One photo that explains e-bikes’ astronomical potential
Faced with the choice, most people prefer not to work hard to get from Point A to Point B. Image by Darren Buck used with permission.
In this photo, roughly 35 people are traveling between two points. Four of them are doing it manually, with about eight times that number opting for electric assist.
Obviously no one in this photo is on a bike, but stairs versus escalators offer an elegant example of the difference a simple electric assist can make between otherwise identical modes. And, therefore, an example of how electric bikes may appeal to many, many more people than normal manual bikes.
A few numbers, just for fun
In the United States, about 7% of people bike, about 33% say they never would under any circumstances, and the rest, about 60%, say they’re potentially interested in biking but don’t. There are plenty of reasons for that: Streets lacking safe bikeways, destinations that are too far apart, etc. But one big reason is simply that biking is hard work, and most people don’t want to have to work hard when they’re just trying to get from Point A to B.
E-bikes could overcome that limitation, in a big way. Your legs don’t get tired. Hills that once seemed insurmountable are no problem at all. Starting and stopping are easier than ever.
It would, of course, be invalid to promise that e-bikes guarantee an eight-fold increase in bike use. One photo of an escalator is just one sort of analogous example. But just for fun, if the 5% of DC residents who bike to work did actually balloon up eight times, that would equate to a 40% bike mode share, and about 136,000 bicycle commuters living in the District of Columbia alone.
Thanks to Darren Buck for the photo and tweet that inspired this post.