E-bikes are wonderful in that they democratize cycling. You no longer need to be a Cyclist™ to get around town on a bike. You can be in the process of getting in shape, and progressively use less pedal assist while still enjoying functional biking that can enable errand running or a commute.
While I am a Cyclist™ and truly enjoy leg power to get me all over the place, if I were to get an e-bike, it would for sure help with those errands that are 30km+ away. Even shorter errands where I’d prefer to get to my destination in regular clothes would be easy with an e-bike.
For shopping, it makes a lot of sense too. The shop I need is across town. Hauling stuff back on my bike would suck if it wasn’t an ebike because there are steep hills, and I’m carrying back like…bulk soap refills and other cleaning products.
It also makes biking a lot more safe when bike lanes end, as you can keep up with cars in “sharrows” until you reach the next painted bike lane or protected bike lane. I know people freak out about ebikes doing 30mph, but when traffic isn’t doing 25mph like the sign says, it’s nice to be able to keep pace with inattentive cars. Most of the time, I go slower than traditional bikes anyways to save on battery and get a solid workout with a heavy bike. It’s like one of those training bikes at the gym, except it goes places and has a battery when you need it!
It’s gotten me into the best shape I’ve ever been in for downhill mountain biking. I ride so much more and push a much heavier ebike daily, makes the mountain bike feel ultra light and responsive on the days when I’m biking for fun. :)
E-bikes are wonderful in that they democratize cycling. You no longer need to be a Cyclist™ to get around town on a bike. You can be in the process of getting in shape, and progressively use less pedal assist while still enjoying functional biking that can enable errand running or a commute.
While I am a Cyclist™ and truly enjoy leg power to get me all over the place, if I were to get an e-bike, it would for sure help with those errands that are 30km+ away. Even shorter errands where I’d prefer to get to my destination in regular clothes would be easy with an e-bike.
For shopping, it makes a lot of sense too. The shop I need is across town. Hauling stuff back on my bike would suck if it wasn’t an ebike because there are steep hills, and I’m carrying back like…bulk soap refills and other cleaning products.
It also makes biking a lot more safe when bike lanes end, as you can keep up with cars in “sharrows” until you reach the next painted bike lane or protected bike lane. I know people freak out about ebikes doing 30mph, but when traffic isn’t doing 25mph like the sign says, it’s nice to be able to keep pace with inattentive cars. Most of the time, I go slower than traditional bikes anyways to save on battery and get a solid workout with a heavy bike. It’s like one of those training bikes at the gym, except it goes places and has a battery when you need it!
It’s gotten me into the best shape I’ve ever been in for downhill mountain biking. I ride so much more and push a much heavier ebike daily, makes the mountain bike feel ultra light and responsive on the days when I’m biking for fun. :)
My ebike got me back into regular cycling too so now I can get around town on a regular bike, or even a few cities over.