I just bought an electric bike I don’t need and won’t use. Here’s why

Today I bought an electric bike that I don’t need and that I will never ride. But this isn’t about me. It’s about the company that makes the bike. More specifically, it’s about how today, on Giving Tuesday, the e-bike company Lectric eBikes is setting an example not just for the entire e-bike industry, but for modern capitalism as a whole with a philanthropic program that speaks to the core of the company’s values.

Lectric eBikes has a well-documented history of philanthropy as a key aspect of the company’s business model. After soaring to success with a growing line of affordable and popular electric bicycle models, the e-bike brand has dedicated a significant chunk of its yearly profits to charitable causes, giving away millions of dollars in donations and millions more in free e-bikes to worthy causes.

Last year alone, Lectric Ebikes donated over US $2.5 million to support a variety of charities.

Each holiday season, the company explores a new form of charitable contributions on Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, encouraging people to give back through donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness.

For example, in past years the company has allocated thousands of dollars for each of its employees to donate to worthy causes of their choice. In a new twist on that model, this year Lectric eBikes has partnered with its community of test riders and content creators to help expand the giving message further. The e-bike brand is committing $250,000 and partnering with content creators across the country to support charities close to their hearts with donations of $5,000 or a collection of five e-bikes.

As Lectric eBikes co-founder and CEO Levi Conlow says of the brand’s partners and riders everywhere, “What’s important to you is important to us. The experts and enthusiasts who we work with celebrate the benefits and joys of electric transportation through their fun and informative video channels every day. We’re excited to see these efforts help people in communities across those fan bases while raising awareness for many important causes.”

In addition to the charities selected by its content partners, the Phoenix-based e-bike maker is pledging $250 from each e-bike sold on Giving Tuesday to one of its preferred organizations, Arizonans for Children. This charity creates opportunities to address challenges and improve the vulnerable lives of abused, abandoned, and neglected children in foster care, working to guide each child toward a brighter future.

And that’s where I come in. Well, I should back up and say that first of all, I’m also proud to have been requested to take part in Lectric’s content partner campaign, having selected a charity that helps rehabilitate survivors of terror attacks after seeing that trauma firsthand. But beyond merely throwing around Lectric’s money, I think it’s important to also put my own skin in the game. So in support of Lectric’s generous pledge of $250 donated to charity for every e-bike sold today, I’m buying an e-bike.

It won’t be for me, but rather, I’ll donate it as part of my own charitable program I started called Ebikes For Good. For around 18 months now, I’ve run the program on my personal YouTube channel, giving away one free e-bike at the end of each of my videos to someone in need of a form of independent transportation but who can’t afford an e-bike themself.

Lectric eBikes’ own generosity has inspired me to use the resources and platforms available to me to encourage others to do good in their own way. And I believe in leading by example. I’ve been fortunate enough in the past to partner with awesome companies like Lectric to give out e-bikes to those in need, but have also bought several e-bikes myself in cases where I see someone who I know an e-bike can make a drastic change in their life. For many people, an electric bike can give them the independence to reach the grocery store, arrive at medical appointments, begin a journey back into good health, or just sometimes go for a refreshing bike ride for their own mental health.

There are a lot of people hurting out there, and so the following message is only meant for those who are fortunate enough to be in a position where they can afford something like this. If you’ve been on the fence about getting a new e-bike (and haven’t yet taken advantage of huge sales this season), then today would be a great day to get an electric bike and have $250 of that purchase go to charity at the same time.

I don’t take for granted my position as a trusted voice in the e-bike industry. I’ve long covered, reviewed, and promoted e-bikes that I feel are good buys based on their performance and value (and slammed a few along the way where it was deserved). While I’ll never tell you that Lectric eBikes is the best e-bike brand in the absolute sense, I’ve long described them as likely the best value anywhere in the US e-bike market. A $4,000 e-bike is great, but a $999 e-bike that can do 80% of the same job is often a better value proposition for many people on tighter budgets.

The quality and performance for the price point here is simply unmatched. So if I can support a company I believe in, and also have that support help others in need, then that’s the epitome of a win-win in my book.

So, in summary, that’s why I just bought an electric bike that I don’t need and will never use. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.