Get superpowered - the advantages of ebikes

Cycling has always been a great way to get around, particularly in cities as you can zip past traffic, park directly at your destination, enjoy exercise and save a lot of money each journey by avoiding both parking fees and fuel costs. The great news is e-bikes have all those advantages and more. They allow people to ride to work fresher without getting completely sweaty, they assist cyclists up big hills and if you are carrying heavy shopping or other loads – such as kids on the school run.

In general, research shows that electric bike journeys make people healthier, better off and happier as it encourages more active travel and less jumping in the car, which is quite sedentary and costly as well as polluting.

Research shows, those who own e-bikes cycle far more often as it’s a real pleasure to be on two wheels. The bike can be locked up using a strong lock – either a chain or a d-lock and the battery is easy to remove so it can be stored inside and charged – like a mobile phone – when the battery level is low. So e-bikes are a great gadget and a growing part of travel in towns, cities and rural areas, especially as an alternative to a second car, if you need two sets of wheels and can’t afford a second-hand electric car.

They have several levels of assistance – like gears – so you can choose how much you use pedal power and how much to use the motor depending on your fitness and the incline etc. Like all bikes, cyclists don’t need a license but they need to stick to the roads and cycle paths, not pavements and abide by the usual rules of the road including traffic lights. In general, research shows that electric bike journeys make people healthier, better off and happier as it encourages more active travel and less jumping in the car, which is quite sedentary and costly as well as polluting.

Environmental and financial benefits of ebikes

Another advantage of electic bikes is that they are good for the environment. The transport sector in the UK is the biggest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, which is the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Electric power is increasingly generated from home-grown British wind and solar power, so the battery is charged predominantly from clean, green energy, which is good news for tackling carbon pollution and therefore, global warming.

Bikes also help improve air quality as they produce no toxic emissions unlike the exhausts from petrol and diesel cars. As a result, there are no congestion or low emission zone fees to pay either. There is a huge range of makes and models to choose from depending on budget with baskets, panniers and even cargo bikes available for carrying stuff. Some models are foldable, so they can be taken in cars or public transport for linking up journeys with ease. If your company operates a cycle to work scheme, then you could save up to 47% off the cost of the bike and accessories.

If you are buying an e-bike second-hand, do your research to ensure the product is safe to ride and charge. There were 211 reported fire incidents linked to e-bikes and e-scooters last year and these fires spread fast so it’s not worth the risk.

As conflict in the Middle East continues, oil prices continue to be unstable but higher than before Russia invaded Ukraine, therefore an electric bike is a good investment for the future for your health and your finances.

Are E-bikes safe to own and ride?

Electric bikes are limited to 15 mph to ensure public and rider safety. As always, use a helmet and have lights front and back and wear high -vis if you can. My helmet is high vis which is the best of both. But this is now the essential safety warning. It is crucial that you buy the e-bike and the battery from reputable companies and not a cheap knock off from the internet. This is because there has been an increase in home fires related to unstable batteries that were brought online as a ‘bargain’. If you are buying an e-bike second-hand, do your research to ensure the product is safe to ride and charge. There were 211 reported fire incidents linked to e-bikes and e-scooters last year and these fires spread fast so it’s not worth the risk.

There are loads of advantages of ebikes. They are fun, quiet, improve your well-being, reduce transport costs and often travel times plus, there’s many financial and environmental benefits so this really is a great time to get on your bike and enjoy the ride.

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