Pedaling an e-bike is more fun

by Peter Rosegg | Sept. 16, 2019

Peter Rosegg rode e-bikes with his wife during their barge-and-bike voyage along the Rhine River between France and Germany.

When the Wall Street Journal headline reads, “Should You Trade in Your Car for an E-Bike?” it’s a good bet something is trending.

The Journal’s answer? “The next generation of electric bicycles is rolling up now, with smarter, app-enabled tools and settings that can make your ride to work — or across town — no sweat at all.”

The bicycle — two wheels and human power — was invented 200 years ago, revolutionizing mobility, liberating women and widening the world for workers who could not own a horse.

Bicycles have come a long way in sophistication and variety, along the way giving birth to motorcycles and motor scooters, but the essential two wheels and human power have not changed at all.

Now, lithium-ion batteries driving specialized motors have started bicycling’s second revolution. Sales of electric-assist bicycles in the U.S. jumped 91 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the Journal.

On a recent barge-and-bike voyage along the Rhine River between France and Germany, we used electric bicycles. They even made that flat route more fun, with time and energy for sightseeing stops and savoring our surroundings.

Our on-board guide, Frank Wellmann, a manager of SE Tours, told me, “Electric bikes were originally designed for old people with an engine in front or back and battery on top of the rear carrier. That was too much weight and too hard to control. An engine with the pedals and battery integrated in the downtube is the best solution, making the e-bike popular with young people. One-third of bikes sold in Europe today are electric.”

Other technologies are advancing the new interest. On some models, by syncing to your smartphone, you can dial in power settings and get ride metrics, battery levels, safety alerts, built-in security, even live directions. An e-bike with Amazon Alexa is coming (oh, joy)!

E-bikes take less effort than a traditional e-bike, meaning less sweat and more distance!

You still need to pedal an e-bike but each pump counts for more, with less worry about tiring out. Riding a typical road bikes burns 435–560 calories/hour for an average person; e-bikes only burn 280–415 calories/hour.

For speed and range, the e-bike does more than a standard bike but it’s not so powerful or frightening for many as a motorcycle or motor scooter. E-bikes provide motorized pedal-assist up to about 28 mph, versus an average 12.5 mph for a typical regular bike.

E-bikes come in various shapes, from folding to cargo bikes that carry hundreds of pounds. With an e-bike, you can navigate traffic, reduce parking hassles and save money while improving health and enjoying the great outdoors.

With our heat and hills, e-bikes are perfect for Hawaii. San Francisco’s bike-share program already offers e-bikes and Honolulu’s Biki is looking at them too. Many local bike shops have some e-bikes for sale and some offer test rides and rentals.

If you thought, “I’ll never ride a bike again,” it may be time to rethink.

Peter Rosegg is a senior corporate relations specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.