Traveling local roads on economical electric bike

For Green Valley resident Tom McDonald, an electric bicycle is the way to go.

It’s economical, energy-efficient and allows him to chose whether to pedal or turn on the motor and cruise along effortlessly.

“It gets 40 miles per charge, and costs 5 cents per charge,” McDonald points out proudly. And he can recharge it at home by plugging in the motor “just like a vacuum cleaner,” he says.

McDonald, 64, bought the almost-new Raleigh electric bicycle in late February from his boss at the Sahuarita restaurant where he works.

It’s 2.5 miles from his Green Valley townhouse off of Esperanza Boulevard to work on Duval Mine Road, McDonald says. He can decide whether to pedal the bike or use the motor when he’s riding into the wind or tired after work.

The top speed of this model, a Malibu cruiser, is about 40 mph, and he usually motors along at 20 to 25 mph. “I can pass a golf cart,” he notes with a laugh.

A 10-year resident of Green Valley, McDonald has a healthy respect for traffic conditions in town and takes care when out and about the red-and-white bike.

It’s top of the line, runs like a top, has a front light, is as well built as a mountain bike and is stable, he says. For maintenance, he keeps the tires properly inflated and has found local repair expertise.

An electric bike isn’t practical for hauling groceries or passengers, McDonald admits, so he does have an automobile, albeit one that gets only about 8 miles a gallon.

So McDonald uses the bike to get back and forth from work about 90 percent of the time, he estimates.

He has a weather-proof cover for it, parks it inside at home and under a cover at work.

If he gets caught in the rain, McDonald believes in “better safe than sorry” and finds a sheltered spot to wait for the weather to clear.

Many of his friends and coworkers are environmental-minded and like his bike. “They think it’s cool,” he says.

kwalenga@gvnews.com | 547-9739