Electric bikes; A New Trend?
THE ACTUAL TREND
A few years ago when the electric bike first appeared in bike expositions, people were sceptical about this new technology. It has taken about 10 years to become THE new trend! Japan was one of the first countries to make it popular, in the mid 1990’s, to then become popular in China too. Now European Medias are heading off with these kinds of bikes, as they are viewed as a way to save money on gasoline, provide an alternative to cars and offers faster transportation than a regular bicycle. Canadians are also just starting to invest in this new technology.
Although this kind of bicycle has good advantages, such as being smooth/silent and making your ride easier/faster, there is still a downside to it. In fact, these bikes are very heavy because of the battery therefore hard to transport anywhere out, such as in the subway. They are also quite expensive ($1000-$2000, plus a maintenance approximately $150/year). Since the electric bikes are just becoming popular here in Canada, the technology might still not be perfected for all models. It is imperative to inform yourself about the technical aspects before buying one because you could be stuck with problems. * Please be safe if you ride an electric bike, as these go much faster! Plus don’t forget your helmet; this is imperative in that case…
(According to greenlivingonline.com and extraenergy.org)
REMEMBER, your “old body” bicycle is the best way to exercise and stay healthy, as opposed to the electric bicycles! Plus they don’t require any annual maintenance (or few)…
* If you are looking for more information on the electric bikes, Wikipedia is offering a great definition as well as useful information on these bikes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycles)
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