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Sales of E-Bikes Heat Up During the Pandemic

You don t have to be super-fit to enjoy cycling with a battery-powered boost

amriphoto / Getty Images When my friend Beth Fraser, 55, found out that we'd be covering 35 to 40 miles a day on our five-day bike trip through last summer, she was nervous she wouldn't be able to keep up. So she requested an e-bike from our bike tour company, PEI Cycling Tours. It would be just like riding a regular bike, and not much like riding a moped (no driver's license necessary). You use gears and pedal as usual most of the time, but have the option to give yourself a boost called “pedal assist” — thanks to a battery-powered motor you can set from low to turbo. E-bikes’ batteries last at least a day (our guides were responsible for recharging them; on an independent multiday trip you'd need to carry your own battery pack). Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The e-bike, my friend said later, made all the difference: “It felt like you had a kind hand behind you pushing your bike along, and that made hills a dream." Biking in general has seen a boom during the . It's an ideal way to get outdoor exercise while . As a result, bike stores have been swamped with customers looking to rent or buy bikes, or fix up old ones that might have been gathering dust. Paul Yepev, manager at City Bikes in Washington, D.C., says the store has some 1,000 bikes waiting in line for repair service. “It's definitely a crazy time,” notes Yepev. He adds that both e-bikes and regular bikes are selling faster than ever. Rad Power Bikes' most affordable e-bike, RadMission, retailing for $999, is scheduled to be released in October. Rad Power Bikes

E-bikes Facts

What they are: Similar to regular bikes, with a battery-powered motor available when riders need a boost (up to 20-28 mph, depending on e-bike model) Benefit: They make long rides — and going uphill — easier for a range of fitness levels Styles: folding, commuter, mountain, cargo and more Cost: about $1,000 to $15,000 to buy; often about $15/hour to rent E-bikes aren't cheap: They range from about $1,000 to $15,000 each, depending on battery life, style and other factors, though many higher-end stores, including City Bikes, don't sell any for less than $2,500. in Seattle, a popular online e-bike sales website, has recently released its lowest-priced e-bike yet, the RadMission 1 ($999), which will ship in October. "The demand for e-bikes is at an all-time high,” says Ty Collins, the cofounder of Rad Power Bikes. The company's 2020 global sales for April increased 297 percent over 2019 sales. Also in April, e-bike sales in the U.S. rose 92 percent over sales in April 2019, according to the NPD Group, a marketing research firm. , because with a more advanced group. People who have arthritis, those recovering from injuries, or those with other fitness concerns are able to ride more confidently through more challenging terrain and for greater distances. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > They can also change the relationship dynamic for many couples, says Doug Cousineau, a guide for VBT -— which, like PEI and Backroads, offers e-bikes to trip participants for no extra charge. Typically, he notes, one partner is a weaker rider, but when that person uses an e-bike, he or she “now waits at the top of a hill, just like the stronger rider used to do.” Cousineau calls it “a game changer for your confidence level. It's not cheating; it's not cutting corners. It's electronic assist, and you'll have a smile on your face at the end of the day." Note that many guided bike tour companies are offering a limited number of trips due to the ; Backroads, for instance, is currently running only U.S. tours. E-bikes are also increasingly available to rent, usually for about $15 an hour. That's the price at Bayfront Scooters & E-bikes in Traverse City, Michigan, which also charges by the day ($65), and Bike and Roll DC, a bike rental service in Washington, D.C., which charges $68 a day for e-bike rentals. More on home-family AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS