elfs | I bought an electric bicycle, and I already love it.

I was told I couldn't lift this.

I bought an electric bicycle this week, specifically, the Rad City. It was $1500 before taxes, which has to be four times more than I've ever spent on a bicycle before. I've now ridden it a total of three times, so I can't comment yet on its lifespan, but as an experience, this thing is an amazing joy to ride.

There are three levels of electrical bike: pedal-assist, bicycle-throttle, and moped-replacement. This bicycle is in the middle: it can do pedal-assist, but you can just use the throttle and ride without pedaling at all. In that case, it's speed-limited to 20mph, which is pretty much my max cruising speed anyway. The throttle is highly intuitive; I had no trouble learning to use the bicycle on the first day, and literally rode it off the lot from the Ballard Locks and into downtown Seattle, about a five-mile ride, in complete comfort and control.

It has fat tires, high-quality shocks on the front fork, and a very comfortable, plush seat. Riding in the city with its potholes and construction marks can be uncomfortable, but these three features absorb a lot of that discomfort. The seat and handlebars are close enough that you end up riding high, not bent over as you might on a performance bike. This encourages you to enjoy the view.

You do end up pedaling, a lot, but if you're my age and you have similar knees to mine you also end up throttling on hard starts and gnarly hills, which is where the bike truly shines. It helps you, it doesn't do the work for you. That's its true charm.

The bike's frame has an integrated, welded cargo-ready cage over the rear wheel. This protects the rear fender and the motor, and provides mount points for all sorts of bags, paniers, and carriers. It also comes with a full set of lights, both front and rear, that run off the bike's battery. The "City" model is special in that, if you remove the battery and any panniers, it weight 39 pounds-- and most metro systems have a bicycle weight limit of 40 pounds.

That said, it's a big bicycle because I'm a tall guy. So while I can fit it on a subway bicycle hook, it takes up a lot of room. And it is a heavy bike-- fully loaded, it's 63 pounds. I was told I couldn't hang it, it was theoretically safe but the bicycle was too heavy to lift, but apparently I'm stronger than I look.

The battery is rated for 20 to 40 miles of normal use, which is more than enough for any standard commute especially if you have some sort of bus system to get you into the city.

Overall, this is a wonderful experience. If I had my druthers, I'd replace my car with it. Although maybe winter will change my mind.