What Are The Benefits of Riding an E-bike?

There are many benefits of riding an E-bike over other ways of transportation. Some of the benefits are:

Top benefits of riding an E-bike 

1. Easier

As you can probably imagine riding an E-bike is easier than riding an ordinary bike. The E-bike contains a motor that will help you move the paddles around much more effortlessly. Therefore your speed automatically goes up as well. It is convenient for people that aren’t strong enough to bike by themselves due to injuries or chronic symptoms. There are a lot of elderly that use the E-bike because it allows them to cycle even though their body is not strong enough anymore to be on an ordinary bike. 

2. Eco-friendly

An E-bike rides on electricity. Compared to other vehicles that use fossil fuels and gas to ride, E-bikes are much better for the environment. It will cut down your carbon footprint and save the planet from exhaust fumes. 

3. Distance

Another benefit that comes with riding an E-bike is that it is much easier to cycle further distances. The motor helps the cyclist go at a quicker speed. Apart from reaching a higher speed, it helps you paddle, making it less tiring. When you go further distances, you can see more, spend more time outdoors, and visit beautiful places near your home. 

Of course, if you were to compare it to a car, you wouldn’t go as far. Being outside, moving, and cutting down on your footprint is still worth it, though. 

4. Health

Riding an E-bike has many benefits for your overall health. Below is a list of a few health benefits to give you an idea.

Health benefits when riding an E-bike:

Low Impact

Riding an E-bike is a low-impact ‘sport.’ The chances of getting injured are slim, your heart rate doesn’t go as high as with other sports making it less tiring for the body. The body is still moving, getting it alert and active. The activity helps the body get more fit without tearing it down first. 

Weight loss

Like with any movement, the body will naturally start breaking down carbohydrates and fats to keep the body moving. When these are broken down and used to motorize the vehicle (body), the chances are that you will start losing weight. Depending on your diet off course. If you ride your E-bike daily for half an hour but also eat a snicker when you get back home, the chances of you losing weight are slim to none.  

Better sleep 

Studies have shown that spending time outdoors each day and being active for at least thirty minutes to an hour daily will improve your sleep quality. When you sleep well, this will help with your overall health, mental state, and you will feel less fatigued during the day. 

Good for your heart

Almost everyone knows that having an active lifestyle is good for your heart. As mentioned above, riding an E-bike is a low-impact sport. Therefore your heart rate will stay at a steady endurance-building zone. It will e your heart health and overall health. Your heart will be stronger, and it will decrease the chances of heart attacks and heart diseases. 

Mental health 

Another great benefit of riding an E-bike is that it is good for your mental state/health. When riding an E-bike, endorphins are released. Endorphins are hormones that make you feel happy, reducing stress. Apart from the hormones that are released during exercise, riding your E-bike outside through nature and different areas can help you clear your mind. It is especially nice if you have been at work all day sitting behind a desk working on your computer. Once you get on your E-bike, you can process everything that happened that day. Once you make it home, it is out of your head, making your time at home much more enjoyable. 

5. Economical

An electric bike is much more economical than another form of transportation. The investment up front is, therefore, worth it if you look at the statistics. Compared to an ordinary bike, you will most likely use your E-bike much more frequently, and you will travel further distances. To ride an E-bike, you have to change the batteries or recharge the battery occasionally. This costs pennies and, compared to a motorized vehicle that runs on gas, batteries are much cheaper. Some moving parts and electric components might need maintenance now and then, but this is peanuts compared to what you will be paying when maintaining a car. Leaving out the insurance costs and roadworthy certificates that driving other forms of transportation requires.

6. Quicker

Compared to an ordinary bike, an E-bike is much quicker, automatically helping you save time. This can mean that you can get out of bed later in the morning, or it can just give you that extra time to do other things that you usually don’t have time for. 

7. Safer

Riding an E-bike is much safer than riding a motorcycle or car. An E-bike does go faster than an ordinary bike. Therefore it is always recommended to wear a helmet. In most states, E-bikes are allowed on bike paths, sidewalks, and bike lanes. This is much safer than riding in traffic with motorized vehicles that drive at a much greater speed. The E-bike also goes much slower than a motorcycle or car, making the impact a lot less when there is an accident. The only thing to be aware of is when riding your E-bike in places with other ordinary bikes is that you are most likely the one going at a faster speed. Not everyone can estimate the speed of an E-bike what can cause risky situations. As long as the cyclist on an E-bike is aware of this, there shouldn’t be a problem.

8. Allows you to ride harder circumstances and terrains

It might be needless to say, but another benefit of riding an E-bike is that it is much easier to ride with more difficult circumstances and terrains. Think about dirt roads, hills, and biking against the  wind, for example. The E-bike helps you paddle what makes riding up a slope feel almost the same as riding on a flat area with an ordinary bike. This benefit will help you get less tired and make it possible for more people to enjoy riding a bike outdoors no matter the terrain and weather circumstances.  

9. Meet people

The final benefit that is mentioned here is that riding an E-bike can be good for meeting people and being social. There are many like-minded people riding E-bikes. In different states and regions, E-bike owners and riders formed groups to ride together. Often they go for a tour on weekends. They decide together what date they want to go on, what distance they want to cover, and the number of people they want to go with. It can become a great social thing, cycling together gives you the opportunity to speak to different people, and to meet people you otherwise wouldn’t. 

In the end, riding an E-bike has many benefits. Benefits that you should definitely take into account when deciding what form of transportation you want to buy.

What Are Disadvantages of Riding an E-bike?

Costs

When buying an E-bike, this does come with a price. An E-bike is more expensive than an ordinary bike. There is a wide range of E-bike types and prices. The higher the price, the more benefits the bike has. 

As mentioned above, an E-bike has many advantages compared to an ordinary bike also if you would compare it to other motorized vehicles. 

Battery life

A standard E-bike battery has a life span of about 22 miles. Once the battery is empty, it will not help the cyclist. If the cyclist wants to continue riding, they will have to rely on their own strength. This can be a disadvantage for people with a disability and for the elderly. An option would be charging the battery somewhere along the way. 

If you know you will be going further distances it is advised to buy an E-bike with a larger battery.

Weight

 An E-bike is much heavier than an ordinary bike. Therefore, moving it to the place where it is stored can be difficult if you compare it with an ordinary bike. 

When the battery runs out, and the pedal assist no longer works, then riding an E-bike can be more challenging than riding an ordinary bike because of its weight. 

Resale value

 The resale value of an E-bike isn’t high. Once the E-bike is purchased, the value drops. It is not just the E-bike that has this. Each form of transportation drops in value once it is no longer new. If it is taken care of, then the chances of getting a reasonable price for your E-bike is doable. 

How Far Can an E-bike go on One Fully Charged Battery?

As mentioned above one of the benefits or having an E-bike is that it is much easier to cycle further distances compared to an ordinary bike. However, the distance that an E-bike can go while getting help from the paddle assistance depends on the type of battery that is stored inside the bike. Therefore it is not easy to say how far an E-bike can travel.

To know how far your E-bike can ride before the battery runs out, you will have to look at the battery’s capacity. This is often written in Watt-hours. If you are good at math, you can calculate the Watt-hours towards the distance. You can do this in either Watt-hour per mile or Watt-hour per kilometer. However, if you are not a number wizard, ask the manufacturer or store where you are buying the E-bike. They should be able to tell you exactly how far the bike can go before the battery runs out.

To give you an idea, when you have a battery that has a capacity of approximately five hundred to seven hundred fifty Watt, and you ride 20 mph, the bike should take you about twenty-five miles. On the other hand, if you have a battery with just a little less capacity. Let’s say four hundred eighty Watt. It will take you approximately nineteen miles.

There are many factors that you have to keep in mind, though. It is not just the battery capacity that will determine the distance that the E-bike will take you. It also depends on the terrain (hills, wind, etc.), the speed you are biking, if it is a type 1, 2 or 3 E-bike, the weight of the E-bike, etc.

What is The Maximum Speed an E-bike Can Ride?

The maximum speed an E-bike is allowed to go is 28mph. Class 1 and 2 E-bikes ride a maximum speed of 20 mph. The class 3 E-bike can go up to 28mph. If the cyclist is strong, has the wind in their back, and riding on easy terrain, it is possible for the cyclist to reach speeds above 28mph though. Officially an E-bike is not allowed to be sold in the US if the power assist has the power that can make the bike go above the 28mph mentioned above.

What is The Minimum Speed an E-bike Can Ride?

When riding an E-bike, it is up to you at what speed you want to be riding. The speed will depend on how much the pedal assist is supporting you, and it also depends on the E-bike if it helps with the throttle. For the E-bike to stay upright, you have to pedal. Therefore the minimum speed can be as low as the cyclist wants it to be.