Why E-Bikes?

A bit about why we chose to start our bike tour business with a fleet of e-bikes

Some backstory

Lance and I have been riding bicycles recreationally for over a decade. Most of my cycling experience is in triathlon so primarily on the road, and Lance started in road and crit racing but has fallen in love with mountain biking. Both of us enjoy gravel riding as well. And for this past decade, all of our bikes – road, triathlon, mountain, and gravel – have been regular bikes.

In fact, in 2019 while we were in Switzerland to compete in the Triathlon World Championships in Lausanne, we made a trip to Germany to go to Eurobike, the top bike trade show where the bike manufacturers release their new prototypes. We were there for the super bikes, the next breakthroughs in marginal gains. Lance and I were horrified to find almost the entire show dedicated to e-bikes. E-road bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-commuter bikes. That’s not for us – we’re real cyclists! And then when we were riding our fancy, race bikes up a hill back to our accommodation, an older lady with her groceries passed us gracefully on her e-bike. Hmmmm.

Fast forward to our move to Scotland in 2024. Part of the move for me was to get away from the car dependency of the US. Our only transportation for the foreseeable future is our bikes or the bus. I knew for me, who does most of the commuting in and out of town, that I wanted to try an e-bike, which would reduce the load on my body of daily commutes with baggage. Dunoon has a fantastic community organisation dedicated to active transportation called Dunoon on the Move that allows locals to rent an e-bike to try out. I had the use of one of their e-bikes for 2 months until I bought my own. Now my Canyon e-bike is my daily commuter, and it’s set up with panniers so I can carry items in and out of town as needed, for example, a quick grocery shop or commuting to choir practice with my music folder.

The e-bike has been great for my commutes. It’s easier on my body in helping me get up the hills, especially with the extra weight of bags. I can wear normal street clothes and not get sweaty from the effort, and regular shoes on the flat pedals. And just that bit of comfort makes it easier for me to hop on the bike and go somewhere. It absolutely does not replace my race bikes when I want to go out and do big distance on the roads, or go riding up in the hills and the woods on my mountain bike.

What’s it like riding an e-bike?

The e-bikes in the UK are pedal assist up to 15.5mph. That means the battery-powered motor only kicks in when you pedal (there’s no throttle like a moped/motorbike) and the assist stops once you reach 15.5mph. After that, it’s all human-powered.

The e-bikes are much heavier than a regular bike. The weight of the battery alone is quite a lot, and the bike frames are generally made of heavier materials, unless you’re buying a race-specific e-bike. The weight of the bike will make it feel different than a regular bike, most noticeably while you’re descending or if you are pushing it next to you (think pushing it up some stairs). 

The pedal assist really helps when you’re starting from zero, for example, when you stop at a junction and then get started again. You’ll get up to speed much faster on an e-bike than a regular bike. It also helps a bunch when you’re going up a hill. The e-bikes still have gears, which you’ll use going up a hill, but the motor assist makes getting up hills a breeze, and that’s important when you live in the Highlands like we do!

Why e-bikes for a bike tour?

Our bike tours are sightseeing tours, they are not fitness competitions or races. They are like a walking tour or a coach tour, just on bikes! But they are better than a walking tour because we can visit a larger area, and they are better than a coach tour because you can really appreciate the landscape, and go places coaches can’t, while not harming the environment (or smelling the bus loo).

But we could do this on regular bikes, so what gives e-bikes the advantage in this case?

• E-bikes reduce the need for a high level of fitness to participate. Anyone who can ride a bike can join our tour with confidence.
• E-bikes help us keep the group together. On normal bikes, groups of cyclists regularly separate and gap going up hills or after stop/starting due to varying levels of fitness. When the group splits up on the road, this can cause issues with motorists driving unsafely around us. It’s safer for us to stay in a tight-knit group, and e-bikes help us do this.
• You can take your stuff with you – jacket, gloves, your bag, wallet, hat, glasses, water bottle, etc. Our e-bikes have a bag and rack on the back so you can easily bring your belongings, and we can bring snacks, drinks, first aid items, etc.
• The fun factor. Because the physical load is reduced, you can enjoy the sights and sensory experience without getting all sweaty and out of breath. Every single one of our guests so far has said they want to buy an e-bike now that they’ve had a go.

What if I want to bring my own bike?

We can accommodate you bringing your own bike by reducing the cost of the tour. Contact us at info@lochsbensglens.co.uk so we can do that for you. 

In the future, we will offer multi-day tours and bringing your own bike will certainly be part of that type of tour.