Is An E-bike For You?
What is an e-bike?
An e-bike is a regular bicycle with a battery and a small motor that assists the rider while riding. I bought a Trek e-bike, but be aware that a regular bike can be converted into an e-bike. There are several places in town that can do this. I got mine because due to a medical condition (that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it) I was having a lot of trouble keeping up with even my own group and walking up many very moderate hills. My e-bike solved those problems with room to spare. Usually there are four levels of assist. You control your speed with your feet, just like with a regular bike, you just have more to show for the same amount of effort. The e-bike is not meant to do the riding for you. When you stop pedaling, the bike stops assisting. There are many types of e-bikes. A lot of them are designed for short errands around town. These bikes have a very limited amount of mileage before the battery needs recharging. If you are getting an e-bike for use on club rides make sure the bike has the range that you would like to ride. Naturally, the higher assist levels will use up more battery charge than the lower assist levels. Even though my rides are usually in the 30-35 mile range my bike will get 70-80 miles on a charge if I stay in the lower two assist modes. I will discuss e-bikes in more depth in a future article.