You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Very much looking at the positives from E-Bike riding - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-48204409
Great to see some positive stories on a major website. Not only disabilites being highlighed, but also new riders getting out due to them.
Also loving the tumble weeds responses from the detractors on here...
A couple of weeks back I did a tweet about my wife getting an e-bike and how it's enabled her to ride to work every day.
It got over 750k impressions, 12k likes and 300 replies (all but 2 positive) - this is about 6000 times more engagement than I normally get.
I think for 'ordinary' people e-bikes are a revelation in terms of accessing travel by bike, for those with physical issues they're life changing.
I caught that this morning, certainly puts a different spin on it.
I don't really get the criticism of ebikes, they serve a purpose. I'm sure as hell I'll be riding one when I'm in my 50's and my knees are done.
I don’t really get the criticism of ebikes, they serve a purpose. I’m sure as hell I’ll be riding one when I’m in my 50’s and my knees are done.
To be fair I think most of the criticism is aimed at perfectly able riders who choose an ebike as a "toy" rather than an aid or step into physical activity. Given how much the environment is in the public consciousness at the moment, I can understand that criticism.
There's loads of positive things about them... I bet they've saved a fair few bike shops from going under, that's got to be a good thing.
I saw a link to that article on twitter and the tweet was saying people are now able to commute into Portsmouth from outside the city (there's a hill in the way, if you don't know it) - well I've seen 1 ebike going over the hill in the past 3 years! And anyway it still doesn't make it a safe city to ride in just cos you don't have to pedal as much! (worded better) I damn well wouldn't, ebike or proper bike.
They still aren't the same thing as mountain bikes, so it does irk me that nearly every advert in Singletrack mag is for ebikes now. But hey, my opinion is just that, my opinion.
To be fair I think most of the criticism is aimed at perfectly able riders who choose an ebike as a “toy” rather than an aid or step into physical activity.
..and what exactly is a mtb, if not a toy too?
I'm struggling to understand why a fully fit 21 year old needs an ebike to ride the downhill trails at Aston Hill.
..and what exactly is a mtb, if not a toy too?
You are missing my point. You don't have to plug an analogue bike into the national power grid, and charge up a battery made of lithium that has been open cast mined on the other side of the planet.
You are missing my point.
nope your being awkward/argumentative for the sake of it, as aluminium just drops out of the air, free from any environmental damage...and don't say I use a steel frame, because it's going to use lots of ali parts or stuff that been shipped across the world.
ajaj
I’m struggling to understand why a fully fit 21 year old needs an ebike to ride the downhill trails at Aston Hill.
I'm struggling with why we need cars that go after than 70mph, but the forecourts are full of them. Do you actually have a point, or just making another pointless argument, because "you don't like them"
I’m struggling to understand why a fully fit 21 year old needs an ebike to ride the downhill trails at Aston Hill.
Probably because the Aston Hill push up track is about as infamous as their downhill trails are famous.
I doubt it is a question of "needs" but if that is what it takes to get her out riding and reaping all of its benefits, then all is good.
"the Aston Hill push up track"
The Aston Hill push up *footpath* did you mean?
Actually I've no idea if the bike park permit includes a license to ride on the footpath, but there's no documentation to suggest it does. And it really annoys the local ramblers. A big heavy ebike is both harder to get down and harder to push back up. I don't see why you'd do it.
Nothing against ebikes in general.
Well this is only likely to descend into the usual rancour.
We're unlikely to resolve the environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries vs. aluminium frames on here because there are no useful measurements (ideally being embodied energy or embodied carbon, plus persistence of polluting by-products) for the two materials available. The use/re-use cycle of the materials and components is difficult to compare.
Ebikes contain both materials and more materials so will have a higher footprint. That said, for a comprehensive measure of effects you'd also need to consider how many motor vehicles (careful with that definition!) are being left at home in place of ebikes.
The argument of ability vs sport usage is also void because sport being sport is only worth comparison in competition... or on Strava...
Back to the subject, I thought the BBC article read like a promo, but a good one.
You don’t have to plug an analogue bike into the national power grid, and charge up a battery made of lithium that has been open cast mined on the other side of the planet.
You can look critically at lots of other materials and supply chains that produce 'analogue' bikes eg carbon fibre. Everything has a cost of some kind.
Despite being one of the "detractors" (as z1ppy so delicately put it) I fully support the use of e-bikes by those of limited mobility. Indeed I feel that there should be a scheme available to subsidise the cost of them for such people, hence refering to them as "motability mountain bikes".
I think ebikes have the potential to totally change how car drivers view cyclists, for the better, as they make cycling for transport much more appealing to non-cyclists.
I honestly struggle to see a negative with ebikes, i had one for a whole 3 weeks until it was stolen, but in that time i loved it, it changed the trails i rode, as i was able to ride the uphills and levels in a different way, it opened up the range i could go as well, and it also sat there as a back up commuter bike for those days the legs were all but empty.
I see people out on trails every weekend on ebikes who would never be out if they didn't have them, instead of pointing, smirking or laughing i tend to think good on them, getting out there and trying to improve at stuff, whether under their own steam or powered, sometimes mountain bikers are as bad as golfers for this stuff!
Good article, They're not for me (well, for until my knees are shot anyway) But I dont mind 'em.
Makes me laugh when people say 'Its cheating' as if MTB is one big competition? Just go out ride what you ride and have fun.
E Bikes have revolutionised some of my friends riding and lives - getting back into it after injury, commuting without getting too sweaty, one has just ridden Lejog with her (non ebiking) husband.
I don't want or need one yet, but if and when I do, all the haterz can just go do one!
A big heavy ebike is both harder to get down and harder to push back up
No it’s not.
My pace DH is about the same on my 150mm travel trail ebike as it is on my Tues.
If you do have to push up you can use walk mode.
Walk mode.
*Shakes head*
ee by gum.
aye right £10k ebike
£10K non ebike anyone.
Whats your point caller.😉
I've never wanted to race. Even if I did, the option of partaking alongside the Athertons could be very fair in both directions.
I really like the downhills. Purist self flagellation is for weirdos.
It really means my car only ever goes on the motorway
Electrifying a Tandem/Cargo bike results in amazing mental and physical health benefits for the other half, to the extent it's her being the motivational one.
I have never seen the point in cars? But people still buy them. 😉
I don’t understand the mindset that thinks they should only be used by the old, infirm or less able.. They are more fun in almost all situations than analog bikes, maybe a parallel could be drawn to how much more fun a blingy FS would be than an old Halfords BSO..
eBikes - the only legal way to feel 18 again. They are fun.
I might get one one day.
If it got her (the able bodied person) out riding so she could "reap all of it's benefits" then maybe people wouldn't have a problem.
Aside from the open-cast mining of rare earth metals (worse than aluminium scraping) and the adding to the pressure on the grid - the only actual scientific study done on ebike commuting has shown you're better off walking or getting the bus. So "all" the benefits, not quite.
Great for the disabled. Great motorbikes in general. Don't really want to see increasing amounts of noobs up Snowdon when they haven't spent the time needed to safely get down the busiest mountain in the UK.
I'm a hater and proud.
“A big heavy ebike is both harder to get down and harder to push back up.”
I prefer mine downhill (even on the flatter stuff) to any other bike I’ve ridden, motor on or off. And it’s got a motor for going back up, either pedalling or pushing.
It’s also saving me about 25 minutes a day on my commute!
cbike
Purist self flagellation is for weirdos.
I'm sure you said that tongue in cheek to a degree but it's not totally fair.
Same as people slagging of ebikes as "cheating". It's just as daft to generalise all non e bikers as weirdo masochism lovers.
The point is, it's all good. There is no "them" and "us". Buy the bike you want and enjoy.
“the only actual scientific study done on ebike commuting has shown you’re better off walking or getting the bus”
You don’t have to do a scientific study to know that this is bollocks - unless you live and work right next to a bus route in a town with very little traffic or an interrupted bus lane, cycling to work on an ebike vs taking the bus or walking will save you hours each week.
“Purist self flagellation is for weirdos.”
Sometimes I’ll push my legs and lungs to the limit on a climb with the motor off, as that little button near my left thumb tempts me with an easier life!
Of all the ecologically damaging things you can do (and probably do) an e-bike is pretty far down the list.
Get over yourselves. All MTBs are toys not paths to enlightenment, e-MTBs are no different.
Despite being in my 50s I can still get my bike uphill. The day it becomes too much I'll be ordering an ebike.
I was in France earlier this year, and every hilltop monastery we visited had loads of middle aged men on bikes. At first I thought they simply had fit blokes in that area, then I realised they had hired bikes to get them to the top. Seemed great to me.
I’d like to read the full study:
“...a study by the European Cyclist Federation showed the overall carbon footprint of ebikes as nearly identical to traditional bikes, stating that a cyclist produces 21g of CO2 per kilometer traveled whereas ebike user produced about 22g of CO2 per kilometer, compared with 101g by bus and 271g by passenger car. One reason why the numbers between ebikes and traditional bikes is so close is that an ebike user expends less energy while riding than a traditional bike rider, and so they will theoretically be consuming less carbs, which reduces their carbon footprint.”
By that logic, as bikes are a more efficient form of transport than walking or running, so too must be ebikes.
Nice @chiefgrooveguru
You've pretty much shown how little effort an ebiker user has to go to by showing lower energy expenditure of the rider.
That's in-line with the other study that came out with they do bugger all for your fitness.
And that's the thing isn't it. Nobody is claiming they're not fun. But the able-bodied average cyclist puts in a lot of effort as a way of keeping fit. (Queue the millions of ebikers who now say cycling is nothing to do with keeping fit and it's "all about smiles per mile". Well, yep. it is on an ebike).
Queue the millions of ebikers who now say cycling is nothing to do with keeping fit and it’s “all about smiles per mile”. Well, yep. it is on an ebike).
This is just STW where to some people, riding is all about the handling, the descents, jumps, drops, popping wheelies.
I’m in that group.
To others riding seems to be about turning cranks.
I can ride my normal bike up a hill. I have ridden an off road 100km Peaks ride with 3000m of climbing in it and hardly walked any of it and can ride nearly every uphill on the Mary Townley Loop.
However, unless its very gradual hill, often it's only at around 4 to 6mph which is tedious.
If it's a very steep hill I'm sometimes only slightly faster than I can walk yet putting in significantly more effort. Pretty shit.
It is soon time to get an E Bike.
I've got a 12 month plan which should finish with me owning one this time next year.
Demo a few of the 2020 models when possible.
Pick one that I like then buy it at the end of the season when they get reduced in price as the 2021 models come out.
I'm glad I didn't rush to get one as I'd be stuck with the 500 watt hour batteries and their very limited range. It seems like now they are getting 750 watt hour batteries and beyond which is much more like it. They are looking very appealing as it should mean I can do my usual 30 milers in turbo mode throughout.
I've ridden a few on demos and hire. Hills are so fast and easy. The only real thing that stands in their way is gates. Locked gates and styles are horrendous.
I well want an e-cargo bike
For me, it's definitely something to look out for in the future when my body starts to crumble, by which time they have hopefully improved battery and motor longivity. Hired one at Center Parcs ~18 months ago, it had its own gravity field weighing something like ~23Kg (Raleigh Motus), but the acceleration it had even in the lowest assist mode was insane! 😮
All MTBs are toys not paths to enlightenment
Speak for yourself 😉
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking” – Arthur Conan Doyle
Speak for yourself
But why can't a lot of people find that with Ebikes ?
If their 'thing' is blasting round Swinley as fast as possible, then surely they're getting as much from cycling as the next man ? It doesn't need to be all Epic Adventures in the depths of the mountains to be fun/enlightening/whatever you want to label it as.
But why can’t a lot of people find that with Ebikes ?
Perceptions differ. I like ebikes (pedalecs)
I don’t have one, and understand they’re not for everyone just like regular bikes aren’t for everyone. The thing with internet fora etc is that all of a sudden every pub bore of yore found their way into the room and now they/we are all banging on all day every day because there is quite literally no coat to get.
I’m struggling to understand why a fully fit 21 year old needs an ebike to ride the downhill trails at Aston Hill.
Well you don't. But getting twice as many downhill runs into a day is often thought of as a plus. I always ride up, but that's to keep the dad body at bay...not something that's going to bother a 'fully fit 21 year old'.
Perceptions differ. I like ebikes (pedalecs)
I don’t have one, and understand they’re not for everyone just like regular bikes aren’t for everyone. The thing with internet fora etc is that all of a sudden every pub bore of yore found their way into the room and now they/we are all banging on all day every day because there is quite literally no coat to get.
NOt sure how this post and your other post are related in any way at all.... or indeed related to my reply.
I’m struggling to understand why a fully fit 21 year old needs an ebike to ride the downhill trails at Aston Hill.
You should have been with me on Sunday when I encountered 4 under 30 year old men all on full suspension e-bikes riding around the gravel roads of the New Forest. You really wouldn't be able to understand that.
They were enjoying themselves "coasting" up the hills at 15mph, I was enjoying myself by using them to pace me up the hill at 15mph. All good in my view.
The acoustic/electric bike arguments on here remind me of the riser/flat, and vee/disc wars of days past, just as illuminating and pointless.
“You’ve pretty much shown how little effort an ebiker user has to go to by showing lower energy expenditure of the rider.”
Actually, that study shows that the net energy consumption is pretty much the same, whether that energy comes from mains electricity to power the motor via the battery or from food to power your muscles to drive the pedals.
“That’s in-line with the other study that came out with they do bugger all for your fitness.”
As I’ve already pointed out, on mine there are some buttons on the handlebar which adjust the assistance in various steps, from off to full power. Despite doing 95% of my commuting and MTBing on an ebike this year I’ve had no problem keeping up with the group on my hardtail the few times I’ve taken it out - in fact it’s a fair bit easier than the ebike because I’m not hauling around a switched off battery and motor when I’m with my mates. It is annoying how much longer it takes to get home on the hardtail though... Maybe I should drive home after the ride instead of pedalling back, would that be better for my fitness and the environment?
Last week I had to sprint to the station to catch a train. Despite having the bike on full turbo I was knackered when I got there. How can that be? Maybe it was because I averaged 17mph over 3 miles with a 200’ climb in the middle, and according to the law my bike provides no assistance above 15.5mph (and it’s a 6” full-sus with a 2.6” cut spike up front and a 2.3” knobbly on the back)?
i had one for a whole 3 weeks until it was stolen
Anyone get charged for that?
Awww diddums @chiefgrooveguru
"Actually, that study shows that the net energy consumption is pretty much the same, whether that energy comes from mains electricity to power the motor via the battery or from food to power your muscles to drive the pedals."
Yeah - energy consumption on an ebike comes from the mains electricity grid. So if the net energy consumption is the same then *almost* all the power used to propel yourself on a commute is coming from a power station.
Out of your own mouth. And equal to the only scientific study that says commute ebiking doesn't really offer health benefits. 🙂
(And so what if you did a climb on a sprint? Sprinting is hard period. Nobody is saying zero-effort. Just massively reduced)
Is anyone else getting really tired of this debate?
I don't own one nor plan to in the next couple of years. But i'm sure i'll probably get one at some point.
^^^^, what, disc brakes, suspension, 26 or 29 ?
This is just another of those areas of opposing opinions based on personal preference isn't it ?
“Out of your own mouth. And equal to the only scientific study that says commute ebiking doesn’t really offer health benefits. 🙂“
There are plenty of scientific studies which have later been shown to be deeply flawed. Unless I am extremely anomalous individual then I believe that is the case with this study.
And if you’ve never spent a reasonable amount of time riding an ebike then your opinion on them is as valuable as that of a car driver on cycling who can’t ride a bike.
I get fitter riding mine for an hour each way than I would sitting on the train for 20 minutes.
I don’t need a “scientific study” to know that.
And if the study says I don’t, then it’s total horse shit 👍
@Nealglover - you *do* need a scientific study to know that because it's the only tool we have to measure things. Hammers for nails, science for truth.
Walking to the train station / bus stop is covered under the study - and the walk to the public transport does the average ebiker commuter more good than the ride.
Not counting fun, or mental health. But the fact you don't have to press hard on the pedals (and, as ebikers accuse cyclists of being 'masochists' - that's proof enough that ebikers don't voluntarily press hard on the pedals) means you don't reap the health benefits.
I certainly put in the same effort when riding my ebaike. for slightly shorter periods as it takes a few mins less to get to town on it but I am either riding hard at 15mph with motor assistance uphill or riding hard at 30mph without downhill
“Not counting fun, or mental health. But the fact you don’t have to press hard on the pedals (and, as ebikers accuse cyclists of being ‘masochists’ – that’s proof enough that ebikers don’t voluntarily press hard on the pedals) means you don’t reap the health benefits.”
Have you ever ridden a production non-DH mountain bike of the last 20 years with gears? Only in exceptional circumstances do you HAVE to press hard on the pedals because the gear range is so large that you can twiddle along gently spinning all the time. But curiously most people prefer to use a higher gear and push on the pedals harder because it gets them places more quickly and is more satisfying.
Is anyone else getting really tired of this debate?
Yes, me.
I have no problem with E-Bikes when they are used in the same way an unassisted bike would be. Whether it’s enabling riders to complete loops faster, or help those who need it, all great stuff.
Where I often ride we have some tucked away trails (that walkers don't use) that have always been descents because they are too steep or loose to climb or because there is an easier climb or fire road nearby. Now, for the first time, I have seen E-bike riders climbing up them. We can argue all day about 'it's not a trail centre’, or 'you should be in control/able to stop' etc, but it increases the chances of a collision occurring in a manner that had never previously existed. Secondly, bike wheels, motor assisted or human powered, going up hill under load result in levels of trail erosion far greater than those caused when freewheeling down hill, particularly in woodland areas where the ground is soft, loamy or muddy. This behaviour will most likely lead to resentment and conflict with other riders and landowners in the future if it continues.
I always try and put the effort in whatever I'm doing, bike, ebike, gym, ironing.
Its going to be difficult to say these competitors wont.
https://www.enduroworldseries.com/news/1371-enduro-world-series-launches-ewse/
UCI President David Lappartient said: “The UCI is looking forward to the introduction of an electric-powered version of Enduro with the launch of the EWS-E from 2020. Based on the experience and know-how of the Enduro World Series (EWS), this innovative format of competition will offer spectacular racing while ensuring the highest standard of sporting integrity. This new series confirms the current status of E-MTB as a fast-moving cycling discipline.”
Akers - I think your example falls into the 'don't be a dick' category which applies to everyone, regardless of e-assistance.
How long does a fully charged battery tend to last on say a Lake District ride or one of the 7Stanes? Do you just unclip the battery from the bike and take indoors to charge or is the battery semi permanently attached to the bike and you have to run a cable to it?
@Nealglover – you *do* need a scientific study to know that because it’s the only tool we have to measure things
No. I really don’t.
I know my own experiences and results.
Driving to the train station and getting a train to within 500 yards of the office does not get me fit.
Riding 24 miles/day on an ebike does.
(Not exactly surprising to anyone with a bit of common sense, but you obviously know better)
Lol @tracey - was waiting for someone to bring up racing as a justification.
Racing is racing - you always give maximum effort on competetive sport otherwise what's the point? (I can also say what's the point of an ebike series because of this - maximum effort is maximum effort - whether there is additional power from a motor or not - so it's transparently about sales).
But the argumemt is about normal use by normal people, who (unless they're masochists, as non-powered cyclists have been called in various threads on this) don't artificially stress themselves.
The science is clear, even @chiefgrooveguru quoted an energy study (undermining himself).
Why don't ebikers just admit it?** 99% of the time, in terms of fitness, it IS cheating.
For everything else, knock yourselves out. 🙂
**we know why - a) people don't like to feel like cheats and would rather lie to themselves and; b) if the perception with the public was that ebikes were cheating then sales'd plummet - which means less money for the entire industry and tough luck for the magazines that have frown up around it. - so damn the fact that n00bs are tearing down snowdon between walkers, knocking people off in trail centres and the peak (three times - once me, twice my o/h), eroding the trails more and requiring rare earth metals and energy gen.
Despite my (obvious) hate for them I think they've definitely got their place - if they take cars off the road / enable people who otherwise couldn't (great!) etc. But stop kidding yourselves that they're not cheating when it comes to fitness - it's precicely because they are that makes them fun.
But stop kidding yourselves that they’re not cheating when it comes to fitness
I’m not trying to get fit. I’m already fairly fit.
The increased fitness and weight loss is just a byproduct of cycling roughly 2 hours/day on an ebike rather than sitting on a train.
How am I cheating exactly ?
And your granddad smoked 50 a day and lived until 100 too I bet, @nealglover 😉
(and apart from that - the answer to your question is already contained in my post above)
if the perception with the public was that ebikes were cheating
this whole conversation is beign framed incorrectly.
most people don't ride for fitness - they ride for transport. The more that e-bikes encourage people to get out of their car and ride to work or the shops the better.
My wife's drive to work was 15 minutes, it's a 20 minute ride and a 50 minute walk. No way would she be walking to work and back every day. She would ride but there's a massive hill and she found an e-bike enabled her to get up the hill and to work not in a sweaty mess - she can get off the bike and start work. So she has an ebike. It enabled her to stop driving. As far as I'm concerned that can only be a good thing for a whole host of reasons.
Member
How long does a fully charged battery tend to last on say a Lake District ride or one of the 7Stanes? Do you just unclip the battery from the bike and take indoors to charge or is the battery semi permanently attached to the bike and you have to run a cable to it?
How long is a piece of string? My ebike add on kit is a 375 whr batter so smaller than some. I have flattened it in 8 miles. I couldn't complete my usual pentlands loop on it which is 35 miles and 2000+ ft of climbing without range anxiety but I was certainly climbing much faster than I usually would ( no granny gear). I have also done 35 miles of easy offroad on half a battery
Most you can do either - charge on the bike or off it.
So with mine when I’m in the Alps I’ll regularly ride up a couple of peaks in a morning to hit some descents.
Those rides wouldn’t be possible in the timeframe on my Capra, so I wouldn’t do them.
I ride up trying to keep up over 10mph on the climbs, which means I’m sweating buckets and blowing hard.
But hey, I’m a cheat and not a real rider.
^^^^ 2020 eMTBs with 625 or 700 batteries would typically be good on regular trail mode for 4-5 hours of xc riding, so a decent day at a trail centre, or a proper natural loop with some decent hills. Range anxiety much less of an issue with the new breed of technology
“The science is clear, even @chiefgrooveguru quoted an energy study (undermining himself).”
I didn’t undermine myself, your poor comprehension undermined yourself. Read it again. Doesn’t matter whether you pedal hard or not, the CO2 per mile is within 10%.
I shouldn’t rise to this as it’s the pathetic words of someone with deeper issues:
“Why don’t ebikers just admit it?** 99% of the time, in terms of fitness, it IS cheating.”
But another reason I got an ebike was so I could balance the demands of commuting, MTBing and trying to get stronger - measured in terms of squat, bench and deadlift. At 41 the body has less ability to recover from training and the eMTB means that I can still push hard on rides but if my legs die on me due to all the commuting and weight training then I can turn on the assistance and keep up and still (relatively) enjoy myself. (I’m writing this in between five sets of eight of high bar squats).
So exactly how do you measure fitness? By some measures quite a lot of strong pedallers are otherwise pretty feeble...
When I was commuting across town on by ordinary bike I had no energy left to go out riding at weekends. When I used the ebike I did. So I actually rode more when using the ebike
this whole conversation is beign framed incorrectly.
most people don’t ride for fitness – they ride for transport. The more that e-bikes encourage people to get out of their car and ride to work or the shops the better.
I agree, people should always differentiate between e-bikes in general and e-mtb's. Issue's people might have with e-mtb use for leisure in the countryside have nothing to do with e-bike use as transport.
"this whole conversation is beign framed incorrectly. most people don’t ride for fitness – they ride for transport. The more that e-bikes encourage people to get out of their car and ride to work or the shops the better." @wwaswas - if the argument was about this I'd be 100% behind you m8. In fact - I'm completely for this. We'd be mad not to be.
But this isn't a general transport forum. This is an enthusiast website for a (niche) sport.
Edit: Ah, post above 🙂
@chiefgrooveguru - sure. Widen the terms to include fitness from <insert wherever else you get fitness from>. Of course, that makes the conversation pretty much irrelevant about specifically ebikes, and of course, the point has already been addressed in other posts.
If you go to 100 hours of zumba a week that doesn't mean ebikes make the average joe fitter. Period.
A lot of posts on here seem to come at the argument from the narrow view of someone who already cycles. Sure, an e-bike generally demands significantly less power from its rider.
But it still demands some. And it doesn’t use much unsustainable energy. And it doesn’t demand much road space. And it doesn’t demand much parking space. And it doesn’t demand rails or stations or tunnels. And it doesn’t demand a vehicle to be driven from where it is to pick you up. And it doesn’t add much to the level of danger on city streets. And it doesn’t act as a physical and psychological barrier between its occupants and the public at large. And so on.
So if you take the wider view of someone who sometimes, often or always uses cars, taxis, buses, trains, tubes and so on, then just about every damned thing about e-bikes is a win.
Three studies which show ebikes are beneficial to fitness, to a similar order of magnitude as normal hikes:
https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-018-0751-8
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259019821930017X