Here at SWAGTRON, we love to come in to the office. There are lots of reasons: face-time, fast answers to quick questions, lunch with colleagues, bumping soundtrack, the fact that we get to ride scooters, etc. Commuting is not everyone’s favorite task, to be sure, but since we are in the business of selling commuting machines, we think it’s best to try them out ourselves before selling them. Even in the holiday season, the very depth of winter, you can find intrepid Swagtronians hustling in from the cold on electric bikes and electric scooters.
Which electric scooters and ebikes do we ride for commuting?
If you are keen on electric rideables, Swagtron is a pretty envious place to work. New models and prototypes come and go with some quickness, so you must pay attention if you want to try everything. And we all do. We’d like you to try everything too, which is one reason we made this list.
Here’s a list of our commuter favorites and why we like them for our commutes. Any special commuter in your life will find them special too. We checked, and we’re pretty sure about that.
Scootering: The Lightweight Commute
Rare in the wild, this silver-back Swagger 5 acknowledges your approach.
Lots of commuters are deciding whether to e-bike it or scooter it. The one area that the scooter tends to win hands down is the weight category. Our Swagger 5 commuting scooter, for example, is an ideal tool for the short commute, long commute and supplementing mass transit commute. The Swagger 5 weighs in at only 26 lb., making it the easiest item on this list to fold up, carry up a flight of stairs or stow under a desk. We find it especially useful for short hops around town during lunch break. Its large wheels and air-filled tires make it a smooth ride better suited to cracks and cliffs in the pavement than smaller wheeled models.
“Do we fight over the Swagger 5? Not exactly . . .”
Do we fight over the Swagger 5? Not exactly, but there are occasional off-color remarks about anyone thought to be hogging the Swagger 5. There are simply too many things to do during the day for one colleague to have “ownership” over this super convenient scooter for even an entire day. Its handiness is clear every time you hop off, fold it, click it and dash up some stairs to wherever you are going.
“This may explain some of the destructive behavior aimed at rental scooters.”
At least, we always take ours indoors. Otherwise, if you lock it up at a bike rack, you could return to find someone staring at their cell phone trying to figure out how to rent your electric scooter. People who can’t figure out how to do things can get frustrated. Frustrated people tend to take their frustration out on anything nearby, especially on inanimate objects they expected to animate at the merest proximity of their smart phones. This may explain some of the destructive behavior aimed at rental scooters. Don’t let your Swagger 5 get caught in the crossfire, take it inside.
The Kitchen Sink: A fully featured electric bike
Displaying its commuting plumage in a graceful, yet efficient dance, the EB7 electric bike prepares your way to go.
This is one of our most luxe electric bikes. It certainly has among the nicest feature sets you will find on the market for the money. It folds for easy stowing in your car trunk or under your desk at work. Its keylock operation and removeable battery make it convenient to charge, secure, park or store. 16-inch wheels offer a smooth ride which is perfect for city streets that have not recently received any attention from the city.
We call the EB7 our long-distance commuter e-bike not only because it can power past 15 miles on a single charge, but because it has a suspension joint in the rear part of the frame for added comfort. If you or your colleagues live 10-12 miles out, you may find that both range AND comfort are key factors in an electric bike. But the EB7 is no simple electric bike. It also has genuine pedal power connected to a chain and gear which move the bike forward no matter how much charge you have left in the battery.
“Arguably, that could make the EB7 safer
than a lot of cars on the road today.”
We find that the freewheel helps a lot too. All the factors above help to put the EB7 among the most popular models here at Swagtron offices. Did we mention the disc brakes front and rear? Arguably, that could make the EB7 safer than a lot of cars on the road today.
Best of Both Worlds: The Lightweight E-bike
Transforming, as butterfly in its cocoon, the EB5 electric bike is an elegant solution.
You saw this coming, didn’t you? A recent favorite around the office is the EB5 electric bike. It also folds, like the EB7, for convenient storage and handling. And the EB5 weighs less, at 37 lb., making it even easier to lift and store.
As you might imagine from the image above and the model number, the EB5 is like the EB7’s little brother. They are alike in many ways, but the EB5’s wheels are just a couple inches smaller at 14”, and the EB7 has a more powerful motor at 350W.
“The strength of the frame hinge should be a major consideration . . .”
One key element that gives the EB5 its light weight is its solid aluminum frame. Aluminum provides the weight reduction we wanted for this ebike, and thick aluminum provides the rigidity expected in a bicycle frame. Since this is a folding ebike, the heavy-duty aluminum frame must include a frame hinge to allow the bicycle to fold. The strength of the frame hinge should be a major consideration for anyone buying a folding ebike. One look at the frame hinge on SWAGTRON folding bikes, and you know that the design is a solid one that will strand the test of time – and commuting. We use beefy collared hinges that lock up tightly, without any wiggle room or play.
“We use beefy collared hinges that lock up tightly,
without any wiggle room or play.”
At 37 lb., the EB5 is very light for an ebike. Still, it’s not as light as many scooters. But scooters that are lighter than the EB5 likely require you to stand while you ride them. Do many riders prefer to sit during their commute? Ask people jockeying for a seat on the train or bus about that. We think you will get a positive response. If you are a commuter looking for the comfort of a seat with a carrying weight more like scooters than e-bikes, then the EB5 could be the exact right ebike for you.
Getting Right With Your Green Commute
This darkly colored EB7 is no different than its blue and white cousin, ready for action.
Everyone has their own preferences for commuting. Some people are looking for comfort, some are looking for convenience. Just about everyone looking at electric rideables knows that electrics are the green solution to your last mile problem. So, rather than vexing over that particular issue, consider instead whether you would like to stand, sit, carry more, carry less, pedal more, pedal less, etc.
The three models above have one very important thing in common. They are all made by SWAGTRON, which means that they all come with our famous customer service and reliable warranty program.
You don’t have to take our word for it. Check out our customer reviews, verified by TrustPilot.
The EB7 and EB5 electric bikes are fantastic ways to get to work if you want to sit down for your commute and prefer to pedal sometimes. The EB7 is your ride if you want the biggest, strongest ebike we make for commuting. If you prefer something a little lighter and easier to handle, the EB5 is the clear winner. On the other hand, if you don’t mind standing, and you want the convenience of a super quick stop, fold and carry situation for your commuting solution, then the Swagger 5 is your ride.
Whatever you choose, ride it safely. We strongly encourage riders of all ages to wear helmets and appropriate safety gear before mounting an ebike or electric scooter.
