BIKING WITH E-ASE

How a little power assist can help you expand and level up your biking game.

by CINDY ROSS

There’s an image of a tiny cyclist on top of a straight line in the computer window on my ebike’s handlebar. When I spin the twist shifter, the line pops up like a hill, growing steeper the farther I turn it. I coordinate the actual steep hill that I’m cycling up with the little dude’s hill in the optical display. After my trail levels out, I crank my guy back to a flat line and we both roll effortlessly along.

I thought I should wait to ride an e-bike until I was too old for my traditional, pedal-driven bicycle, but my friend, Tim Brick, who founded Brick Wheels in Traverse City, told me otherwise. He’s out riding with me showing me the e-bike’s many shiny benefits; I already like my buddy in the computer screen.

An electric bike’s built-in motor with a rechargeable battery expands your possibilities no matter your age or fitness level. Surveys have found that the majority of e-bike riders are 50 to 70 years old, wanting to reinvigorate their interest in bikes. Maybe you have a health ailment, or bad knees or hips that prevent you from hopping on a traditional bicycle. Many e-bikes have “low step frames” enabling you to mount or dismount safely.

But e-bikes aren’t exclusive to those 50-plus. All types of cyclists are choosing them. Some are parents or grandparents who want to tow kids (or a canine companion) in a bike trailer. Others may live up a steep hill or want to ride more difficult routes. Still others want to supplement their transportation with a bike—riding to work and arriving at the same time as those who are sitting in traffic.

can have sophisticated displays that allow you to gauge calorie burn and cadence (pedal speed). They can remember previous routes and give you turn-by-turn directions. And they can even interface with a smartphone and give you elevation gain and GPS coordinates. “An e-bike is not magical,” Brick says, although it sure sounds like it to me.

WHERE TO RENT E-BIKES

Brick now takes me to the 4-mile Boardman Lake Loop Trail, where we ride alongside the lakeshore with blooming lily pads, across wooden bridges, over boardwalks, through cool pine forests and even some fun dirt singletrack. When I have to pull a hill, I dial my tiny bike friend up on the computer screen to show him ascending a hill, and together we destroy the climb.

Brick Wheels

736 E. Eighth St., Traverse City

Pedego Electric Bikes

823 S. Garfield Ave., Traverse City

Bayfront Beach and Bike

130 River St., Elk Rapids

Inn at Bay Harbor

3600 Village Harbor Dr., Bay Harbor

Latitude 45 Bicycles and Fitness

476 W. Mitchell St., Petoskey

Ride Leelanau

204 N. St. Joseph St., Suttons Bay

Suttons Bay Bikes

318 N. St. Joseph St. A, Suttons Bay

There are three kinds of electronic bikes on the market, Brick explains. Class I is pedal assist and will propel you to 20 mph, but only assisting when it feels pressure on the pedals. The computer senses the torque of your pedal—when you push harder and exert more pressure, the bike can register your effort and jump in to help.

Coastline Cycles

1100 Main St., Frankfort

Class II e-bikes have a throttle and are a bit more like a moped. You don’t need to pedal at all in order to be propelled forward. Bummer factor: These models are not allowed on bike trails.

Class III is similar to Class l, but its motor has a higher output with a zippy top speed of 28 mph. Both Class I and III

I keep my bike in the lowest of the four settings, ECO, but there is also touring, sport and turbo. (I can also shift gears, as with a traditional bike.) Each higher setting uses more battery and cuts back on your cycling time before needing a recharge. Both Class I and III get you 80 miles down the trail, but that will vary with the battery and motor type.

When we get to the end of the trail, Tim has me try the Class I e-bike. He says I will only notice a difference in the bike’s performance if I try to open it up at high speeds. Without my computer buddy, I make my own decisions on when to shift.

I initially thought riding an e-bike was not a workout, but it is actually an excellent one. By constantly pedaling, kicking along at 10 to 12 mph (a standard pace), you are getting a steady aerobic workout. The aim is to pedal at 80 revolutions per minute and your ebike’s gears will assist you in making that happen. Most of the time you can ride in ECO and have a ton of fun. This setting gives you the longest battery range—just drop it into turbo to get up a steep hill.

“I hear guys say, ‘I’m not that old yet,’ but what are they going to do, sit in the house until then?” Brick says. “I used to ride 50 to 70 miles every Sunday on my manual bike, but after a bunch of surgeries and arthritis challenges, I find myself grabbing my e-bike more and more often. How many times do you want to ride but you’re tired from work? With your e-bike it doesn’t matter.”