Although electric bikes have been popular in Europe for the last decade, their popularity is soaring in the United States. Relatively cheap and easy to implement as a public transportation option, electric bikes ( or e-bikes) are beginning to become a fun sustainable option for travel. Their versatility allows them to fit into a variety of different travel needs, from your morning commute to an adventure ride through the hills of your next vacation spot.
The increasing popularity of electric bikes can be attributed to many factors. E-bikes are just like normal bikes except for a motor attached to them that is often pedal assist, which means that the amount of energy put into each pedal is matched by the motor. Giving the riderless physical strain and allowing the bike to move at faster speeds with ease. It makes them an easy active option for people of all fitness levels as a sustainable option that works in a variety of landscapes.
It is because of these facts that e-bikes are changing the game for the active travel business. Active travel is defined by the active physical element of moving around. While a boat tour would count as traveling, riding a bike alongside the river bank means your body is actively moving. E-bikes are becoming a big part of this industry due to their accessibility, sustainability, and versatility. Keep reading to see how e-bikes are revolutionizing active travel.
Making Travel More Accessible
When it comes to physical activities group participation can be difficult, as each person has their own strengths and limitations. This is where e-bikes can help level the playing field and make it so couples, friends, and family who have different fitness and can experience levels travel together. Making group travel more active and enjoyable!
When exploring a new place it can be fun to get out in the open air and ride around interesting trails. Pedal-assist bikes broaden what you are able to do, as 20 to 30-mile rides can get very tiring for most people. The extra help from the bike means you can go farther and faster as you venture into new places.
This accessibility opens doors for people to participate in previously exclusive activities. And because the bikes can be modified from flat terrains to mountain trails, to even sandy beaches they can be used in nearly every situation you can imagine. And with the bikes becoming more popular, you do not have to purchase one to enjoy it. Day-long rentals give people the fun opportunity to use them without having to commit to a full purchase.
Sustainable Alternative to Car Travel
Electric bikes are a sustainable option in so many different ways. When looking at urban travel, e-bikes help with the congestion in urban roads. Less full-sized vehicles on the road mean that there are fewer cars to backup a roadway. Fewer cars on the road mean fewer emissions and less gas being used.
E-bikes allow people to move at faster speeds as well, meaning they can keep up well with moderate traffic and make it less stressful to drive on urban roads. This also helps in making roads that are not really cyclable available to e-bikers, as they do not have to weave out of the way of parked cars and pedestrians. They can simply bike in the normal driving lanes.
Bikes are sustainable for our health too! British studies have found that as people stay more active by using e-bikes they lower the chances of gaining health issues in the future. The activity of using these keep up fit and lessens the need for medicine in the future, which is sustainable as it keeps the needs for expensive medicine and doctors lower.
All these sustainable benefits are great, but what is better is that they can improve as people really do love using e-bikes. A study published in 2017 found that, “when e-bikes are made available, they get used; that a proportion of e-bike trips typically substitutes for car use; and that many people who take part in trials become interested in future e-bike use, or cycling more generally”.
E-bikes Work in Urban and Mountainous Settings
The versatility of e-bikes sets them apart from others and is what’s making them game-changers in the active travel business. They can be used in any kind of setting you could imagine! Because they are so helpful in giving riders an extra push they can be used in urban cities as well as more rugged mountain regions.
E-bikes are relatively common in many of the major cities in the United States, but they are being more accepted in more rural places too. This year the Mammoth Mountain Park became the first U.S. Forest Service bike park to permit electric-assist bikes. This is a big step in making e-bike more accessible to rent in tourist locations and national parks.
Being used for more outdoorsy trips feeds into the accessibility and sustainability too. More people can now cycle on trails that may be too difficult with a normal bike, and you can get to the same remote location without the use of a gasoline car!
Conclusion
As people look for ways to stay active while also traveling the world, e-bikes offer the perfect marriage between the two. Physical activity helps people feel good and able to participate in more activities while keeping them healthier too. And the versatility of electric bikes means they can be used in all kinds of situations, whether just for a daily commute to work or as a means to experience a special adventure into the mountains. Choose the best e-bike that fits your needs.
All of this, paired with the great sustainability option e-bikes provide, makes for a recipe for change. It gives people the opportunity to choose a better option of transportation both for their body and their environment. What is even better is that people choose this option when given the chance. Opening up the possibility for more developments in e-bike design as well as the active travel business itself.
About the author:
Trevor James is the founder of Electric Bike Paradise, the #1 online retailer of electric bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs, and electric golf caddies. Trevor has been selling bicycles, electric bikes, and electric scooters online since 2010 and eventually established Electric Bike Paradise in late 2013 when he happened to meet a car enthusiast that introduced him to electric bikes. Trevor spent time searching for electric bikes online but couldn’t find a website that offered a wide selection of electric bikes, scooters, and informational articles. That is why he decided to start a website where everyone can shop conveniently, browse buying guides, and read educational posts. The website is called Electric Bike Paradise.