So, in my eternal quest for perfect transportation, I considered… gas-powered transportation. But not the big guzzling type… the tiny, efficient type. I found this gas-powered bicycle on Craigslist.com and took my “normal” bicycle on a ride to see it.

It was a long ride on a hot afternoon, but I made it! The bike was attractive – a Schwinn cruiser.

The problem? It was basically the “standard transmission” of motorized bikes. And even though I like to say “I know HOW to drive a standard… I just choose not to”, I was a bit intimidated. The nice man selling the bikes, decided to give me a lesson.

Hold the clutch. Start peddling. Pop the clutch while gently applying the accelerator.

I was able to do it, and the bike did zip along. Unfortunately, there was no speedometer on the bike, so I didn’t really know how fast I was going or if I was maintaining a consistent speed.

I took it for a few zips down the road during which I stalled it a few times. Then I thanked the kind man and told him I’d have to think about it.

As I was peddling back toward home, I thought it was was a noisy, cumbersome bike – clunky to ride, required gas and annoyingly buzzy on the ears. I got back online and decided I would choose between the two bikes pictured below:

One is the Pedego electric cruiser, and the other is the eGo electric scooter. They are more expensive, but I am willing to save up for one due to the added value they will give me.  I’m leaning toward the eGo because it uses lead acid batteries, which are still the most recyclable of all the choices even though they won’t take you as far. I have to consider the full life cycle of products I buy, not just how I will use them.

More on my decision to come…