HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Modern e-bikes are finally delivering on a promise first made 125 years ago, when one of the earliest patents for an electric-powered bicycle was filed. Despite those early ambitions, it would take a century before the idea of adding an electric motor to a bicycle gained much traction - a lot of aeroplanes, cars and rocket ships needed to be developed first.
By the late 1990s, however, alternative forms of transport had become more appealing even necessary, in some areas - because of crushing traffic. Certain bike manufacturers revisited the idea of electric-assist bikes. Advances in battery and motor tech opened the doors to better drivetrains that ran longer, with more power, and could be better integrated on frames.
Sales rose slowly at first, then exploded over the past four years. Reports in the US show that there has been a 95% jump in e-bike sales since 2016. Industry analyst Ed Benjamin predicts that 500 million e-bikes could be in use worldwide by 2025.
South Africa lacks safe commuting infrastructure and a commuter culture, which has limited sales of certain styles of e-bikes. But sales are increasing exponentially in the leisure and sport categories, as bikes become lighter, more capable and more affordable.
FULL POWER
Best Full-Power Mountain Bike
PYGA EVOLVE
FROM R119 995 (FRAMESET) / PYGAINDUSTRIES.COM
E-bikes have changed the mountain biking landscape.
Of course, there'll always be a market for analogue bikes, especially high-performance, short-travel XC and marathon bikes; but what about trail bikes? Who wants to pedal a heavy bike up a punishing mountain track for one shot at the descent?
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July/August 2023-Ausgabe von Bicycling South Africa.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July/August 2023-Ausgabe von Bicycling South Africa.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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GEAR FOR THE AGES
Some bicycle components, tools and accessories - by design, luck or a bit of both - become icons of performance, reliability and permanence in cycling.
A RACE LIKE NO OTHER
IN KENYA'S MAASAI MARA, KNOWN MORE FOR SAFARIS THAN CYCLING, THE MIGRATION GRAVEL RACE CHALLENGES RIDERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE WORLD WHILE FORGING A FUTURE FOR BIKE RACING IN AFRICA.
WAR ON WHEELS
IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE IN CAPE TOWN AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CYCLING GANG WAR, WHERE THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE ARE STRAVA RECORDS AND SALTY COMMENTS ON INSTAGRAM. THIS IS THE TALE OF THREE RIVAL ROADIE CREWS AND A REMINDER THAT CYCLING IS A SPORT BEST TAKEN WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR.
GET TOUR DE FRANCE FAST IN FOUR WEEKS
HAVE YOU GOT TOUR FEVER? If you have a good fitness base, let the pros inspire you to take your riding to the next level.
THE SECRET TO MAKING A COMEBACK? JUST START
\"THIS IS WHAT DECONDITIONING LOOKS LIKE,\" I said out loud to no one, as I looked at the heart-rate reading on my phone and gasped for breath. \"This shouldn't be so hard.\"
DEAR MARK CAVENDISH
WHEN I FIRST STARTED FOLLOWING professional road cycling around 2014, you were at the top of your game.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR POWER-TOWEIGHT RATIO
POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO IS one of the most telling metrics in cycling - and thanks to indoor trainers, many more cyclists are now familiar with it. Right now it's never been easier to calculate your power-to-weight ratio and use it to improve your performance.
EASY RIDER
A FEW YEARS AGO, my wife and I along with her parents, brother and his wife-cycled down the Danube River in Europe.
LEADING THE WAY - RYAN GIBBONS, 29, SA PRO RIDER, MULTIPLE SA & AFRICAN ROAD CHAMP
AFTER JOINING LIDLTREK from UAE Team Emirates, South African national champ Ryan Gibbons aims to be the best lead-out man he can be - while also helping his new team in their quest to climb the World Tour rankings.
6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU COOLER AND RIDING STRONGER... NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE.