Vermont finally got its first state e-bike subsidy off the ground - up to $400 per person! It passed the legislative hurdles last year, but there were issues with how to administer it and other subsidy programs. But who cares, it's here now!!

So here's the deal - 

1) The program incentives are available to Vermont residents only and you need a current Vermont driver’s license or Vermont Non-Driver ID card. If a Vermont resident does not have a current Vermont driver’s license or Non-Driver ID card, a recent utility bill will do.

2) Incentives range from $200 to $400 depending on your income profile are available and only one electric bicycle rebate per eligible Vermont resident over the lifetime of the program.

3) This program is for Vermonters intending to purchase electric bicycles mainly for transportation

4) And here's the big surprise - it covers bike purchased online as well as in bike shops.​

In related news, the state of Colorado is looking to allocate a whopping $12 million for e-bike subsides! And that's part of a trend in Colorado with Denver leading the way with $400 rebates for e-bikes, $900 for e-cargo bikes, $1200 if you qualify for low-income and $1700 for low-income and you are purchasing an e-cargo bike! The program has been an amazing success.

​And just so you know, in the US, more than 880,000 e-bikes were purchased 2021 (and that's likely not counting all the bikes that were converted). Meanwhile, far fewer electric cars and trucks were sold in 2021 - 608,000. Furthermore, the e-bikes sales is double the estimated 450,000 e-bikes that were sold in 2020.

The impact of this developing critical mass of e-bikes & e-cargo bikes is going to have a massive influence in next couple of years on our communities - in fact it already is. Don't be surprised as this manifests into something bigger than any of us ever expected.

You heard it right here. We've been "car bored" for too long - flat & uninspired. It's time to come back...

I considered shelling out $275 for fancy slingsets, but luckily, they don’t make any in exactly the size I needed, so I was inspired by necessity to rig something out of old grain bags and leftover strapping. Total cash outlay: about $5 for buckles. After a month or so of using these, I found that my poky, oddly-shaped load tended, when firmly bungied to the frame, to press in and interfere with the rear wheel. So I used some scraps of plywood, angle iron, and old pipe to make my own rigid platforms/slingsets. These work a lot better, and also speed the process of loading and unloading to where it’s no worse than the Madsen bucket would have been, and probably less rattly. They do make walking the parked bike around somewhat awkward, but don’t seem to interfere with the ride.

All things realistically considered, the upshot is that this rig is a bit more adventurous than I’m thrilled about at my age, but it does work, and if the controller and battery prove to have a long, maintenance-free life, it will be worth it.

Other notes:
*I upgraded the bike to hydraulic disc brakes, and I am VERY glad of it when plummeting down steep, washboarded, loose-gravel roads, with a load, in the pre-dawn darkness. I do note that grinding through enough bumpy gravel seems to knock them out of alignment more often than I like, and I have gotten fairly good at fixing them on the fly. (Also, Monday’s trip over flood-damaged Dummerston mud roads knocked the entire wheel loose, so do carry a crescent wrench sized for those nuts! Yes, it gave me plenty of Bad Noises warning in time to deal with it.)

*The amount of tooth-rattling bounce dirt roads generate causes me some concern, not only for my own comfort, but for the safety of my work equipment (especially the computer), and the bike itself. For example, Bafang includes a little note with their chargers saying “do not subject to vibrations.” Hello, Bafang? I’m not supposed to carry the charger with me?? I am ignoring this, but not without irritation. I don’t have a fix for it.

*Dave at VBike says the electric system can handle some rain. I suspect it cannot handle full immersion, which is pretty much what the month of July has been. I’ve been driving. Yes, I do know that means I am burning fossil fuels and therefore increasing the chances of more extreme rainfall. I don’t have a fix for this either. Even if the Bafang system can handle that much wet, I doubt my work computer could. (Or me. I matter too.)

*I had the big “death frisbee” chain ring that came with the Bafang replaced with something smaller, for more power in climbing. I find now that I don’t often use the very lowest gears, so that might not have been necessary. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t want to go a whole lot faster than 25 mph anyway, which is about where this gear arrangement tops out on flat road, so no harm done.

* Joe gave me high end double headlights wired into the main battery, one pointing out and ahead, one pointing down at the road in front of me. These are … adequate. I do have to look very sharp in the mornings, because they don’t give me all that much warning on potholes in the black dark, at least not so much as I’m used to with car headlights. It has also occurred to me, as I dodge porcupines, skunks, deer, and other nocturnal wildlife, that this would be a really excellent way to startle a bear. But on the plus side, there’s no log trucks at 3 AM!

I don’t think even the Bafang can outrun a bear.

To step-up the potential success of the rebate program, GMP teamed up with VBike, the state's e-bike advocacy organization, to help connect its customers with VBike's unique bike consultation program. This service is absolutely free for Vermonters via funding through the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and Go Vermont, the state’s alternative transportation agency. VBike's consultation service provides advice around the specific needs of each client based on their budget, riding experience, terrain and distance typically ridden, cargo hauling requirements and much more. It's the only program of its kind in the United States.

Vermont’s hilly terrain and frequent lack of infrastructure have historically presented significant challenges to anyone looking to ride for everyday commuting or errands. These factors are particularly notable for families and households wanting to join in on the rising popularity of cargo bikes. Dave Cohen, director of VBike stated that “e-assist solves so many of these issues by enabling a bike rider to go further, climb our hills with ease, feel and be safer, be more comfortable and, as studies have shown, just ride more for transportation. And with an electric cargo bikes you can carry the children and groceries wherever you want to go. It’s pretty amazing. For many in Vermont this is an absolute ‘game changer’ and a great way authentically respond to climate change.”

​Now electric-assist bike technology is emerging as a mobility revolution in Vermont. ​Currently, Burlington (in the northwest part of the Vermont) and Brattleboro (in the southeast) are the Vermont hotbeds for electric-assist bikes and e-cargo bikes. However, since Brattleboro is in Green Mountain Power’s service area, this rebate program will significantly boost the numbers already pioneering e-bike mobility in this bustling town. Abby Mnookin, a e-cargo bike riding mom of two and leader with 350 Vermont, stated that “the GMP rebate program is just the sort of thing we need to help people move away from such car dependent lives. Everyday in Brattleboro I’m seeing more and more people on bikes and the cargo bike families are flourishing. We need to make this more affordable and the rebates certainly will help.” Other areas such as Rutland, Bennington, Middlebury and Montpelier will also benefit greatly.

It has been estimated that an e-bike is at least 40 times more energy efficient than the average gas power car and nearly 10 times more efficient than an electric car. As far as carbon pollution, nothing really compares to the ultra-light carbon footprint of the hybrid combination of human and electric power that drives an e-bike. At a time when we are waking up to a planet in crisis, these are important numbers to consider. Also, bicycles, in general, offer a far more socially and community friendly profile than any type of automobile and riding promotes physical and mental health as well as offering the benefits of time outdoors. ​

Listen to Brattleboro's Laura Goldblatt talking about her Madsen cargo bike outfitted with a 1000 watt Bafang BBSHD mid-drive motor. She covers everything about her bike, the experience of riding, lights, vestibular stimulation (wow!) and how drivers respond to her.

VBike helped Laura's family find the right cargo bike for their needs and consulted with them on outfitting it with an e-assist kit would work well with the Madsen. It was a blast working with them and now it's just pure joy watching them out is the real world. You know, the world we actually live in!

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