E-bikes are about to become the next big thing

Melissa Wenzel got rid of her Toyota Prius in April 2018.

After struggling for years against cancer, arthritis and severe knee pain, the 41-year-old native of Minnesota has found an active solution to help her "regain a way of life." healthy that simultaneously helps the environment. "

She bought an electric bike.

"I had just finished my treatment for leukemia and had gained a lot of weight," Wenzel said. "I needed tools to help me become active again, so I bought an electric bike that literally became my car."

She stated that the Pedego City Commuter that she had bought had a booster pedal that she used when she arrived late to work and a throttle that she was operating "if the chain comes off so I can go somewhere safely. "

The electric two-wheeler provides moderate support when she needs it and she disables assistance when she wants to "enjoy a slow and relaxing ride on a sunny spring day".

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Future with two wheels

Transport enthusiasts pay great attention to the future of electric cars and robotics. We often keep our eyes on cars capable of flying, robotic delivery services and passenger drones that can carry passengers across the city.

But in a world preoccupied with fuel economy, health and convenience, perhaps advanced technological solutions to current displacement problems are already on the country's roads.

Electric two-wheelers are storming Europe and Asia and the big cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta have a growing market of electric bikes on the streets and the prospects for adaptation of commuters seem promising.

In fact, while standard bicycle sales have stagnated for the past three years, electric bicycle sales have increased 79% in 2018, according to market research firm NPD Group, which also said that US electric bike sales were eight times higher than those in the United States. they were in 2014.

Until now, in 2019, wholesale sales of bicycles are down for all categories of electric bikes, up 24.7% over last year, according to the latest sales report from the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association.

Trek, a bicycle manufacturer, said electric bicycles were the fastest-growing segment of the company.

"How many products do you know (if) 100 people take a test drive, they come back and have a big smile?" John Burke, CEO of Trek, said about e-bikes.

"I think it's word of mouth, I think consumers drive electric bikes (sale)."

Trek is one of the largest bicycle brands in the United States of America, based on representation in bike shops, according to the IBIS World Industrial Research Company.

A study published in 2018 by the The National Institute of Transportation and Communities found that e-bikes appealed to more cyclists than conventional bicycles, including older adults and the physically challenged.

There are two types of e-bikes: those with pedaling features, such as the Trek Super Commuter S8, which we tested last week, and the popular accelerator electric bike options in cities like NYC.

Bike or motorcycle?

There is controversy in some municipalities over the distinction between bicycles, which do not require registration, and motorcycles, which require a license.

Some cities, like Atlanta, have passed legislation limiting the speed at which e-bikes can run. Companies like Uber and Lyft are mobilizing to offer solutions to congestion, thus reducing the gap between traditional bicycles and cars. In Los Angeles, private businesses punctuate streets and sidewalks with electric bicycles that can be rented by the minute to reduce traffic.

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Trek Bicycle Corp., headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, says that cycling also provides solutions to environmental problems, but that consumers are becoming more and more sedentary.

"I think one of the problems we have as a society is the screen, people are addicted," said Burke. "The kids are having fun with their phones and people are watching Netflix in a frenzy – there are not so many people out there who are active."

The path is evl

Some countries have laid the groundwork for what the e-bike might look like in the future as the United States begins its electric bike revolution, Burke said.

Over the years, more and more cities have invested in their bike lane infrastructure, but Burke, who inherited his father's 45-year-old company, said that the United States still had a long way to go before to become a "bike-friendly nation". "

"If you want to see a bike-friendly country, go to Denmark. If you want to see a bike-friendly country, go to Holland, "said Burke. He says American cities like Boulder, Colorado, and Madison, Wisconsin, are among the country's most cycling-friendly cities, "but cities in Europe still have a long way to go. United States".

The self-proclaimed optimist said he thought bicycles were a key player in the future of transportation, but more advocacy on behalf of the industry was needed to gain more support from the industry. government for the construction of bicycle areas on public roads or land.

"It's a frustrating thing," Burks said of the lack of advocacy in the bicycle industry. A few companies got involved and tried to create more bike facilities and then, other companies do not do anything. If you build them, they will come. If you give people a safe place to ride a bike, they will come. "

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

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