Dear editor,
I have to write this before I hear one more cyclist gloat about how they want “to get a good cardio workout” and are “holding out before they get an e-bike.”
Today a complete stranger told me I was “lazy” for using an e-bike. She, on the other hand, was “tenacious” because she still rides her regular 21-speed bicycle. Them’s fighting words.
Lazy? After having just completed a 50 km ride and having raced from Point Holmes to my appointment in Tin Town in 20-30 minutes?
Mostly I try to ride my 55-plus pound e-bike without any pedal assist (I don’t have a throttle) but use a little help (or a lot) up the hills. But if I can get some speed up on my own steam and maintain it, it’s a good workout pedaling my heavy bike around.
You have no idea what my reasons for using an e-bike are. Maybe I have a bad back, bad knees, bad heart, bad lungs, MS, or maybe I just like cruising or don’t want to break a sweat. Maybe, just maybe, it’s fun! But it ain’t nobody’s business but my own.
Google “Can one get a cardio workout on an e-bike?” before you judge me. Your word was spiteful. Be thoughtful, be kind, be humble, and be thankful.
Jill Almond,
Comox Valley