{"id":176706,"date":"2020-01-24T16:31:07","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T16:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=176706"},"modified":"2020-01-24T16:31:07","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T16:31:07","slug":"how-e-bikes-are-helping-to-fight-the-gender-gap-in-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/01\/24\/how-e-bikes-are-helping-to-fight-the-gender-gap-in-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"How E-Bikes Are Helping to Fight the Gender Gap in Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Say what you will about e-bikes, their popularity is growing and recent studies suggest they\u2019re helping to fight one of the biggest challenges that the cycling community is currently facing. As we\u2019ve discussed before, cycling suffers from a major diversity problem. The stereotype of the MAMIL \u2013 middle-aged man in Lycra \u2013 is more than just typecasting, it\u2019s clear to any casual observer that the cycling community is dominated by adult males.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s slowly starting to change, though, and e-bikes appear to be playing a big role. One study done in Belgium confirmed that women purchased three-quarters of all e-bikes in 2018 and that e-bikes now account for 45 per cent of the total market. This is great news for those who care about closing the gender gap in cycling and it means that the sport we all love has now been opened up to a whole group of people who previously felt cut off from it.<\/p>\n

To understand more about this thriving community, We Love Cycling talked to several women who have had the world of cycling opened to them thanks to e-bikes. We hope that their stories and experiences will encourage others, of any gender, to look with fresh eyes on e-bikes as an alternative or complement to standard bikes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u00a9\u00a0Prostock \/ DPphoto \/ Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI knew I would never be able to manage the climbs as a novice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For many people, e-bikes allow them to tackle rides they previously saw as inaccessible. For Deborah Harkin of Derby, England, it gave her the freedom to join her husband on the road and cultivate a passion for cycling together. He\u2019d eagerly embraced cycling years earlier but had been riding solo until he had an encounter with someone riding an e-bike and shared the experience with his wife. \u201cIt was a lightbulb moment, as soon as he told me the story, the seed was planted.\u201d Deborah soon got an e-bike of her own and told us, \u201cit changed my life. The reason I didn\u2019t get an ordinary bike was because my husband had so many years of experience under his belt, and I knew I wouldn\u2019t be able to keep up. Now, we\u2019ve gone to Spain where I did two rides into the Sierra Nevada mountains, what a revelation!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will be surprised how fit and strong you have become.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Some who might be curious about e-bikes are discouraged because they think that they won\u2019t achieve significant fitness gains or that it\u2019s pointless because it will never give them the stamina to manage on a regular road bike. Tracy S. started off on an e-bike but now rides both. She explained that people who think it\u2019s cheating have obviously never owned one, \u201cI find my e-bike harder on flat surfaces than my road bike. They don\u2019t coast the same as other bikes so, no matter how much assist you\u2019re using, you pedal a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u00a9\u00a0Profimedia, Alamy, Uwe Moser Moser \/ Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy commute goes through bush trails, which has allowed me to reconnect with nature.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For Katie Wykes of Melbourne, buying an e-bike allowed her to get to work on time and totally change her lifestyle. She explained, \u201cI have a few chronic health issues, which has limited my exercise routine. A few months before I got my e-bike I tried a 3-km, relatively flat ride on a fixie, and nearly fainted!\u201d Nevertheless, after struggling to get to and from work on time and not wanting to buy a car, she tried out e-bikes with a friend and realised she needed to get one. \u201cIt has been excellent! I\u2019m much more inclined to go not just on leisure-based bike rides but hiking trips and camping too, something I had rarely considered before getting out on my e-bike!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lost 30lbs and increased my fitness, now that is real!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For Diane Pidgley, getting an e-bike has allowed her to regain her strength post-menopause and significantly increase her health and fitness. \u201cPrior to getting an e-bike, I was very unfit, with chronic back pain and a painful knee,\u201d she explained. Despite having had a long pause from exercising at all, she now she rides regularly with her partner, has lost weight, and discovered a new passion. \u201cE-bikes are the best! It\u2019s like being a little girl learning to ride again with a gentle hand on your back giving you a bit of a push to help you on your way. It\u2019s hard to stop smiling,\u201d she told us enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all on two wheels, we all have to pedal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

And when it comes to dealing with traditionalists who don\u2019t see e-bikes as \u2018real cycling\u2019, Deborah doesn\u2019t let it get her down. \u201cYou\u2019re never going to change everyone\u2019s prejudices, and some people like to think they are the elite but I\u2019m sure if they sat and thought about it, they\u2019d conclude that it\u2019s better for someone to be riding an e-bike than not riding at all.\u201d We couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in e-bikes<\/a>, check out some of our other articles or visit your local outlet and ask to take one for a test ride. Let\u2019s hope they continue to motivate an increasingly diverse group of prospective cyclists to try something new!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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