This is a point for sure, especially since I assume part of their contribution was that they were supposed to replace not only cycling, but also walking.
Then again, I’m increasingly excited about electric bicycles. They’re not for me while I still have good knees and all, but as soon as I can’t go everywhere I like with pedal force… I’m sure as hell getting an electric bike. I guess it’s still more exercise than a Segway though.
Even if you can pedal just fine, there are always those situations that are sort of marginal: when you’re feeling kinda lazy so you’re thinking of just driving instead of biking, or it’s a little further than you want to go, or you’re running a little bit late or don’t want to exert yourself and end up getting sweaty, etc. Those are the times when having an e-bike can really make the difference.
Yup, exactly. Or it’s particularly windy that day, or a different route has more hills than usual. The range extending impact is huge, it allows a lot more options on where I can go with my ebike. I can also do small shopping trips with my ebike and not worry about being bogged down (yes, possible without power but it makes it more appealing day to day with power).