The uninformed might say "riding an electric bike is cheating" but they're wrong. Here's why.

Riding an electric bike is still riding a bike and that means being outside and burning calories as you turn the pedals. Exercising by riding an electric bike bought with Cyclescheme is part of a healthy and active lifestyle, and even though an e-bike will give you assistance, it’s important to remember that you’ll still be able to reap the benefits of riding a regular bicycle.

The majority of electric bikes require you to pedal for the motor to offer assistance, which means getting your legs moving to get the wheels turning. E-bike motors stop providing assistance once you reach 15.5mph, so any time you go over that speed, you’re providing all the power and your heart, lungs and legs will be getting a good workout.

Because of the electric assistance, going from non-cyclist to cyclist with an e-bike is an easy and fun step to make. Whether you’re trying to get fit, lose weight or perhaps you’re an older person looking to be more active, an electric bike is a superb tool to help you become more active and healthy.

Think of the assistance from the motor as something that helps break down barriers to cycling and makes it easier to instantly integrate cycling into your life so rather than worrying about your fitness, as soon as you leave the bike shop on your e-bike, you’ll be able to start conquering hills and racking up the miles. If you’re currently a non-cyclist, owning an e-bike means opening a door to exploration, adventure, excitement and all the health benefits associated with being active.

Electric bikes excel as a way of enabling regular, lower intensity exercise that integrates perfectly into everyday life – which is a great thing. When we say lower intensity, we mean working at 60% - 70% of your maximum heart rate – where you’re not completely out of breath, but are doing a manageable amount of exercise above your normal resting heart rate. Riding an e-bike will easily put you in this zone, which is where you burn the majority (85%) of fat calories.

With that in mind, it’s important to remember that if you’re looking for a fast, high intensity way to start getting fit and burning calories, an electric bike might not be the best solution for you.

So yes, you will benefit from riding an electric bike because even though they offer some assistance, riding one is good for your health because it raises your heart rate and gets you moving, which is great if you want to become more active and burn more calories, while reducing your reliance on other forms of transport.

Beyond the physical benefits, it’s also well known that being physically active is good for your mental wellbeing and boosts mood, energy and alertness. Regular exercise also reduces stress and anxiety, so riding an e-bike is a brilliant way to stay physically and mentally well.

If the incredible physical and mental benefits of e-bike life aren’t enough to sway you towards the joy of battery-boosted bike ownership, then now is a good time to remind you of what else is on the table. That’s right, owning an electric bike is going to result in more cash in your pocket because it’ll make you less reliant on public transport. In fact, electric bikes are the superlative urban transport solution not just because they’ll save you money but also because they give you the city on your terms – they’re convenient, they’re the solution to gridlocked streets, they’ll get you to the top of the highest hill with minimal fuss and they’ll mean you’re always travelling on your own terms.