Men have been riding bikes since they were first invented in the late 1800s.  When the diamond-frame safety bicycle was perfected in the early 1900s, women (whom society still forced to wear ankle-length dresses) gained an unprecedented freedom and mobility – indeed,  suffragettes soon began calling the bicycle the “freedom machine.”

The electrically-assisted bicycle is the new freedom machine for hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world – the elderly who may no longer have the leg strength or endurance to pedal up even the gentlest incline, the infirm who, because of accident or illness, have also lost their strength, and the very young who lack the physical ability to bike for long distances or take hills.

The e-bike, as it is most commonly known, solves these problems, because a battery powers a small motor which assists the rider when necessary.  The typical e-bike has three functions.  Riders may pedal normally, without assistance, or they may flick a switch on their handlebars and have the motor provide them with just enough assistance to keep pedaling at a certain speed, or with another flick of the switch, the motor takes over entirely.

E-bikes do not have to be licensed, and current laws allow them to be ridden by anyone, although the wearing of a bicycle helmet is mandatory.  Depending on the model of the bike, the motor can power it along at about 15 miles an hour or more.  The battery charge typically only lasts for an hour, depending on how often it is used, and takes three or four hours to be recharged, by being plugged into any standard outlet.

If you have your own bike which you love and don’t intend to give up, you can always purchase a conversion kit to turn it into an e-bike.  Store that sell e-bikes are currently few and far between, as they do cost more than normal bikes, but their popularity is rising.  E-bike manufacturers also sell them online, if there isn’t a store in your area.  In addition, many cities are conducting tests to see if adding a rental fleet of bicycles will assist congestion on the roads.

As with any piece of new technology, as the year go by and the technology improves, price goes down dramatically, and as a result purchases go up.  The e-bike is here to stay.  It’s just a question of whether you’ll be one of the first riders, or if you’ll follow the crowd.