Can I get fitter with an e-bike?

The 2012 London Olympics saw a big boost in UK bike sales as Team GB's success in the cycling events inspired people to either ride more or to start riding. It's another example of the way in which the UK cycle market has, in recent decades, been driven by cycle sport, fitness and recreation rather than more practical and utilitarian considerations. In many European countries bikes are seen first and foremost as a means of transport, with fitness and recreation a niche. In the UK, though, it's largely the other way around.

It's possible that this is one of the reasons for the relatively low uptake of e-bikes in the UK compared to other countries. If people are looking to bikes as a way to get fitter and healthier, pedal assistance may work against that. How are you going to get cardiovascular exercise if an electric motor is doing the work for you?

It's a fair question. But the key is accessibility. Electric bikes aren't all or nothing, you can easily change the level of assistance to suit your needs. In many ways, this makes them a more versatile tool for fitness benefits than a traditional bike. If your base level of fitness isn't great, it's often very hard to regularly engage in any form of exercise. But with a helping hand from the added assistance of an e-bike motor, you can get underway at an appropriate level of intensity. As your fitness improves, turn the level of assistance down.

Just as weight training starts with lighter loads and works up, so an e-bike workout can start with lots of assistance and gradually reduce it. On a traditional bike, you have distance, speed and hills as the things you can vary to suit your fitness levels. An e-bike has the extra variable of motor assistance. You still have to pedal, but how hard you work is very much up to you.

Even riding at maximum pedal assistance has health benefits. Turning the pedals is still exercise even if you're not pushing very hard. You're still outside in the fresh air, boosting your levels of vitamin D from daylight. If you've been previously put off cycling by unavoidable hills, then the extra boost of a motor is ideal - you can put in the effort yourself on the flatter parts and let the motor help you out on the hills. Having an e-bike can open up new route choices that you might previously have avoided.

So the key to getting fitter with an e-bike is to think of pedal assistance as a helping hand to get you underway rather than something that's doing all the work for you. You get to choose how much help you need and vary it as your fitness levels change. You'll find that before long you're tackling longer distances and more challenging terrain and feeling good about it!