Electric Assist Bikes

As part of our St. Patrick’s Day Off (like Ferris Bueller’s, but with fewer snakes), we went for a bike ride in Stanley Park. As we don’t own bikes, we went downstairs to the main floor of our building and rented them from a Russian fellow at JV Bike. It’s a brand new shop, and they actually specialize in electrical assist bicycles and scooters. These are basically bikes that have an electric motor which can assist in your pedaling.

I wasn’t particularly keen on being electrically-assisted (not before a couple drinks), but they only had one normal, non-electric bike, so I got one of these. I liked this model because you could determine how much assistance you wanted. In fact, you can even set the assistance to a negative setting, meaning that you work harder to charge the battery. Plus, it has generative braking, so that you recharge the battery when you brake. I wanted to get some exercise, so I barely used the electric assistance. When I tried it, though, it made a significant difference. It was much easier, for example, to pedal up a steep hill.

I’ve only done a couple of multi-day bike trips, but I could see how this technology could really extend the distance you can ride each day. Even if you used it for ten minutes per hour, it would essentially give you a rest while you still made progress. Of course, this advantage would be offset by the weight of the battery and the additional maintenance challenges that an electric bike might pose.

In truth, I’m not sure downtown Vancouver is the right market for these bikes. Vancouverites love their exercise, and generally don’t like to ‘cheat’. Still, it may appeal to the tourists.