You may be here after browsing my guide of the best electric bikes and wondering whether or not you should get your hands on an electric bike.
Well, I’m here to tell you all the benefits why to get an electric bike.
Trust me, after reading this guide, there will be no more oohing and aahing about whether you should be getting an electric bike, and that electric bike you’ve been browsing over will be straight in your basket.
Electric bikes have taken the world by storm, starting in Europe and Asia but gradually making their way over to the United States and Canada. Plus, the laws are easing around them too!
E-bikes are mainly used as an environmentally friendly way to navigate through busy concrete jungles and urban areas on daily commutes. Still, electric mountain bikes have also seen a rise.
Now wait, let me tell you something.
Electric bikes beat any petrol or diesel car as they offer more speed than regular bikes and can easily avoid traffic, and I’m just getting started.
Let’s jump into all the reasons you should get a decent quality e-bike; trust me, you won’t want to miss this.
First Things First, What Is An Electric Bike?
Before we delve into the many benefits of owning an e-bike, you may be wondering what even is an e-bike?
Well, an e-bike is a conventional bike with rechargeable batteries and an electric motor. They offer you a pedal-assisted boost which takes most of the energy out of pedaling on a regular bike.
The electric motor is designed to help you pedal rather than provide power on its own; you need to pedal to engage the motor and get the assistance.
The amount of power you get is based on how hard you are pedaling and the type of electric bike.
Electric bikes come with several modes to choose from to balance the amount of power you need for that given time. Also, lower modes extend the range and battery life of the electric bike.
Electric bikes were designed to replace fossil-fuel mo-peds and offer an environmentally friendly way to get around; e-bikes are battery-powered by either being recharged or replacing the battery.
Some e-bikes even come with a throttle that engages the motor with the press of a button, these are pretty fun to ride, but they tend to be illegal in some states. So if you’re looking for an electric bike, I recommend checking your state regulations before you buy.
If you pedal a little bit, the motor will engage and boost you; they take the hassle out of climbing up hills; you also control your speed with your feet, just like with a regular bike.
There are many laws and regulations around e-bikes, but as they become more common, the laws have changed and adapted, making them easier to use than ever.
You may be asking do you need to pedal with an electric bike?
Yes, you do; even for e-bikes that have a throttle, you will still need to pedal when going up long, steep hills; you won’t need to pedal as hard as you would on a regular pedal bike but to extend your battery range and extend the life of your motor.
Why Buy An Electric Bike?
So why get an electric bike over a traditional bike? They do the same thing, but an electric bike has a motor, right? Well, yes, technically, but there’s so much more to a pedal-assisted bike than we realize.
So let’s talk about the top 10 reasons why to buy an electric bike.
Top 10 Reasons You Need An Electric Bike In Your Life
Reason One: They’re A Bundle Of Fun:
Just because you’re riding an electric bike, this doesn’t mean that these bikes aren’t fun. If anything riding electric bikes over regular bikes adds fun to your ride!
You can go wherever you want to go without getting too hot or sweaty, no more gasping for breath after the rush hour traffic. Instead, you will feel refreshed.
You’ll even have time to take in the view during your ride, which I know you can do with regular bikes, but most of the time, you’re too out of breath to realize what’s around you.
But it not only makes commuting fun, but there are now many electric mountain bikes on the market which trail riding that much more adrenaline enduring, faster, and much more fun.
Electric bikes even make ideal touring bikes as you can ride further and for longer. Plus, with the support of the electric bike’s motor, you don’t need to worry about your panniers and luggage holding you back.
No more intimidating hill; you can race down the bottom and race up to the top in no time. You can ride wherever you like, tackle the most daunting climbs, and get to the top without even breaking a sweat.
Whether that is a mountain bike or road bike, the best electric bike will offer a whirl of fun, no matter where the world takes you.
Reason Two: There’s An E-Bike For Everything:
Just like with a traditional bicycle, there’s now an e-bike for everything, they were first created as road or commuting bikes to replace fossil fuel mo-peds, but they’ve taken the world by storm that you can find them anywhere.
As the rules are changing, there are more and more electric bikes in the cycling world.
Even mountain bikers can get hold of their own electric mountain bikes and trail bikes, although you will need to check if your local trail allows them.
E-bikes are now available in fat, cargo, commuter, recreational, hardtail, full-suspension mountain, and even performance bikes. If you’re a commuter that hauls heavy loads, you’ll love electric cargo bikes.
Electric bikes can even replace driving as some Class 3 commuters can get up to 28 mph which is fast enough to keep up with traffic; it is an environmentally friendly way to get around and reduce pollution.
In urban areas, the average car speed is usually around 30mph, even slower during rush hour traffic.
Reason Three: Electric Bikes make pedaling easier:
One of the significant benefits of e-bikes is that they make pedaling much easier on your legs. Since electric bikes come with a battery-powered ‘assist’ electric power motor that engages when you pedal, it makes pedaling easier.
It gives you a little boost when you’re going up a steep hill or just when you’re traveling long distances, such as commuting to work and back; the electric assist mode helps make these rides a breeze.
Some electric mountain bikes can even be used to cruise across rugged terrain without losing energy, no more huffing and puffing trying to make it up the steep climb.
Even though you’re going much faster, you’re less likely to break a sweat making pedal-assist electric bikes a dream for commuters; they don’t need to worry about getting to work early to shower or clean themselves up from the commute.
This beats regular bikes.
Reason Four: E-Bikes Are Eco-Friendly:
If you drive to work every day you’re bound to get caught up in traffic, especially if you live in a concrete jungle, this lets off a lot of carbon emissions which is really damaging to our environment.
One of the best ways to combat the severe effects of climate change and global warming is to switch to eco-friendly modes of transport. Now while regular bikes are brilliant, they’re not always the best option for commuting.
For starters, you might feel all hot and sweaty by the time you get to your destination, and with commuting to work this isn’t ideal. Electric bikes still offer good exercise without the sweaty aftermath.
Electric bikes are considered zero-emission vehicles as they do not emit any carbon gas so every e-bike saves 500 pounds of carbon emissions.
Plus with more e-bikes there are fewer cars on the road, so the more people that start riding on e-bikes or even a regular bike contribute to helping combat climate change.
Electric bicycles are super fun while being environmentally responsible, especially if it means riding long distances, electric bikes make longer commutes that much easier.
Not everyone has time to bike to work and with many newer e-bikes, they are much faster, safer, and can be used on bike paths making the commute to work just as easy as driving, if not easier as no traffic!
Reason Five: They Still Offer Regular Exercise:
Some people seem to think that since the bike is electric, you’re not exercising as you would with a regular bike.
Many of us have the mindset that if you’re using an e-bike over a regular bike you’re cheating, which is totally not the case– you’re still getting in your exercise, don’t worry.
Some researchers found that e-biking can massively improve cardiovascular fitness and blog sugar levels even after just one month. You’re still getting a significant amount of exercise, but it’s much easier as it’s less intense than riding regular bikes.
After all, you’re still pedaling, but you don’t feel the strain as much as you’re getting that little boost from the motor to help keep you going for longer over riding traditional bikes.
Riding an e-bike is brilliant for all age groups and all kinds of riding; while yes, they do help with commuting, they are super fun to ride down the beaten trail track.
Reason Six: Health Benefits:
There are some profound health benefits of riding an e-bike; many people think that since the ‘e-bike is doing all the work,’ there are no benefits on our health of using one.
But this is entirely not true.
They’re not just simply colossal fun, but they can also help improve cardiovascular health, along with respiratory health, mental health, and muscular health.
It is a gentle form of exercise that builds muscles and improves cardiovascular fitness without damaging the joints or muscles.
Reason Seven: You Can Ride Faster & Further:
Generally speaking, e-bikes are far faster than your regular bike. They provide the convenience of using throttle controls to propel and boost your e-bike’s speed, with no need for extensive pedaling.
Electric bikes also allow you to travel further in a shorter space; on average, e-bikes can travel between 20-28mph legally, and even a professional cannot reach these speeds on a regular bike.
The average battery life offers between 50-150 miles per battery life, so you can travel much further than you’d ever wish to on a regular bike.
After an hour or two riding a regular bike, you may be exhausted, whereas, after 3-4 hours of riding an e-bike, you may still be eager to explore.
The more pedal power, the more significant the boost you get from the bike motor to a point (legally). E-bikes can allow you to go faster, but they’re not like motorcycles or mopeds; the motor and battery are designed to stop propelling when you hit a certain speed.
Legally in the US, the electric motor will stop propelling when you hit between 20 and 28 mph, depending on the bike. You’ll still shave time off your commutes as well as having time to enjoy the scenery without getting sweaty and flustered when you get to work.
They’re brilliant for recreational rides making a brilliant mountain bike, but they’re also a brilliant alternative mode of transport over using your car.
Reason Eight: Brilliant Alternative For Commuting:
E-bikes will not only help you get fitter and healthier, but they’ll also save you a lot of time queuing in traffic on the highways on the way to work.
In the US and most countries, e-bikes are allowed to use bike lanes, which helps reduce bike accidents and helps encourage people to see what electric bicycles offer for the environment.
Since ebikes can use cycling lanes, it saves even a few vital seconds than traveling by car. You won’t get stuck in a traffic jam, and it adds convenience to your commute.
Ebikes could potentially replace cars altogether in urban cities, as most commuters are less than 10 miles away from their destination, so you can get to your destination quickly and even save money in the process.
There are three classes of ebikes in the US, classes 1, 2, and 3, so make sure your e-bike meets the criteria of the laws around e-bikes before riding since class 3 e-bikes cannot use a bike path.
Reason Nine: Saves Money In The Long Run:
Now I know what you’re thinking electric bikes do come at quite a hefty price tag, with having to spend at least $1000 for suitable quality components and a high-quality e-bike.
But if you think about it, spending between $1000-$5000 on an e-bike will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the future– especially if you sell your car.
If you live in a built-up city, there’s no point owning a car nowadays; you get caught in traffic, which isn’t worth your time. Owning an e-bike will save you hundreds on petrol and gives you an alternative.
Typically to charge an e-bike battery, will cost you around 12 cents, depending on your electricity bill rate in your area. So that’s around 0.3-0.4 cents per mile– crazy, right??
Plus, in most e-bikes, this battery will last you between 50-100 miles! This definitely beats spending 50-100 dollars on gas.
Most people fill up their tank maybe once every 1-2 weeks, so already, you have saved near enough 200-300 bucks after the first month.
So while purchasing an electric bike is quite an investment, it will save you thousands in the long run, especially if you commute to work every day.
That being said, there are some still pretty amazing cheap electric bikes on the market that won’t put you out more than $2000, ideal if you’re on a budget!
Just a piece of advice makes sure you don’t spend much under $1000 on an e-bike. It won’t last you more than a year and will come with poor quality components, so invest in better brands.
They’ll save you a hell of a lot of upkeep costs that you will have to pay out on a car.
Reason Ten: Electric Bikes Are Super Safe:
While electric bikes are far faster than your traditional bike, they cannot keep up with the average car speed. Legally e-bikes can go around 20-28mph, depending on your state.
Not all highways have designated bike lanes which is why electric bikes can ride along streets smoothly with the right amount of speed to keep up with the speed of cars.
Plus, using bike lanes means you’re safe against motorised vehicle accidents, and you can ride with confidence that you have your lane.
You also need to be pedaling for some time before the motor kicks in, so you won’t be rushed with speed as soon as your foot hits the pedal; this makes it much safer and more accessible, especially for beginners.
For mountain e-bikes, there are many features such as suspension and capable brake pads that will suit that type of terrain, the e-bike is built similar to a traditional mountain bike with all the safety features without adding too much extra weight.
I personally love fat tire electric bikes as they come with grippy fat tires that are much easier to grip on to uneven surfaces and technical terrains.
Summary:
So there you have the massive amount of benefits of using electric bikes. According to the Transport Research Laboratory, 30% of people with electric bikes use them once a day and 81% once a week.
Who knew how much an electric bike could change your life, it will save you so much money in the long run, and they’re a hell of a lot of fun to ride.
E-bikes are used two times more than regular bikes; who knew?
Ebikes are a lifelong investment that will not only save our planet but also make that daily commute or fun-packed day down the trail that much better and that much more fun.
So if you’re considering getting an electric bike, make the plunge, they offer safer riding, and they’re an investment you won’t regret!
