The Ease of E-Bikes

The Ease of E-Bikes

Biking Gives a Boost to Your Brain and Your Body

By Leslie Dinaberg | August 25, 2022

Read all of the stories in “Our 2022 Active Aging Guide” here.

One of the great ironies of modern life is that when you finally have an empty nest and the time and resources to pursue some new adventures, you don’t always have the same strength and mobility as you did when you were younger. Electric bikes can be a great way to level that playing field. They make adventuring and staying active easy and accessible for more people — especially older adults. 

“Electric bikes are becoming very well-known and popular, especially during COVID when there was a huge bike boom,” said Jesse Rosenberg, General Manager of Santa Barbara BCycle, the City of Santa Barbara’s all-electric bike-share program. “A lot of people who were not even cyclists or riders — and that was a lot of older people, age 50-plus — realized, ‘Wow, I could do this for a social pleasure activity, and get some exercise … I can still be outside and can ride a bike, and I have pedal assist.’” (Pedal assist is the mode on an electric bike that provides power from the motor to help you pedal easier and move faster.)

Scientists have long known that outdoor stimulation and exercise can boost brain power and a sense of well-being, especially as we get older. According to a U.K. research study published in the journal Plos One testing the psychological and cognitive benefits of outdoor cycling among 100 adults ages 50 to 83, none of whom were regular bike riders, the findings suggested “it is not just the physical activity component of cycling that is having an influence. Both pedal cycles and e-bikes can enable increased physical activity and engagement with the outdoor environment with e-bikes potentially providing greater benefits.”