DKYBIKES - Your Perfect Commuting Companion
For those who want a little help getting from A to B, an e-bike is the perfect mode of transport.
Sales of electric bikes - or better known as e-bikes - have been soaring in the past few years and show no sign of letting up.
For those cycling to work, they are a valuable purchase. The motor assistance allows you to arrive on time but a bit less sweaty than you would if you arrived on a non-motored bike.
As cities around the world try to remove cars from roads and get more people cycling, e-bikes will become even more of a feature in our daily lives.
So why are e-bikes so perfect for helping people get from A to B?
The merits of e-bikes has been the focus of numerous studies. All of them point to people’s enthusiasm for using e-bikes because they make the journey to work, to the shops, and to school easier. The perceived lack of effort required means people can travel further and they are also far more likely to do so.
E-bikes might also have the ability to make people ride deeper into the year. Even the hardiest of bike commuters can find cycling into work during the colder months a challenge. Certainly for many newbies a dip in temperatures is all the excuse they need to put the bike back in the garage and head for the car, bus or train.
Another reason for the e-bike's relevance for urban dwellers is its affordability. Lithium-ion battery technology is not only getting better, but it's getter cheaper, helping to reduce the overall cost of e-bikes. But it's after you've bought an e-bike that you really start to save.
After the significant initial investment of the bike itself, running costs are low. Battery life continues to improve, and you can expect to have to replace it only after around 10,000 miles. Figure in a yearly service and it's still an affordable choice when compared to the cost of running a car and driving in the city, especially if you have to pay to park at your destination.
We all know that exercising is good for our physical and mental wellbeing and swinging a leg over an e-bike helps to keep our body and mind happy. It is recommended that you get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise a week and using an e-bike for your daily commute would likely see your hit this target comfortably.
If you're concerned that riding an e-bike won't provide sufficient a workout to warrant being called 'exercise' you'd be wrong. There are studies galore that demonstrate riding an e-bike does get the heart pumping.
One such study undertaken in Boulder, Colorado found that when riding an e-bike for at least 40 minutes per ride, participants heart rates averaged around 75% of their maximum. This is similar to a brisk walk and enough to meet health guidelines for 'moderate' exercise.
