5 minute read
Going E-Cycle
BY MARINA SACHT
It’s a perfect day for a bike ride as I pull off the Island Highway. A group of men are straddling their bikes. They are about to ride from Transfer Beach Park to the Crow and Gate Pub, a 34-kilometre round trip.
But these are not athletes. They are, shall we say, seasoned gentlemen — a part of an informal group affectionately called the “Over the Hill” gang.
The group meets regularly, about once a week, to choose a new destination and route in search of the perfect burger — along with good times and a health boost.
“We started with a group of five in 2020 and have teased and laughed our way to the present,” says John Craig. “We have a core group of ten and generally five to seven guys show up for the ride.”
John Craig describes them as fair weather riders. “We will ride in the winter, but not in the rain and not if it is below seven degrees Celsius.” During the season (March to November), he estimates they go out about three times a month.
“We have about ten routes, generally 35K to 55K. The locations are throughout Victoria, Nanaimo, from the west side of Duncan to Lake Cowichan, from various other staging areas to Shawnigan Lake, the back trail to Timberlands Pub and the road to the Crow and Gate. All routes have a pub stop for "essential nourishment".
Roy Toombs got his e-bike three years ago and, shortly after, joined the group. “I really enjoy it. I love going for the lunches and beer," he says, then laughs.
Craig Harris has been e-biking now for just a little over a year. “We live in Chemainus and can go down to Duncan for a couple of hours and back without having to worry about the distance. You can still get your heart rate up.” He confesses he rarely uses his regular bike.
Al Edwards was biking for a long time before e-bikes. But when he joined his friend who was on an e-bike, he realized he couldn’t keep up. “So, shortly after, I bought an e-bike and now it has about 11,000 kilometres on it,” he says.
Greg Whalley started riding with the group after he met John. “If we get any bigger, we might need a parade permit,” he says with a laugh. “We’ve had as many as a dozen riders. I think we’ve been down to two or three riders, and still have fun.”
Just ask Kelly Demoline who started Citrus Cycles in Ladysmith in 2016 but moved to Chemainus a few years ago when they needed more space.
“We see adults interested in living an active lifestyle and young families investing in cargo e-bikes to replace a car. Everyone is happier on a bike, enjoying nature, than stuck inside a car!”
Aside from fun, e-bikes are being recognized as a new mode of transportation in cities across Canada. The Canada E-bike Market size is estimated at 33.76 million USD in 2024 and is expected to reach 86.27 million USD by 2029, according to the Mordor Intelligence Report.
An e-bike means you can ride further, more often and not worry about hills, getting worn out or arriving at work hot and sweaty. When you have an e-bike, you can choose to take the safest and most interesting way to ride, instead of the flattest and shortest, explains Demoline.
Numerous studies have shown that people riding e-Bikes are getting as much, if not more, exercise than people riding a regular bike. Often this is attributed to e-bikers riding further distances and more frequently.
Not only can you improve your health outcomes, but when you choose to go by bike, you are reducing emissions and saving money on gas, parking and vehicle maintenance. “When I ride to the grocery store, I don’t have to fi nd parking — I can park right by the front door,” says Demoline.
“Recent trends include the popularity of recumbent trikes as people realize they are incredibly fun, super comfortable and very safe. I’ve started riding trikes myself even though nothing prevents me from riding a bike,” says Demoline.
He is also seeing riders upgrading from a starter e-bike to a more premium e-bike.
“Battery size continues to increase, and we even have bikes with dual batteries for multi-day touring without needing to charge. I think the most exciting innovations are ones that make riding easy and accessible to everyone. Trikes are another great way to keep people active while simplifying the experience.”
Demoline sees opportunities to take advantage of the tremendous interest in e-bike touring. A rail trail running the entire Island would be a worthwhile investment given the many economic benefits as demonstrated by similar projects in many other locations.
“Governments are investing in rebates and infrastructure for electric vehicles. However, that only solves one problem: reducing emissions. E-bikes do that, plus they improve health outcomes, reduce congestion and parking issues and reduce wear and tear on the roads. If we could use even a fraction of electric vehicle support for rebates and more infrastructure for e-bikes, it would inspire the types of dramatic changes we’ve seen in many European cities, where trips by bikes are outnumbering trips by cars and improving everyone’s quality of life.”
Rising government spending on bike-sharing programs, bike lanes and more pedestrian-friendly streets is expected to increase consumer interest in e-bikes in the coming years.
And why not? They are one of the most eco-friendly modes of transportation. But aside from all that, they are fun.
