Tern GSD Electric Cargo Bike

Denmark has calculated that every mile traveled by bicycle represents a net gain to society of $1.55. If it were up to me, state and local governments would be giving away e-bikes to every household.

The Tern GSD is a cargo e-bike, and for me it’s better than a car for running errands, dropping off the kids at school, and other trips within a mile or two of home (which is most of them). The GSD has the capacity to carry either two kids or a full shopping cart of groceries (but not both at once), and is a Class 1 e-bike, which means the motor assists your pedaling up to 20 mph. You can go faster in a car on a highway, but for city driving the e-bike is faster once you factor in parking. The hours of your life you spend circling around looking for a parking spot? You get them back.

There are cheaper e-bike options than the Tern GSD, but there’s also a lot of “you get what you pay for” here: The GSD has a mid-drive motor with a torque sensor, which in English means that pedaling the GSD feels more like pedaling a regular bicycle. Tern also uses industry-standard parts from manufacturers like Bosch and Shimano, where some manufacturers try to save money by building their own engines and batteries – which can lead to problems if the e-bike manufacturer (e.g., Rad Power) goes bankrupt and you can’t get spare parts anymore.

Anyhow, I took the plunge a couple of years ago and invested in a Term GSD, and have put over a thousand miles on it. See if your local bike shop will let you rent or test-ride one.