Now is prime time to add an electric bike to your life. Familiar as personal transportation in other parts of the world, e-bikes are gaining momentum across the United States.
For many reasons, e-bikes are hitting their stride in the U.S., yet you may still be the first of your friends to own one. Zip around your community like a rock star while fielding questions about your cool new ride. You are part of a rising tide, not a passing fad.
“No,” you will explain to curious friends, “It is not a motorbike. I don’t need a special license or insurance to operate it. It’s an electric bicycle equipped with pedal assist. I pedal and automatically get a boost. It feels like I’ve got a superpower,” you’ll say. “It’s easy on my knees and great for going uphill with no sweat or strain.”
In some American cities, rental e-bikes are soaring in popularity for door-to-door trips. You may have even tried one before at a resort as a fun way to tour areas unreachable by car.
People for Bikes, a national advocacy organization, is working with state lawmakers and transportation planners to make riding an e-bike easy and accessible for all. A growing number of states either regulate e-bikes as bicycles or define three different e-bike classes.
With clear rules on how and where to ride an e-bike, everyone stands to benefit. Check the People for Bikes website for current information on e-bike laws by state.
An informed consumer, you might know that electric bicycles are here to stay. They are feats of design and engineering, and e-bikes today are free of earlier-generation bugs. Buy with assurance of the new, but tried-and-true.
Manufacturers striving to distinguish themselves in this emerging marketplace is great news for early adopters like you. A vast array of innovative features and designs greet shoppers today. Like other items newly woven into the American fabric, one size does not fit all. In fact, your search may yield hundreds of e-bike styles, models and brands to choose from.
As the electric bicycle market evolves, you’ll find that product aesthetics also improve. Another reason to enjoy rolling an e-bike into your home now is because of their eye-catching designs. Foldable models are perfect for stowing in your car, trunk or carrying up an elevator. No longer do all models share a similar bulky look. Battery placement is now more integrated and frames are more stylish.
Buying an e-bike today means you are not on your own. Like friendly tour guides through the electric bicycle landscape, legions of reviewers stand ready to assist you in making the right choice.
Not only can early adopters like you learn from customer reviews of earlier adopters, you can also gain insight from professional reviewers. Watch videos while e-bikes are unboxed, assembled, inspected, demonstrated and compared feature-by-feature. Read commentary and analysis by objective industry experts. Check out dozens of detailed category recommendations and lists.
Like anything in a consumer-driven economy, competition elevates product quality industrywide and ultimately lowers costs for all. Although they are still an investment, technological improvements and manufacturing efficiencies are driving down prices. Some premium electric bicycles are becoming more affordable.
The future of last-mile transportation is electric. Your e-bike is a car alternative and a zero-emission choice for errands, commuting, recreation and exercise. Many downtown dwellers choose an e-bike to avoid traffic and parking hassles. Carried aboard RVs or boats, e-bikes are zippy transportation to a destination.
Now is a great time to own an e-bike. Join a growing community of e-bike enthusiasts combining commuting or recreation with an eco-friendly lifestyle. An estimated 40 percent of personal vehicle travel by Americans is two miles or less. Consider swapping your car for your e-bike on occasion and you may find yourself inspiring others.
