What I have learned from commuting by Ebike

When the Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance Project shut down Comox Road to two way (vehicle) traffic in early 2025 I made the decision to get to work by bicycle as often as possible at least until it was finished. I have commuted before this, but more sporadically and only in nice weather so I hadn't bothered to obtain much in the way of gear specifically for commuting through the winter months that would get me to work dry(ish) and happy. I have compiled a bit of a list of the items that I value most to keep me on the road:

1. Lights: From late November to February, my commute in both directions is in semi darkness on rural roads and the stock lights were not bright enough to see road hazards. At first I was using a Lezye 1100 lumen self contained light that I already had in addition to the stock light on my bike which worked ok but I later replaced both with a 2000 lumen Lezyne Mega Highbeam plug in light that runs off the E bike battery. I also bought a Abus Hype-E helmet with built in lights and turn signals for better visibility.
2. Jacket and Pants: Living on the west coast you likely already own a rain jacket and that will probably work fine. The addition of rain pants that you can wear over your other clothes mean that you will stay dry and much warmer. It also reduces how much extra clothing you need to bring with you. I also have waterproof gloves and shoes but they may not be totally necessary depending on the length of your commute.
3. Waterproof bag: If you are going to work chances are that you need to bring a few things back and forth so you need someway to carry them. A backpack works well for short trips but isn't the best for longer ones and waterproof backpacks can be expensive and hot to wear. I have a ACID 14l trunk back that sits on top of the rack on my E bike which carries everything I need with some spare room for extras.
4. Flat resistant tires: You know what isn't fun? Changing a flat in the rain on the side of a busy road. You know what is even less fun? Doing it twice in one day. Unless you have a very high end E bike, chances are that there are tires available that have better flat protection. Yes they are expensive. Just buy them. The alternatives, such as tire liners and sealant filled tubes do not work as well and are far more annoying to deal with. Get something from the Schwalbe Marathon Plus line and be done with flats.                                                                 
5. Ride defensively: This isn't a product but it is a far more important point than all of the others. While the cycling infrastructure in the Comox Valley is improving (slowly) there are still many holes where cyclists and other road users much share space and it is important to never forget that some other road users will either not see you or not care that you are there. Many times have vehicles failed to yield or passed very close to me over the last 10 months and if I was not as cautious of a cyclist I could have been much closer to being in an accident. I always assume the that drivers do not see me and that they will not yield. Always have an finger on the brake and be ready to swerve or stop. It is better to be wrong than under a car just because you had the right of way and didn't want to give it up.
6. Know when to take other modes of transport: Some days are just not good days to ride. Maybe it's icy or snow is in the forecast. Maybe it is going to be heavily raining during your commute. In these conditions drives may have a difficult time seeing you and have reduced maneuverability and in my opinion it is simply not worth the risk to ride on these days. Maybe once our infrastructure connects between towns and there are paths through some of the choke points in town (bridges mainly) that protect cyclists better.

All in all I have enjoyed commuting enough that I sold my vehicle and am going to continue to ride for the foreseeable future as often as is responsible.