A BBC News Magazine article this week revisits the question as to why electric bike sales have so far not rivaled those of standard pedal cycles in the UK.
The article states UK sales number of electric bikes stand at around 20,000, lagging far behind other European countries such as Germany (300,000) and the Netherlands (175,000).
Cycling Plus editor, Bob Spedding, says the UK still needs the infrastructure to support safer cycling to turn us into a true cycling nation, something Boris Johnson would like to change in his vision for cycling in London. Spedding adds that, in his view, electric bikes can be a ‘really good entry point into cycling’.
However the benefits of electric bikes remain unchanged; no licence or tax required, as much exercise as you want, whether commuting or having fun off-road, and remaining sweat-free.
Putting his loaned electric bike to the hill test in accompanying video, the article’s author, Duncan Walker, praises the assistance his e-bike gave him, remarking that he still had plenty of puff left, whereas on his usual bike his ‘lungs would be burning’ having reached the top of such a hill.
There have been some criticisms on the Pedelecs forum that the article reinforces something of an old image of electric bikes as ‘cheating’ while failing to realise all their benefits. One poster cheerfully saying “real cyclists” are just jealous – and can’t bring themselves to accept that the thousands of pounds they blow on overpriced bikes, tight clothes, shoes you can’t walk in and daft-looking headwear in which to suffer through the agony of their rides is nothing more than self-inflicted pain”.
You can read the full BBC article here and have your say on electric bikes in the UK here in our forum.
