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Get outside with an electric mountain bike.
There’s a quiet revolution taking place in the cycling world – and it’s being led by older riders.
Electric bikes – or ebikes – were very much a ‘specialist’ buy before the pandemic, but the sudden focus on fitness that lockdown brought meant sales went through the roof and in 2022 alone, more than 155,000 were sold in the UK — with these sales being led by older riders.
There’s a quiet revolution taking place in the cycling world – and it’s being led by older riders.
Electric bikes – or ebikes – were very much a ‘specialist’ buy before the pandemic, but the sudden focus on fitness that lockdown brought meant sales went through the roof and in 2022 alone, more than 155,000 were sold in the UK — with these sales being led by older riders.
The day I finished Sixth Form college I swore I would never ride a bike again. Every day I had to pedal my three-gear Raleigh Shopper bicycle the two miles to college and then home again. It doesn’t sound far, but just before home was a very steep hill.
I never made it to the top and ended up doing the ‘push of shame’ and regularly being tooted at by passing motorists.
Fast forward 30 years and the pandemic struck. Living in Wales, I couldn’t travel anywhere easily to exercise and my partner, who already owned an electric mountain bike (e-MTB), suggested I get one so we could get out together.
I really wasn’t sure as I’d vowed never to cycle again, but my curiosity burned too brightly and, although it’s a cliché, I haven’t looked back.
I love my e-MTB and I ride it year-round. I’ve been able to explore bridleways and gravel tracks, I’ve ridden through woodlands and valleys. I’ve even been on my first e-bikepacking weekend on the Isle of Purbeck, in Dorset.
Furthermore, I’m not alone. A 2021 survey by the world’s leading market research company Mintel confirmed hundreds of thousands of us bought e-bikes during 2020 and our love affair with them has grown since then.
Sales of e-bikes have tripled in the UK over the past five years. Updated research released this month by Mintel predicts that sales will slow this year due to the cost-of-living crisis, but it expects the market to soar again in 2024.
Despite this huge increase, we’re still lagging continental Europe, where there are five million e-bikes in the Netherlands alone.
Mintel found that a large percentage of these sales are electric mountain bikes (e-MTBs) and another survey by British Cycling found that almost 70 % of e-MTB riders are aged between 45-74.
With most either returning to cycling after a long break like me, or choosing to change from standard bikes due to health or joint issues, electric biking is a huge market and mostly powered by us older riders.
But there are still two myths to dispel, says Forestry England’s National Cycle Infrastructure Manager, Dan Cook, who was involved in compiling the British Cycling report. He points to the disdain some ‘proper’ riders give to electric bikes, and highlights the big differences between an e-MTB and a normal, more aggressively-used mountain bike:
“Electric bikes aren’t cheating; they still require physical effort just at a manageable level, helping make cycling accessible for more people.
“The e-MTB market is also different to the standard mountain bike market. Most people buying e-MTBs aren’t wanting to do death defying descents or jumps. They are buying them to explore the countryside, go out on social rides with friends or family or use them to continue riding when health issues mean they can’t ride a standard bicycle anymore.”
British Cycling’s Official and Off-Road Leadership Lead, Ben Creed, added: “Cycling participation in e-MTB has skyrocketed in recent years and is becoming increasingly accessible to the wider population.
“The volume of e-bikes and e-MTBs is already significant and growing quickly. We know that they support many riders to be more active, as well as being a lifeline for those who might not otherwise be able to ride.”
E-MTB cyclist John Threlfall, from Lancashire bought an e-MTB five years ago.
He says: “In the early days I got used to being called a cheat by traditional cyclists, but I reckon I was doing more riding than they were.
I used to meet up with a guy in his 90s who said if it wasn’t for his e-MTB he would have had to give up cycling years ago.
“I don’t believe they are just for old people, it’s a variant of cycling in its own right. Myself and my wife are still very active, we ski in the winter, and in the summer I hire an e-MTB to get out in the mountains in Austria. I’m 70 now and hope to keep riding it for many more years.”
We asked Cook what the benefits of an electric bike are, compared to a lighter and cheaper ‘standard’ bicycle, and he gave us his top reasons you might go all-electric:
E-bikes certainly aren’t perfect and there are a few issues you need to consider before trying one or even buying one.
Martin Astley, is from Bike Park Wales, the UK’s biggest mountain bike park at 1,200 acres and attracts 90,000 visitors a year.
He says it’s seen a boom in numbers of e-MTB riders at the park.
“Be careful,” he warns. “If you try one, you will want to buy one. We rent them here at the park so that’s a great way to try before you buy. We also offer e-MTB coaching courses on Kermit, our new beginner trail.
“I know a lot of riders who have switched to e-MTBs as they’ve got a bit older as it means they can keep getting plenty of riding in without it being so intense physically. Equally, though, e-MTBs have brought loads of new riders to the scene. People who may have found traditional mountain biking just too hard and e-MTBs have made it accessible, which is just great.”
If you’re looking to get started with electric mountain biking and have hired or bought a bike, Cook says these are the key things you’ll need to think about:
Susan Jerham, from Leicestershire, runs an ebike holiday business especially for the over-50s.
She says: “Our business has absolutely snowballed. Most of our clients are in their 70s and we tailor the rides from between 20-30 miles a day to fit their needs.
“Quite a few of our guests are using the holiday to trial an ebike. I love seeing the smile on their faces as they get used to the helping hand of the motor. They love the freedom that an ebike gives them.”
Cook has these tips if you are getting back in the saddle after a long time off or trying an electric bike for the first time:
Nigel Leppard, from the Isle of Wight, bought an e-MTB during lockdown instead of a new motorbike.
He says: “I was 61-years-old and never would have bought a standard bike. But it’s been an absolute revelation. I’ve lost weight, got fit, made new friends and have seen parts of my local area that I never have after living here for 60 odd years. It has been a total life changer for me and I would say to anyone thinking about getting one, to go for it.”
There’s never been a better time to join the electric bike revolution – head to your local bike hire, strap on your helmet, and let us know how you got on – we’d love to hear from you.
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Written by Phillipa Cherryson she/her
Published:
Phillipa Cherryson is Saga Exceptional’s Fitness Channel Editor. Phillipa has been a journalist for 30 years, writing for local and national newspapers, UK magazines and reporting onscreen for ITV.
Her passion is outdoor fitness. She’s a trainee mountain leader; an Ordnance Survey Champion; she organises walks and instructional events for South Wales members of online community the Adventure Queens and she’s vice chair of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Local Access Forum.
She hated sports at school and only started getting the fitness bug as she reached her 50s. Now she loves mountain walking, trail runs, e-biking, paddleboarding and climbing. She also loves cake.