Nearly ten years ago, while commuting home from downtown Seattle, I encountered my first e-bike. As I crawled up a steep 10% grade, my heart pounding and breath ragged, an e-bike rider zoomed past me —accompanied by a distinct electronic whir—and they weren’t even pedalling. I won’t lie, my initial reaction was a mix of jealousy, frustration and dismay: how dare they not be working as hard as I was to go up the same hill!
Yet, everything changed when I had the opportunity to try an e-bike myself not long thereafter. With that first joyful experience, all my preconceived notions regarding e-bikes and who rides them went out the window. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to ride and own all sorts of e-bikes — from cargo e-bikes to e-mountain bikes, road e-bikes to city bikes. With each ride, my conviction strengthens: e-bikes aren’t cheating, and they’re not a threat to the cycling world. On the contrary, they are a valuable tool that broadens accessibility, enhances one’s riding experiences and supports inclusivity in cycling.
