Bike riding is a fun and healthy activity. Whether you go for occasional rides or use your bike for daily transportation, it has plenty of benefits for you and your budget. But what about electric bikes? Do they have the same advantages, and if so, why?
As it turns out, riding electric bikes can bring you even more benefits than a traditional bicycle. Here are some of the reasons investing in e-bikes will be better for your health and safety.
Electric Bikes Can Travel Faster
The ability to travel longer distances in shorter amounts of time is probably the number one reason in favor of e-bikes. If you ride a traditional bike to work, the gym, or anywhere else, you’ll usually need to start your journey earlier than with an e-bike.
With an e-bike, you’ll get there much quicker. The average person can’t pedal faster than 10-15 miles per hour at a casual pace.
Most electric bikes can travel up to 20 miles per hour, but some can reach up to 28 miles per hour. This can come in handy in the mornings, as you have more time to sleep in, meal prep, or whatever you do before heading out to work.
In addition, pedaling a traditional bicycle too fast leads to a lot more wear and tear on the vehicle. With the electric version, you aren’t exerting much force, and you’ll be able to preserve the vehicle’s longevity and usability.
They’ll Encourage You to Ride More Often
Knowing you can travel faster, you’ll be more likely to ride your bike. You can be sure that you’ll always get to your destination on time and have more time to spare, so you won’t mind taking the bike out in the first place.
Many people consider taking out a regular bicycle from the garage a lot of hassle, especially if they know they’ll have to tire themselves out riding it too. While riding a traditional bike is better for your health, knowing you have to ride it can discourage you from taking advantage of this beneficial exercise.
Many users who own both e-bikes and regular bicycles say that they ride an electric bike at least once a day. In comparison, they reach for the non-electric version maybe 1-3 times per week. If you find yourself in a similar situation, investing in an electric bike could change your riding habits.
They Improve Commute Experience
Despite enjoying an occasional ride on weekends, the idea of taking a traditional bicycle to work doesn’t sound too appealing to most people. Not only are they slower but they’ll make you sweat during the ride, so you probably won’t look as presentable as you wanted when you reach your destination.
This is one of the main reasons people still prefer using their cars to commute to work, regardless of the costs to their budget or the environment. However, you can get around this problem easily with electric bikes.
You won’t have to worry about being late, because you’ll travel faster, and you won’t even have to work as hard to get there. Instead of sweating profusely, you’ll enjoy the light breeze and walk into your workplace looking just as great as you did when you left your home.
You’ll enjoy the commute to work, allowing you to breathe in more fresh air, clear your senses and mentally prepare for the day ahead. This makes them the best way to get exercise during work hours.
In the long run, this is much more beneficial for your mental health than struggling with a regular bike.
They’ll Keep You Safe
Another massive advantage of e-bikes is that they can keep you safe while riding. When riding a traditional bike, you’re in charge of your pace. Failing to pay adequate attention to building up your speed and bringing it down can be dangerous on public roads.
Despite allowing you to travel faster, an electric bike can provide more control of your speed. This is because their brake systems are more reliable than traditional bicycle brakes. As a result, you’ll be able to slow down much faster when you’re approaching a turn or a crosswalk.
And if you find yourself in a situation where you need to get away swiftly, you’ll be more likely to do that with an e-bike than a regular version. You’ll also be able to keep up with the traffic more easily, making travel easier for the other commuters around you.
All this goes a long way toward reducing the risk of accidents and injuries with potentially life-threatening or long-term health consequences.
They Can Handle Hills and Wind with Ease
Taking your electric bike to weekend adventures will be even more beneficial for your health. And you won’t even have to worry about powering through uneven terrain like you would with a traditional bicycle.
If you ever tried to travel uphill only to realize halfway that you probably won’t make it all the way up, then you know how frustrating this can be. Who wants to get off the bike in the middle of the hill and walk to the top?
Well, with an e-bike, you don’t have to. Nor will you have to worry about jostling for too long on uneven ground because you’ll get through it much faster. Whenever you encounter either of these problems, the electric pedal assistance will be there to help you out.
Strong wind is another challenging factor in bike riding. Riding a regular bicycle into the wind is not a fun experience. Electric bikes are equipped to handle this as well.
If the wind makes it harder for you to control your bike, the electric component can take over. You’ll also be less likely to be knocked off your bicycle when a strong wind hits you from the front or side.
They Are Better for the Environment
Nowadays, anything we can do to reduce pollution in our environment is also beneficial for our health. The hundreds of dollars’ car owners spend on gas and car maintenance every month isn’t only an economic issue, it’s also an ecological one.
While riding a bicycle reduces gas pollution, even good quality regular bikes require constant maintenance. And every part that has broken down and needs to be replaced ends up in a landfill, polluting our environment.
To reduce the size of the landfills, some parts can be recycled, but this process may lead to further pollution in factories. Electric bikes are much more durable and have fewer chances of breaking down than their traditional counterparts.
You’ll Get to Explore New Places
If you enjoy riding your bike, you’ll be much more likely to go on longer adventures. With an e-bike, you’ll get to explore new places without worrying about traveling for too long.
Whether you visit nearby cities on weekends or explore bike-friendly parks in your area, it’ll be up to you. In either case, you won’t spend much of your days pedaling as you would with a regular bike. This makes them great for exercise on the go as it doesn’t even feel like a workout.
If you have several e-bikes in your family or friendship circle, feel free to invite others on your adventures, too. Healthy living isn’t just about exercise and diet. Having new experiences and creating happy memories with your closest ones is just as pivotal for your health as moving regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
You Can Still Get into Better Shape
Even though e-bikes are pedal-assisted, they can still get you into good shape, just like traditional bicycles. After all, they only work for you when you really need them to, which means you don’t have to reduce the number of calories you burn.
It’s all a question of learning how to use the bike properly, when to pedal and when to rely on the powered assistance. You can pedal just as much as you do with a traditional bicycle. You’ll just have a little help when you hit uneven terrain or bad weather. And as mentioned before, riding a bike equipped with an electric power unit can encourage you to ride more.
As you gain confidence, you’ll be more likely to venture on longer trips, allowing you to exercise longer. Going on regular e-bike rides improves cardiovascular health, joint mobility, and muscle flexibility. It will also boost your immunity and metabolism, helping you lower your body fat.
There are even more benefits too as it also reduces stress, and improves your mental health. You’ll get in shape and become healthier in no time.
Final Thoughts
The main reason most people switch from regular bicycles to electric bikes is the speed. With an e-bike, you can go much faster, motivating users to ride more.
Electric bikes are pedal-assisted vehicles that you can use as you wish. For example, you can use them as a traditional bicycle on flat terrain in nice weather and reach for the added power when traveling uphill or in bad weather.
As we’ve seen, there is a vast range of benefits when using an electric bike. Although a bit costlier than traditional bicycles, e-bikes are a wonderful investment, and with regular use, they are guaranteed to pay dividends.
