Are ebikes (finally) mainstream?

[Baldy]

Who cares whether their mainstream or not, if you want one get one. To me they're a moped so I'm not interested but I have no feelings either way as to what other people ride.

 

[Drago]

I didn't 'want' one, but I still enjoy it.

 

[FishFright]

I don't want one but I will need one at some point ( COPD ) and by then I'll hope to find one I love to ride.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I've estimated (with a rough count) that about a third of all the bikes I see in town on a weekend are e-bikes so yes, they're very much mainstream I'd say. And still growing.

 

[DCBassman]

On today's ride, I reckon a third of the bikes seen were e-bikes. They are certainly more common than they were.

 

[yello]

In my backwater of rural France, the few I see are ridden by older folk. The couple of ebike shops in a local town market to the elderly, not exclusively but certainly noticeably.

That said, I was watching a feature on the regional news about ebike shops in Tours. You apparently can trade in your old bike against an ebike, and this has seen increased sales across the demographics. They are seen as an urban solution though, to beat traffic congestion etc, so I guess that's why I don't see so many rurally.

Coincidentally, I saw 2 earlier today (again, an elderly couple) and my wife expressed an interest. She used to cycle in UK but the hills around here (no ride is even remotely flat) put her off. I suspect if I could find a decent deal for her, she'd be back on a bike.

 

[Boopop]

Who cares whether their mainstream or not, if you want one get one. To me they're a moped so I'm not interested but I have no feelings either way as to what other people ride.

I'll have to keep an eye out the next time I see a moped, I've never seen moped riders pedal. Maybe they only do it when no-one's looking. Just as well you don't care what other people ride I guess

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My sister has one. She can’t keep up with her husband otherwise. Almost anyone you talk to, knows someone who has one. I don’t see them very often in the lanes but do encounter them often enough. Being on a recumbent it’s a bit easier to hear the engine.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Loads down here now, hardly surprising as it is a fairly lumpy area and the number of utility cyclists seen pushing pedal cycles up hills has dropped as a consequence.

 

[CXRAndy]

My sister has one. She can’t keep up with her husband otherwise. Almost anyone you talk to, knows someone who has one. I don’t see them very often in the lanes but do encounter them often enough. Being on a recumbent it’s a bit easier to hear the engine.

My wife did exactly the same. Her bike would leave me for dust on a hilly terrain if she decided not to wait at the top of the hills.

 

[annedonnelly]

@Pale Rider I'm surprised it's taken you so long to notice an increase. There have been significant numbers around here for quite a while - possibly even pre-Covid.

I had an elderly chap trying to convert me a couple of weeks ago but you know how much I love my hybrid

 

[mustang1]

A few years ago I was commuting and waiting at the red lights. There were 4 of us including me and the other three were e-bikes. And that was a few years ago.

These days I see them all over the place. In fact if I see a deliveroo rider without a motor, it seems like he's so last-decade. Wait, last-two-decades even.

If you want something at a good price, then hub drive motors. If you're a serious cyclist then mid drive, and dearer, motors are the way.

But whatever everyone is getting, they're defo mainstream and it's only a matter of time that the majority of bikes will be electric.

I wouldn't mind an electric beach cruiser.

 

[Pale Rider]

@Pale Rider I'm surprised it's taken you so long to notice an increase. There have been significant numbers around here for quite a while - possibly even pre-Covid.

I had an elderly chap trying to convert me a couple of weeks ago but you know how much I love my hybrid

Have you still got your faithful old Edinburgh Bicycles hybrid?

You've certainly had your money's worth out of it.

 

[united4ever]

What level of exercise does a typical ebike rider get? I know it depends how hard they pedal but even a slower ebike rider must get some benefit from slowly turning the pedals. Better than sitting in a car anyway.

I hired one to explore some hilltop towns in Umbria. Was brilliant to be fair. Could just roll up in the main square for coffee and carry on 30 minutes to the next town. I would do it on holiday to explore the area.

 

[numbnuts]

Maybe we'll have to ask the French for another power line or the Chinese to build us a nuclear power station in the near future