E-Bikes Can Provide a Worthwhile Workout.

Pedal-assist bikes (also known as e-bikes) can provide basically the same level of workout as regular bikes. In this study, researchers pitted e-bikes against regular bikes on a six-mile test loop and found that riders were able to enter the vigorous-intensity zone for target heart rate on both types of bike, even though the average heart rate for e-bike riders was about ten beats per minute lower. Study author Dr. Cougar Hall writes, “This study could be a critical catalyst for populations who struggle to exercise. The participants got cardiovascular results, but didn’t really feel like they were working out.”

Journal of Medical Internet Research, November 2019