Electric bikes are an alternative to the conventional bikes. With an e-bike, you can easily push through 20mph with little human-powered energy. You can skip the use of pedal and glide along like you’re on a motorcycle.
When shopping for an e-bike, consider the pros and cons before you make your buying decision.
Pros:
1. Use batteries: E-bikes use batteries which can easily be charged making them cheap to run and maintain compared to motorcycles. They save you a lot of money.
2. Environmentally friendly: There is no emission of greenhouse gases since the e-bikes use battery to run. They also help to reduce traffic jams on the roads, thus contributing to reduced pollution on the roads.
3. Convenience: You can use your e-bike almost everywhere and in some cases, their much faster than public transport.
4. Sweat free: E-bikes makes cycling easy since less energy is required to push the electric motors as compared to riding the conventional bikes. You can reach your destination with no sweat.
5. Fast: Compared to conventional bikes, electric-powered bikes are much faster. You can easily maneuver through the traffic and reach your destination much faster.
6. Longer distance: If riding vial long and hilly terrain, electric bikes are suitable for the journey. They enable you to go beyond distances which can be covered by a conventional bike.
7. Quiet: Compared to motorbikes, e-bikes are not noisy and can cycle them around people without creating any disturbance. They help you have a quiet and enjoyable journey.
8. Ease of use: Once bought, you don’t need a driving license or insurance cover. You can easily gain the riding skills with more practice even when you haven’t used them for a while you can easily ride them. It is also easy to buy an e-bike.
9. Safer: The limited speed and the power of the e-bikes make them much safer on the roads than motorbikes and cars. You can easily ride them without hurting your knee.
10. Upright sitting position: Compared to conventional bikes, e-bikes provide you with upright seating position helping you reduce back and neck pains. It puts you in a better perspective to watch your surrounding and any obstacles.
Cons:
1. Cost: Compared to conventional bikes, e-bikes are slightly expensive. The e-bikes use batteries and motors which needs to be replaced after sometime adding to the cost of maintenance.
2. Heavy: E-bikes are much heavier than the conventional bikes due to the battery and motor installed on them. This makes them difficult to push around when you have a flat tire or when the battery dies.
3. Restricted to cycle along bicycle lanes: In some areas, e-bikes are not allowed to cycle through the bicycle lanes and this leaves the owners with no option but to ride along the car lanes which may be dangerous.
4. Long recharge time: It may take a lot of time to fully recharge the battery compared to petrol-fueling especially when making regular trips.
5. Low resale value: Electric bikes have low resale value making it difficult to get a market for used e-bikes. Most of them require battery replacement making them lose value.
6. Reduced productivity: As the battery ages, it covers less distance than before. The older the battery, the more you have to recharge it thus reducing the productivity and convenience of the use of the e-bike.
7. Maintenance: It is hard to change the tires, motor, and controllers of e-bikes compared to conventional bikes.
8. Flat tires: E-bike tires get flats much easier due to their heavyweight of 50+ pounds.
9. Less exercise: Conventional bikes gives you the opportunity to get fit and improve your well-being as you ride them. E-bikes give you less opportunity to exercise.
10. Speed: E-bikes have limited speed with a recommended speed of 20mph on the road thus not suitable if in a hurry.
