We get it. You don’t want that all-too-common occurrence of your electric bike gathering dust as you balance your busy work routine and social life. But trust us, there’s still plenty of time for riding! You just need to work out how to fit riding your e-bike into your schedule.
Making the time to get out on two wheels can be challenging, but you’ll reap health and environmental benefits when you do it. So, figuring out how to make e-bike riding a regular occurrence in your daily schedule is a win-win situation.
Discover how to ensure you have plenty of riding time in your daily routine.
The Value of Regular E-Bike Riding
Establishing a regular e-bike riding schedule, whether biking to work or weekend rides, offers significant health benefits and helps save the environment.
Health and Fitness Rewards
Contrary to popular belief, e-bike riding can boost your health and fitness. Despite requiring less physical effort than a regular bicycle, e-bikes still demand energy and hard work to keep the pedals turning. For example, a Brigham Young University study found that e-mountain bike riders reach 94% of the average heart rate of regular mountain bikers.
Furthermore, a European Commission study found e-bike riders tend to take longer trips than regular cyclists. The research found that e-bikers covered 5.84 miles (9.4 kilometers) per trip compared to 2.98 miles (4.8 kilometers) by non-assisted cyclists. So, the greater distance that e-bikes enable you to cover means you’ll likely get a more intense workout.
E-bikes also make it easier for people with health issues or who struggle physically to get into cycling. They demand less from joints, making getting out on the road easier for less active people. They place less strain on leg muscles as the e-bike motor adds a power boost to send you up hills that may have previously been inconquerable. That also means less recovery time is required before taking on the next challenging ascent.
Mental Well-Being and Stress Reduction
A critical benefit of e-bike riding is boosting your mental health and reducing stress. Getting out on two wheels allows you to exercise, which releases endorphins that reduce anxiety, increase happiness, and help to improve sleep patterns.
Riding in fresh air is a great way to relieve stress, enabling you to focus on the road ahead over any internal concerns. For example, if you have challenging work tasks looming, going out for a ride can clear your mind and help you return to work fully focused. As a result, e-bike riding can give you greater self-confidence and help you take control of your life and achieve your goals.
Environmental Impact and Cost Savings
Combustible engine vehicles are significant to climate change and global warming. Some e-bikes allow you to cover up to 100 miles on a single charge, making relatively lengthy commutes possible without requiring a car. So replacing your car or motorbike commutes with an e-bike can help you to live a more sustainable life, improving the air quality and reducing noise pollution.
Choosing an e-bike over a combustion engine vehicle also offers financial benefits. Good quality e-bikes are now available for any budget, and the investment will continue to deliver compared to paying for road tax, car insurance, vehicle maintenance, gas, and more.
Strategies to Incorporate E-Bike Rides Into Your Routine
It’s possible to make time for riding even if your work days are packed with meetings or your weekends are filled with entertaining the kids and seeing friends. A few strategies to make time for more e-bike riding include:
- Commute with your e-bike: If time is proving a challenge to getting out on the road, consider changing up your work commute. An e-bike can get you into work and home again quicker than a regular bicycle. It may also be quicker than driving to work and can remove the stress of public transport in big cities. To maximize your commute, plan ahead to avoid busy roads, prioritize cycle lanes, or get the quickest and most direct route.
- Take your kids riding: A great strategy to get yourself out on an e-bike more regularly is to ignite the passion in your children. There are more options than ever for great e-bikes for kids, so encouraging them to get out and ride as much as possible will help you do the same. Either buy a children’s e-bike that suits their needs or add a seat to your bike that fuels the love of being on two wheels in your children.
- Weekend adventures and social rides: E-bikes are ideal for short trips and social visits, replacing the car with a more environmentally friendly journey. Cycling and social riding groups also offer an opportunity for social interaction with like-minded people. Cycling with friends lets you make new friends, regularly catch up on their lives, and explore the local area together.
- Finding your motivation: If inspiration is your biggest barrier to getting in the saddle, take part in challenges that give you riding motivation. For example, Strava regularly organizes online challenges for e-bikers to ride 500km a month, with competitors who complete it earning a digital finisher’s badge.
Overcoming Common Barriers to Regular Riding
We’ve all been there; you wake up to inclement conditions or a packed schedule that doesn’t have an obvious gap for hitting the trails or a nice ride along the seafront. Or maybe you had a plan, but you can feel that motivation slipping away. Don’t fret! There are solutions to overcome these common barriers:
- Weather worries: Rain, snow, and even hot weather can hold people back from getting out on their e-bike. Most e-bikes are safe to ride in the rain, but take precautions like adjusting your tire pressure, wearing waterproof clothing, braking early and carefully, and avoiding deep puddles. And always pack some cool water for your ride. Remember, your bike was made to ride through mother nature.
- Overcoming a lack of motivation: One way to address a lack of motivation is to plan ahead and identify time slots for physical activity or build regular rides into your schedule. Also, lean on friends and family to encourage you to get out and ride with or join a local riding club. E-biking’s benefits go beyond physical fitness to improving mental health and well-being and relieving stress and anxiety.
- Safe storage: Storing your e-bike safely will help maintain optimal performance, preventing physical damage to the bike and avoiding battery degradation. Also, consider purchasing a bike rack for secure storage or a folding e-bike if you’re limited on space.
Key E-Bike Features for Busy Lives
A few tweaks can also help you get the best out of your e-bike. For example, e-bikes with fast-charging capabilities ensure you always have optimal battery level and don’t run out midway through a ride.
Prioritize an e-bike that suits your needs and riding purpose, such as a specific commuter bike, e-mountain bike, or beach cruiser e-bike. You can also select an e-bike with features like multiple assist modes, a battery that offers a more extensive range, a powerful motor that provides a high top speed, or a lightweight frame. Also, consider commuter essentials like lights if you plan to ride early in the morning or at night or panniers and racks to store your work bag and equipment.
It’s more challenging than ever to make time for regular e-bike rides, be it due to work commitments or spending time with your friends and family. But whatever your situation, there are always opportunities to prevent your e-bike from gathering dust and experiencing the thrill of getting out on two wheels. Doing so will deliver physical and mental health benefits as well as help you do your bit for the environment by leaving the car at home.
