Actually, ebikes will get you much LESS exercise

AZOldTech said:
As the OP said, there is no question that ebikes will get you MUCH LESS exercise than a regular bike and Shimano proved it with hard numbers.
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This point only when comparing e-biking with conventional cycling on the same route (ebikes will finish faster with less exercise intensity) or for the same length of time (riding a regular bike is more work than riding an ebike, for the same length of time).

But, this isn't a fair test for most people. Overall riding habits are what matters in terms of how much exercise a person gets from cycling. Having an ebike promotes more cycling for some users, which translates into more more exercise. Also, conventional cyclists who add an ebike to their vehicle stable have reported here that they still ride their regular bike for some purposes, and the ebike for some car-replacement purposes, meaning that their amount of cycling increased by getting the ebike.

So, it depends on the person, I think. There is something that is the same for both types of bikes: when they sit without being ridden, the amount of exercise is identical!!
 
ebikemom said:
This point only when comparing e-biking with conventional cycling on the same route (ebikes will finish faster with less exercise intensity) or for the same length of time (riding a regular bike is more work than riding an ebike, for the same length of time).

But, this isn't a fair test for most people. Overall riding habits are what matters in terms of how much exercise a person gets from cycling. Having an ebike promotes more cycling for some users, which translates into more more exercise. Also, conventional cyclists who add an ebike to their vehicle stable have reported here that they still ride their regular bike for some purposes, and the ebike for some car-replacement purposes, meaning that their amount of cycling increased by getting the ebike.

So, it depends on the person, I think. There is something that is the same for both types of bikes: when they sit without being ridden, the amount of exercise is identical!!
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I think it’s a fair test and comparison but it’s probably not relevant to a lot of e-bikers;)
 
PDoz said:
A poorly conducted study is NOT proof - and I'm glad that people are posting here disputing that study. Without people challenging poor studies, we'd still believe smoking was good for us.
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I don't think anyone would dispute that for the same amount of time ebikes burn much less calories than regular bikes. It is so much easier to cheat on ebike than a regular bike for the same amount of time on the saddle. The equivalent on a regular bike will be calling your dad/mom/spouse to come and get you... lol
 
AZOldTech said:
I don't think anyone would dispute that for the same amount of time ebikes burn much less calories than regular bikes. It is so much easier to cheat on ebike than a regular bike for the same amount of time on the saddle. The equivalent on a regular bike will be calling your dad/mom/spouse to come and get you... lol
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Sorry, but for mountain bike riding my experience has been the opposite - nb I still ride the mebike or ebike depending on what I'm aiming for - the ebike comes out when I want to fit a hard workout into an hour - dial in full assist, hit the trails, and EVERY part of my body gets a workout, not just my legs. There is more to riding than spinning pedals.
 
I'm a full time road commuter and I'd say I do get less exercise on my spedelec over my old commuter bike (given the same ride duration).

I think it has to do mainly with acceleration. On my regular bike, every time you have to stop it takes a lot of effort to get back up to speed. Whereas the ebike makes it pretty easy to hit 20+ mph without a lot of effort.

But I don't really care, either way I'm elevating my heart rate for the whole ride.
 
PDoz said:
There is more to riding than spinning pedals.
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BTW, that is exactly what I feel I'm sometimes doing with cadence sensor only ebikes (and torque+cadence sensor ebikes are only slightly better as I've tried both). Spinning pedals. BTW, Shimano makes money of ebikes as well as regular bikes (most of the drive-trains are shimano on ebikes and on higher end ebikes you may even find more shimano parts than high end regular bikes). So anyone who thinks their published report has an ulterior motive, they are wrong IMO. BTW, I use a Wahoo Element Bolt with Speed/Cadence and HR Sensors on all our regular bikes and ebikes. And it is very easy to see the difference in calories burned with the same amount of saddle time for each. But don't get me wrong. Both regular bikes and ebikes have their uses as I said before. People who otherwise will never get on a regular bike to do a 20-30mile course, for a variety of reasons, they will now. And that is healthier for them as well as their pocket book if they use it to replace a car. And for another example, my wife and her ebike today made me and my road bike have the best workout on a 10mile segment with a 12-15mph headwind (and I'm not talking drafting behind her ebike). And that says something.

Whatever it is, both regular bikes and ebikes beat the hell out of staying on the couch munching chips and watching TV and gaining weight. They give you a reason to get out and move, no matter your age. And that's good for a healthier everyone.
 
Last edited:
Well, Less cycling time or less cyclist effort, both are ways ebikes can equate to less exercise.
It is no surprise if given the same time parameter an ebike rider can go further with less effort -if the rider chooses to cycle in that manner.
However, the ebike rider can, without regard for the assistance factor, put out an effort on the ebike that is equal to their effort on a non-ebike minute per minute . Expending any specific effort is the cyclist's choice. For me, cycling on an ebike generally adds up to less exercise mostly from reaching my destination in less time. Because my effort on an ebike equates to a faster speed and shorter ride time I expend less effort per ride.
 
I ride because I want too and because I can. Has nothing to do with health. If it were not for e-bikes, I would not want to, and age, physical condition, and the size of the hills in the immediate area, would prevent me from riding.

How much exercise I get due to having an e-bike seems pretty simple in my case.
 
AZOldTech said:
BTW, that is exactly what I feel I'm sometimes doing with cadence sensor only ebikes (and torque+cadence sensor ebikes are only slightly better as I've tried both). Spinning pedals. BTW, Shimano makes money of ebikes as well as regular bikes (most of the drive-trains are shimano on ebikes and on higher end ebikes you may even find more shimano parts than high end regular bikes). So anyone who thinks their published report has an ulterior motive, they are wrong IMO. BTW, I use a Wahoo Element Bolt with Speed/Cadence and HR Sensors on all our regular bikes and ebikes. And it is very easy to see the difference in calories burned with the same amount of saddle time for each. But don't get me wrong. Both regular bikes and ebikes have their uses as I said before. People who otherwise will never get on a regular bike to do a 20-30mile course, for a variety of reasons, they will now. And that is healthier for them as well as their pocket book if they use it to replace a car. And for another example, my wife and her ebike today made me and my road bike have the best workout on a 10mile segment with a 12-15mph headwind (and I'm not talking drafting behind her ebike). And that says something.

Whatever it is, both regular bikes and ebikes beat the hell out of staying on the couch munching chips and watching TV and gaining weight. They give you a reason to get out and move, no matter your age. And that's good for a healthier everyone.
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The video was a marketing exercise trying to promote " less swaety" , it was NOT a good study of exercise achieved on ebikes and imho was never realy intended as a scientific study - just bad marketing.

I guess you can forgive shimano for missing the target - for decades they've made silly $ by marketing product to make cycling easier - hundreds of thousands of $ spent to save a few grams or reduce resistance etc - it must be very hard for them to understand why the cycling enthusiasts aren't lining up for another performance enhancing product.
 
How much exercise you get on an ebike is entirely up to the rider. Even on the highest assist if you choose to ride the bike very hard and as fast as possible you will get a lot of cardio exercise but you will have traveled a lot more distance than on a traditional bike. That is the magic of an ebike for commuting when time is essentially money. If you choose to ride the bike and not sweat you can also do that which is essentially not possible on a traditional bike.
 
Ken M said:
How much exercise you get on an ebike is entirely up to the rider. Even on the highest assist if you choose to ride the bike very hard and as fast as possible you will get a lot of cardio exercise but you will have traveled a lot more distance than on a traditional bike. That is the magic of an ebike for commuting when time is essentially money. If you choose to ride the bike and not sweat you can also do that which is essentially not possible on a traditional bike.
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Exactly. On my current daily commute into downtown detroit, it used to take me an hour or like 1.25 hours to get to the office and back (each way).

On my Trek spedelec, it takes usually 35-40 minutes and I've hit 28 minutes already on a great day (all green lights, no obstructions).

Driving one of my cars, its like 25-30 minutes on a good day. But in rush hour with trains? 60+ minutes.

And I have to pay for gas, insurance, vehicle wear, etc. Why would I drive? :)
 
Can't resist adding today--marking 7 months of my concerted effort to get more exercise (which is still, solely my ebike for now)...
IMG_0207.JPG
 
some "Observational Perspective":
It is possible to expend equal effort per minute whether ebiking or non-ebiking. However the increase in speed using an ebike allows one to reach a destination in less time which translates to less effort. Also, the added speed can create an uncomfortable windchill factor this time of year that can cause a rider to slow down and use less effort per minute. Finally, there is a natural tendency to conserve effort doing any activity and ebikes enable a choice to conserve effort.
 
This is the silliest thread...we ebike devotees rush to the bait...what they don't know is that we generate our own electricity on treadmills at home before loading it into our batteries...heehee
 
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