Tips On Using An E-Bike to Exercise

Let’s be honest. Using an e-bike is not lazy, nor is it cheating on fitness, as some haters have claimed.

An extremely fit non-e-bike rider may notice some fitness loss if they suddenly swap for an e-bike option, though nobody really does that.

The truth is, whatever your situation, e-biking promotes exercising.

It should be agreed that riding an electric bike is an easy, convenient, and fun option. It is also one of the easiest ways to stay actively burning calories.

Much scientific evidence points to the fact that e-bikes promote a more active lifestyle in users than other ways they used to get exercise. Simply put, just getting on an e-bike as much as you can can be a good thing.

E-biking gives all the cardiovascular exercise that the 21st-century lifestyle lacks, and can help build muscle strength and endurance as well as improve all-round physical and mental well-being.

If you combine this with a balanced diet, you should well be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Generally, e-bikes promote public health with wide usage causing a decrease in air pollution and probably less fatal road accidents.

It’s usually best to have an idea of why you want to improve fitness, before getting immersed in the technical side of cycling fitness.

To feel better? Be healthier? Just to lost weight? To feel accomplishment from achieving a goal? To partake in sporting events?

Let’s explore e-biking and fitness in more detail.

How Many Calories Can I Burn On an E-Bike?

It is possible that you burn more calories riding a regular bike than with an electric bicycle. Research has shown that 444 calories were burned with an e-bike, compared to 552 calories on the regular bike.

It is important, however, to point out a couple of things.

Firstly, research shows that riding with electrical assistance resulted in burning 20% less calories. The article notes ‘burning 440 calories in an hour is a big deal – done regularly this kind of calorie burn could result in significant weight loss.’

Second is that all evidence suggests that e-bikers ride for longer and more often than regular bikes.

Studies show that the average trip distance of e-bike and bicycle trips among e-bikers is significantly higher than bicycle trips among cyclists. This means, e-bikers use less effort per mile but cover more miles and burn more energy overall.

With an e-bike, hills are just another exercise though it could be stressful psychologically for most cyclists.

To quote a study, ‘Riding a regular bike is generally considered vigorous exercise—burning about 430 to 560 calories per hour for a 150-pound person, assuming you’re going at least 10 to 14 mph. Not surprisingly, riding a pedal-assist e-bike, takes about half the amount of energy—about 280 calories an hour for that same 150-pound rider—the equivalent calorie burn of brisk walking. Depending how hard you ride, whether you’re carrying a load, and/or what power setting you use (low or economy settings require more human energy than high or turbo), you could burn up to 390 calories per hour.’

Tips for E-Bike Fitness

One main tip for getting more exercise on your e-bike is consciously turning the power setting down. You will still be getting your exercise and the e-bike will still help to conquer hills, only you’ll be adding more effort, thereby burning more calories.

Important to add here is that pedelecs have more potential to give you e-bike exercise, unlike throttle operated ones where there’s always temptation to use the throttle only.

E-bikes with smooth transition from assisted riding to non-assisted riding tend to help you get exercise when riding at or just over the limit.

An e-bike with a smooth transition means power is reduced gradually over the cut out limit, allowing you to cruise along at or just above the cut out limit with just a small amount of electrical assistance and a meaningful amount of human power.

The difference in brand and model means different characteristics for different e-bikes so you might want to test out this feature test riding different motors to specifically ascertain this, if you want to get the most out of it for fitness riding. Get a KBO bike for the best and latest features.

Lose Weight and Count Calories Using Technology

These days, it’s very possible for you to track just how much exercise you’re getting and there is loads of technology out there to help.

Some of our e-bikes at KBO Electric Bikes display the human power input in graphic form and link the heart rate monitor vis Bluetooth. Fitness trackers allow you to effectively measure the amount of power you input and the effect on your heart rate.

Enough info, but what calorie output should I aim at to improve my fitness level?

Calorie counting to lose weight isn’t exactly science but if you know your figures and can get feedback from display, it’s a useful guide for your e-biking habits and diet.

It has been long held that 3,500 calories burned e.g through e-biking equals one pound of weight lost. This means if you e-biked vigorously one hour per day and managed to burn 500 calories in said hour, you could lose one pound a week just e-biking.

It’s not exact science though, so you could try being practical here over being optimistic.

Next Level Fitness

Now you’re on your e-bike and it’s keeping you healthy. Here are some tips to help you get much fitter on your e-bike:

  • Learn three riding basics and practice them – overload, progression and recovery. Push yourself (overload), repeat as you get fitter and push even harder (progression), allow yourself recovery time.
  • Stretch before and after. As e-biking can involve being in a fixed position for long periods, look at other sports that can help you stretch, such as swimming. Set-up your e-bike properly while you’re at this.
  • Mix up your routine. This is because having a suitable plan is a key to getting fitter but it can feel like a chore sometimes, especially if pursued in isolation. You could try out sociable riding. Or going to sportives where e-bikes are allowed to compete. Or just popular and fun outings that allow you explore abilities and sociability.
  • Eat a balanced diet so you can lose weight and perform better on your e-bike.

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