Mechanical Bikes vs Electric Bikes: A Close Match

undefined undefined 8 mars 2024 undefined 17h08

undefined undefined 11 mars 2024 undefined 09h06

The Editor

©Christian Mueller/ Shutterstock

Whether you're an owner or a renter, a seasoned cyclist or a Sunday pedal pusher, you've all faced the super complex dilemma: regular bike or electric bike. And one thing's for sure, both sides have extremely convincing arguments.

Speed, comfort, energy expenditure, cost, we tried to sum up for you the (slight) differences between a "normal" bike and a "lazy" bike. And while they each have their drawbacks, they also both have significant advantages. Here's a little recap for you.


Physical Activity

Hey there! Let's talk about physical activity. So, you may have heard some jokes about electric bikes being for lazy people. But guess what? Studies show that riding an electrically assisted bicycle (EAB) can actually be just as good of a workout, if not better, than a regular bike. In fact, if we ride an electric bike for the same amount of time as a regular bike, we end up covering more distance and burning more calories in the long run! So next time someone tries to tease you about riding an EAB, just remember, you're still getting a great workout. Keep pedaling and enjoy the ride!

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Self-service offer

Second point for electric bikes, but when we're not owners, it's still much more tempting, and especially simpler, to take an electric bike. If, at Vélib, electric bikes represent (only) 40% of the offer out of the 19,000 vehicles in service, all the other companies that exist (Tiers, Dott or Lime) ONLY offer EABs. This means there are 20,000 more bikes available to rent every minute! A user therefore has much better chances of finding a bike with a little motor assistance than a muscle-powered two-wheeler.

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Comfort

When it comes to comfort, the options available today are so good that it's hard to choose between the two categories. Frame material, saddle shape, handlebar height, everything is designed to offer you the best bicycles possible, whether they have assistance or not. And, yes, the electric bike scores a point, because it still allows you to not necessarily arrive at work sweaty every morning, even if you have to climb the rue des martyrs. On the other hand, regular bikes are much lighter (a blue vélb without a battery weighs the equivalent of 12 dead donkeys), and above all, smaller, which makes it easier to hang them up on full racks, without having to worry about having to take the battery off to avoid it being stolen, and then carry it around.

What's up, speedster?Unless you're cruising through the hilly streets of the 18th or 20th arrondissement, it seems that when it comes to getting around Paris, the time saved with an electric bike isn't all that huge. According to a test carried out by Biclou, the Parisian video channel all about bikes, e-bikes only shave off about 30 seconds to 1 minute per trip, on average. So, we're not talking about a massive difference here, and for distances under 5 km, a regular ol' bike does the trick just fine. Let's call it a tie for this round. 🚴‍♂️ via GIPHY

The Cost Alright, here, not surprisingly, it's the good old traditional bike that wins hands down. Whether it's for renting or buying, electric bikes are on average (much) more expensive, even with the help of the Île-de-France region which can go up to 400 euros. The same goes for repair costs, which are inevitably higher for e-bikes, thanks to the battery. But let's not be too categorical either, whether for one or the other, there are many price ranges, and the cost of some "normal" bikes, with all the options and top-quality materials, can be ridiculously high. Users Even if most of the bike owners are still fairly traditional.and have their own non-electric little racing cars, today, in France, 1 out of 4 users use an electric bike. And ultimately, there are not so many differences between the two. It should be noted that most often, users of electric bikes are occasional users, who swear by bike-sharing. Owners, on the other hand, are more likely to have muscle-powered bikes in Paris. Apart from that, we observe in both cases the same kind of pride. In one case, the idea of overtaking everyone else and climbing Gasnier-Guy street as if nothing had happened. In the other, people proud to give themselves, not to choose "the easy way", and above all to be able to.Feeling for others when their battery dies in the middle of the journey. Proof that deep down, electric or not, we are all a little bit the same.

via GIPHY