A Life Changing Purchase

I've been thinking a lot about stuff lately; stuff I own, stuff I want, stuff in the past I've had. I've been doing that because last week I put money down on a purchase that I think will be life changing.

I'll get to what I bought in a minute but after putting money down on it, I got to thinking about what stuff in my life I've had that has changed my life in a significant way.

I purchased a pressure cooker a couple years ago (I wrote about it here and here) and love cooking with it. It's changed how I cook some foods but I wouldn't call it life changing.

What THING have you purchased that has changed your life? A  car? The very best Mexican chocolate you've ever tasted? A book? A luxurious bar of goats' milk soap? --sorry, shameless promotion!

As I reflected on this and because of what I purchased, I realized that all the bikes I've owned in my life have been life changing. Not surprisingly the purchase I made last week was a bike!

This isn't just any bike though, this is an investment in the future of urban transportation; a cultural disrupter! I put money down on an ELECTRIC BIKE and I'M STOKED!

Ever since I saw the Vanmoof electric bikes several years ago I wanted one. I rode an electric bike in Italy, although it was more a large trike than a bike. Riding that trike though, was a blast!

A couple years ago when my non-electric commuter bike had a flat tire, I took it to the electric bike shop by my work to get it repaired. As it was being repaired I admired their bikes. The salesperson gave me a coupon for an hour free rental on a couple of the bikes. Later that summer I used the coupon and test rode an electric bike. I was hooked! Talk about exhilarating!

Electric bikes are typically placed into four categories. Class One electric bikes are pedal assist bikes, meaning they're not going to propel you forward unless you pedal. What they do is give you a little oomph to get up a hill or keep you moving faster than you would without the assist. Their maximum speed is about 20 mph.

Class Two electric bikes come with throttles, Class Three allow you to reach a speed over 28 mph with pedal assist, and Class Four are mopeds or motorcycles.

My new bike is a Class One but the big difference between my new bike and the bikes I've test ridden is, well simply put, IT LOOKS COOL! Seriously cool. REALLY.  Watch the video and tell me you aren't smitten!

It also has a built in security alarm and lights, will go 90 miles on a single charge, and takes 4 hours to fully charge!

I put $100 deposit on my new bike but I won't get it until June or July. It will be mailed to my house in a box, fully assembled except for the pedals. I'll adjust the seat and handlebars, add the pedals, download the phone app (which is used to help lock and unlock the bike), and ride into the future!

I'll be sure to let you know what I think of the new bike along with plenty of pictures. Or, maybe I will love it so much I'll only break from riding it to eat, sleep, and charge it?

The bike is not cheap and I'll probably sell at least one of my other three bikes and probably even my car, which is seventeen years old, but life changing? No doubt about it.