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Yellow Jersey.
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Eelco
Worldwide there has been a massive growth in e-bikes. They are basically electric powered pedal assist bicycles that make cycling a lot easier and great fun to ride. Arguably they are the most important invention in cycling since the introduction of gears more than a century ago. Last year in Europe, the world’s second largest market after China, more e-bikes were sold than normal bikes.
No matter where you sit in terms of your opinion it is in everyone’s interests to get more people onto bikes, from an environmental point of view, from a health point of view and from a participation point of view.
More and more event organisers in South Africa have started to receive applications from both local as well as international e-bike riders that wish to partake in many of our world class events.
Last year the organisers of the iconic 947 Cycle Challenge decided to do an experiment to see if 1) An e-bike battery could do the full 94.7km distance 2) How an e-bike motor would cope with the distance (would it overheat like an electric drill with excessive use? 3) Very importantly what advantage would an e-bike give a cyclist so that if they were to create a category for them how would they seed them?
The good news is that after very careful consideration the 947 Cycle Challenge event organisers decided to go ahead and create a category for them in this year’s road event. On Sunday 18 November just short of 40 e-bike riders lined up to participate as an official category in this year’s event. In terms of seeding the riders were scattered from Group Q onwards according to their previous performances in the 947 along with the important learnings gained from the experiment done in 2017.
Probably one of the best quotes received from one of the finishers of this year’s 947 was “E-bikes are like having a golf handicap they allow you to play with your mates”.
Not only will e-bikes help to unite friends and family with different cycling skills, but as a commuter they will also help save you lots of money.
Most of the cycling shops in South Africa now have stocks of them
SAVE PETROL RIDE AN E-BIKE
For more info on e-bikes please see: ebikersa.wordpress.com
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Yellow Jersey
Several years ago, when e-bikes were still very much in their developmental phase, I had the opportunity to test ride several models of a specific brand.
The experience was more interesting than it was mind-blowing, but it was evident where technology was taking us.
A couple of years ago I did a trip through the French Alps and was amazed at the number of e-bikes that did the rounds. And they were a far cry from the ones I rode initially.
The bikes – I noticed – were especially helpful to commuters in the country areas, who had to travel long distances to work and back.
I also saw riders of very advanced ages twiddling up passes like the Col du Galibier and Cormet de Roseland.
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