Driving Lessons from my e-Bike

So for those of you who haven't talked with me lately, I bought an electric bike over spring break. Second hand - pawn shop in Scottsdale. I love it. First, a couple FAQs:
Q: How does it work?
A: There's a 36V battery stored in the frame. You can ride it like a real bike, then use the thumb throttle to kick in motorized assist.
Q: So you could ride it like a motorcycle?
A: You could, but you wouldn't get very far before the motor overheated and/or the battery died. It's definitely an assist; I'm pedaling the entire time.
Q: How far can it go?
A: Not really sure - I haven't pushed the limits. It depends, of course, on your terrain and how much assist you're using. On my 6.5 mile, hilly commute to work, depending on the assist I take, I arrive with anywhere from 50-90% battery remaining.
Q: How fast can you go?
A: Again, not really sure. I don't have a speedometer, and I really don't trust its supposed rating of 20mph. I hear the motor stop assisting on some downhills, though, so I know it does have a max, and I know I've reached it.
Q: Do you still ride your old bike?
A: Yeah, I use it for recreational or athletic rides, or when I'm riding with someone who doesn't have a motor. Also, since the battery adds SO much weight to the e-Bike, I use my mountain bike for very short, relatively flat trips; it actually uses less energy for me.

The past couple weeks, I've been using my eBike a lot for commuting and running errands, and also begging rides of off people from work. I filled up my gas tank for the first time today since April 15th. That's roughly twice as long as I had been going during the winter. I've also been employing a few driving practices learned from my eBike to increase my mileage by about 2mpg.

1) Judicious use of the gas pedal: Energy is energy, right? Whether it comes from my two legs, a battery pack or a gas tank. And the less of it I use, the better. Riding the eBike gives me a very clear picture of how much energy I need to get through a hill. Driving in the same way helps me save gas.

2) The shortest route isn't always the best: Sometimes, a route that's slightly longer, but much flatter or with fewer stoplights may actually use less energy.

3) Drive by RPMs, not MPHs: My increased mileage was mostly done by keeping my RPMs under 3000. Your RPMs may vary - the early model CRVs were built on a Civic chassis, so they take more power than the engine really wants to provide. Eric's been working on keeping his under 2000; I can't even move away from a stop light under 2000.

4) Slow down and enjoy: You start biking enough, you don't worry too much about getting there in a hurry. It's odd, but I've found I *do* often have the time to do my errands by bike. I can do this in my car, too. My car performs MUCH better at 60-65 mph than at 70 or faster. Though I get some strange looks on the freeway, I haven't gone faster than 70 in a few weeks, and have been generally trying to keep my speed around 65. Similarly, on city streets, if my RPMs dictate that I'd do better at 35 or 40 than 45... well, I can usually manage that, depending on traffic.

5) Stuff is closer than you realize: Start mapping this stuff - most places you want to go (at least for errands and entertainment) are less than five miles away. Just think about it. It doesn't feel like it, but five miles will get you a long ways from home around here. I don't go anywhere in my car anymore without considering whether I could do it by bike.

Signed,
your hippie friend.