The electric bike, a modern approach to transportation

How do we get to our training location? Obviously, those who benefit from e-learning can pride themselves on being able to stay at home. But for the rest of us, we have to find a way to get around. Of course, there's the car, which has a significant ecological and financial cost. Public transport is much greener, but you have to appreciate the promiscuity and hope there are no delays. So what's left? Cycling, but that can be a real pain, especially in an urban environment with steep gradients. So why not opt for the electric version?

A few drawbacks, but many advantages

The electric bike or VAE (electrically assisted bicycle) is becoming increasingly popular in France, among other countries, where over 100,000 units were sold in 2015 alone. For those wondering how the electric bike works, it's as follows: the user pedals as usual along his or her route. However, when climbing hills, a battery-powered motor gives them enough support to climb without tiring. This makes up for the greater weight of this type of bicycle.

This is one of the disadvantages of the VAE: it's heavier, more expensive and, because it has a battery that needs recharging, it can break down. However, as this blog shows, batteries have already improved considerably over the years. They've gone from 30 km to nearly 80 or 100 km today. They're also much lighter, having been converted from lead to lithium. Of course, those who live through a winter - whether they cycle or not - will need to make sure they maintain their battery's efficiency. For many, the EAB is the future of cycling.

And that's only natural, since these bikes are just as flexible as their traditional counterparts. In fact, they can be used in urban traffic as well as for sports and country rides. And contrary to popular belief, it's actually a great way to get fit. With the motor's ability to compensate for changes in altitude, cycling enables the cyclist to sustain a moderate effort over a prolonged period, which can get us back into shape, especially if done at least 3 times a week. And if you're worried about cycling in a polluted city, unless you're in Beijing or Delhi, you'll need to do at least 8 hours of it before the particulate pollution cancels out the beneficial effects of cycling.

A bike that makes you want to get moving again

What also explains the success of the VAE is the fact that it allows many people to get back into physical activity while enjoying themselves, and without having to get discouraged in environments with more uneven terrain. Whether you ' re retired, ill or simply more sedentary, the electric bike makes you want to take to the roads on a bicycle, as Yves Montand once sang.

What's more, the French government has even created a mileage allowance program that gives tax breaks to companies that make bicycles (including electric ones) available. It's a way of encouraging people to exercise, avoid the stress of traffic, and so on. In fact, the daily newspaper Libération has created an application to calculate this allowance.

Couldn't schools and universities offer such a service for their students, to encourage them to take up this sporting activity at an early age? There aren't any schools doing this yet, but towns like Lannion offer students the chance to rent electric bikes, among other things. The Agence de Mobilité Nord-Isère, for its part, has been training students in ecomobility, including these bikes, since the start of the 2016 academic year.

Is it possible to do this earlier than higher education? Schools could already tackle the subject of VAEs with this page from Energivores which, in addition to offering an amusing video, offers facts and educational leads on the subject. Because good habits are formed early, it's best to show them the possibilities of the bicycle and its electric version as soon as possible.

Illustration: juergvollmer via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

References

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