Are eBikes Good for Seniors? Absolutely!

Are eBikes Good for Seniors? Absolutely!

eBikes are helping seniors stay youthful and enjoy the outdoors

Being an older adult often comes with challenges for many people. People age 65 and older are considered senior adults, and it is this group that often faces numerous active lifestyle challenges. As we get older, our bodies lose much of the resilience and strength we had in our more youthful years. Age related ailments such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, MS and accident related issues can affect our ability to perform and enjoy activities like biking. It becomes more difficult to keep up with an active lifestyle.

This however need not be the case with the popularity and affordability of electric bikes, popularly known as e-bikes. An e-bike is a modification of the conventional bike, that adds an option to switch to motor power to augment your own physical power to propel the bike along. Various operating modes provide motor assisted pedaling that can make the physical aspect of pedaling a long time or up hills and inclines an effortless process. Some ebikes even have a throttle that allows the bike to run at speeds upwards of 30mph without even pedaling.  This has been a great help for senior adults as they can get around easily.

Seniors around the world are discovering the freedom of bike riding again and have been buying ebikes at a growing rate. Electric bike sales are predicted to be the number one selling electric vehicle in the world over the next couple years according to many reports including this report from deloitte. Seniors and the awesome “Baby Boomers” usually have a higher disposable income and splurging an average $1500 - $3500 on a quality ebike is a no-brainer for easily getting back an active lifestyle. They are now enjoying riding together, out with grandchildren, friends and family. The grin on the face of someone feeling the power of an ebike as it pulls them forward with each revolution of the pedals is priceless. Let’s take a closer look at some of the many benefits ebikes provide seniors.

A great way for seniors to keep fit.

The older we get, the more challenging it becomes to keep fit. Many forms of exercise can be very painful, and we tire quickly resulting in a sedentary lifestyle which leads to poor overall health. For a senior adult, it is vital to exercise at least three times a week to maintain a happy and healthy life throughout old age. Biking is an excellent way to get a great workout and target many muscle groups at once. While most regular bikes gather dust, seniors and many others are discovering the thrill of riding again with an electric bike. The biggest benefit to an ebike is that you can ride it like a conventional bike, getting plenty of exercise along the way, but when you tire or need to take a break, flip on the electric pedal assist or hit the throttle and let the motor do the pedaling for you. It’s so fast and easy that it becomes second nature and you forget you are even riding an electric bike. Most ebikes have a range of 30+ miles when mixing pedaling and motor assist which means you can get out and enjoy the outdoors, get some great exercise, and see your community and nature more than ever. All while taking better care of your body!

Ride longer and farther

As we eluded to earlier, because an ebike affords a motor assistance system or PAS (Pedal Assist System), you can ride longer and farther than most folks can ride on a conventional bike. Many ebikes have ranges of at least 30 miles when using pedal assist. Depending on where and how you ride, conservative riders can easily squeeze a 50-mile ride out of a common electric bike. This is a welcome opportunity to get out and spend the day out in parks, beaches, boardwalks, towns and trails. Most ebikes will have enough range to get you there and back without worrying about getting too tired.

We love ebikes that have a throttle in addition to the PAS because if you get tired out or approach an unexpected steep hill, hitting the throttle will zip you back home or easily crest that summit without breaking a sweat.

Electric bikes charge up quickly, usually in 3 – 6 hours and you can buy additional batteries for those all-day trips. Batteries are light and can be tossed into a backpack to extend your ride. Batteries also come in different sizes to further extend range and power if needed.

Enjoy family and friends

Seniors opting into the electric bike experience quickly realize that they can now get out and enjoy riding again with friends and family. Riding an eBike with others who are on traditional bicycles is pretty much no difference other than the fact that they may get tired way before you do since your eBike is helping you out. Of course, you could always choose to not use the motor and ride with your friends and family pedaling the whole time taking in the scenery and getting much needed exercise. Be ready to answer a lot of questions and maybe even share a ride or two and don’t be surprised if your friends and family quickly become eBikers too. It’s quite addictive to say the least.

Electric bike styles for everyone

As you can imagine, eBikes come in many different sizes and configurations to meet various needs and lifestyles. There are even solid electric trikes for folks who may feel that balancing a 2-wheeler is no longer a safe option. There are beach cruisers with fat tires, city bikes with storage baskets and racks, mountain bikes with full shocks and off-road capabilities, and even electric bicycles built for two or tandem eBikes. Folding eBikes are extremely popular because of their ability to quickly fold up into a smaller footprint to stick in a truck or SUV, and even store in a closet or office.

Get out and rediscover your love of biking and the outdoors.

Being a senior adult doesn’t mean you no longer can have an active lifestyle and stay fit and healthy. It’s a proven fact that an active lifestyle and bike riding can promote better health, relieve certain ailments, and improve your quality of life. So, take a good hard look at getting an electric bike and rediscover the freedom of biking. You’ll be wearing that e-PermaGrin every time you hop on.