Health benefits of pedestrian and cycle commuting

[spen666]

Do you not get that some of this people may have be doing no exercise at all before getting an ebike. So it’s a good thing.

.

The whole comparison I have been making is not with someone who does no exercise, but between someone using a battery powered vehicle and someone using a pedal cycle.

 

[Punkawallah]

A few years ago an elderly rider on an ebike caught up with me on a slight climb. I jokingly said he was cheating, and he took it in the spirit it was said. He explained that he had been struggling with longer rides until getting the ebike allowed him to keep riding as far as he was used to. For him having the ebike meant he could exercise more than he had been able for a while.

Wot ‘e said. I’d rather see someone on an e-bike than sat on a couch, if only because it could mean one less person in a hospital bed when I need one. ‘Enlightened self-interest’, don’t cha-know.
On topic, they were installing a ‘health-o-matic’ machine in the gym, and invited us employees to try it. Turns out after years of cycling, swimming et al my physiological age was 15 years younger than my temporal age. Some considered my mental age lower than that, others were mortified to learn they’d have to put up with me for that much longer. Heigh ho.

 

[Dadam]

Guess what, 50% of the effort is less than the 1005 of the effort if you pedalled it yourself all the way.
thus as I have repeatedly said, you are getting less exercise when riding the battery powered vehicle than using a non battery powered bicycle

Its not a hard concept that if a battery is doing some or all of the work, the rider is doing less than on a non battery powered bicycle

For the same length of ride! But the rides tend to be longer on the e-bike.
You're just not getting it. I actually think you're trolling now, but whatever. Try this: 50% of 100 > 100% of 25.

 

[Drago]

When Spen is elderly or infirm and the choice is between dying a slow death in front of the tv in his favourite armchair or cocking his leg over an ebike we shall remember this.

Not everyone is a veritable Daley Thompson like him, able to leap from a sedentary lifestyle to immediately face any physical challenge.

He'd clearly prefer people remain in their cars, so we dont expect complaints from that quarter when his wish is granted.

 

[spen666]

For the same length of ride! But the rides tend to be longer on the e-bike.
You're just not getting it. I actually think you're trolling now, but whatever. Try this: 50% of 100 > 100% of 25.

Thats a bit like saying doing exercise is better for you than not doing any exercise


Your argument does nothing to disprove that pedalling a bike is better for you than using an e bike



Even the report you post to support your argument has a conclusion that shos the opposite

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/8/4/e001275

“Conclusion E-bikes are associated with a lower probability of reaching WHO targets for MVPA due to reduced duration and a reduced cardiovascular effort during riding.”




It is patently nonsense to suggest riding an ebike is better for your health than riding a pedal cycle


An e bike has its place and I am not disapproving of their use or existence, but stop the BS that an ebike is better for you than a pedal cycle

 

[Alex321]

Thats a bit like saying doing exercise is better for you than not doing any exercise

Wow! You actually seem to understand the point that is being made.

That is the whole point of what anybody has been saying - that doing more exercise is good, and that for *some* people, an e-bike allows them to do more exercise than they could do with a regular bike.

Your argument does nothing to disprove that pedalling a bike is better for you than using an e bike

Why would it?

Nobody in this thread has suggested that might be the case, so why would they be trying to prove/disprove it?

Even the report you post to support your argument has a conclusion that shos the opposite

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/8/4/e001275

“Conclusion E-bikes are associated with a lower probability of reaching WHO targets for MVPA due to reduced duration and a reduced cardiovascular effort during riding.”




It is patently nonsense to suggest riding an ebike is better for your health than riding a pedal cycle

Thank you for yet again stating the obvious, which everytbody here knows and nobody has attempted to argue against.

An e bike has its place and I am not disapproving of their use or existence, but stop the BS that an ebike is better for you than a pedal cycle

They would first have to start that BS in order to be able to stop it.

 

[spen666]

Wow! You actually seem to understand the point that is being made.

That is the whole point of what anybody has been saying - that doing more exercise is good, and that for *some* people, an e-bike allows them to do more exercise than they could do with a regular bike.

I do not agree with that. If you are relying on the ebike, you are not getting the same exercise as on a pedal cycle.
It is completely nonsense to say using an ebike means you are getting more exercise.

If you want to use an ebike- fine - that is your choice and I wouldn't try to suggest you shouldn't.
however, I will strongly disagree with anyone who make the false claim that an ebike means you get more exercise than on a pedal cycle.

10 miles on a pedal cycle uses more of your own energy than 10 miles on an electric bike.

 

[Alex321]

I do not agree with that. If you are relying on the ebike, you are not getting the same exercise as on a pedal cycle.
It is completely nonsense to say using an ebike means you are getting more exercise.

You really don't understand what is being said here do you?

If you are using an ebike when you would not use a regular bike, then you are getting more exercise. That includes cases where you do 50 miles on the ebike when you would only do 15 on a regular bike.

But it is utterly obvious that if you are capable of doing the same ride on a regular bike, then you will get more exercise doing so than you would on an ebike.

If you want to use an ebike- fine - that is your choice and I wouldn't try to suggest you shouldn't.
however, I will strongly disagree with anyone who make the false claim that an ebike means you get more exercise than on a pedal cycle.

10 miles on a pedal cycle uses more of your own energy than 10 miles on an electric bike.

As is agreed completely by everybody in this thread, and nobody has posted anything to suggest otherwise, so I have no idea why you feel the need to keep repeating it.

 

[teeonethousand]

I do not agree with that. If you are relying on the ebike, you are not getting the same exercise as on a pedal cycle.
It is completely nonsense to say using an ebike means you are getting more exercise.

If you want to use an ebike- fine - that is your choice and I wouldn't try to suggest you shouldn't.
however, I will strongly disagree with anyone who make the false claim that an ebike means you get more exercise than on a pedal cycle.

10 miles on a pedal cycle uses more of your own energy than 10 miles on an electric bike.

Like for like...you are right. The point is it's not like for like for the people that choose assist.

I don't have an assist but I did hire an EMTB a couple of times recently and I have to say I fully get it. Did far more than I could have done without assist, thoroughly enjoyed it and still came home knackered.

 

[spen666]

You really don't understand what is being said here do you?

If you are using an ebike when you would not use a regular bike, then you are getting more exercise. That includes cases where you do 50 miles on the ebike when you would only do 15 on a regular bike.

But it is utterly obvious that if you are capable of doing the same ride on a regular bike, then you will get more exercise doing so than you would on an ebike.



As is agreed completely by everybody in this thread, and nobody has posted anything to suggest otherwise, so I have no idea why you feel the need to keep repeating it.

So why when I state the fact that using an e bike does not use as much personal energy as riding a pedal cycle, do you keep on posting lengthy replies r?

your actions contradict your words

 

[classic33]

I do not agree with that. If you are relying on the ebike, you are not getting the same exercise as on a pedal cycle.
It is completely nonsense to say using an ebike means you are getting more exercise.

If you want to use an ebike- fine - that is your choice and I wouldn't try to suggest you shouldn't.
however, I will strongly disagree with anyone who make the false claim that an ebike means you get more exercise than on a pedal cycle.

10 miles on a pedal cycle uses more of your own energy than 10 miles on an electric bike.

10 miles on an electric bike uses non of your own energy.

 

[Dogtrousers]

 

[matticus]

You couldn't be more wrong. It's not a binary thing, motor on or off. It is supplementing the rider's input. The rider is putting in what they can, and working at a lower intensity but for much, much longer, which makes it better exercise for them.

Yes.
A longer answer: there are probably two user groups.
- One lot get bored with their "difficult" normal bike (e.g. for commuting?) and replace it with an e-bike. They still only ride to work. SO probably less exercise, but still more than if they'd driven every day.
- ANOTHER LOT buy an ebike despite not being regular cyclists. Either they add leisure ebike trips to their weekend, or they replace some car trips (commute?) with ebike trips. SO more exercise, less sedentary.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes.
A longer answer: there are probably two user groups.
- One lot get bored with their "difficult" normal bike (e.g. for commuting?) and replace it with an e-bike. They still only ride to work. SO probably less exercise, but still more than if they'd driven every day.
- ANOTHER LOT buy an ebike despite not being regular cyclists. Either they add leisure ebike trips to their weekend, or they replace some car trips (commute?) with ebike trips. SO more exercise, less sedentary.

Just for balance, to ensure all bases are covered.

Another lot already ride a bike but are struggling with hills or whatever, and buy an e-bike. They enjoy it somewhat more than their old bike so they ride it a bit more. In fact their additional riding is such that, by chance, they take precisely the same amount of exercise.

 

[albion]

Probably more exercise, it now being far more doable.