SENIORS! EBike vs Regular Bicycle Which One is BEST for Seniors? The Pros & Cons of Both for Seniors

Should seniors buy a regular bike or an e-bike? Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. And today I'm going to answer the question, should seniors buy a regular bike or an e-bike? I've got our EVRYjourney regular bike and our EVRYjourney 500-watt e-bike. Now let's say you are a senior, you're over the age of 55, 60, 65, and you're considering an e-bike, or maybe you're just getting back into cycling and you're thinking about getting a standard bike. But maybe you've seen all the hype around e-bikes and you're wondering, huh, should I opt for an e-bike instead of a standard bike? Well, let's get into the pros and cons, and then let me also talk about what I've witnessed as someone who's done a lot of test rides with riders over the age of 60. Now, e-bikes are growing in popularity with riders over the age of 60. For many reasons, one being you're able to get assistance from the motor, which allows many older riders to go much further than they could have before. Also, allowing riders to take on hills and terrain that would no longer be possible without the assistance of a motor. So it's just creating more possibilities on two wheels. Also with the pedal assist now, riders that may have had surgeries on their knees or hips, or are dealing with arthritis, can utilize the pedal assist to help them in certain situations to get the bike moving, or to keep going for prolonged distances, or like I said, to go up hills and different terrains. Now, there is a big difference between regular and e-bikes. Number one is the cost difference. As an example, this bike on our website ranges from about 400 to 500, depending on the features and accessories. This bike ranges from twelve hundred to fourteen hundred, depending on which features and accessories you choose as well. So we are talking about a thousand-dollar difference between a regular bike and an e-bike. Now, I wouldn't let price be the determining factor for you, because if the electric is something that you can utilize, spending that extra money will be more than worthwhile, especially if it gets you out riding and just enjoying the outdoors overall. Now, another big difference is the weight difference.

There's about a 20-pound difference between the standard bike and the electric bike. Some riders that I've ridden with over the age of 60 don't like the increased weight. However, with that said, if the weight is in strategic places, it's not necessarily something that will affect you. But many riders can experience the difference between an e-bike and a regular bike. So if you're somebody who has not been on a bicycle for many, many years, it may be a good idea, even if you don't buy a standard bike, to get out and practice in some way, shape, or form before jumping onto an e-bike just to ensure that you can handle the weight of a standard bike in advance of thinking about getting an e-bike. Now, the e-bike weight will have the biggest impact on riders when they're starting and stopping. When you're up and moving and the tires are spinning, the weight isn't that much of a factor, but getting going is one factor. And now this is one area where having an e-bike is beneficial. Now you have the increased weight, but you can also turn on the assistance when you pedal, or in many e-bike cases, you have a throttle, like on our sixthreezero EVRYjourney. And the throttle is either a thumb throttle, where you push with your thumb, or a twist throttle. Depends on the model, depends on the brand, it depends on the e-bike. Now, if you've had your leg muscles depleted or you haven't exercised in a long time, it makes it much easier to get up and ride when you can utilize the electric assistance. Now, the one thing about an e-bike is it's a little bit heavier. So getting it moving will be more challenging than moving a standard bike, right? So you've got a 20-pound difference. So what you're basically saying is you've got the motor to assist you here, which makes it a little bit easier, but you have less weight here. So again, when you get on an e-bike, you may need to use assistance to get up and ride, whereas on a regular bike, it's a little bit lighter. You may not, but that's something to consider between the two options, lighter and heavier, but you do have the assistance to help you out.

And once you get the hang of using the assistance, it'll be no problem for you to get it up and moving. But it is something I see some riders have a challenge with at first as they get comfortable with riding an electric bike. So if you primarily want to ride under your own power, I don't think you want to opt for an electric standard bike as a great way. It's going to be much lighter. But if you think you want to travel further distances, you may also have some big hills by you that prove challenging. Again, having assistance is a great option as well. Now, if you've got your balance compromised in any way, shape, or form, then getting on an electric two-wheel bike is not a great idea. But you could also opt for a three-wheel, either standard or electric as well. So that's something to consider. And I'm going to make another video talking about the same topic, but on tricycles as well. Now, the other thing is the steering and the control. Again, if you've been off of a bike for many years, although it's just like riding a bike, I see many riders that it does take them a minute to get used to holding the handlebars and steering. If you get on and practice a little bit, and you find that you have a hard time even controlling a standard bike, I would stay away from jumping right into an e-bike. Get out and practice on a regular bike, practice getting your steering back, practice balancing, and then from there, you could upgrade to an e-bike later. Now, you can, of course, use e-bikes without using the electric, but because of the added weight, if you're not even comfortable getting a standard bike up and moving, transitioning to the e-bike to try to pedal it without the motor will be even more challenging. It's not hard or impossible. It can be challenging for certain riders. So I'm just trying to put that out there that this will be harder to get moving because of the added weight versus this one. So my real recommendation is if you've been off an e-bike or been off a bike for a long time, get on a regular bike first. Now, if you're on a regular bike all the time and you ride frequently and you just want something to get you that extra distance, maybe go a little further or take on hills, I think an e-bike is a great option for many, many seniors. We have heard so many testimonials, and there are so many other stories out there about how e-bikes have impacted and changed people's lives because places they couldn't go before, hills they couldn't go on before, now they can because of having an electric bike.

 The other thing about e-bikes is you can find comfortable riding positions like the EVRYjourney, where you're sitting upright and relaxed, and it's easy on your body. So if you're looking for something like that with comfort, those options do exist as well. So don't be deterred from thinking you have to go for a standard bike to get a certain type of comfort or riding position. Either one will work. But the last thing I just want to say is if you are a senior thinking about an e-bike, safety is very, very important. So you want to ensure that you have a helmet, you take your time, you get used to it, and you practice. And you get comfortable with using the assistance, not using the assistance to make sure, again, you can go out for safe, careful rides. So my ultimate conclusion is that e-bikes are great for seniors. It's up to you to choose if you should jump right into an e-bike or maybe just get back into cycling for a little while. Build your leg strength a little more. Get comfortable on two wheels before you jump into an e-bike. Now, if you have any thoughts or opinions on it, or you have a story where you got into e-biking, reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.com, or call us at 310-982-2877. We also offer a 30-day test ride on your bike policy. If you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back, no questions asked, no money out of your pocket. In addition to that, we warranty everything for one year. If anything goes wrong in the first year, we take care of its parts and labor. And lastly, be a part of our community. We have a Facebook group called Sixthreezero Pedalers. There are thousands of members in the group. Join the group before you purchase. Talk to existing riders before you jump in to ensure you're making the right choice. Then when you have yours, post in the group, and make friends. It's so much fun. Then download our app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. So, thanks for sticking around and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.