WHAT ARE BATTERY BIKES?
Battery bikes are known by various names such as electric bikes, pedelecs, or simply e-bikes. They are very similar to regular bicycles with the main difference being that they are designed to provide additional assistance in the form of a motor, which is powered by a battery. They are what’s known as a hybrid vehicle which, similar to hybrid cars, means that they have the option to draw on one of two sources of power – a battery and/or the manual effort the rider puts in.
One particular benefit of using a battery bike is that, unlike other motor-propelled modes of transport, it doesn’t require a license to own one in the UK and EU since it is designed to not exceed the legal speed limit of 15.5mph that is designated for electric vehicles. In the UK, a battery bike can be owned from the age of 14 years and over, and does not face the requirement for insurance or tax in order to be operated on public roads.
WHAT ARE BATTERY BIKES?
Battery bikes are known by various names such as electric bikes, pedelecs, or simply e-bikes. They are very similar to regular bicycles with the main difference being that they are designed to provide additional assistance in the form of a motor, which is powered by a battery. They are what’s known as a hybrid vehicle which, similar to hybrid cars, means that they have the option to draw on one of two sources of power – a battery and/or the manual effort the rider puts in.
One particular benefit of using a battery bike is that, unlike other motor-propelled modes of transport, it doesn’t require a license to own in the UK and EU since it is designed to not exceed the legal speed limit of 15.5mph that is designated for electric vehicles. In the UK, a battery bike can be owned from the age of 14 years and over, and does not face the requirement for insurance or tax in order to be operated on public roads.
WHY CHOOSE ONE?
There are many reasons for choosing a battery bike, but they principally tend to be centred around one or more of the following: wanting to make exercise more enjoyable, to travel greater distances, to negate the need for a car, to make travel easier and more accessible for a variety of fitness levels and/or presence of injury, to carry heavy loads which would otherwise be taxing on a non-powered bike, or as an active effort to reduce one’s carbon footprint.
Many think that using an electric bike for exercise is ‘cheating’. On the contrary; various studies have been conducted on this subject and have found that those who use battery bikes are still receiving a favourable amount of aerobic exercise. This is due to the electrical assistance that battery bikes provide. Because it’s common for this type of bike to include a digital display, which is attached to the handlebars, the rider is able to choose how much or how little power is inputted from the motor. This enables anyone who rides a battery bike to travel further for longer without running the risk of overexertion.
WHY CHOOSE ONE?
There are many reasons for choosing a battery bike, but they principally tend to be centred around one or more of the following: wanting to make exercise more enjoyable, to travel greater distances, to negate the need for a car, to make travel easier and more accessible for a variety of fitness levels and/or presence of injury, to carry heavy loads which would otherwise be taxing on a non-powered bike, or as an active effort to reduce one’s carbon footprint.
Many think that using an electric bike for exercise is ‘cheating’. On the contrary; various studies have been conducted on this subject and have found that those who use battery bikes are still receiving a favourable amount of aerobic exercise. This is due to the electrical assistance that battery bikes provide. Because it’s common for this type of bike to include a digital display, which is attached to the handlebars, the rider is able to choose how much or how little power is inputted from the motor. This enables anyone who rides a battery bike to travel further for longer without running the risk of overexertion.
