Electric bikes or e-bikes are making their way to trails in national parks across the country. Are these bikes in the way or a welcome addition?
A bike powered by electricity allows more park visitors to experience the fun of mountain biking on the trails than ever before. Those who can’t handle the challenging terrain on traditional mountain bikes and allow the electric models to do the work, might find that problematic. Currently, many parks allow e-bikes to be ridden, but the superintendent of each park has the discretion to disallow these bikes.
What makes using an electric bike enjoyable?
Conserve energy
Riding to the top of a mountain is grueling work that can be seriously challenging. This can make it extremely difficult for you to enjoy the views and experiences at the top of the ride before heading back down, instead of using up all your energy going up, leaving none for your return trip or to enjoy the views. An electric bike helps you use less energy.
Great for daily commutes
If your daily commute takes you only a few miles at a time, you can use e-bikes for more than mountain biking. This is a great way to get where you need to go without starting up your car and burning fuel. If you have the bike for your time in the wilderness, it makes a great option when you just want to go for a short ride to run errands or handle your regular commute.
Environmentally friendly
Any vehicle that runs on electricity is better for the environment than those that run on gasoline or other fossil fuels that cause emissions to be expelled into the atmosphere. Electric bikes require the batteries to be charged to operate, but when you pedal your bike, it helps to recharge the batteries, like an electric car. This type of bike allows you to spend time in nature and enjoy the wilderness without using a car.
Push yourself further
When you have an electric motor backing you up, it’s possible to take a difficult route that might be more than you would normally attempt without the motor assist, this means you can enjoy much more difficult trails and rides without worrying that you’ll end up exhausted and unable to make sound decisions on the trails.
Slow riding is easier
Most electric mountain bikes have a walking mode, which allows you to use enough power to get through some tough terrain where you might not normally try to go with a traditional mountain bike. You won’t have to drag dead weight. Simply ride the bike at this slow speed and get around fallen trees or other obstacles that you don’t want to try and ride over.
Offers access to longer routes
Some trails might seem too long for your riding skill, but if you ride e-bikes, you could have access to these longer trails. You can use the electric motor for some of the trail riding and pedal for other parts of the trail. The battery pack and electric motor make it easier to ride through the new terrain without breaking much of a sweat. It can even be helpful for those who want to try the trail unassisted to get to know the trail on an electric bike first.
Stronger riders won’t leave you behind
If you ride with other people who are much stronger riders, you might get discouraged because they will eventually leave you behind, or you’ll know you are dragging them down. Using an electric bike helps you keep pace with the group, making it much easier for everyone to stay together and enjoy the ride.
Resting while riding is possible
When you allow the electric motor to handle the job, you can rest while still making time and riding toward your destination. There are different levels of electric-assisted-riding on e-bikes, which means you can choose how hard you want to pedal while you rest for a bit. The low-intensity riding could be all that you need to get going again with a new jolt of energy.
Riding every day is much easier
Instead of facing the quivering legs of a hard ride from the day before, an electric bike allows you to enjoy fresh legs that can make another ride the next day. This allows e-bikes to be excellent choices for riders who want to spend several days riding the trails in some of the most popular national parks.
Will you ride e-bikes the next time you go to one of the national parks? You might need to check with the park superintendent to ensure you and your bike will be welcome.