E-bikes are making it possible for many of us to ride to places we’ve never considered before. In the latest podcast episode of Let’s Get Moving, Dr. Brett Mciff joins host Maria Shilaos to discuss the popularity and benefits of e-bikes.
E-bikes have gained great popularity recently, as many people are finding ways to explore the great outdoors.
“Some may describe bicycles as the new toilet paper, they are impossible to find and if you are able to find one it is going to take a while to get it set up right for you because there are so many people looking to do it.” Mciff stated.
Dr. Mciff compares e-bikes to treadmills, where e-bikes give you more of an experience vs. just staring at a wall.
“It’s one of the better family activities you can do,” he said.
An e-bike is a bit of an equalizer for nothing more for somebody who may not be comfortable riding a bike, Mciff said. “This gives them the chance to ease into it a little bit more…An e-bike gives them a little bit of that boost,” Mciff Stated. “They do not move for you you have to do some work yourself.”
Maria Shilaos explained why she and her husband decided to invest in e-bikes.
“We have bicycles, but there were some parts that were so uncomfortable,” she said. “It gave us that extra push to get out there and be brave and really start taking some longer road trips.”
“For someone who is looking to ride for fun, for just getting outside you feel like the walls are closing in on you, maybe a chance to get on a bike will give you that social distancing approach way of getting those physical activity benefits in,” Mciff explained.
According to Mciff, most bikes will have you select a difficulty or assist setting.
“As you are getting started that first push with that peddle can be a little scary, it takes off,” said Mciff. “It is almost as if you have someone giving you a little push from the back.”
Although e-bikes do provide great assistance in riding, you still have to look at what your abilities are and what your endurance is, Mciff explained.
“That assist only works if you have the effort of pushing the peddles,” stated Mciff. “This is a very different style of riding a bike. “
“My hope is that e-bikes are a great tool to get people who normally wouldn’t ride out there and hit that ability to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, how they want to do it,” Mciff stated.
“I love the idea that bikes have become not just common, but accepted and preferred modes of travel during this pandemic,” stated Mciff. “It gives us that opportunity to explore and feel what it is to be almost like a kid again and get out there and ride and just feel the wind on our face as we are going to places we have to go.”
“It’s a great way to get out there and to be safe while we are doing it.”
You can hear the full conversation and learn more about the benefits of e-bikes in the full episode of Let’s Get Moving below!