cars. All that from a hardcore cyclist who would never ever ride to work
Unless you drive on long stretches of motorway/a-road and never go into a city, a diesel is a terrible commuter vehicle. City driving destroys the DPF and kills your MPG, diesels are not designed for a 3 mile trip to school, couple of miles to a shop and a few miles to the work. Your engine will fail driving like that soon enough, get a petrol or electric for that sort of driving. Or better yet don't make the mistake of having kids and use a car only at the weekend for shopping and walk to the nearest shop for top-up stuff.
@@Gobtik yes if it was solely for commuting it would be a poor choice.. however in the weekends I like to take my kids away to the mountains, lake, beach etc something those poor children of parents who dont own a car because they are too busy trying to be "cool" by not owning one and saving the environment (ironically they end up missing out on enjoying the environment). Most importantly though I'm glad I've not been brainwashed into believing in not having kids or climate change so my three boys and I will continue to enjoy the great outdoors while those who profess to care about it almost never visit it (makes it even more pleasant out there too 👌)
My mother never owned a car. Took me to Kindergarden, got to Work and picked me up later, we did the shopping and all the Weekends rides to visit siblings in the country by bike and public transport. Yes, a car would sometimes have been more convenient the vast majority of those years we were fine.
I would call mine fun. However, one odd fact is speed restrictions with ebikes such as UK, Europe and Australia. At 25kph (the legal limit) I'm amongst the slowest commuter. Even E-scooters are faster (unregulated as yet).
Tables are turned on hills though.
im cycling since 20 years to work in Berlin and i can confirm its great :) for the 8 km to work i need 45minutes with public transportation
,25 minutes with car and 17-25 mins with bike depending on weather . BTW if you know the traffic lights you can adjust your speed and drive very efficiently and be much faster than people who take it by red.
LOL at Ollie's "skinny jeans."
Heart rate based assistance is brillant. I would love to be able to ride with my sister without her yelling at me that im going too fast
Bought an ebike to commute on a couple of years ago. Used it everday, was way better and even quicker than motorcycling to work as I could use the bus lanes to pass all the cars for the last 3 miles into town. Also parked it in the office where I could look at it all day ... :)
I used to live in Bristol, I was cycling everywhere whereas my wife was driving most of the time. From time to time she would have to drive the same journey I was cycling and I don't think that she ever reached the destination before me!
Olie and Mannon a winning combination! Great video
I had begun commuting by E-bike in February. It's more fun, has helped me slim down and yes, faster to work than a car for me. I'm not going back to burning petrol regardless of how much "normal" we get back to.
I cycle commuted for about thirty years. Hated driving so much commuting from Cardiff to Bridgend I bought van ebike. 22miles each way - problem is the assistance takes all the effort away and I was loosing fitness. So I switched to my favourite system, hack bike to station, train then walk to office. Brilliant system, 5 mile cycle ride, 30 Minutes train listening to music and 20 minute walk. Always felt great after that.
Give up the car if you can!
Thanks Ollie, now when I buy an eBike soon, I can tell my wife that you told me to "absolutely do it", since my commute is a hilly 50Km it's a bit difficult to ride the route analog... my only problem is where to store it at home I'm kinda running out of space. 🤔
Before the pandemic, I commuted 11 miles each way 4 days a week by bike (drove one day a week to swap laundry at my desk so I never needed a backpack or panniers). I loved it. Got to work with endorphins helping me start the day.
I love this! I will always commute by bike, I don't own a car. If I end up with a longer commute than I have now, I will definitely look at E-bikes
I've got my canyon ultimate and a crescent elton e-bike. The canyon takes me to work in 34 mins, the crescent in 39 mins. But with the canyon I've got an avg HR of about 160 while the crescent keeps me below 140. That translates to not having to take a shower when I arrive. By car it's 15-55 min depending on traffic. The distance is about 18 km both by bike and car and the battery on the e-bike lasts about 2-3 days worth of commuting. I can really recommend it, all your co-workers will shake their heads and hate you.
What alot of fun this video was!
Empirically speaking, a road bike for me has been a much faster mode of traveling around Tokyo City than railways and buses despite the city's reputation of highest quality public transportation.
Miss my i30n...pop pop bang bang!!!
I know Ollie comes in for a lot of banter but credit where it’s due, he does have a very nice smooth pedalling style. I guess all that track work for his hour attempt paid off.
Even when a bike isn't faster, it is more consistent in travel time. In New York City, a key reason people commute by bike is because the travel time is predictable. With cars, buses, subways, commuter trains, and taxis, the time is variable. On a bike, it's not. That consistency is worth an amount of time.
Before I watch: For short commutes a bike and especially an e-bike definitely can be practical weather permitting. A lot can depend on the route available to the bike. For long commutes things favour the car, especially factoring in the weather. Ebike vs Public Transport, I would lean to ebike virtually 100%, possibly even in winter (I live in Western Canada, -35C is sometimes a thing) I just hate riding the bus.
I am considering an ebike for trips where I don't need carrying capacity, and any time difference is not enough to be a concern. Trips that could be done on a regular bike but getting hot and sweaty is practical for the trip's purpose would favour the ebike.
Finding the right ebike at the right price that is the hard part. Most ebikes cost more than every car I have ever bought. More than 3 of the 5 motorcycles I have owned.....
6:21 very good representation of how it usually is: stuff in bike lane, van in bike lane, "watch for bikers" sign in bike lane.. :-D
Commuting by bike is great for busy cities and journeys less than 10 miles. I used to love my commute into the centre of London. Unfortunately now my commute (once working from an office) is 35 miles each way, and even if my fitness could hack 350 miles a week, I’m now sure I could find time for my commute to take (realistically) 2.5 hours each way.
Commenting before this watching and this video is a question I've asked myself many, many times. I love cars to bits, but please, please let the bike win! 🤞
Now do the same race but with each participant having to take three adult passengers along and also take home six bags of groceries.
7.5 KM is the distance between my home and work place (door to door). On usual days, starting 9 am, it takes me 23 minutes to bike and about 30 to drive. This is due to traffic lights and stop signs. On days when i finish way past rush hour, it takes me 25 minutes to drive and around 17 minutes to bike (i can ride faster at night when there are no car or pedestrians around, and i don't need to be all that bothered with stop signs).
I love Manons competitiveness
It was a little bit of acting, I guarantee there's much more where that came from. That was basically a calm version of me.
Pre-lockdown my straight road commute of 25 miles was quicker on the bike than the car, getting through roundabout to roundabout traffic at rush hour on my road bike straight down the middle of number to bumper cars was epic.