E-Bikes For Everyone

The road is more accessible with pedal assist.

Dall•E 2 generation of French revolutionaries riding e-bikes to the Bastille.

Back when I spent a lot of time cycling in the 2000s, the vibe in the peloton was that electric bikes were a danger akin to performance-enhancing drugs. Their very existence risked the purity of a sport based on the simplicity of a pedal stroke.

In practice, far from diluting anything, e-bikes have helped more people get on a bike. And it’s increasingly clear that without the advantage of battery assistance, many of these folks wouldn’t be riding at all.

A recent survey of e-bike owners showed 29% of respondents had a physical limitation that made riding a standard bike difficult. That’s a huge percentage. But it makes sense when we realize all humans experience disability at some point in their lives, whether from age, injury, or something else. A bit of battery power appears to lower bicycling’s barrier of entry. (NITC)

Moreover, e-bikes encourage people to exercise more, not less. A recent New Yorker article…