E-bikes are gaining popularity and not everyone is in favor of it. Concerned that e-bikes diminish the value of my hard work and fitness as a trainer and athlete, I was also unhappy about these bikes.
For those who are not familiar as yet, e-bikes for sale are simply regular bicycles featuring a battery-triggered “pedal-assist’. These are technically referred to as ‘pedelecs’ and feel just like riding a bike. Only, the motor facilitates a faster pace with less work.
Enthusiasts of traditional cycling felt concerned since e-bikes give wattage to riders with the simple push of a button, whereas people have trained for years to gain that. Cyclists get the feeling of satisfaction from even simple races and rides because of their dedication that brought the result. They believe that the currency of cycling is achieved with difficulty and lost easily. Something that e-bikes do not promote.
Having worked hard and sacrificed for their fitness, cyclists believe their fitness has an intrinsic value. They feel that acoustic riders will have to one day explain that they were beaten only because modern riders used assisted technology bikes.
While it is not known if e-bikes will take away the satisfaction of hard work, the bikes have succeeded in getting more people to ride. The market share of e bikes for sale jumped by 95% within a year only, with no signs of stopping.
Regardless of what critics claim, e-bikes do contribute to exercise and fitness. If you are feeling skeptical, read on:
- Increased heart rate
The energy required to ride a bike and an e-bike show a difference equivalent to running and brisk walking. While regular biking is regarded as a form of vigorous exercise, riding an e-bike takes half the energy, equivalent to brisk walking. Depending on how you ride, you can easily burn up to 390 calories in an hour. If you wish to get more exercise, you can opt for lower pedal assist settings.
- More Riding
For many e-bike owners, the e-bikes replace their cars and not their traditional bikes. A survey found that about 91% of people rode daily after getting an e-bike. Car owners were found to have replaced about 46% of their commutes by car with e-bike rides. This enhances fitness and not devalues it.
- Health benefits
For the ones who are lazy to ride a traditional bike, an e-bike was successful in getting them to ride. In fact, when some volunteers were asked to ride for 40 minutes for three days each week, many volunteers rode beyond the time advised and improved their health in just a month.
- Low-Intensity, enjoyable rides
Riding an e-bike helps you build your base and build your endurance. Since it doesn’t demand much effort, you can enjoy riding for longer distances as compared to acoustic bikes.
- Riding on recovery days
On days when you want your muscles to recover, riding an e-bike serves as a simple exercise that regulates your metabolism and promotes circulation.
