Rhonda Weber Martin got a wakeup call in 2012. Given her 457-pound weight, her doctor said that she might not make it to her next checkup.
She decided to make big changes to her lifestyle, beginning with exercising. Martin and her husband purchased electric bikes, which come in several forms but have electric motors and require less pedaling than a regular bike.
Eventually Martin was biking 30 miles a day to and from work. She challenged herself even further with marathons and triathlons.
Since 2012, she has lost 277 pounds and has a new lease on life; her motto is “living instead of existing.”
“Motivational Monday… [two and a half] years ago, I weighed 457 [pounds] and could barely walk 150 steps at a time,” Martin posted Aug. 18 on her Facebook page. “Yesterday, I completed my third half marathon of the year at 180 [pounds.]”
Martin jump-started this fitness journey with an electric bike, and she is now a legend among electric bike retailers, with her journey shared often.
Electric bikes make it possible for almost anyone to bike regularly. Thanks to improvements in electric bikes over the years, a new class of cycling enthusiasts is emerging.
“No question, [electric bikes] can benefit a lot of people,” Larry Pizzi, president of electric bike maker Currie Tech, told Tech Page One.
A global transportation phenomenon
Electric bikes have been available since the 1980s and are most popular in China, where nine out of 10 sales occur. However, North America and Western Europe are now more widely adopting the transportation method; Western Europe in particular accounts for 20 percent of global e-bicycle revenue annually, according to a 2013 report by Navigant Research.
The report projected that global annual sales of e-bicycles will grow from $31 million in 2013 to nearly $38 million in 2020.
Industry members credit significant improvement in battery technology over the past five to 10 years as an important factor in e-bike sales growth.
Additionally, cities in general are changing their roadway infrastructure to make biking safer. Miles of bike lanes in cities across the country, along with an increased awareness of the environmental benefits of using a bike over a car or a bus, have led to increased ridership.
“I really think that the future is bright,” Pizzi said. “Cities are getting more crowded and seeing [traffic and] parking congestion.”
As people are looking for other options, e-bikes could provide an attractive alternative, Pizzi suggested.
How electric bikes work
Some electric bikes have pedal assist, which requires the rider to apply pedal power and cues a lightweight battery to rev up the motor.
This is a useful feature for a rider in the last few miles of a trek across the United States or for oxygen-dependent riders who want to catch their breath during a tour of the West Coast spanning 9,500 miles.
“Pedal activation is good for people who want to force themselves to pedal, but it is not good for people who have challenges like bad backs or bad knees,” Don DiCostanzo, CEO and co-founder of Pedego Electric Bikes, told Tech Page One.
For riders who have limitations such as bad knees, an alternative to pedal assist on some electric bikes is a throttle, which is activated with a twist of the wrist. Some e-bikes offer both methods of motor activation.
Motors of electric bikes such as Gocycle’s are activated through mobile applications using Bluetooth chip technology. The app allows cyclists to set legal speeds for their local region, view the battery life and charge status of the Gocycle battery, download software to the bike’s controller and upload a maintenance log to a tech support team.
Some electric bikes are capable of recharging through a biker’s output, while others need to be plugged into the wall. E-bikes can reach speeds of about 20 mph. Typically, the bikes can travel 25 to 40 miles between charges.
“The electric motor gives you a little extra boost when you have a hill to climb and are tired or if you want to work out without sweating,” DiCostanzo said. “An electric bike is more fun going up hill [than down]; it makes you feel like you are Superman going up the hill.”
Electric bikes will only grow in popularity as it helps users such as Martin get in better shape while reducing their carbon footprint, Adam Vollmer, founder of Faraday Bicycles, told Tech Page One.
“[I’m] excited for people who realize [electric bikes are] a great way to do more than just commute,” Vollmer said.
Source: http://techpageone.dell.com/downtime/electric-bikes-gaining-traction-globally/#.VBwAfvmSwn0
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