Few things have been as good in the cycling industry in recent years as the invention, marketing, and rise of ebikes. Electric bicycles were developed for two groups: those who don’t want to and those who can’t do more strenuous rides.

On our tours, I see that there are people who, with a little or a lot of struggle, could still complete their daily routine and climb the hills, but they don’t want to spoil the experience of cycling by literally suffering for success. They would rather enjoy the scenery, chat, and enjoy the moment.

The other group, however, either due to their age or physical condition, can no longer walk so many kilometers or climb so many levels without assistance.

Fortunately, today it is possible to eliminate this “problem” with ebikes. An ebike is a bicycle that has been equipped with an electric drive. This means that an electric motor uses the energy of a high-performance battery to help you pedal. The level of assistance can usually be adjusted in 4 stages. The battery is rechargeable, and with one charge you can ride the bike up to 80-100 km, and if you use it wisely, even more. Of course, this also depends on the difference in altitude, e.g. in pure mountain riding they can climb 1200-1400 m. (Our detailed article – Ebike: motorcycle or bicycle? can be found here!)

I have been leading tours for many years on a wide variety of routes: there are large mountains with steep climbs, average tours with hills of 3-400 meters, and there are easier routes where there is hardly any level ground.
Today, we have reached the point where there is hardly a tour where an e-biker does not come. In fact, there are e-bike tours specifically. Many people bring their own e-bikes, but many also rent them from us. So e-bikes are alive and well, they are spreading, and it seems that there is nothing that can stop their expansion.

In this article, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

At least you’re do the sport.

Instead of sitting at home because you can’t or don’t want to cycle, at least you’re cycling with an ebike! An ebike is a significant motivational factor, as the difficulty of cycling won’t hold you back. We have many passengers who wouldn’t have come on the tour without an ebike or wouldn’t cycle without an ebike. And with that, yes! Cycling is healthy, it’s important to move! With an ebike, you do this, as the assistance only works when you’re cycling!

Comfort

An electric bike allows you to cycle with less effort. It gives those who are physically weaker the opportunity to cycle. This can be not only a different kind of cycling, but also a second cycling life. Not to mention that you can commute to work without breaking a sweat! Or, if you carry a lot of luggage, which can be an extra 10-20 kg, it will also make it easier for you!

If you are significantly overweight but want to cycle, you can do this. However, be aware that the extra kilos (I am talking about the more significant ones, +20-40kg) will greatly reduce the battery capacity (up to 20-30%). So they cannot take advantage of the estimated average distance values! We did not have a single passenger who had this problem!

Can be used without batteries

If the battery of an ebike runs out, you can ride further than with a normal bike. The manufacturers have done a good job of providing a smooth and easy riding experience even without a battery. Obviously, an ebike is heavier than a normal bike, but it can basically be ridden in the same way, and sometimes you even feel that the riding experience is smoother! So it won’t stop like a car, which if it breaks down or runs out of gas, then it’s gone. Of course, you may not be able to ride it up a steep hill, max. push it up (although this is not easy due to its weight), but beyond that it can be used exactly like a normal bike.

To the mountain!

The main advantage of an e-bike is that it offers the most on hills: For those who can’t or don’t like to ride hills, this is a hit! Of course, the battery also drains much more in this case, as it costs a lot of energy, since you are constantly using the assistance, and the steeper the hill, the stronger it is, but premium machines with a 500 or 625 battery can already reach 1000-1400 m. If you are going to ride on terrain that is more difficult than you can ride, consider an e-bike!

The fun factor

I see that many of my passengers would cycling without an ebike, but they enjoy the electric bike. And that’s understandable. I’ve used it a lot too, when I lead an ebike tour, I sometimes go with the idea of ​​being able to ride with the passengers. If it’s not an ebike under me, but a road bike, then the ebike obviously has an advantage on steeper climbs, but on slopes and horizontals it’s the other way around. By the way, pay attention to this! If the majority of the group rides ebikes, you might be left behind! So I understand exactly and know how your mouth turns into a smile when the machine almost jumps out from under you on an 8-10% climb in the 4th assist level. It’s a shocking and defining experience.

Environmentally friendly

An ebike is environmentally friendly – ​​just like a normal bicycle. It does not emit harmful substances into the atmosphere, as it works with electricity. Of course, the production of the battery and its subsequent storage and use are not so environmentally friendly, but that is not the point of this article.

Higher value

It’s true that it’s much more expensive than a normal bike, but it also holds its value much better if you want to sell it.

Disadvantages

If the battery runs out

Well, yes, the battery is not an infinite source of energy. If it runs out, we will have a much harder time and no matter how big the battery you buy, it will always be too little. Of course, the ebike can still be ridden, but since it is about 25 kg, it is not easy to go further without the battery. Of course, this also depends on the terrain: on flat or very gentle terrain it is not a problem, since it behaves exactly like a normal bike, but on larger climbs the significant weight increase causes quite a big problem. I rode a 25 kg ebike uphill in the mountains for long kilometers on 8-10% inclines… Well, I think few people would like to try this.

However, this situation also depends a lot on the type of ebike: if you are mountain biking, the gear ratio is such that it will go without a battery. On a touring bike, where the gear ratio is much less “climb-friendly”, it is not so sure. On the other hand, today they produce ebikes with lighter batteries and motors, which have less power, but are “only” 15-16 kilos, you can certainly use these well up the mountain. without a battery. (An example of this is the Specialized Turbo Vado Sl we tested, which you can also rent!)

Battery worry

The concern of those using ebikes on our tours is no longer about whether I will be able to make it through the tour, but about whether the battery will last and how much it will last? Worrying about our own performance has been replaced by battery anxiety: how many km will it go on a single charge? If there are several ebikers, they are usually busy asking each other “how much more will you have left”? This is the experience. and it is extremely funny to see passengers, instead of the beauty of the landscape or the cycling experience, constantly staring at the “range” value on the display and when there is a longer climb, where the battery is proportionally depleted, they ask in horror, will this be enough?

Which is of course nonsense, because on the one hand, you should rather enjoy the tour, and on the other hand, the battery’s capacity depends largely on usage: if you switch it smartly, it will last longer, but if you constantly use it in higher assist levels, often unnecessarily, it will run out sooner. You also have to learn to use this.
However, the distance is not the point, but the level, since that’s usually where everyone uses the assistance. In any case, our ebikes can almost always handle 80-100 km and 1000-1200 m of elevation, and we don’t really go much further than that, so there’s absolutely no need to worry!

Addictive

Perhaps its most surprising disadvantage. It is terribly addictive. Of course, especially for those who are its target group. A cyclist who rides a lot, who basically rides a normal bike, will obviously not get used to it, but even he will just click when he tries it. And then he often thinks on the climbs that “but an ebike would be nice now”! So once you’ve tried it, there’s no stopping, you want one! Humans are just like that, they always goes for easier resistance (of course not everyone 🙂

Expensive

They’re expensive. A normal (not necessarily premium brand) ebike starts at 7-800,000 HUF, and premium brands tend to be around a million and above, the limit is the sky. Everyone has to calculate whether it’s worth it, because if you only need it a few times a year, it’s easier to rent it. Then of course it’s also possible that they’re not expensive, it’s just that our salary is not enough. Further west you can get one for 2-3000 euros, which could be your half-month or monthly salary. At home, it’s more like the price of several monthly payments…

Heavy

An ebike is heavy compared to a normal bicycle. It weighs about 25kg, and an average bicycle is 14-16kg, of course it can be 7-8kg, but it have just few people. The weight of the bike is a problem when packing and when the battery runs out. As I wrote, today there is a development trend that ebikes with lighter batteries and motors, but with lower performance, are produced, which are about 15-16kg, but these are still more expensive compared to normal ebikes. (See Specialized Turbo Vado SL).

Transport

Transporting ebikes is not a simple thing. Anyone who usually carries their bikes on the roof of their car should rethink their transportation. Because of the weight of the ebike, you can’t transport it on the roof (or you can, but it’s not advisable), because the holder and crossbar can’t handle it. On the other hand, it’s not easy to secure it because of the thick tube containing the batteries. Ebikes have to be transported on the towbar, which is quite an expense. But even if you have a towbar, you have to buy a holder that can hold ebikes. Or you can stay inside the car, but because of the weight, putting it there is quite tricky, girls don’t even try it on their own!

Electronics = failure?

Where there is electronics, it is obviously more complicated than where there is not. A bicycle is an infinitely simple structure, wheels, frame, brakes, handlebars, gears. There is nothing electronic in these, they work smoothly manually, everything according to the laws of physics.
Of course, this is not entirely true today, because more and more bikes have electric shifters, hydraulic brakes, etc., but most bikes are still manual.

An ebike is not like that, there is a motor, battery, display and control electronics, which is often a computer with programs and sometimes ABS (yes!). Obviously, where electronics appear, everything becomes more complicated and difficult: the display freezes, the computer measures incorrectly, the motor does not start, etc.

Despite this, my experience is that in practice, errors rarely occur. Ebike systems are not foolproof, but experience shows that they typically work well and are stable.

Summary

For me, there is no question that if someone can afford it and needs it, they should buy it. It’s worth it because it gives you back the feeling of riding and freedom, even if you don’t always use it, but the safety provided by the motor and battery will always be there. And if you can’t afford it but want to use it, rent it!

However, don’t think that an ebike will solve all your problems! As I always say, you need to starting, get in the saddle, and ride it, so your positive attitude is also necessary here.

I saw the surprise of many passengers when they got on it. Many people think that everything is easy with this. It is not! Although it makes going uphill much easier, cycling with an e-bike is not easy at all. You have to ride it too, it doesn’t just happen by itself.
And if you use it at a lower assist level, you don’t switch it on all the time, if you’re saving on the battery, for example, it requires almost as much power and energy as if you were riding a regular bike. If the battery runs out while you’re used to using it all the time, you could be in trouble. And then there’s the battery anxiety, which you won’t be able to avoid.

So it’s a great invention, a pleasure to use, but everyone has to think about how much energy and time they want to invest in cycling as a sport and activity, and based on that, they have to decide whether it’s worth it or not.