E-Bikes: Putting Power Into your Pedal

Training can be tough, so getting a helping hand is always welcome when there is nothing left in your legs at the end of a session. Particularly when that session ends and you’re greeted by a nasty looking hill.

 

Most of us have heard about the mythical ebike, but how many of us keen cyclists have indulged, or even switched over completely? Here are some interesting and important things to know and remember about the latest and greatest ‘booster bikes’ available to us.

 

Hills are a doddle on an e-bike

 

We’ve all come up against a dreaded hill sign, telling you just how steep it is. They also seem to go on forever and ever. The mere thought of tackling it with nothing but your already fatigued legs is a nightmare. E-bikes are there to save your quads and devour the Everest-esque ascent to the top.

 

The electric motor kicks in based on how much pressure you’re applying to the pedals. Or, if you’re really keen on imitating a good old fashioned motorbike, you can get them with a throttle to power your way up the incline. Either way, your legs won’t be aching as much as your standard 18-speed mountain bike.

 

Get to your destination feeling a little bit fresher

 

It may not be the training aid you’re after, but an e-bike (or as they are officially known, ‘electrically assisted pedal bicycles’) will make cycling a whole lot easier. Getting to work drenched in sweat may be a thing of the past with one of these vehicles in your life.

 

You can achieve the natural sensation of cycling with the benefit of getting a helping hand on parts of your route that would normally require a fair amount of extra exertion.

 

You can go pretty quickly

 

E-bikes will give you assistance up to approximately 15 mph, which is around the cruising speed of a car or other motor vehicle in an urban area. It is a comfortable commuting speed, or just a nice pace at which to travel casually as well.

 

If real speed is your thing (and you have around £10,000 to part with) then you could always invest in a version which gets you up to 50 mph instead. Rather than filling up, you can just plug it in like your phone or laptop.

 

Give your old bike a new lease of life

 

As well as buying a new fit-for-purpose e-bike, you can also turn your current bicycle into an e-bike in a matter of hours. Maybe even less. You can pick up a conversion kit for about £150 on marketplaces like eBay and won’t have to look far for other outlets and advice.

 

Being a modern phenomenon, there is also a whole host of information available on the internet on where to get the equipment and how to install it. Instructional videos break installation down and most manufacturers try to guarantee that it will take no more than 90 minutes to make your old (or new) bike an electric powered joy to ride.