Electric bikes were created to change an industry that never saw a need for them. As of September 2021, bicycle sales across the U.S. had been recorded as increasing by 240 percent, with nearly $27 billion of those sales being recorded in just one year alone.
Some people fear that e-bikes will take over the current cycling culture, and that standard bikes will die out once everyone starts using them.
These fears should not be unfounded–the e-bike revolution is here with good reasons to enhance the cycling experience.
With a pandemic under way and work commuting changing, many athletes are now wearing their own personal “aero bikes” as they get ready for their day of riding
E-bikes make pedaling easier
e-bikes are bicycles with a battery-powered “assist” that comes via pedaling, mainly on the right side handlebars. When you push the pedals on these bikes, a small motor engages and gives you a boost, so they can zip up hills and cruise over rough terrain without tiring out your legs.
Pedal-assist e bikes feel just like conventional bikes—but better according to Ed Benjamin, senior managing director at the consulting firm eCycleElectric. “You control your speed with your feet like you normally would with a regular bike,” says Benjamin. There is no throttle or anything. You just feel really powerful and accelerate easily.“
They go pretty fast… to a point.
The bigger the push of your pedal, the harder you pedal, and the faster you’ll go–up to a point. E-bikes let you commute along at a brisk speed, but they aren’t as fast as motorcycles. You’ll never accelerate up to 45 mph like on a motorcycle. The motor is designed to automatically stop propelling you further when reaching 20-28 miles per hour, depending on the bike model.
You can also adjust the amount of assistance you receive. Most electric bikes let users select from three different power settings, called ‘eco’, ‘turbo’ and ‘high’.
The bigger the boost, the faster you’ll ride- to a point. E-bikes let you zip around at a brisk speed, but they’re not motorcycles. You’ll never hammer down the road at 45 mph.
The motor is designed to stop propelling you further when you hit 20 to 28mph on e-bike features an efficiency range of 20 to 28 miles per hour depending on the bike.
So you’ll save time on your commute (I shave about three minutes off my five mile trip) but still enjoy the scenery.
You can switch from “eco” mode to “turbo” mode with the power switch on electric bikes. Eco mode is for when you want low-powered tasks, and turbo mode is for higher accelerations and project work.
You’ll ride a lot more, even if you already ride a lot.
cording to a survey of nearly 1,800 e-bikers in North America, people who own e-bikes are significantly more likely to bike daily or weekly before buying one than after.
E-bikers can now ride much faster than ever before, which opens up the possibility of biking for longer distances _ even when you’re short on time _ and gives riders a break from the taxing work they put into cycling.
For those who are not frequent riders, e-bikes open up a whole new world. With an electric assist, you can cover the same distances as you would without and with enough exercise build endurance and confidence.
The same survey found that 94 percent of non-cyclists had ridden daily or weekly after getting an e-bike.
