Shifting Gears for a Greener CBD

WHY NOW? 

This October is National Cycling Month, and the Sandton CBD will be closed to cars for the entire month while the City of Johannesburg hosts the ‘EcoMobility World Festival and Exhibition’– a month-long car-free district event.

This is just a part of the plans the City of Johannesburg is putting into place to change the face of transport in the city and to make it more cycle and pedestrian-friendly. Within the next few years, Joburgers will be able to cycle or walk from Sandton to Alexandra, from Orlando to Noordgesig and from Rosebank to Sandton through Melrose Arch or Parkview.

WHY GREENCYCLES? 

GreenCycles is a small company with a big vision. Our aim is to turn cities and towns into greener, cleaner places to live and work by giving residents, visitors and commuters access to a greener mode of transport that’s not only convenient, affordable and fun – but that contributes to lower CO2 emissions and cleaner air, not to mention less traffic congestion.

GreenCycles are electric bicycles that look just like conventional bikes, but are fitted with an electric motor and a lithium battery that you charge like you would a cellphone. You can ride them like conventional bikes, but as soon as a hill approaches, turn the key, twist the throttle and off you go – no sweat. Instant acceleration means surer takeoffs and less time spent crossing roads, making e-bikes safer than regular bicycles.

In short, e-bikes provide all the gain of conventional cycling, but with decidedly less pain.

MEET THE COMMUTER 

In support of Eco-mobility Month, GreenCycles is offering corporates the massively discounted price of R9000 on our fold-up commuter bike, which is perfect for popping to the shops or for commuters who currently park their cars and take the Gautrain.

E-bikes are currently the most energy efficient means of transport available. They emit 30 times less CO2 than a small car – with zero emissions when in manual mode. They’re also blissfully quiet. With our ever-increasing traffic congestion, E-bikes are one of the quickest ways to get around – and you don’t have to drive around looking and paying for parking. More people on E-bikes means fewer cars on the roads – and cleaner air for all of us to breath.

Fitted with a lithium battery that you charge like a cellphone, GreenCycles can go up to 60km on a single charge – depending on the rider’s weight and the terrain. If you pedal, the range is extended. And if you run out of charge or something goes wrong with the motor, you can simply ride it home manually. They’re also quite fast – up to 30km/h without touching the pedals – but you could use the gears and pedal power to go even faster.

Requiring between 200 and 250Wh to travel around 30kms, a GreenCycles E-bike is far more affordable to run than any other mode of motorized transport – and you don’t have to worry about dirty fossil fuels or the sky rocketing oil price. With renewable energy becoming more and more accessible, E-bikes represent a genuinely sustainable alternative to cars and motorcycles. Apart from the battery, which would need to be replaced every two and a half to three years, the running costs are significantly lower than any other form of transport other than conventional cycling or walking.

For more information, or to purchase GreenCycles e-bikes for your company, 

please visit greencycles.co.za or email noel@greencycles.co.za