Are you lazy if you ride an E-bike? 🤨
There’s a common misconception that e-bikes offer minimal physical benefits compared to conventional bikes. Some argue that the electric assist is cheating and NOT giving you a proper work out… Well I’m here to challenge that theory!
Join me as I talk to experts, test my own fitness levels, and meet with someone actively trying to lose weight with an electric bike.
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Estarli e28 ⬇️ 🚲
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0:00 What’s to come
0:26 Join the revolution
0:32 What happens when you cycle
1:25 What about an e-bike?
1:40 Heart rate test
2:15 Talking to an expert
5:06 E-bike rehabilitation
6:18 Losing weight through e-biking
7:42 Heart rate results
9:34 To conclude…
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What happens to your body when you ebike every day electric bikes have gotten the reputation for being just for lazy people so today we’re going to find out what the real side effects are of ebiking and if laziness is at its core I’ll be testing out my own cardio
Response with the power of Technology uncovering the real results of ebike studies and talking to Jessica Bourne who headed a really interesting ebike study that could blow your mind let’s go but first if you’re looking to stay clued up on all the latest ebike news and reviews and you don’t mind seeing
This mug a little bit more then hit that subscribe button first let’s take it back to the basics and look at what happens biologically when we cycle cycling is an aerobic exercise a physical activity that increases your heart rate and oxygen in the body to produce the required energy so your
Heart blood vessels and lungs are all getting a workout cycling requires you to use the large muscles in the body in a rhythmic manner with the benefit of not putting too much stress on the joints as you start to Pedal your muscles engaged your heart rate increases your breath becomes deeper to
Intake the amount of oxygen your body needs to power those muscles your body temperature will also rise when performed regularly your metabolic rate will rise you’ll build muscle and you’ll burn body fat your bones will become stronger and your balance will improve and as a result you have improved mood
And cognitive function whilst reducing anxiety and the risk of non-communicable diseases so it’s powerful stuff and most importantly cycling is a low impact exercise which is key this can be done by a lot of individuals what about ebikes when you add electric assistance do the aerobic elements disappear the
Physic ality diminished are you being lazy if you ride an electric bike well some would argue yes but as an e-biker this doesn’t ring true with me but we need the facts the research the data which we’ll get to you shortly but first let’s slap a Fitbit on my wrist and test
My heart rate in real time I’ve already 10 minutes into my ride I’m on level two assist of five assists available so it’s pretty low and this is something that I use every single day I use level three if want a little bit of extra help but I
Like to keep it lower for a bit more cardio it’s quite difficult to talk to you guys without needing to gas for a bit more air in fact I’ve definitely overlayered today woo it’s windy I’m having to really push against the wind so there’s that extra resistance going
On there plus my 21 kg Bike plus the lower levels of assist woo we’ll see how I got on just a little bit later but what’s the actual published legitimate research thing this is Jessica Bourne she’s a research associate at Bristol University and post-doctoral fellow at University of British Columbia Canada
She’s been involved in a number of ebike studies including the potential effects they may have on type 2 diabetes so the research we’ve been doing in our lab they recruited 18 individuals with type 2 diabetes and they invited them to have some training on an ebike in in Bristol
And they then loaned them an ebike for 5 months now to be clear when we use the term ebike we are talking about a bike that gives electric assist as the rider pedals AKA a pedac these individuals wore GPS devices and they wore um accelerometers before having the bike
And then on the last week so they could compare and the results were really promising so they the individuals were cycling around 21 km a week and we saw approximately a 10% increase in their aerobic fitness so that’s really promising the primary aim of type 2 diabetes management is to control your
Glucose I think the fact that we’re controlling that glucose in the blood stream and so when you’re exercising when you’re doing physical activity including e cycling your muscles are using that glucose and that’s the benefit that we’re seeing so yeah there’s a lot of other things rolled up
In in type 2 diabetes management but I think it’s a key component another study published by the transportation research interdisciplinary perspective Journal followed over 10,000 adults in seven European countries so they actually looked at the average expenditure of ebiking pedal biking walking driving and how long they engage in the activity the
Results found that e-bikers rode more than pedal cyclists in terms of total exercise each week so e-bikers are getting on their ebikes more I think one of the criticisms of e cycling is that ebiking is cheating and I think where that comes from is the fact that you’re
Exerting yourself Less on an ebike than you are on a conventional bike but our research suggests that actually you’re still like exercising it in moderate intensity a Forbes article also details the findings from Jessica Bourne who is well versed in researching the impact of ebikes as you all know about already but
A few years ago she discovered through multiple studies across the world that ecycling provided physical activity of at least moderate intensity which was lower than the intensity elicited during conventional cycling but higher than that during walking so again ebikes whilst they’re still a workout aren’t as
Heart rcing as an analog bike which is absolutely no surprise what that does open up is more time spent on your ebike more fun with your commute with the magic of electric assist and can be way faster than sitting in your car in traffic and getting absolutely no
Exercise whatsoever so the side effects of e cycling aren’t just getting cardio but all these other life hacks now on a personal level ebiking really helped me stay active during the pandemic when I sustained a hip injury so I was in so much pain I couldn’t walk for more than
About 3,000 steps maximum before it was all just too much genuinely that was my darkest days it was really hard as an active person I really really struggled with the fact that I really couldn’t move the way that I wanted to and obviously the pain was a big factor as
Well but ebiking well ebiking was my savior ebiking allowed me to move freely it gave me that autonomy and it gave me the cardio that my body still craved and then you move on to postsurgery I had to be getting on a bike every single day it
Was recommended by my surgeon a static bike obviously but that really meant that I could build up the movement stop any scar tissue from building up as well it kept me active and getting on that ebike afterwards was a really lovely transition from being on that static
Bike to being able to put more load through my legs and eventually be able to run again after about 4 years so all of that to say that not only has ebiking been a fun method of transportation for me that has saved me money but it’s also
Been my Rehabilitation but wait it’s not just me that’s experiencing the ebike gains I met up with ish to hear his story ish lives locally and rides his EST Starly E28 daily and he’s really noticed the benefits the bike that got me here is the a28 I’ve been riding this
Daily and I love it so much so if you’re interested in finding out a little bit more about that bike then make sure to head on down to the description below you can check more information out on our website elect.com is is call me is is nice to meet
You thank you so much for coming over I do competive powering I’ve done a few competitions in the past and also just general heavy lifting so that involves putting on a lot of muscle get ready for the next competition I need to to be as light as I can CU also do
Strong man and my manual bike it was I was just getting too heavy for the bike that’s when I thought I need to do something about this obviously look at a knee bike and it’s completely changed it’s changed my life I’ve seen a lot of progress lost a lot of weight 12 kilos
Of body fat actually so when people say that any bikes you know you’re don’t you’re not working I’m a great example that you are actually working you can still put in a lot of effort and encourages you to cycle more so I think my total distance is over 700 M in about 5
This will encourage you to cycle more which means that you’re moving more so look it doesn’t matter what kind of Fitness level you’re at you’re going to be reaping the health bennies but anyway back to me how did I get on with the rest of my heart pumping commute let’s
Find out all right team we’ve made it it’s time for the big reveal I definitely feel like I’ve had a workout but what does the Fitbit say we’re on 107 fat burn I’m going to end this 159 Max 130 average can you see that right
160 I know for my age I’m a 30-year-old is well into like the high high cardio higher heart rate 130 average 159 Max that is decent that is a workout my friends that is not for lazy people okay okay when exercising there are limits for where your heart rate should fall
Depending on exertion levels now generally you need to be between 50 to 85% exertion to be getting a workout as I said for me as a 30-year-old I should be between 95 to 162 BPM generally 100% exertion is 190 BPM so during my commute I have pretty much hit the top of the
Recommended exertion level and at the very lowest I’m still well within that limit and now look I’m doing this for about 35 to 40 minutes twice a day nearly five times a week but wait I hear those fingers beginning to type about how I should have done it in level five
Assist aka the EAS as well I’m way ahead of you so here’s my results with the ebike assisting as much as it possibly can okay I’ve literally just got back for my ride let’s have a look and see what the BPM is saying right average I
Don’t if you can see this my phone’s being really bad average is 133 Max 160 that is officially and level five assist the whole time the only thing that the assist is helping me with is getting me off the line I’m still putting working I’m still trying to push
It past 15.5 mph so there you go guys eiking is not for lazy people you know who it is for everyone people of all different ages shapes and sizes can all jump on an electric bike and not only feel that Joy of electric that I know so
Well but also get active and stay active ebikes have been proven to ignite Mobility across the globe and in return bike diseases so what is that to argue with all right Le let me know your comments down below and I’ll see you for next one He
36 Comments
Optical heart-rate trackers are completely inaccurate.
we have three e bikes and they are great ! we only use the battery when going up long hills, or towing the trailer with shopping, what we do hate is seeing people not peddle at all and only riding around on the battery, we yell at them " peddle you lazy f@#k" !
If you don’t currently ride, an eBike is better than nothing. If you are a keen rider of real bikes then an eBike will kill your fitness level.
I have 4 ebikes, 1 trike cargo, 2 compact cargo and 1 conversion. My poor non e touring bike hardly gets used. Ive not driven a car for near two years. Ive always cycled, even after a major stroke, 8 months ago, Ive covered 3500 miles since. I wonder if I'd never ridden, would I have survived at all?
not hating on e-bikes but i'm not getting on one until i turn 60+. if i can handle and take an ice bath every morning before work why would i soften and start taking hot showers? at least it's better than never using showers all together.
You british people are so funny and adorable.
I'm 57, moved from the UK (London) to the USA 13 years ago and ballooned 30 lbs in the last 10 years.
I used to commute daily by bike in London in my 20s, by my mid-30s it was down to 2 or 3 times a week as it was getting harder to stick with it, but I still walked a lot as that's what Londoners do.
I now have high blood pressure, mostly due to being overweight. I also have Plantar Fasciitis so walking longer distances is painful. I tried to instigate a 5 mile daily bike ride, but it was just too much and I couldn't stick with it.
Late last November I got an eBike. Since then I've ridden over 550 miles, 5-10 miles daily after work, with a longer ride at the weekend. I know I would not be doing this on a regular bike, I already tried that. I am losing weight slowly, feeling fitter, less stressed, and I actually enjoy the rides instead of finding them a chore. I stick with Pedal assist 2 or 3, and hope to go lower as I get fitter.
This weekend I have a 36 mile round trip planned.
If I can lose 1 pound a week then I'll lose 30 by my 58th Birthday. My old GP in London suggested I should weight 180lbs, I don't think I've been that since I was a teenager, but who knows. Any weight loss is a health gain.
The problem I have with E-bikes is so many Class 1 or 2 E-bikes are being modified to go well above the speed intended. Being significantly heavier they pose a higher danger to regular cyclists (and walkers) much more than traditional bikes. 20-something kids aren't buying these to ride safely. They are buying them to modify them so they can ride fast. When people start getting run over by heavy E-bikes in larger numbers, something is going to have to be done.
I have never loved bicycling but I got on an eBike and a whole new world opened up. OMG 12,000 logged in the last 2 years. I’m 54 years old and ride every day I can. And night riding is amazing.
Consistent ebiking > inconsisten biking
I like to ride knarly mountain bike trails here in Washington state on my class 1 eMTB. I have noticed that my heart rate is in the neuromuscular zone > 149 beats a minute (Strava) for 30% of a 2 to 3 hour ride. I am toast after most rides. No its not cheating, it's the exact opposite, I have never been as fit as I am now at 54.
So many Ebikers tend to constantly justify buying one. They trigger easily and always seem so defensive. Why is this?
I'm nearly 70 and ride my ebike everyday. Once a month I'll do a 60-80km ride. It's a lot of exercise that I wouldn't do on a normal bike. I've lost almost 20kgs. I don't care if anyone thinks it's cheating.
Thank you for helping to explode this silly myth that eBikes are for lazy ppl! I discovered early on that my heart rate and calories burned is ALWAYS higher when riding my eBikes as opposed to my normal 'analog' bikes. Why? Having more fun and adventure in shorter amounts of time is quite addictive. The Fitbit tells the story… 💪
The only trouble I have with e-bikes is. It takes a relatively long time to get enough strength and fitness to be able to go the speeds of e-bike. During this process a person gains the skill of actually riding a bike.
A lot of people who ride e-bikes have not ridden in years or are at the very beginner stage. These types of riders can jump on an e-bike and ride at very fast speeds that overwhelm their skill level. I’ve almost been in several accidents due to this. If I did not move out of their way we would have collided.
Riding in the United States, I see a huge percentage of American riders who were simply trying to buy a cheap motorcycle that didn't require insurance or registration, and who view the pedals as inconveniently placed foot pegs.
If you don't buy one of those heavy tanks, you can ride them like regular bikes and get all the benefit of a standard bike. I only use the pedal assist if I'm in a time crunch or I'm going somewhere and don't want to arrive a sweaty mess. My heart rate typically peaks at 170 – 180 and I'm 63.
I am 68 and played competitive basketball till I was 62. I have arthritis in my knees. Less than my 65 year old wife that never exercised. My ortho doesn't want me to run any more. Walking is ok. So, I walk 3 miles a day and my heart rate never gets over 110. On my ebike using 3 assist out of 9 my heart rate will get up to around 135. Much more training effect and my knees don't suffer from struggling over hills. If I do 20 miles on the KATY trail my walking speed the next day will be faster.
I love my e bike. I used to use a regular bike but now I’m in my 70s riding an e bike is much easier especially up hills.
Bottom line, any cycling is better then no cycling.
I love to ride. I found i have exercise induced heart issues. Riding my pedal bike was sketchy. If i had to climb a hill or hit wind, I'd have to either walk or slow down to the point i could walk faster. The dr said i shouldn't take my heart rate over 130bpm and i was constantly in the 130 to 160+ range. My ebike has been a game changer for me. Depending on the situation i can use my assistance level to keep my heart rate at or under my Dr's recommendation.
Last fall I traded my car for an e-bike. I don't typically go very far and I doubt I'm getting a lot of exercise, but it's certainly no worse than driving around in a car. I love the fresh air and more leisurely pace, and I'm saving loads of money. Also, surprised but pleased to say I haven't run into any "elitist" cyclists who say things like "that's cheating!" Everyone's been very supportive so far (aside from a few people who just think I'm crazy for biking in Minnesota in the winter 😅)
I have three e-bikes as well. One I use almost exclusively for weekend/holiday/vacation adventures (really, really) long trips. The other two I use for work commutes. The oldest of those two I ride on Monday and Fridays. The newest one I ride Tuesday s through Thursdays. Having three such bikes slows down the wear and tear for each and provides me with alternatives if one bike is in the shop.
When spring arrives I will get another bike, this time non-electric. I am strong enough to handle such a bike now after decades away from cycling.
I’m 75, female, fit and healthy! I’m an avid cyclist with 2 e-bikes, road and mountain. I live in a hilly area so thanks to my e-bikes I’m out cycling most days! I started using an e-bike 6 years ago while waiting for knee replacements which kept me healthy, strong and happy! I’ve upgraded my bikes since then and I’m having so much fun😊😊😊
You hit the ball right out of the park love. Spot on. At 70 I'm crossing the 25,000km line in the last 3 years. Have 2 e-bikes, one summer and one winter(studded knobby winter tires). Best value for money I have ever spent. All the best from Canada.
I love my 2 E bikes, I'm over 80 and can keep riding! Both my bikes are pedal assist only!
Eight years ago at age 58, I popped my achilles tendon while playing tennis, and cycling was recommended as the relatively low impact exercise for my rehab. I’m an outdoor person, so I bought an e-bike and found it to be the perfect activity not just for my rehab, but for my complete makeover in becoming a very physically active senior adult in retirement! It transformed my life and I’m so happy for it! 🙂
I am not an e-biker, I don’t mind the use of e-bikes, but I have to dispute the claims. I work at a shop, 4 of our employees have switched to e-bikes. I can pick them out from a block away, they’re the ones who have all gained weight. I’m sure it’s possible to get a good workout on an e-bike, but human nature is to be lazy, and here in the USA we have plenty of that. But wait, it gets worse. You can tell most e-bike riders because their position is more upright. The motor handles the torque load, so the rider doesn’t have to use the posterior chain (glutes). What really worries me is that the only information on e-bikes is positive. Most of the videos about the down sides of e-bikes have vanished.
Electric tools good Electric vehicles fucking shite 🍺😘
It is not possible to stop lazy people from riding an ebike 😜 ; but in general, eBike are NOT for lazy people.
There are in general two different types of eBike design.
The rear hub motor only has a motion sensor.
As soon as the speed sensor detects motion on the crank, it will start to offer assistance. These rear hub design offers full power assistance, based on the speed the bike is travelling in AND the level of assistance that is selected. The amount of assistance does NOT change, it is CONSTANT and it is full on upon activation. What changes is the range of speed this assistance is being offered. The higher the assistance level, the higher (wider) is the speed range. With lower assistance level being chosen, the assistance cuts off earlier as soon as the max speed for that range is reached. However, as soon as assistance kicks in, it is the full force supported by the motor. This amount of power assistance does not vary regardless of speed nor assistance level chosen.
Some model offers push button level acceleration that will offer assistance even though there is no signal from the motion sensor. This option may not be legal in some countries.
This type of rear hub motor ebike design is a great introduction for beginners to ebike and for riders who enjoy an eaiser ride with high level of assistance.. It enables riders that normally won't ride due to the exertion involved in hill climbing to enjoy the experience and health benefits of cycling. The main disadvntage with rear hub motor design is that there is a learning curve involved riding these ebike. Specifically when travelling at extremely slow speed navigating tricky obstacles, such as negotiating tight corners in a chicane. The motor assistance can suddenly kick in at full force, making the ebike difficult to control. In most instances, the rider needs to learn how to temporarily disable the motor assistance. Some users learn how to temporarily set the assistance to zero; others will learn how to half tap the brake levels to activate the electronic sensors to disable the power assistance. The other disadvantage of rear hub motor ebikes is that they are rear heavy. This affects the handling in tigher corners, especially in off road surfaces.
The mid-drive motor has BOTH the motion sensor and torque sensor.
The level of assistance offered is proportional to the amount of torque applied to the crank as well as the level of assistance selected.
Assistance will ONLY be offered when the crank is moving. There is NO push button assistance for this desgn. The rider MUST rider in order to get assistance. The level of assistance is much more progressive in mid-drive motor design. Easier to control as it is very similar to riding a normal bike. The learning curve is minimal learning how to ride this type of eBike.
On higher performance mid-drive motor, such as the Bosch Performance CX series, the combination of high 85Nm torque and progressively higher power output is addictive. It highly rewards the rider to provide and sustain higher rev and higher power input for an extraorderinary and mind-blowing acceleration as reward. It provides an excellent platform to transform an average cyclist into a higher fitness cyclist; and a fit cyclist into elite cyclist in terms of cardio fitness. It encourages the cyclist to push themselves even harder on these ebikes than they would have on a normal bike. It encourages interval training, during which the rider push themselves extremely hard (eg. 105-110% of their max output) for short durations, followed by a duration of lower output for recovery. The long term alternation between these cycles is what builds stamina and output power.
eMTB with high perforamnce Mid-drive motor enables the rider to carry speed and momentum over uneven terrains, without disrupting the flow, like a normal bike does. It enables a rider with an average to above average fitness to engage in high intensity interval training much easier than they would have, on a normal bike.
In both cases, either the rear-hub motor or the mid-drive motor design, these eBike enables a rider to trancend their own physical limiations with improved health fitness and in some cases improved performance in both cardio and muscle strength.
If you are already a fit cyclist that can output around 1000W on the power meter on a standard bike, on a Bosch Perforance CX that can provide a peak power far exceeding its quoted 250W, you are looking at an over 1500W output. A level of perforamnce that will enable such eBike to keep up or even out pace a petrol driven vehicle from stop-start. And depending on the configuration, even to keep up with these vehicle in a typical city street scenario. In typical use case, it is not uncommon for such eBike to travel the same speed as a train, over half a dozen of stops and still be quicker. 😅
After 4 strokes at age 42, I will not accept comments about e-bikes being for lazy people anymore. My e-bike has helped me throughout my recovery process. Today, just over half a year after my last stroke, I am physically back to roughly 80 percent of what I was before. Believe me, I have come a loooong way, from barely making it up a flight of stairs to virtually always cycling outside of the range of the e-assist.
Oh jesus christ…come on……health concerns with ebike…REALLY??????? Get a life….useless vid
Thank you that was very interesting! I've been biking my Trek DS3 for a good four+ years now and along with healthy diet choices I've dropped at least 30lbs/13kg through trail riding, typically 28 miles/45km on the weekends. As e-bikes have become popular I've seen a definate increase in them on the bike paths and I have to admit that I also assumed that the workout was minimal at best so I appreciate the information you've provided. My attitude now is that whatever it takes to get people off their sofas is a good thing.
they really need regulating better too ,many idiots with motorbike type performance ebikes ,mainly food delivery people
I'm seeing a lot of comments from people with mobility issues for whom an e-bike has provided additional mobility and exercise. I think that is great! It also seems to me that an e-bike would be a very practical solution for commuting and errands in certain circumstances. For example, where I live the weather is hot and humid from June through September, and even longer some years. Commuting on a conventional bike during those periods will see one arriving at work dripping with sweat.
But, if one does not suffer mobility issues or have another practical obstacle for riding, I would suggest a conversational bike over an e-bike. They are more affordable, easier to store, easier to maintain, and easier to transport on a vehicle. They will also provide more health benefit to riders who would use them just as much.
I don't own an eBikes but I can see the benefits for some people, personally for someone like me who is limited on the available time to cycle due to work, family commitments etc with opportunities to use my bike few and far between. I want to get as much exercise I can in the shortest amount of time and analogue bikes are great for that. Cycling for longer isn't an option for me and using an eBike instead of an analogue bike during my limited time to ride would feel like I am cheating.