EBikes Are Cool!
Just wanted to share my thoughts about a recent change of heart I had for ebikes. I wasn't that thrilled up until recently thinking the motor plus battery was a cop out for people that just didn't want to train. I know this was TOTALLY wrong. You know what they say about opinions everybody's got one, everyone thinks theirs is the only one that doesn't stink and mine was a result of tunnel vision.
What happened is that we spent considerable time abroad in Europe this summer and biked around a LOT. Or at least I did because I have been riding for a few years, train frequently and am in decently good shape enough to tackle 16-18% grades even in gravel.
Anyway the best rides there are out of the cities which are congested but to get there to be in the mountains and hills and countryside you really have to be able to do those uphills; my wife isn't enough into biking to train enough to do that. So I switched bike and did a longer term rental of ebike. What a difference! It's a really neat idea because the truth is not everyone has the time to be in good shape to be an effective cyclist in every place. The beauty of ebike is that it expands the appeal to the sport beyond fitness freaks and anything that brings more riders and more enthusiasts into the fold will mean more rights, more bike lanes/paths, more people to ride with and just a better experience. Why didn't I think of this sooner???