Put the letter “e’ in front of bike, and what do you get? Transportation that gets you where you’re going economically and nearly effortlessly.
If you haven’t seen one, an ebike, or electric bike, looks like a regular bike, but it includes a small motor and a battery that together provide pedal assistance. It can give you an extra boost when you’re climbing a hill or power your commute fully.
Here are some helpful tips about ebike commuting at Berkeley Lab:
Three Questions from eBike Commuter Brie Fulton
We asked a regular ebike commuter Brie Fulton for tips on buying, and riding, an ebike for commuting to and from the main Berkeley Lab campus, steep hills and all. Read about Brie’s experience using her ebike to get to work — and drop off the kids first.
Interested? Ebike discounts
Check with your local bike shops. This is a good time of year to shop.
New map layers with bike info
Layers have been added to the Lab’s interactive online map that shows the locations of showers, bike racks, and bike fix-it stations. Go to the interactive map, click on Layers in the bottom left corner, select Bicycle racks and fix-it stations, and then Showers to see both layers superimposed over the Lab map.
A new bike rack will be installed behind Building 31 this summer, and the transportation team will survey current bike racks for usage to guide the deployment of future racks.
Bike parking in Berkeley
If you don’t want to ride up the Hill, there is free bike parking in Berkeley. The bike station in the Center Street garage at 2023 Center Street offers free, secure valet parking. From there it is a two block walk to the Lab shuttle stop at Shattuck and Addison.
The Ashby BART station, now a stop on the Potter Street route, also offers 24-hour controlled access bike parking at a cost of three to five cents an hour.
More Questions? We have answers.
Go to the ebike FAQ page to learn more. If you don’t see your question answered, send it to commute@lbl.gov to get your question and answer added to the page.
If you are in the market for a bike, check out Friday’s bike swap organized by the Postdoc Association, the gLoBal Employee Resource Group, and the Lab’s Bicycle Coalition. The event is Friday, June 28 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the cafeteria parking lot.